Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisor 

The Strengthening Integrated Health Services Activity (SIHSA) aims to contribute to the Government of Sierra Leone’s overarching goal of improving the health of adolescents, pregnant and postpartum women, and children under five years old. The program seeks to 1) enhance the quality of family planning, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (FP/RMNCAH), malaria services, 2) promote the adoption of crucial health behaviors and 3) strengthen the stewardship and governance of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation at central and district levels. SIHSA seeks to promote the integration of health services, including malaria services, to rapidly scale-up evidence-based interventions to address preventable causes of maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent morbidities and mortality. SIHSA seeks to demonstrate innovative models to catalyze community-driven solutions and show models to promote private sector engagement.

Role Overview:

The SME&L Advisor will be responsible for the overall monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability of the entire SIHSA programme. Reporting to the Chief of Party (COP), the SME&L Advisor will adhere to Concern’s programme quality standards and ensure compliance with Concern and donor MEAL requirements. S/he will maintain positive and productive relationships with the donor and local and international partner organizations throughout the programme lifecycle. A priority for the SME&L Adviser role extends to capacity building and knowledge transfer to high performing Sierra Leonean team members with a view to empowering their success during the life of the project.

Recruitment is contingent upon successful award and USAID approval.

Responsibilities:

• Provide overall management, strategic direction, and technical leadership on MEAL to support the achievement of expected programme results within the budget and timeframe.
• Serve as principal liaison to the Chief of Party (COP) on learning and monitoring, ensuring high levels of coordination and engaging with key stakeholders (partner organizations, local government, civil society, etc.) on MEAL.
• Using an adaptive management approach, track performance-monitoring analysis and apply course correction in collaboration with the COP and DCOP. Responsible for ensuring systematized use of data into learning systems to demonstrate data-driven decision-making.
• Support quality control for MEAL deliverables and fulfil all donor and Concern Worldwide reporting requirements, including the production of timely and accurate reports.
• Direct the preparation of MEAL annual work plans and learning products, review programme activities and ensure learning is integrated, and oversee use of data/analytics to evaluate program outreach.
• Oversee and contribute directly to production of communications products, including learning notes, reports, articles, videos, etc, as well as outreach via social media, ensuring products are well packaged for intended audiences.

Stakeholder Management:

Liaise with USAID and other donors, as well as implementing partners and stakeholders, to ensure a collaborative, shared learning model that is responsive to their demands.

Manage the relationship on MEAL between all consortium partners and ensure partner MEAL activities are adhering to the agreed work plan and budget.

Represent the programme in all MEAL technical, policy, and programmatic fora at all levels (regional, national, and international)

Accountability:

• Ensure that there is a robust Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) Improvement plan in place for the consortium, along with an accessible and inclusive Feedback Complaints Response Mechanism (FCRM).
• Ensure that all staff are familiar with the principles underpinning accountability, safeguarding and Concern’s FCRM and lead on ensuring that information about Concern’s commitments on accountability and safeguarding are disseminated among programme participants and communities.
• Ensure that the FCRM is functional, effectively implemented and accessible in all programme locations, enabling safe reporting of both programmatic and sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns.
• Ensure that complaints are welcomed, managed and responded to in a timely, fair and appropriate manner; ensure that sensitive complaints, including safeguarding concerns, are handled with utmost confidentiality and that the safety of the complainants and those affected is prioritized at all stages.

Capacity Building:    

• Contribute to the daily capacity building and strengthening of decision-making capacities of the team and national staff.

People Management: 

• Lead the MEAL team to ensure tasks, deliverables, and responsibilities are met and oversee their collaboration with the wider team to ensure compliance with USAID rules and regulations, providing capacity-building training where needed.
• Ensure that all department positions have accurate job descriptions and that each member of the team fully understands outcomes which are expected of them, by setting SMART objectives, and that they are aware of the success criteria relating to their work.
• Ensure that all department staff are aware of and comply with all of Concern’s policies and procedures.
• Monitor and review performance of staff and hold staff accountable for meeting their success criteria; give corrective feedback where required and take decisive action in the case of poor performance.
• Ensure that work within the team(s) is planned and organised in a way which will meet the organisation’s needs in the most cost effective manner possible; ensuring that team members are given appropriate workloads and are working efficiently.

Other:

• Actively participate in collective exercises such as preparation or updates of Preparing for Effective Emergency Response (PEER) plan, Security Management Plan (SMP) and other Concern initiatives.  
• Ensure that gender equality and diversity principles are upheld in the recruitment, orientation, performance and management of staff and to demonstrate leadership on workplace equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Promote and ensure accountability to programme participants and Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and Do No Harm principles, and ensure high ethical research standards, particularly given the sensitive nature of the topic areas throughout programme implementation. 
• Ensure adherence/compliance with Concern’s Code of Conduct, Programme Participant Protection Policy, Safeguarding policy and associated policies and to role model a positive safeguarding ethos. 
• Actively participate in any emergency response if called upon to do so (within the existing programme area or in a new one).
• Undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by the Country Director.

• A Master’s degree (equivalent) or higher in economics, research methodologies, statistical analysis, global health, international development, or another relevant field.
• A minimum of seven (7) experience in a USAID SME&L or senior MEAL management position; with progressive responsibilities in a field related to the successful implementation of the programme, such as health, nutrition or resilience programmes
• A minimum of five (5) years experience managing complex multisector data, preferably for USAID awards. 
• A minimum of five (5) years staff management experience leading teams in an environment conducive to learning and development.
• Demonstrated leadership qualities, including technical, management, and evaluation expertise for complex programmes in resource-constrained countries.
• Strong communication skills, including both written and oral presentation skills; proven ability to develop and communicate a common vision among diverse public and private partners.
• Experience collaborating and coordinating with local and national host government agencies and international agencies and aligning programme activities and results with strategies.
• Knowledge of Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere and other international humanitarian guidelines and protocols
• Excellent written and spoken English language skills.
• Sierra Leonean and West African candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

Desirable

• Cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Commitment to capacity building, protection, and participation.
• Demonstrated experience of team building and participatory approaches.
• Flexibility and adaptability in a changing environment.

• Raising awareness and being updated on HIV & AIDS issues.
• Protecting him/herself and colleagues.

Sharing information with colleagues and avoiding stigma and discrimination.

Therefore, each staff member of Concern is expected to be sensitive to equality issues in their relationships with colleagues and in their work and to participate in implementation of gender mainstreaming plans, both at the workplace and in programmes.

Concern has an organisational Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to SME&Lrify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organisation, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies. Additionally, Concern is committed to the safeguarding and protection of vulnerable adults and children in our work. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work or volunteer with vulnerable adults and children are recruited by us for such roles. Subsequently, working or volunteering with Concern is subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking.