About the Company:
DAI works on the frontlines of global development by transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We just celebrated our 50th anniversary as a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Brussels, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and development projects across 150 countries. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.
DAI is a water security, sanitation, and hygiene (WSSH) sector leader with a dedicated team in DAI headquarters, and current and recent flagship USAID programs in Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Philippines, Nepal, and the Africa Regional WALIS Program. We have additional, and significant, WASH activities under our governance programs in Guatemala, Iraq, and Mozambique, among others. We recognize that societies get the greatest health and economic benefits from water and sanitation when we leverage benefits within and across sectors (and across our projects) and when local stakeholders are at the center of the decision-making process and part of a collaborative implementation approach.
USAID Project Background:
The five-year (2023-2028) USAID Sustainable, Transformational, and Accessible Water Interventions (STAWI) Activity will work alongside county governments across nine counties to advance water security for social, economic, and environmental needs, helping to reverse historic neglect and enabling USAID and the Government of Kenya to achieve their ambitious objectives for inclusive economic growth while building resilience to the region’s unique shocks and stresses. At the end of five years, targeted county governments, water service providers (WSPs), and water users will have the information, incentives, and partnerships to identify and address barriers to a water-secure future among the most water-stressed and vulnerable communities in Kenya.
The activity is actively working toward four objectives:
· Objective 1: Improve governance of water resources and services
· Objective 2: Increase sustainability of water service delivery
· Objective 3: Improved management, efficiency, and equitable access to water used for productive purposes
· Objective 4: Improved collaboration and learning across stakeholders and strengthened capacity of county governments for learning and adaptation
Objectives of the assignment
Develop and execute the Activity MEL plan, adhering to USAID guidance and adapting to meet data analysis, learning, and reporting needs. Lead a baseline survey for program indicators, determine suitable methodology and follow-up studies to effectively track STAWI Activity progress, and foster evidence-based decision-making. Ensure quality of the data tracking system and identify and address issues related to performance monitoring. Monitor conflicts, disputes, service interruptions, customer satisfaction, and maintenance issues that may affect results. Use data to identify best practices and successes and identify opportunities for replication across target communes.
· Design, develop, and institutionalize monitoring and evaluation systems and approaches that provide useful data for reporting, communications, and organizational learning.
· Ensure the design of monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems track inclusion of various groups, continuously monitoring and adjusting for impact, and must engage women, youth, and marginalized communities in the development and implementation of the learning agenda.
· Draft MEL Plan that will outline approach for establishing the baseline. This may include using existing available data (project, host-country, other donor) in addition to conducting a baseline assessment if necessary.
· Oversee implementation of data quality assessment processes and procedures.
· Develop/adapt tools for data collection; designs and implements surveys and other data collection tasks, including overseeing implementation of the project’s baseline, mid and end-of-project surveys.
· Lead collaboration with USAID assigned external evaluators and provide documentation/verification of data as requested.
· Institutes regular use of performance monitoring data among component leads and technical staff.
· Identifies best practices and state-of-the art approaches to the program activities and evaluates them.
· Provides technical assistance and training to the project’s teams and partner organizations as necessary.
· Ensure proper tracking, measurement, and recording the targeted results that serve as measurable performance standards by which the project’s performance will be assessed and the indicators in the MEL plan to provide metrics to measure progress.
· Co-train technical teams on the use of the project’s management system (TAMIS) and work closely with them to ensure that TAMIS is regularly and accurately updated.
· Validates, and provides input into the Annual Work Plan, MEL Plan, Baseline Report, Quarterly Performance Reports, Annual Reports and Final Report.
· Inform technical teams about the project’s outcomes and impacts on a regular basis, providing necessary recommendations for meeting targets where needed.
· Works closely with the Learning and Adaptation Advisor to design routine technical meeting as a platform for sharing ideas among technical teams.
· Support and advise technical teams on assessments and learning activities.
· A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in education, public or business administration or management, statistics, or related field required.
· Minimum of 7 years of MEL data collection experience.
· Demonstrated expertise and an in-depth understanding of qualitative and quantitative research design, data collection, and data analysis.
· Prior experience leading, designing, managing, and/or commissioning performance evaluations and other types of research.
· Experience training / facilitating large groups.
· Experience working with USAID or other international donors.
· Strong track record of working on projects of similar scope, complexity, and size.
· Ability to communicate findings to a range of external and internal stakeholders and apply MEL results and learning to planning.
· Proficiency in statistical software.
· Experience with M&E tools and systems for WASH development projects.
· Excellent English written and oral communications skills.
· Preference for individuals that have worked extensively in northern and southeastern Kenya, especially Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Samburu, Turkana, Wajir, Kitui, Makueni, and Taita Taveta.
· Preference for individuals that have worked on programs with a focus in water, sanitation, agriculture or sustainable livelihoods.
