Senior Specialist Monitoring and Evaluation (SSM&E) – Mafisa Community Trust Limited

Job Description

Description

Background

Mafisa is a Zambian non-profit organisation established in 2018. Currently focused on Mwandi and surrounding districts, Mafisa is strengthening climate-smart, productive pastoralist livelihoods in Zambia’s poorest and most climate-impacted regions. The Mafisa model helps local traditional cattle-raising communities to improve herd health, adopt regenerative rangeland management, and access fair market opportunities so they will have larger, more sustainable incomes. Mafisa also supports other sustainable livelihoods in the same communities.

From 2023, Mafisa has been expanding operations through carbon financing. This is an innovative programme – a methodology that has not been used in Zambia, rapid growth for a young Zambian non-profit, and a significant expansion in programming in the livestock sector.

The Mafisa team is committed to building an impactful and respected programme, and a Zambian organisation that reflects excellence in strategy, implementation, accountability and impact.

Job Summary

The SSM&E is a new position. S/he will be responsible for establishing a comprehensive set of monitoring and evaluation activities focused on understanding the pathways to achieving impact at household level, with the aim of being able to understand and share information on project participation, changing KAP, interim results, changes in household assets and other data that can support insight into the project impact.

This work will sit between the current monitoring activities focused on the requirements for carbon credits, and the on-going external impact evaluation being conducted by IDInsight.

The SSM&E sits alongside the Senior Specialist Carbon Monitoring, Reporting and Verification, and the Senior Specialist Technology Innovation and Data Management. These roles provide expertise on the requirements, and on the development of Mafisa data collection capacity through technology. The new appointment brings further expertise on understanding how and what to measure to track the evolving impact of the programme. This team will together be responsible for all aspects of Mafisa data collection, learning, reporting and knowledge management.

Responsibilities

As part of Mafisa’s growth towards our goal of increasing sustainable incomes in remote rural areas, we are strengthening our internal capacity to support an effective monitoring, evaluation and learning system. The role of the SSM&E will be to develop, review and implement a meaningful and robust monitoring, evaluation & learning framework. This framework will encompass and expand upon the existing / on-going monitoring requirements for the carbon project, and the ongoing external impact evaluation. The SSM&E will play a key role in integrating these activities, adding new dimensions through the new framework, and insuring streamlined and timely data collection across the organisation.

The SSM&E will:

• Provide leadership in the ongoing delivery of the agreed MEL framework, responsible for timely preparation, data collection, analysis and reporting of all deliverables as identified in the framework.

Capacity Building

• Provide technical support to all functional units of Mafisa so as to ensure that the implementation of the Organizational Strategic Plan is monitored, and the evolving results are well understood.
• Build the capacity of other sections and coordinate the submission of required performance reports / contributions to the quarterly reports and other donor reports.
• Build the capacity of other colleagues to understand and apply the outcomes of M&E activities to their work, ensuring too that these outcomes are available to them in an appropriate and accessible format.

Data analysis and reporting

• Play a key role in the analysis of data collected under the monitoring framework for assessment of progress and areas for improvement.
• Provide regularly updated reports to the Leadership on the status of implementation against Mafisa goals and objectives.
• In liaison with the Mafisa Communications Manager, support the compilation of results focused communication materials for external stakeholders.
• Perform other relevant duties as requested by the Chief Executive Director.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Undergraduate and Postgraduate qualifications and professional training encompassing research, monitoring and evaluation, rural livelihoods / development studies and other relevant subject matter.
• At least 10 years professional experience in project / programme design implementation and M&E, with recent relevant experience in M&E / research at a senior level.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Experience with practical development and implementation of rural livelihoods and related result-based management oriented monitoring system.
• Knowledge of project cycle management.
• Good management and communication skills, including excellent writing skills, and ability to communicate quantitative information in a compelling, readable manner.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to network and to develop and maintain strong relationships with field staff.
• Knowledge in use of data management and analysis software as appropriate for job requirements.
• Adaptable, flexible, able to take initiative and prioritize among competing demands;
• Experience and skills in training and transfer of knowledge.
• Enthusiasm for field activities/surveys and travel to remote areas of Zambia;

Working Relationships

Internal: Interacts on a regular basis with Leadership Team, Field Office, and the Senior Specialist Carbon Monitoring, Reporting and Verification, and the Senior Specialist Technology Innovation and Data Management.

External: Interacts with National Government Institutions, Provincial and District Government and other stakeholders, research institutions, specialists/consultants, and others, in collaboration with Mafisa colleagues as appropriate.