Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist (Guyana)

POSITION TITLE	Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist
POSITION LOCATION	Guyana
REPORTS TO	ENGAGE Youth Project Director
CONTRACT TERM	Two years (full time position)

Background 

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees. WUSC currently works in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $40 million. We have over 90 staff in our Ottawa office, and over 200 people overseas implementing 16 development projects in collaboration with donors such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), the MasterCard Foundation, World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the African Development Bank.  

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is the implementing agency for the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) funded five-year project – Empowering the Next Generation: Agency and Gender Equality (ENGAGE Youth) in Guyana. The ultimate goal of ENGAGE Youth is to enhance the empowerment of Indigenous and rural youth, especially young women, in target regions of Guyana. This will be facilitated by strengthening meaningful participation of youth in decisions that impact their social and economic well-being at the personal, household, and community levels; and the network of key stakeholders to effectively address the social and economic needs and aspirations of Indigenous youth from target regions.  

The ENGAGE Youth Theory of Change is premised on the assumption that increased engagement of Indigenous youth, by key stakeholders, will result in enhanced empowerment of Indigenous youth, especially young women. The project will take a holistic approach to empowerment, which recognizes the significant needs of the target group, and the importance of the broad spectrum of key local, regional and national stakeholders required to effectively address those needs. 

Project interventions include life skills training and programming; local and international networking, exchange, and learning opportunities; gender equality and youth empowerment-focused community programs; capacity strengthening of key stakeholders; and responsive grants for youth economic initiatives.

Position Summary 

Reporting to the ENGAGE Youth Project Director, the Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist will develop and implement the overall Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy, and coordinate implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities with key stakeholders, including design, data collection, data analysis, and presentation. 

Responsibilities 

Key responsibilities include:

Design and Implementation of M&E Systems and Processes

• Ensure that an effective and participatory Monitoring & Evaluation system is established and operational;
• In collaboration with the WUSC HQ Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Advisor, guide the process of developing performance questions, indicators and parameters for monitoring project performance and comparing it to targets;
• Oversee and take responsibility for implementation of the Performance Measurement Framework (PMF) in coordination with staff;
• Ensure the collection of relevant sex and age disaggregated data, and gender responsive data collection and analysis methods;
• Develop control measures and protocols to ensure data quality;
• Participate in creation and maintenance of databases (in collaboration with WUSC staff);
• Support the development of annual work plans and budgets, including annual milestones;
• Communicate regularly with WUSC’s HQ-based MERL Advisor to ensure smooth functioning of Monitoring & Evaluation systems;

Data Collection, Analysis and Reporting

• Ensure questions and methods of data collection are culturally sensitive and appropriate for the group being targeted, to ensure data collected is relevant and reliable;
• Design the formats for performance surveys and reports in collaboration with the project team;
• Develop and regularly update data collection tools (quantitative and qualitative), including oversight of the database;
• Undertake and support baseline data collection for the Project and regular monitoring of indicators;
• Coordinate data gathering from partner organizations and establish feed-back mechanisms;
• Ensure that staff are inputting accurate and timely data into project databases and providing timely updates to the PROUD tool;
• Lead on annual outcome data collection, as well as the appropriate midpoint and endpoint studies, that will feed into assessing progress towards achievement of project results, lessons learned, the need for iterative adaptation of project strategies and the project’s final report;
• Review monitoring reports, identify challenges and potential bottlenecks in implementation and feed learning back to project management;
• Facilitate data interpretation workshops involving all project staff, to provide regular analysis both at the output level to monitor implementation according to the work plan and at outcome level to monitor progress towards end of project targets;
• Support development of case studies in collaboration with communications and project team members to draw out lessons learned and success stories;
• Support staff in preparing progress reports to ensure timely, high quality reporting to GAC and other project stakeholders, as well as to contribute to corporate processes of project performance review;

Training, Capacity Building and Oversight

• Coordinate and provide training to field staff in results-based management (RBM) and participatory monitoring and evaluation techniques;
• Provide advice and insight into Monitoring & Evaluation manuals, including processes and procedures for staff;
• Recruit, guide, and supervise other organizations/consultants that are contracted to conduct surveys, such as baseline surveys for the project, and routine monitoring.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred in a relevant field such as applied social science, statistics, international development; and
• Certification in monitoring and evaluation is an asset.

Experience & Competencies

• At least 7 years of practical experience in international development, with at least 5 years specifically in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems;
• Must have demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative research/survey methodology;
• Experience building capacity of staff, partners and counterparts in Monitoring & Evaluation, in both formal and informal settings;
• Must have working knowledge of development programming, processes, systems and principles, and the ability to provide leadership and support in Monitoring & Evaluation to staff working at various levels and in various locations;
• Strong knowledge of results-based management and international donor projects;
• Knowledge of GAC’s RBM tools for management and reporting is highly desired;
• Must have experience in designing and implementing monitoring systems and tools for effective management of outcomes and results;
• Strong technical skills in data management, statistical analysis, GIS mapping, and/or assessment tools desirable;
• Ability to lead and actively participate as an effective member of a team;
• Must have excellent facilitation, presentation and training skills and experience, paired with good interpersonal and communication skills;
• Must have strong skills in analytical thinking and interpretation of data to deduce solutions for decision making;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English required;
• High level proficiency in MS Office applications, particularly MS Excel and Access;
• Experience in the use of participatory data collection methods an asset
• Desirable: experience working in indigenous communities in Guyana

Applications

WUSC Caribbean’s activities seek to balance inequities and create sustainable development around the globe; the work ethic of our staff, volunteers, representatives and partners shall correspond to the values and mission of the organization. WUSC Caribbean promotes responsibility, respect, honesty, and professional excellence and we will not tolerate harassment, coercion, sexual exploitation or abuse of any form. Successful applicants will be required to undertake an enhanced criminal record check where appropriate.

WUSC Caribbean is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

This position is open to all suitably qualified CARICOM Nationals. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. No telephone calls please.

Suitably qualified persons are invited to submit their cover letter, CV, and the name and contact information for 3 professional references via email to [email protected]

Please use the subject line Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

Deadline for submission: Tuesday April 30, 2024