Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Director: West Africa Regional Cashew Program

Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that works with people in the United States and around the world to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources. By linking local individuals and communities with new ideas and technology, Winrock is increasing long-term productivity, equity, and responsible resource management to benefit the poor and disadvantaged of the world.

OVERVIEW:

Winrock International works with people around the world to increase economic opportunity, sustain natural resources, and protect the environment. Winrock is seeking a Cashew Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Director to serve as the MEL leader for a multi-country program that will facilitate the growth of a competitive market system for raw cashew processing that optimizes revenues across all segments of the processing chain and fosters equitable and sustainable employment opportunities for young women and men. Working with processors and empowered service-driven producer organizations and networks, the program will facilitate investment in production, processing, market access and supporting services needed for the sector to capitalize on the market push created by favorable global market trends and improvements to local systems over the last 15 years. Focus countries are Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Guinea Bissau.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• MEL System Management/Oversight:
  • Provide overall leadership, training, mentoring, and coaching to the MEL team (consisting of two MEL Data Officers).
  • In collaboration with the COP, Technical Director, and HO MEL support unit (AGILE), manage the project’s MEL plan and systems, ensuring compliance with funder requirements and Winrock’s MEL standards; developing and maintaining systems to collect and analyze data on inputs, outputs, outcomes, and impacts; and reporting accurate results to the funder in a timely manner.
  • In coordination with the COP, liaise with Winrock’s HO MEL support unit to ensure donor requirements are met, and guide sub-contracted evaluation and survey firms to ensure evaluations and annual survey efforts meet funder standards and deadlines.
  • Design and manage monitoring and evaluation tools and processes, including ongoing (routine) monitoring and (annual) survey instruments.
  • Supervise timely and accurate reporting of quantitative and qualitative data by program partners and grantees and in cooperation with program staff to ensure timely data analysis and reporting.
  • Develop the capacity of partners and grantees to collect relevant indicator data within their respective organization in accordance with the MEL Plan and overall program targets.
• Management Information System (MIS):
  • Provide MEL Data Officers with technical guidance and oversight of the project’s in-house Management Information System (i.e., Winrock MIS) including uploading data and tracking of progress and trends to generate donor reports and dashboards.
  • Oversee data quality checks including field visits and spot checks to ensure consistency with the project’s MIS.
  • Ensure all indicator data and associated disaggregates are populated in the MIS, accurately reflect indicator tracking tables and are available for timely reporting to the funder.
  • Validate MIS data from partners and staff through field monitoring visits.
• Collaborating, Learning & Adapting:
  • Oversee the program’s Learning Agenda and Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) activities including the project’s Learning Agenda.
  • Work with the Communications Team, COP, and AGILE to develop learning briefs, success stories, and other tools to evaluate project impact, trends, and highlight key learnings.
  • Provide comprehensive analysis of learning outcomes to inform project interventions.
  • Support the technical team to ensure planned interventions deliver far-reaching results and impact in line with donor expectations and the program’s performance indicator targets.
  • Develop decision-support tools and performance feedback mechanisms for project managers, partners, and beneficiaries.

QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND:

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s Degree in statistics, international development, agribusiness, or related field. Masters degree preferred.
• Experience:
  • Minimum 8-10 years of experience managing and implementing complex MEL systems for international development projects, preferably with international donor organizations, USDA and/or USAID.
  • Experience managing large MEL databases, conducting timely data analysis, and developing high-quality reports.
  • Proven record of managing MEL staff, consultants, and sub-contracted MEL evaluation and survey firms.
  • Experience on agriculture and/or food security projects preferred.
• Skills:
  • Proven record of designing and implementing data collection tools including surveys using mobile data collection tools (e.g., KoboToolbox, Survey123, etc.) and providing technical input into the design of Management Information Systems (MIS) for data management and visualization.
  • Excellent staff management, motivational, and organizational skills are required.
  • Strong computer skills (word-processing, spreadsheets, and databases) are required.
  • Proven data analysis (e.g., Excel, Stata, SPSS, etc.), data management, and data visualization (e.g., Power BI, etc.) skills are required.
  • Strong communication skills, both oral and written, with fluency in English and French.
  • Knowledge of Portuguese an advantage.

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and value diversity and inclusiveness. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law.

At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation.

Winrock knows that its success comes from the hard work and steadfast dedication of its diverse workforce. Winrock remains committed to maintaining diversity, inclusion and equity across the entire organization.