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Background and Objectives of the FCDO UK Support for Girls’ Education and Improved Learning in Ethiopia

Education in Ethiopia is under stress with limited access and retention for marginalized groups and reduced levels for learning outcomes across all year groups. This is further compounded by different crises – conflict, climate-induced shocks, and residual impacts of COVID-19, with some children out of school for most of the past 3.5 years.

The “Ethiopia Support for Girls’ Education and Improved Learning (2024 – 2029)” program initiated by the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) aims to improve access to education for girls and marginalized groups and enhance their learning outcomes. The program will focus on four key components below:

1. School Leadership Support: Providing training, resources, and guidance to school leaders to enhance their capacity to manage schools and learning effectively.
2. Equity Support: The program aims to promote equity in education by addressing barriers that hinder access to education for marginalized groups, including girls and children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those in hard-to-reach areas. Strategies may include collaborating with Government ministries to strengthen policies to ensure equal student access.
3. Teacher Support: The program will train teachers, equip them with effective teaching strategies, and promote continuous learning. This support may include training workshops, mentoring programs, and access to educational resources.
4. English Language: The program will prioritize initiatives to strengthen English language instruction. This may involve training teachers in effective language teaching methods, providing language learning materials, and integrating English language instruction into the curriculum.

Scope of Work

The MEL Director will be responsible for developing and implementing the project’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Strategy/performance monitoring plan in accordance with IRC, BHA, and international best practices. The MEAL Lead will work closely with the meal advisors and technical staff to ensure that relevant data is collected, analyzed, and used to inform management and design decisions and to provide project updates, as required.

Job Responsibilities:

• Develop, manage, and implement a monitoring and evaluation system (performance monitoring plan) across all project components that leverages qualitative and quantitative methods and draws from a variety of data sources to measure progress and evaluate impact, as well as support collaboration, implementation science, learning, and adaptation.
• Provide training, assistance, and consultation, as needed, on interpreting and using performance benchmarking measures, indicators, and reports.
• Experience ensuring Key Performance Indicators and deliverables are measurable and achievable for FCDO Commercial contract payments by results methodologies.
• Lead collection of periodic data reports and compilation of narrative reports and submit them to the Team Lead and Deputy Team Lead.
• Communicate information obtained through MEL activities to program staff and external stakeholders, including FCDO, to enable informed decision-making.
• Develop and ensure compliance with procedures for the collection and reporting of projects and program performance data to provide quality, timely data.
  Regularly review data collection processes, perform data quality assessments, and make adjustments as needed.
• Prepare the MEL section of the annual work plans and review or update it as needed.
• Participate and provide input to program strategy, including necessary adjustments or refinements to the work plan.
• Oversee baseline surveys and assessments and the implementation of the MEL system on a day-to-day basis.
• Lead mid-term and final evaluations to inform project and programming decisions.
• Conduct regular visits to project sites, as possible, to provide technical assistance and support in monitoring project activities.
• Lead learning agenda for the project and support integration of evidence into routine practice.
• Prepare inputs for regular and ad hoc reports.

Requirements:

• Advanced degree (master’s or doctorate) from an accredited university in social science, international development, evaluation research, statistics, or a related discipline required; equivalent experience may be substituted for a graduate degree.
• A minimum of 10 years of experience in MEAL for similar Education programming. Experience with projects designed to improve education in Ethiopia is preferred.
• Significant experience carrying out M&E activities in hard-to-reach provinces and districts, preferably for FCDO funded projects.
• Experience working in Ethiopia on Education programming.
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop relations with local counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, in local tongue used in the location (s);
• Fluency in English required.