BACKGROUND:

Passing Gifts Private Limited (PGPL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Heifer International USA and it provides services in educating, consulting, training, advising, and providing professional and technical services to individuals, associations, and entities in India and abroad, particularly those who support or are working in the areas of social advancement and sustainable development. This position may also require service agreements, secondment agreements, between entities, etc.

Heifer International through PGPL is partnering with Cargill Inc and the International Poultry Council in the implementation of the Transformational Strategies for Farm Output Risk Mitigation or “TRANSFORM” in India. TRANSFORM is a USAID funded project and a critical part of the Health Security Program that seeks to advance market driven animal health solutions to increase global health security, and increase access to safe, affordable, animal sourced nutrition while improving farm productivity and farmer incomes. TRANSFORM focuses on protecting human health by improving practices related to animal production through mitigation of antimicrobial resistance and prevent emerging infectious disease (zoonotic and transboundary animal diseases-TADs) while improving farmer livelihoods in India. Heifer is leading the deployment of biosecurity trainings to farmers and other value chain players through community agro-veterinary entrepreneurs (CAVEs) and farmer agrobusinesses; Social and Behavior Change awareness campaigns in biosecurity measures using different approaches; supporting farmer and value chain actors’ access to finance and market linkages to input suppliers, off-takers, and other actors in the market system.

PGPL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability.

FUNCTION:

This position will support the development and manage the implementation of monitoring, evaluation, learning and systems (MELS). A strong emphasis for this role is on data collection, ensuring data quality, partner capacity building on MELS, evaluation/survey management, integrity, data analysis, reporting, dissemination, and learnings.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVERABLES: (including approximate percentage effort) MELS: Implement monitoring, evaluation, learning, and systems for the project. (40%)

•          Lead the implementation of the MELS Plan for the project;

•          Review and adjust MELS plans and targets, tools, and processes periodically and update the same;

•          Prepare output reports and coordinate for annual outcome monitoring/surveys;

•          Work with external evaluators to conduct the Baseline, Mid-term and final evaluations while ensuring data quality;

•          Conduct and manage the monitoring of project progress, living income validation, and output monitoring as per the MELS plan;

•          Ensure the effective implementation of PGPL MELS policies and procedures for the project;

•          Ensure proper use of available digital tools and techniques for effectively managing MELS activities;

•          Disseminate learning findings from project monitoring, evaluation, and research. Lead learning events with key stakeholders within the project communities, implementation partners, and PGPL in general;

•          Elevate MELS-related challenges to the Project Manager and Program Manager – MELS for coordination with the Senior Project Director, and Executive Country Director to find timely solutions;

•          Design data collection tools, plans, and processes for all required information, ensuring high quality and integrity of data;

•          Support the development of project result frameworks and logical frameworks for all new projects;

•          Support in the rollout and manage the PGPL MELS system and IPMS for the projects.

 Project Effectiveness: Data management, Analysis and Support in Data-based decision-making (35%)

•          Conduct and/or quality assure all MELS data collected for the project;

•          Organize routine data quality assessment on a quarterly basis and performance monitoring of each sub-Award on a semi-annual basis;

•          Summarize/aggregate/analyze data at the state/project/FOAB/geography level to promote data- based decision-making and support in the program strategy;

•          Manage all data properly in clean form, and analyze to use for project management, learnings, and meet all the reporting needs;

•          Support in designing, managing, and evaluating study protocols, questionnaires, samples selection, and analysis for studies or outcome monitoring;

•          Work with the project management team to respond to periodic donor and PGPL requests for additional information on project activities and results;

•          Document, store, and share lessons learned, successes, failures, and best practices via case studies;

•          Ensure to collect data through PGPL computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) Survey-CTO system for all required data collection activities.

Capacity Development (15%)

•          Build the capacity of project partners for operationalization of the project MELS system, and reporting of leveraged resources;

•          Work collaboratively with different programs for strengthening integration and cross-learnings in programs;

•          Equip program, partner, and FOAB staff with skills to deliver MELS activities efficiently as per the MELS system;

•          As needed, supervise, and manage supporting staff for efficient work and to maintain project and MELS compliance;

•          Provide coaching and training to equip staff to deliver the assigned responsibilities efficiently;

•          Contribute to the recruitment, training, and supervision of external parties that are contracted to implement special surveys and studies required for evaluating project effects and impacts.

Sub Award Design and Management (5%)

•          Collaborate with project holders and PGPL teams in project design and MELS budgeting;

•          Support in preparation of sub-award proposals;

•          Support research and evaluation initiatives in the country

•          Assist in networking with other development organizations, governments and other line agencies in promoting PGPL development model/initiatives, and potential collaborations;

•          Track physical and financial project progress against the annual plan.

May perform other job-related duties as requested (5%) QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

•          Bachelor’s degree in project planning, Monitoring and Management, Economics and/or Statistics, or

Social Science and or an equivalent with an academic focus on monitoring and evaluation or another related field;

•          Having a minimum of five (5) years of total experience in I/NGOs, out of which a minimum of three (3) years of relevant experience in MELS and research;

•          Knowledge and understanding of project Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Result Framework;

•          Knowledge of tool development using the ODK platform;

•          A good knowledge of Advance Excel, SPSS/STATA;

•          Experience in the design and usage of digital data collection tools like Survey-CTO, ODK, key surveys, etc.;

•          Sound knowledge and skills in project management, MELS plan, result framework, and evaluation management;

•          A good knowledge and skills to manage project database management system.

 ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES:

•          Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to navigate challenging situations to achieve goals and deadlines;

•          Demonstrate a high degree of honesty and integrity;

•          Motivated to work responsibly with little supervision;

•          Ability to meet and deal with others in a courteous and tactful manner;

•          Ability to work with sensitive information and to always maintain confidentiality;

•          Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule;

•          Fluent in Hindi, English, and Local Language spoken as well as written;

•          Have an interest in animals/agriculture community development;

•          Willingness and ability to travel locally and internationally;

•          Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, web designing, collaboration platform and tools, and electronic mail software (Microsoft preferred);

•          Constant sitting, standing and walking, with occasional bending and lifting; may work at a computer for extended periods of time.