MEL Coordinator, RISE -( Samara and Jigjiga), Ethiopia

Position Title: MEL Coordinator, RISE

Function: Evidence and Learning

Portfolio: Regional Integrated Program

Department: MEL

Division: AYSRH/RISE

Direct Reports: N/A

Level: C2

Reports to: Regional MEL Function Head/IFI Manager with dotted line to Sr MEL Manager at Head Office

Based in: Samara for Afar and Jig Jiga for Somali Position

Duration of contract: Indefinite based on performance and availability of funds.

Remuneration: As per organization pay scale plus other PSI/Ethiopia staff benefits.

Application Deadline: March 2, 2023

Who we are?

We’re Population Services International (PSI), the world’s leading non‐profit social marketing organization. We work to make it easier for people in the developing world to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire by marketing affordable products and services that range from mosquito nets to contraceptives to HIV testing. We are a $560m enterprise based in Washington, DC, operating in the private and public sectors in more than 65 countries.

Join us!

There are over 9,000 “PSI’ers” around the world. It’s a diverse group of entrepreneurs and professionals with an unusually wide range of backgrounds – from the medical industry to the music business – all with unique skills we bring to the job.

PSI/Ethiopia wants to reimagine healthcare, put the consumer at the center, and whenever possible, bring quality care to the front door.  We achieve health impact in Ethiopia by working with both government and private partners and harvesting technology innovation to bring quality care closer to communities, schools, and homes.   We empower consumers by including them in the design of healthcare solutions, offering them more healthcare choices, and helping them to have a voice in influencing national priorities.  We work with all market actors in the health system to understand their needs, designing and delivering solutions so that market systems can sustainably serve consumers for the long term, helping to support the Government of Ethiopia in achieving Universal Health Coverage.

We are looking for a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Coordinator who is responsible to support the MEL system at regional level for Roadmap to Integrate Smart Start in Ethiopia (RISE) project. RISE is a scale up project embedded within the government system. PSI/E’s role in this project is providing technical assistance and supporting system strengthening.  Hence, the position holder is expected to closely work with the regional health structure in tracking data elements that come through the HMIS (DHIS2) and CHIS, support the incorporation of RISE metrics within the health system at different level including joint supportive supervision checklists, and design dashboards to properly track both scale up and system influence components of the program at regional level. The MEL Coordinator will be responsible to:

• Provide capacity building trainings on basic project’s MEL requirements to regional RISE team,

• Support cascading process of Gov’t M&E tools/systems, digitalization (CHIS, HMIS/DHIS 2),

• Coaching and mentoring at facility level to strengthen Family Folders and Tickler Box System,

• Provide technical support on data quality, conduct regular joint data quality assessment, facility level data extraction.

• Develop and ensure data to action framework at regional level to enhance program Data use for Decision making,

• Support & facilitate joint supportive supervision, reporting qualitative and quantitative data to the Sr MEL Manager based on the agreed reporting frequency.

• Strengthen Gov’t MEL Partnership and actively engage on different platforms (TWGs, Performance review, annual work plan) at regional level.

• Coordinate the program M&E activities, including tracking project progress and timely and actionable information to program team (RISE and concerned departments of RHBs) for program learning, to improve program performance and knowledge management.

Key Result Areas:

• Monitoring and Evaluation

• Capacity building & System Strengthening

• Data Quality and Data use

• Coaching and supervision

• Reporting & Documentation

Sounds like you? Read on!

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide MEL capacity building activities -RISE MEL trainings & supporting on cascading process of Gov’t M&E tools/systems (CHIS, HMIS/DHIS 2), coaching and mentoring at facility level to strengthen family folders and tickler box system.

• Design and set up a joint Data to Action (D2A) framework at Regional level with RHBs in consultation with RISE program team to track the progress of the program.

• Support & ensure program data use for decision making through facilitating regular D2A discussions & performance review jointly with responsible Gov’t RHBs & RISE program team

• Provide technical support in strengthening data quality and conduct joint RDQA with Gov’t stakeholders & regularly ensure data quality of RISE implementing facilities.

• Support and facilitate Joint Supportive Supervision at Regional, Woreda and facility level with all relevant Gov’t stakeholders and RISE program people through utilization of standard JSS tools.

• Support the deployment & correct utilization of electronic data capture systems and protocols such as DHIS2.

• Strengthen Gov’t MEL Partnership and actively engage in different TWGs, annual regional level work planning, performance review meetings and actively contribute to the Information Revolution agenda at Regional level by having the RISE metrics in mind.

• Provide RISE regional staff and government partners with routine data analysis and feedback through regular performance tracking of the RISE indicators, analysis the data and meaningfully interpret to enhanced evidence-based decision making for program performance improvement & learning.

• Regularly ensure timely data management & submission of RISE program data from facilities to government HMIS/DHIS 2 & other reporting system in accordance with standard tools & guidelines.

• Carryout all regular programmatic data collection, data cleaning, data compilation and data analysis, information sharing & documentation.

• Conduct regular field visits to project sites with different stakeholders for monitoring follow up and technical support.

• Support regional level MEL function, Program team & Sr MEL Manager with work plan development & regular reporting of the RISE MEL activities based on the agreed template.

• Jointly support & facilitate different program assessments/ surveys or program evaluations process at your respective regions/sites.

• Lead all programmatic data archiving and documentation at Regional level 

What it takes to succeed:

• Knowledge on the context: knowhow and experience to work with the Regional Health system on HMIS, DHIS 2 and CHIS system.

• A self-starter: You have the ability to work independently with minimal supervision; you are someone who is proactive in looking for new opportunities;

• Consistent and determined: generating credible, accurate, and timely data using the existing government system will be challenging until the team at different level buys-in the objectives of RISE. Someone who is determined and always look at the bigger picture regardless of the challenges on the daily basis is needed.

• Eager and Passionate to serve young people: RISE is for and with the young people in general and married adolescent girls/couples in particular. The evidence you will be working with are the voices of the young people.

• Communicator: who has excellent interpersonal and written communication skill; able to analyze and present data in a way it is easy to understand to different audiences.

• Evidence based decision Maker: capable to interpret both qualitative and quantitative data, transform it in to compelling communication material to influence both mind sets and skill sets as system is all about infrastructure as well as people.

• Flexible: who is capable to see other alternatives when trail/attempts fail; someone with strong conviction that CHANGE is possible!

Your Background

What are we looking for? The basics

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Statistics, Population Studies, Economics or related fields with five (5) years of demonstrated M&E experience in Ethiopian Primary Health Care system.

OR

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Statistics, Population Studies, Economics or related fields with seven (7) years of demonstrated M&E experience in Ethiopian Primary Health Care System.

• Well versed in MOH’s HMIS system (its current status, the road map, opportunities as well as challenges)

What would get us excited?

• Ability to think out of the box as PSI’s process requires system-level thinking

• Proven experience of working with pastoralist context;

• Experience on M & E of adolescents and youth focused SRHR programs.

• Experience in conducting trainings on MEL systems and procedures particularly of Gov’t MOH’s.

• Able to work within a very innovative and dynamic type of program.

• Computer and data management skills using different statistical software’s;

• Experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methodologies required;

• Experience of working with different partners & Regional gov’t systems

• Knowledge and demonstrated experience of DHIS2 system previous experience or knowledge with mobile data collection tools such as Open Data Kit (ODK).

• Good time management and organizational skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills and good team spirit.

• Team player who takes initiative, problem solving mentality; good at multi-tasking; demonstrated flexibility.

• Willingness to travel up to 50% of time away from base location.

• Ability to follow deadlines, accuracy, and attention to detail without compromising quality.
• Proficiency in verbal and written English and Afar-af language for Afar position and
• Proficiency in verbal and written English and Af Somali language for Somali  position