Company Profile

TechnoServe Inc (http://(www.technoserve.org) is a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty. A nonprofit organization operating in 29 countries, we work with enterprising men and women in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. By linking people to information, capital and markets, we have helped millions to create lasting prosperity for their families and communities.

Founded over 50 years ago, TechnoServe has been named the #1 nonprofit for fighting poverty by the ImpactMatters charity ratings agency.

Job Description

• FLSA – Exempt
• Grade - 9

Reporting Relationships:

• Reports to:    Director of Impact
• Exercises Supervision over: West Africa Database Coordinator

Job Summary:
Every employee of TechnoServe is responsible for carrying out the TechnoServe mission, and demonstrating the core values in day to day operations.

The West Africa MEL Advisor provides technical assistance, M&E systems development and evaluation oversight across TechnoServe’s West Africa portfolio. The advisor ensures that the foundational building blocks for managing to impact are in place within program, country and regional teams. The primary internal ‘customers’ for the position include program managers and country directors, for whom the advisor will ensure that local M&E / Program staff and systems are in compliance with TechnoServe’s M&E standards and are therefore able to produce M&E data in a timely and relevant manner for project decision-making. The advisor will collaborate closely with regional backstopping and program development teams, and have an indirect reporting relationship to the West Africa regional director.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:
The primary responsibility of the West Africa MEL Advisor is to ensure the proper systems and procedures are in place to generate timely, high quality data and analysis that enables adaptive management across the region. In particular, the Advisor will:

• Advise on theories of change and logical frameworks. Provide M&E plans as part of project proposals, and ensure proposals have sufficient resources to adequately and cost-effectively perform M&E,
• Oversee best of class M&E implementation
  • Assess project compliance with organizational standards, including best practices in measuring gendered impact
  • Provide direct support at critical project junctures, in particular project inception, to establish the mechanisms for data-driven decision-making and feedback loops.
  • Supervise external consultants performing project evaluations as required
• Collaborate with country directors and regional management to systematically improve the structures, processes and resources that enable application of good MEL practices, including standardization of tools and technology use,
• Supervise 1 Regional Database Administrator to ensure the build-out of data management technology that supports real-time data collection and reporting,
• Provide critical input into the hiring, supervision and performance evaluation of project and country-level M&E staff,
• Support the exchange of information and knowledge to improve project implementation by participating and contributing to internal and external fora.
• Shepherd annual impact reporting from their regions; Co-present the results (with country rep) to the Impact team for review.

Work Environment:

• Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The work is performed primarily indoors with occasional exposure to outdoor conditions when required. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive nor is it intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, or skills required of an incumbent.

An employee will perform other reasonably-related job responsibilities as assigned by management when required. TechnoServe reserves the right to revise or change job functions as the need arises.  This job description does not constitute a written contract of employment.

Required Skills or Experience

Soft skills, including the ability to influence and build capacity as well as excellent causal logic thinking, are as important to the success of this role as quantitative and analytical skills. General requirements include:

• A bachelor’s degree in relevant field, such as economics or other social science, business administration, agronomy or relevant field and a minimum of 5 years of experience designing, managing and implementing multidisciplinary and results-based M&E systems in an international context OR a master's degree and 3 years of similar experience
• Ample knowledge of the rural setting, particularly market systems and how market flaws contribute to underdevelopment. Ample knowledge of the sector, including market actors, characteristics, norms and institutions
• Extensive experience utilizing M&E methods and methodologies (including qualitative, quantitative, and participatory methods as well as the use of causal logic in designing, planning, implementing, and evaluating projects); demonstrated dominion over and capacity to learn data collection and analytical software (e.g. Commcare, Excel, NVivo, SPSS, or others)
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills and a demonstrated track record of producing high quality, well-written deliverables. Proven ability to translate research, methodologies, and data into accessible formats for colleagues with non-technical backgrounds
• Takes an inquisitive and creative approach to problem-solving.
• A commitment to coaching staff to support their development.
• A demonstrated capacity for management. Examples include successful project management, personnel management, work plan management, and/or financial management
• A demonstrated ability to coordinate and communicate effectively and diplomatically with a range of external and internal colleagues including donors, partners and senior and junior team members across diverse cultures
• Inherent value and respect for voices of staff at all organizational levels, external stakeholders, and the women and men we work with.
• Fluency in English strongly preferred; proficiency in French and local languages desirable.
• Willingness to travel frequently

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Americans with Disability Specifications (for US-based employees only)