Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

PACT Overview

Pact is an international nonprofit that works in nearly 40 countries building solutions for human development that are evidence-based, data-driven and owned by the communities we serve. Founded in 1971, Pact works with partners to build resilience, improve accountability, and strengthen knowledge and skills for sustainable social impact.

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Position Overview

Pact seeks an experienced Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer to support the implementation of an anticipated US Department of Labor (DOL) funded Project to Improve Adherence to International Labor Standards in the Agricultural Sector in Ecuador. The project seeks to:

• Improve adherence to international labor standards, specifically related to child labor, forced labor, and the promotion of labor rights, within the agricultural sector, particularly in the banana and cut flower supply chains.
• Address evidence regarding the prevalence of child labor in the banana and cut flower sectors, as well as to build awareness and capacity to mitigate the risk of other labor rights abuses, including forced labor, and to support efforts to address occupational safety and health issues.

This is anticipated to be a four-year activity (2024-2028). This position is contingent upon award.

Key Responsibilities

The M&E Officer provides strategic guidance, vision, and management for successful monitoring and evaluation of the program as well as for generating and translating evidence to inform programmatic adaptation. The M&E Officer will design and oversee the project’s M&E system that integrates known standard best practices with innovative methods; and is responsible for ensuring the strategic and functional integration of all MERL activities as well as active collaboration with sub-awardees and USAID.

The specific duties to be carried out by the successful candidate could include:

• In collaboration with Pact’s R&M team, develop a system for monitoring progress towards intended results through identifying key performance indicators and developing standard data collection tools.
• Design and manage formative baseline and follow-up assessments and collection of performance indicator data.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of a comprehensive project data management system, including effective, efficient and secure flow of data from collection through compilation, storage, analysis and reporting.
• Systematize data quality into all MERL activities to ensure validity, reliability, precision, integrity, timeliness of data, including through Routine Data Quality Assessments (RDQA) and implementation of corrective actions to improve data quality and accountability of staff and partners.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting to DOL per cooperative agreement requirements and in response to donor’s ad hoc requests; and responsible for the data analysis, writing, and review of the results and learning sections of program reports in collaboration with program staff, before submission to donor.
• Integrate participatory MEL methods for promoting local ownership and sustainability; and ensure inclusive and gender-sensitive MEL.
• Ensure data use for decision making through routine review and interpretation of data, packaging and disseminating findings in a meaningful way, and making recommendations for adaption.
• Design and conduct/manage appropriate methods of operational research for responding to learning agenda and providing internal evaluation.
• Ensure appropriate capacity development and supportive supervision for staff in monitoring and evaluation procedures, data collection tools, and data management practices in alignment with the MEL plan.
• Work closely with partners to establish their internal MERL systems, M&E plans, and data quality management, oversee partners’ compliance with MEL system, and design and conduct trainings to support capacity for MEL among partners.
• Annually self-assess project MERL system using Pact’s Results and Measurement Standard assessment tool; and develop action plan for addressing gaps together with R&M team.
• Report project targets and results annually on Pact’s Global Indicators through imPact, Pact’s agency-wide data management system.
• Produce learning products and thought leadership pieces relevant to the project intervention; present in conferences or on webinars regarding project’s MERL successes.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Basic Requirements

• Master’s degree and 5+ years relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Or Bachelor's degree and 7+ years of experience
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in statistics, demographics, public policy, international development, economics, or related field. Master’s degree or Bachelor’s plus an advanced certificate in M&E, statistics, or economics preferred.
• Minimum of five years of professional experience in a senior M&E position responsible for implementing M&E activities of international development projects.
• Proven success in designing, implementing, and operating project M&E systems from project initiation to closeout stages.
• Experience designing and managing beneficiary monitoring and database systems.
• Experience in strategic planning and performance measurement, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, database management, and developing M&E and/or performance monitoring plans.
• Knowledge of the major evaluation methodologies (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed method, and impact) and data collection and analysis methodologies.
• Experience developing and refining data collection tools.
• Experience managing and providing ongoing training to M&E field officers.
• Experience with data quality assessments and oversight.
• Ability to facilitate and serve as project liaison for externally-managed evaluations.
• Fluency in English and Spanish is required

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience working with US Department of Labor or other US government agencies
• Ecuador nationals are encouraged to apply