Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist

The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT®, is a not-for-profit agricultural research for development organization with partners in over 100 countries. Please refer to our website for more information: www.cimmyt.org

CIMMYT is seeking a dynamic, self-motivated, and service-oriented professional for the position of SASAS MEL Specialist for the USAID-funded Sustainable Agrifood Systems Approach for Sudan (SASAS) implemented in Sudan from October 2022 to September 2024. The goal of the SASAS project is to ensure smallholder farmers in important food production regions in Sub-Saharan Africa have the information and innovations needed, using market-based approaches, to maintain or increase food production to mitigate the impacts of the global food, fuel, and fertilizer price increases resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The incumbent will contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and provide strategic guidance and technical backstopping to the project teams who are responsible for reporting and monitoring progress in achieving the goals and expected outcomes of the SASAS project. Working with a multi-disciplinary team, the incumbent will help plan, operationalize, and implement the project’s MEL system with partners and in accordance with USAID requirements, while following CIMMYT MEL protocols.

The position is based in Khartoum, Sudan.

Specific Duties:

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Support

• Help to plan, operationalize, and implement the project MEL system in collaboration with the Project Manager, USAID Monitoring and Evaluation teams, partners, and the CIMMYT MEL team.
• Ensure documentation of project processes, research data collection, analysis, and archiving, and contribute to periodic evaluation of progress and the drawing of lessons learned.
• Liaises with project partners and other stakeholders in Sudan on an ongoing basis to coordinate efforts to strengthen a results-based culture within the SASAS project and to build the capacity of staff and consultants, national counterparts, and implementing partners in strategic planning, results-based monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, applying relevant USAID and CIMMYT tools and systems.

Reporting and Communicating

• Help coordinate donor reporting and communications.
• Collaborate with the Project and CIMMYT MEL team to ensure alignment between the project and USAID Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks.
• Assist to develop regular reports based on the systematic collection and analysis of monitoring information; and contribute to periodic evaluations of progress in project implementation.
• Support Project Management and implementation teams in the analysis of M&E data.
• Coach field scientists on the proper management and archiving of research information according to CIMMYT protocols.
• Contribute to the development of practical tools/support materials to empower scientists and partners to use and mainstream good MEL principles.
• Support project management team in the formulation of Detail Implementation Plans (DIP) that allows systematic monitoring of progress.

Other Responsibilities

• Facilitate and contribute to the development of monitoring indicators, monitoring calendars, field monitoring plans, monitoring plan, and joint annual work plans for the SASAS project.
• Conduct Data Quality Assessment (DQA) on a regular basis.
• Contribute to regular Monitoring and Result Measurement (MRM) reports based on the systematic collection of qualitative information and analysis of monitoring information.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the supervisor.

Required academic qualifications, skills, and attitudes:

• MSc in Agricultural or Rural Development, Data Management, Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, or related field, with a particular interest in Monitoring & Evaluation of planned interventions or equivalent.
• Knowledge of Stata, R, CSpro, Kobo, Survey Solutions (or any other data capturing software) or any other standard statistical software package.
• Class 4 Drivers license is a must.
• At least 3 years experience in project management in an international organization
• Good communicator, excellent spoken and written English.
• Good experience in M&E systems working in the context of large bilateral donor-funded projects, especially for USAID.
• Strong understanding of, and experience with, USAID M&E requirements evaluation indicators.
• Familiarity and experience with project management concepts (Logical Frameworks, Theory of Change, or similar approaches)
• Familiarity with data archiving systems, databases, and experience training researchers or M&E specialists in their use.
• Demonstrated experience with the use of participatory and gender-sensitive methods for rural appraisals and data collection.
• The selected candidate must exhibit the following competencies: Organization, Critical thinking, Teamwork, Client Orientation, Problem-Solving decision-making, Negotiation, and Conflict resolution.

CIMMYT offers an attractive remuneration package and support for continuous professional development.

Candidates must apply online to SD23144_MEL Specialist. 

For more information on the recruitment process please, contact Didier Gonzalez (l.g.zarraga@cgiar.org)

Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted. 

This position will remain open until filled. 

CIMMYT is an equal-opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values gender equality, teamwork, and respect for diversity. Women are encouraged to apply.