Director of Research, Monitoring & Evaluation International Rescue Committee

Director of Research, Monitoring & Evaluation,

Accès aux Soins de Santé Primaires

International Rescue Committee

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Deadline for applications: Monday, May 28^th, 2012

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

In DRC, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the largest providers of relief and development assistance. With an annual budget of approximately US$ 75 million, $320 million overall grant portfolio and more than 1,000 staff in six provinces, the IRC supports Congolese communities and institutions in seven conflict-affected provinces in the areas of health, governance and community development, education, women’s protection and empowerment, and emergency response.

SCOPE OF WORK

The UK Department for International Development (DFID) has released a tender for a consortium lead to strengthen basic health service provision in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in at least 30 health zones in up to four provinces improving access to primary and secondary care for at least 3.5 million people over the period 2013 – 2018.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The IRC seeks a senior Monitoring & Evaluation professional to provide technical leadership to health programs implemented across four provinces and to be based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, with travel to field sites. The successful candidate will be responsible for monitoring health programs and providing oversight to research projects. S/he will have demonstrated success in monitoring large scale health programs in a similar post-conflict environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Research

· Work in collaboration with the Operational Research and Impact Evaluation partner to ensure the design, implementation and publication of all research aspects, including an impact evaluation, baseline study, operational research and value for money assessment;

· Carry out evidence-based advocacy activities linked to research findings.

Evaluation and Monitoring

· Ensure that the project has well-defined results; can reasonably measure progress towards achieving those results for management purposes during the life of the project; and can measure outcomes for evaluation and program learning;

· Facilitate and provide leadership to ensure effective design, review and implementation of the project’s monitoring plan including the following steps taken in close consultation with the Director for Health Program Quality:
- Define suitable indicators that reliably measure project outcomes and results;
- Design and oversee implementation of strategies and methodologies for accurately collecting, recording, compiling and analyzing data so as to report progress towards project objectives;
- Ensure that data are recorded and stored effectively so as to be usefully retrievable and reportable on a regular and frequent basis.

· Support program implementation staff to design and implement essential process indicators and the means to track progress against these indicators, including user-friendly tracking formats and systems for recording, compiling, storing processing and reporting information.

Reporting / Information Management

· Ensure efficient systems in place for program staff to collect and compile relevant and concise information for routine project reports and occasional special reports as required;

· Prepare consolidated reports including concise narratives and relevant tables and/or graphs that capture progress against indicators and provide both management and donors with accurate and user-friendly information;

· Help to prepare key advocacy and evidence-based position papers for targeted publication/dissemination;

· Ensure that research is accurately and meaningfully reported;

· Identify opportunities, and provide support to staff, to prepare and submit research reports for journal publication;

· Support project management in contributing to organizational, donor, national and global learning based on measurable project successes;

· Ensure robust, country-wide consistent M&E systems are in place.

Support to Ministry of Public Health

· Provide technical support and capacity building to the national HIS system, at national, provincial and zonal levels.

· Advocate to central ministry identified areas to improve HIS system.

Staff management

· Supervise the RM&E team at Kinshasa level and provide technical support to RM&E teams in provincial level;

· Contribute to capacity building of project staff in terms of being results-oriented and better equipped to achieve, measure and report meaningful results.

QUALIFICATIONS

· Post-graduate degree in public health—including relevant courses in research; data management and analysis; and reporting/presenting skills;

· Minimum of 7 years of experience, with demonstrated results managing research, evaluation and evidence-based program development;

· Experience in developing country setting, preferably in sub-Saharan Africa;

· Research skills including the capacity to clearly and concisely articulate a question, state a hypothesis; design/adapt appropriate data-gathering tools, manage accurate data collection, organize and manage data recording and analysis, and report meaningful results in ways that answer the question and are appropriate to the target audience;

· Experience of having coordinated impact evaluations on a large scale;

· Technical skills in monitoring and evaluation including being able to:
- Conceptualize, design and appropriately describe a system to guide project management in achieving intended results and to evaluate the project’s success in achieving results;
- Design appropriate data collection instruments and manage data flow from collection to recording to storing to analysis to reporting.

· Proficiency in both French and English;

· Strong skills with computer software programs that enable efficient and effective data collection, storage, analysis and graphic representation of results;

· Planning and organizational skills that ensure efficient and effective implementation of research, evaluation and project learning;

· Excellent teamwork including abilities to coordinate well with diverse individuals and teams and to negotiate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders to achieve results;

· Commitment to learning and enabling others to learn.

Specific Security Situation/Housing:

The position is based in Kinshasa, it is accompanied. Safe and modest housing as appropriate and reasonable as the context allows will be provided.

Estimated start date: September 1, 2012.
This position is contingent upon funding.

Please apply online: www.ircjobs.org or http://tbe.taleo.net/NA2/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=IRC&cws=1&rid=8106 .

Congolese nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.