United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID’s work advances U.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstrates American generosity, and promotes a path to recipient self-reliance and resilience.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Title: Project Management Specialist (Strategic Information / Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning [SI / MEL])
Solicitation Number: 72062022R10030
Location: Abuja with possible travel as stated in the Statement of Duties
Period of Performance: Five (5) years renewable, estimated to start o/a September 2022
Eligible Offerors: Open to Cooperating Country Nationals (Nigerian Citizens and Permanent Residents)
Security Level Required: CCNPSC Clearance
Physical Demands: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands
Background
- The Supervisory USAID Project Management Specialist Strategic Information/Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (SI/MEL) is located in the HIV/AIDS & TB Office of USAID/Nigeria. The USAID Project Management Specialist (SIMEL) is a senior professional and expert in strategic planning, program and activity design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the full spectrum of HIV/AIDS and TB prevention, detection, care, and treatment activities.
- The incumbent serves as the team’s senior expert on strategic information and monitoring, evaluation, and learning opportunities and provides leadership for U.S. Government (USG) engagement. This senior specialist provides leadership to document results and translate SI and MEL data into meaningful policy and program improvements.
- The incumbent serves as a subject matter expert providing senior-level technical guidance to Health Office leaders, the broader USAID Mission, implementing partners (IPs), host country government, international and bilateral organizations, and donor agencies to address strategic information.
- The USAID Project Management Specialist (SI/MEL) works under the supervision of the Senior Strategic Information Advisor, who is the Strategic Information Team Lead. The job holder is required to perform work-related travel.
Statement of Duties to be Performed
Technical Leadership – 40%:
- The Supervisory Project Management Specialist will serve as the expert for developing, coordinating, and driving USAID HIV and TB Strategic Information performance alignments, to ensure that SI activities are well placed to align with GoN goals and thus enhance mission, other USG agencies and embassy goals.
- The incumbent will support the design and management of the HIV/AIDS/TB Team Performance Monitoring Plan; and will work directly with mission Program Office, other USG agencies, and USAID/Washington to develop and link innovative and cross-cutting monitoring tools, where needed and appropriate; S/He will track and maintain key indicators, related to standard components used in all USAID programs/projects, indicators at the Strategic Objective level, and detailed indicators at the activity level.
- S/He will be responsible for maintaining liaison between USAID and the GON, and with other stakeholders in the proper monitoring and evaluation of Team activities, and for providing technical guidance and leadership at the national level, including participation in government-led health partners meetings; keeps abreast of trends, policies, GoN needs, and other donor programs, and advises the USG Team in the implementation of best practices, supports ongoing and constantly improving relations with the GoN, IPs, other USG Agencies, and external organizations and counterparts; ensures capacity is developed in the technical aspects of monitoring and evaluation; and, participates in budgeting and financial analysis with other Work Groups, and with other Groups and/or Teams in areas related to monitoring and evaluation.
Monitoring and Evaluation – 30%:
- The Supervisory Project Management Specialist will provide leadership to ensure that evaluation plans, assessments, data quality assurance processes and Site Improvement for Monitoring System (SIMS) all link up in line with the Bended Performance Assessment Approach (BPAA). S/He will work closely with IP POC’s, SI team, COR/AOR, Technical Work Groups, mission program office and GoN to ensure that evaluations, assessments, Quality Assurance and SIMS are approached in a holistic manner in line with the BPAA.
- S/He will work closely with the GoN to ensure that national-level data is available and reliable and works on an inter-agency basis to ensure that USG downstream (and upstream) data contributes to an accurate picture of the situation on the ground, that double-counting is avoided, and that results are truly attributable to USAID (and USG) interventions. S/He will also work to ensure that secondary data analysis plans are robust and captured within individual IP plans, and the HAT SI team data plan.
- The Supervisory PMS ensures that ad hoc evaluations of cross-cutting and individual activities are properly planned and carried out in a high-quality and professional manner, by assisting Technical Work Groups to draft appropriate Scopes of Work (SOWs) for evaluation teams, by actual participation in most Team evaluations, and by ensuring that Team comments on draft evaluation reports are reflected in final reports.
Project, Planning and Management – 20%:
- The Supervisory PMS will serve as COR/AOR and/or Activity Manager for selected IPs contracted to perform centralized and/or ad hoc program/project evaluations, in order to facilitate implementation of the global PEPFAR strategy in Nigeria by ensuring high-quality programs/projects are provided in accordance with Agency and national and international standards, following best practices procedures, in the many varied sites supported by HIV/AIDS/TB Team IPs.
- S/He monitors and evaluates the performance of such activities and services through participation in site visits, reporting, and trends analysis; works in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, IPs and firms, and others to ensure progress on monitoring and evaluation efforts; facilitates the development of IP work plans, and coordinates preparations for managed IP portfolio reviews; and, participates in the review of annual, semi-annual, and quarterly Team-wide IP reports, and requests or participates in other reports as needed.
- S/He coordinates TDYs related to Work Group monitoring and evaluation activities, often for the entire HIV/AIDS/TB Team.
Program/Project Representation 10%:
- The Supervisory PMS will mentor Project Management Specialists and Assistants and Administrative Assistants in monitoring and evaluation-related areas, and backstops other Strategic Information Work Group members.
- The Specialist works with the Work Group Leader to strengthen USAID monitoring and evaluation efforts, and the Team’s ability to address the quality and effectiveness of program/project development and implementation.
- The Specialist develops appropriate opportunities to integrate awareness of Agency wide and internationally recognized best practices in monitoring and evaluation, across all HIV/AIDS/TB Teamwork Groups. The Specialist works to increase the awareness of the effects of HIV/AIDS/TB on USAID/Nigeria progress in the areas of economic growth, peace, democracy, and governance, etc.
- The Specialist assists senior USG, Mission, Office, Team, and Work Group staff in representing USAID to IPs, NGOs, GoN agencies, and other national and international groups and bodies, in order to develop effective monitoring and evaluation standards for Nigeria, in order to meet national and international program/project implementation standards, and to achieve national and PEPFAR goals.
- The Specialist collaborates with other Strategic Information Work Group members in the preparation and presentation of PEPFAR deliverables. The contractor is eligible for temporary duty (TDY) travel to the U.S., or to other Missions abroad, to participate in the “Foreign Service National” Fellowship Program, in accordance with USAID policy.
Supervisory Relationship
- The Supervisory USAID Project Management Specialist (Strategic Information/Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning)] works under the supervision of the Senior Strategic Information Advisor, who is the Strategic Information Team Lead.
- The supervisor makes assignments in terms of overall objectives and resources available. However, most assignments are self-generated and occur in the normal course of work and the incumbent exercises independence in most phases of his/her job responsibilities but determines those situations that must be coordinated with the supervisor or other team members.
- Completed work is accepted as technically correct and the overall work is reviewed in terms of the achievement of program/project/activity goals, effectiveness in meeting host-country and USAID objectives, and integration with other initiatives in the Office and Mission portfolio.
Supervisory Controls:
- The Supervisory USAID Project Management Specialist (Strategic Information/Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning) will supervise up to three (3) CCNPSC staff (i.e., 3 Project Management Specialist – Strategic Information/MEL).
Minimum Qualifications Required for this Position
Education:
- A Minimum of Master’s Degree in Public Health, International Development, Health, Social or Behavioral Sciences Applied Mathematics, Medical Statistics, Epidemiology, or Business Administration is required.
Prior Work Experience:
- A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible job-related professional-level experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and other surveillance systems, evaluation of program/project/activity implementation, in direct program/project/activity management, or in a closely related activity is required.
- At least three to four years of this experience in a development-oriented workplace, or a related field, for USG, other donor agencies, host-country organizations, or private-sector institutions, and which included project design, performance monitoring, and/or the analysis and interpretation of large amounts of data, is required.
- Experience working with or for bilateral or multilateral donors/stakeholders such as USG, the World Bank, the Global Fund, the UN agencies, or national-level public sector projects is a plus. At least one year of supervisory experience is required. At least one year experience leading people or projects is required. At least one year experience leading people or projects is required.
Job Factors
Applicants who clearly meet the minimum Education and Prior work Experience requirements and basic eligibility requirements will be further evaluated based on scoring of the Evaluation Factors listed below. The highest-ranking applicants may be selected for an interview.
Factor 1 – Job Knowledge (15 Points):
- The supervisory specialist must have excellent knowledge of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) systems, public health programming, and international donor operations in the sector, as well as a thorough knowledge of the local context as relates to data management and data use in the Nigerian response to HIV/AIDS, TB and COVID (where applicable) including current trends and directions.
- The incumbent is expected to have an in-depth understanding and familiarity with core aspects of U.S Government foreign assistance and policy in Nigeria, including key stakeholders, as well as a working knowledge of USG and USAID’s strategic direction, chief accomplishments, and challenges, and how they all relate to Nigerian priorities and challenges.
Factor 2 – Skills and Abilities (10 Points):
- The incumbent must have the ability to plan, organize and execute complex SI/MEL activities, including the ability to provide technical leadership, develop reports, prioritize, advocate and network with individuals and partner stakeholders.
- The incumbent must be able to exercise sound judgment, take initiative and offer leadership during complex evolving situations.
- S/he must have the ability to be self-motivated, and able to effectively communicate orally and in written documents.
- The incumbent must demonstrate excellent computer and software skills including advanced ability in Excel, SPSS, STATAR, and/or other analytical and relational databases and Microsoft Office.
Factor 3 – Language Proficiency (5 Points):
- Level 4 English language proficiency in both oral and written, is required.
Factor 4 – Interview Performance (70 points).
Market Value
N17,733,456 – N26,496,574 equivalent to FSN-12; 40 Hours per week in accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of United States Mission, Nigeria (Effective August 30, 2020). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.
Benefits and Allowances
As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:
Benefits:
- Health Insurance
- Annual Salary Increase (if applicable)
- Annual and Sick leave
- Annual Bonus.
Allowances (as applicable):
- Transportation Allowance
- Meal Allowance
- Miscellaneous Allowance
- Housing Allowance.
Taxes:
- The Mission emphasize to its employees of the fact that they are obliged to observe Nigerian Laws, including those concerning income and related tax obligations.
- Payment of such taxes is a matter between the individual employee and the Nigerian Government. In the absence of a specific international agreement, the U.S. Government will not withhold local taxes from an employee’s salary.
Application Closing Date
4:30 PM: 8th July, 2022.
Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates are required to complete and submit the Offer Form AID 309-2 (Offeror Information for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals), or a current Resume that provides the same information as AID 309-2 Form to: [email protected]
Click here for more Information (PDF)
Selection Process
- After the closing date for the receipt of applications, applications will initially be screened for conformity with the minimum requirements and a short list of applicants developed.
- Following this initial review and short listing, a Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) will convene to review applications that meet the minimum requirements and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation factors. Applications from candidates which do not meet the minimum requirements will not be evaluated. As part of the selection process, finalist candidates will be interviewed. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants.
- USAID reserves the right to interview only the highest ranked applicants in person or by phone OR not to interview any candidate.
- Applicants are required to provide three (3) reference persons who are not family members or relatives, with working telephones and email contacts. The references must be able to provide substantive information about applicant’s past performance and abilities. Reference checks will be made only for applicants considered as finalists. If an applicant does not wish for the current employer to be contacted as a reference check, this should be stated in the resume.
Note
- Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified and submitted to the Point of Contact above.
- Offeror submissions must clearly reference the Solicitation number on all offeror submitted documents.
- All documentation that supports or addresses the requirements listed above (e.g., certificates of education (degree), NYSC certificate/exemption etc.) MUST be attached to the application.
- A type-written and signed application letter specifically applying for this position and addressing the minimum requirements as advertised.
- Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors – The Offeror will be required to show proof that the Offeror is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on
- or before the first date of onboarding, or submit an approved reasonable accommodation to the CO. If the contractor does not meet this requirement the contract may be terminated.
