Background:
Creative Associates International is a dynamic, fast-growing global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, democratic development and post-crisis stabilization. Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a field presence in more than 25 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike.
Position Summary:
Under the supervision of the Team Lead, the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) Manager is responsible for helping to inform program strategy through atmospheric reporting, for all monitoring and evaluating initiatives for current and future activities, for providing accountability and ensuring efficiency and success from start to finish. S/he will be responsible for establishing, modifying and monitoring key performance indicators to report and record progress for specific activities in relation to the overall project Results Management Plan. S/he also oversees regular project progress reports and will collaborate with the Senior Program Manager to prepare weekly and quarterly reports. The MER Manager will serve as the point of contact for regular client reporting and work closely with the Team Lead, Program and Implementation Teams.
Reporting & Supervision:
The MER Manager reports to the Team Lead and supervises up to five staff.
Primary Responsibilities:
Monitoring and Reporting
- Oversee the development of all monitoring and evaluation deliverables;
- Manage all aspects of M&E data collection, analysis and reporting on performance indicators by project team members and project counterparts;
- Develop, track and update the Results Monitoring Plan (RMP) to monitor the achievement of indicator targets and examine project progress towards desired outcomes and impact;
- Contribute to writing weekly technical reports to Department of State’s Bureau of Near East Affairs (NEA) and serve as point of contact on all NEA M&E requests;
- Spearhead the writing of the quarterly report to NEA;
- Manage all inputs and changes to the RMP including setting out specific quantifiable performance indicators and targets for overall objectives;
- Establish/refine monitoring systems and tools to measure project progress;
- Develop/refine methodology for field data collection, surveys and survey instruments;
- Contribute to the design and implementation of evaluation initiatives; and
- Utilizes critical inputs, feedback, and assessments from evaluation partners to inform changes in program approaches and scale-up.
Data Collection and Evaluation
- Coordinate evaluations with partners and vendors, as provided in project documents and operations research, including design, data collection, management and analysis;
- Work with field officers inside Syria and the Berlin based team to collect information from field based interviews and/or focus groups with beneficiaries;
- Conduct quantitative and qualitative data analysis and write research reports; and
- Ensure quality of data collected through periodic verification procedures including routine data quality audits.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
- Five years of demonstrated experience in stabilization programming and knowledge of the stabilization context in Syria, particularly in the East;
- At least five years of experience with program management, with three years of reporting, research, M&E and management of staff;
- Strong technical skills, including ability to process and analyze data using one or more statistical software packages, including at least one of the following: SPSS, Epi-Info, Stata, MS Access, Excel;
- Ability to analyze political work, define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions, and the ability to think innovatively;
- Native written and spoken Arabic; written and spoken English required; Kurdish language a plus;
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred; and
- Previous experience working with Syrian local councils and civil society preferred.