Monitoring, Evaluation

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager will lead the development, implementation, and adaptation of USDA Thailand’s Regional Agriculture Innovation Network’s (RAIN) Performance Monitoring Plan and Evaluation Plan in close collaboration with program staff, partners and USDA and ensure that its collaborative MEL process adequately reflect ongoing learning, knowledge sharing and adaptive management.

**ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- **Lead MEL**:Provide technical leadership for MEL to the project team to ensure Winrock and USDA MEL requirements are met on timely basis. Oversee all project monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes for RAIN, ensuring appropriate MEL standards are followed in how data is collected, documented, analyzed, stored, and reported.
- **Comply with Donor Requirements**:Develop, implement, and regularly update RAIN’s PMP and Evaluation Plan in line with USDA’s standard indicator guidance, guidance from USDA MEL Team, and based on learning from implementation in Thailand.
- **Manage Team**:Directly manage two employees, overseeing the hiring, training, development, and supervision of the employees in accordance with the Winrock personnel manual.
- **Build Capacity**:Develop capacity of implementing partners to institute appropriate M&E systems within their organizations in accordance with the PMP. Build the capacity of the project team in MEL. Participate in Winrock International’s MEL Community of Practice.
- **Design Resources**:Design monitoring and evaluation tools and processes, including baseline assessment, ongoing monitoring, and internal and external assessments. Design/update data collection instruments, schedules, analysis methods and applied technologies. Work with Winrock home office to customize MIS to the reporting and information needs of the project, including specifying indicator calculations and designing dashboards.
- **Ensure Data Quality**:Ensure timely collection, verification, and analysis of data on all program indicators and their timely delivery for quarterly and other required reports to USDA and other agencies, as appropriate. Supervise timely and accurate reporting of quantitative and qualitative data by program implementing partners, in cooperation with program staff. Validate data from program partners and staff, including through field monitoring visits. Establish clear systems of use of RAIN’s MIS data platform as a key project tool for data storage, analysis, and learning. Develop an efficient and accurate data collection and analysis system that includes efficient processes for collecting and analyzing data and ensuring data quality.
- **Monitor Performance**:Monitor project progress toward project results in close collaboration with program team and recommend actions emanating from regular project monitoring. Maintain up to date, accurate, and high-quality MIS with relevant dashboards for reporting and performance monitoring.
- **Conduct Evaluations**:Lead the evaluation efforts of the project, from the design stage to dissemination of findings and use. Facilitate the design and implementation of special learning studies in collaboration with technical staff and stakeholders.
- **Disseminate**:Cooperate closely with program managers to consolidate accurate and descriptive reporting of program results, including activities, outputs and results of implementing partners. Prepare and disseminate interpretation tools (e.g. tables and charts) to program users from data extracted from the RAIN database as needed. Lead knowledge sharing activities within project, USDA, other implementing partners, and with target countries’ governments. Collaborate with the communications team to visualize important findings.

**QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND**:

- At least six years’ experience in the monitoring & evaluation of international development projects, preferably agriculture or related sectors. Experience with USDA, USAID, or international NGOs desired.
- Bachelor’s degree with six years’ experience or a Master’s degree with four years’ experience in social science or related field.
- Experience hiring, coaching, and supervising staff.
- Experience managing large M&E databases. SQL database experience preferred. Proficiency in database management, statistical analysis, survey, and presentation software. Familiarity with management information systems/data analysis/visualization software would be a big advantage.
- Data collection tools. Proven record of designing and implementing data collection tools including surveys. Experience with mobile data collection strongly preferred.
- Data management. Strong experience in performance measurement, indicator selection, data collection and analysis; including experience in both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
- Experience with capacity building in MEL required, includes training staff and partners.
- Ability to write clearly, accurately, and concisely.