Development Assistance Specialist

01Vacant Position advertisement: USAID/Mali Program Office – Development Assistance Specialist (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, and Collaboration, Learning and Adapting (MEL/CLA))

For detailed minimum requirements, applicants must refer to the Full Statement of Duties and the qualification requirements available on https://www.usaid.gov/mali/work-with-us/careers   or https://ml.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/

REF No.:                     72068825R10007 (must be inserted in the subject line of the email)

GRADE LEVEL:         29,950,052 – 46,422,584 FCFA equivalent to FSN-12. In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/Mali. Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

ELIGIBLE OFFERORS: Cooperating country national (CCN) – an individual who is a cooperating country citizen or a non-cooperating country citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the cooperating country.

Only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.

BASIC FUNCTIONS: The USAID Development Assistance Specialist (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, and Collaboration, Learning and Adapting (MEL/CLA)) is based in the Program Office (PO) and, as the leader for MEL, is the principal staff member responsible for providing advice and guidance on performance monitoring and evaluation standards, Agency MEL and CLA policy, and ensuring that the Mission program resource allocation decisions are based on the best quality performance data available. The jobholder reports to the Supervisory Program officer. As the lead MEL expert, the incumbent provides overall guidance to technical teams and assists in planning data quality assessments and evaluations for the Mission. The jobholder serves as the MEL/CLA subject matter expert and advisor to senior Mission leadership and technical staff for monitoring, tracking performance, program evaluation and reporting on progress of USAID’s foreign assistance mission wide. Major duties include technical direction as an A/COR/alternate/Activity on a third-party monitoring, evaluation and assessment contract as well as activity manager on MEL activities for collaborating, learning, and adapting/monitoring, evaluation, and learning contracts. The incumbent will lead the process of Mission’s Annual Performance Plan and Report, provide targeted monitoring and evaluation policy, program and other advisory services to USAID staff, as well as to development partners and Government officials/line ministries. The Specialist will also provide leadership to promote adaptive organizational learning and evaluation practices amongst USAID staff and senior management. The incumbent will provide leadership to USAID staff on Agency MEL/CLA policy and support for the creation of technically sound projects and activities at USAID. Finally, the incumbent will provide a range of support to ensure that sound Agency Program Cycle practices and guidelines are followed.

The job holder is required to perform work-related travel up to approximately 20% of the time, as required and permitted.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES                                                             100%

Technical Leadership on Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning:

• Serves as the Mission’s Senior expert on all monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) matters.
• Serves as the Mission’s subject matter expert on the Agency's latest MEL techniques and practices on performance management and reporting.
• Ensures performance monitoring and evaluation compliance across the Mission’s portfolio.
• Determines, in conjunction with technical teams, Mission management, and the Bureau of Policy, Planning and Learning (PPL), when independent evaluations, analyses, assessments, surveys, and/or reviews are needed/required.
• Provides technical guidance and leadership to ensure evaluations are properly planned and carried out in a high quality and professional manner, by helping technical staff to draft appropriate scopes of work, by leading evaluation teams, and by ensuring that team comments on draft evaluation reports are reflected in final reports.
• Leads in developing the Mission’s Performance Management Plan (PMP) and its updates as required by the Agency’s Automated Directives System (ADS).
• Coordinates with technical teams to maintain a multi-year evaluation plan that corresponds with the life of the Mission’s strategy and provides data to inform project adjustments to improve outcomes and the design of future Mission activities.
• Promotes a culture of evidence generation and continuous learning in the Mission.
• Conducts briefings for senior State, USAID and Congressional visitors and host country government on program performance, progress and bottlenecks in USAID foreign assistance development strategy, objectives, programs and projects.
• Conducts oral and written presentation skills in the economic, political, and diplomatic contexts, and covers a wide range of subjects, including technical, budgetary, programmatic and strategic.
• Develops MEL tools and procedures for the Mission, such as Mission Orders and learning sessions.
• Provides/facilitates training to Mission staff on monitoring, evaluation and learning methodologies; as well as cultivates and harnesses best practices and lessons learned in these and related areas.
• Coordinates and prepares yearly Mission-wide strategic Portfolio Reviews for the bilateral and regional programs focusing on annual performance, identification of program and resource management and policy issues, results, lessons learned and strategies to address them over the last 12 months, as well as determinates the status of project and activity design, MEL needs and other human resource requirements to accomplish the annual foreign assistance objectives.
• Leads development of robust project- and activity-level M&E plans, including development of impactful performance indicators as well as realistic annual and quarterly targets.
• Conducts periodic field visits to monitor implementing partner activities in coordination with technical offices to assess progress; identifies and anticipates implementation problems; and works with technical officers and partners to make the most effective use of available program resources.
• Works with technical teams and Development Outreach and Communication unit to disseminate and highlight best practices in implementing USAID programs, including co-creation workshops and diaspora meetings.
• Collaboration, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) :

• Analyzes data from the Development Information Solution (DIS) and information with USAID staff, implementing partners, and other resource partners on adaptive management and program implementation approaches to achieve greater results.
• Develops and maintains an MEL network, covering such communities as the host Government, the nongovernmental organization (NGO) sector, private sector, donors, and USAID implementing partners, builds partnerships for the USAID Mission as well as builds MEL capacity in government institutions.
• Builds staff capacity in CLA and maintains a repository of Mission’s knowledge products.
• Promotes tools and processes to encourage local capacity development.
• Advises Mission staff on CLA approaches in accordance with AID/Washington and Mission-specific guidance, while ensuring alignment with PMP and overall, Mission strategy.

• Managing Evaluation Contracts and Agreements:

• Performs the full range of COR/AOR duties for baseline, sector assessment, and performance and impact evaluation contracts.
• Serves on technical evaluation committees to review evaluation proposals and select the bidder with the most sound and cost-effective proposal.
• Guides evaluation activities of implementing partners as per the approved scope of work.
• Reviews contract vouchers and tracks expenditures against the approved evaluation budget.
• Reviews and clears evaluation deliverables such as work plans, questionnaires, draft and final reports. 
• Ensures that all draft evaluation reports undergo peer review and that final evaluation reports are compliant with USAID’s evaluation policy, ADS 203.  
• Advises evaluation contractors, technical teams and implementing partners to ensure that all key stakeholders are apprised of evaluation progress and shares evaluation report findings, as appropriate.
• Oversees implementation and close-out of M&E contracts.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

a.   Education: Master's degree or local equivalent, in the field of organizational learning or development assistance such as social science and statistics, public, business or development administration, knowledge management, political science, economics, development studies or closely related, interdisciplinary fields.

b.   Prior Work Experience: A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in program monitoring, and/or evaluation in a developing country is required. Experience with developing and managing monitoring systems is essential.

c.    Language Proficiency: Fluent (Level IV), speaking, reading, writing, in English and French.

d.   Job Knowledge: The Specialist is expected to have expert knowledge of the principles and best practices for monitoring, implementation modalities, impact assessment, and evaluation of development projects and programs. The incumbent is expected to have expert knowledge of MEL systems and different approaches to MEL implementation. The incumbent is expected to have comprehensive knowledge or potential to rapidly acquire such knowledge of the U.S. Government (USG) and USAID operations, regulations, procedures and documents relating to strategic and program planning, activity design, impact assessments and MEL requirements. Broad understanding of issues related to international development and transition Economics. The Specialist is expected to have knowledge of political, economic, and social context. Strong understanding of the relationship between monitoring, evaluation and the use of geographic information systems as an evidenced based monitoring and decision-making tool.

e.    Skills and Abilities: The Specialist is expected to have the ability to plan, organize and execute highly complex MEL/CLA activities, including the ability to provide technical leadership and apply this ability to programming in the cooperating country and the region. The Specialist must have the ability to issue precise and accurate factual reports using rigorous analytical and interpretive skills. Excellent communication skills both writing and speaking, especially in being able to communicate technical subjects to individuals with nontechnical background. This role requires the ability to respond professionally and adjust in fluid situations in order to meet deadlines in the face of competing priorities and time pressures. Excellent computer and software skills including ability in Excel, Web-based data management, GIS, and mobile data collection and/or other analytical databases.

Full statement of duties and qualification requirements are available on https://www.usaid.gov/mali/work-with-us/careers   or https://ml.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/                                              

EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS:

To be considered for this position, applicants must meet the minimum qualifications noted above. For applicants meeting the minimum qualifications, further consideration and selection will be based on panel assessment of the selection factors listed below.

Prior Work Experience          40 points

Job Knowledge                      25 points

Skills and Abilities                35 points

Applicants may address each of the selection factors on a separate sheet or directly in the cover letter.

For detailed minimum requirements, applicants must refer to the Full Statement of duties and the qualification requirements available on https://www.usaid.gov/mali/work-with-us/careers   or https://ml.usembassy.gov/embassy/jobs/

TO APPLY: All CV/Resumes and cover letters must be in English, otherwise the application package is incomplete and will be rejected. 

SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION: Indicate the Vacancy Reference Number: 72068825R10007 in the subject line of your email. If this is not properly indicated your submission would NOT be retrieved. 

Email Human Resources Management Section: bamakohrmvacancies@usaid.gov with the above reference in the subject line.

CLOSING DATE FOR THIS POSITION IS JANUARY 14, 2025, AT 5 P.M. BAMAKO TIME