Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Director

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Director provides strategic guidance, vision, and management for successful monitoring, evaluation, and learning of the MNCH and Nutrition program. This role is critical to ensuring the generation and use of high-quality data to inform program design, implementation, and adaptation. This individual supervises MEL staff and ensures the strategic and functional integration of MEL activities, as well as active collaboration with sub-awardees, government, and donors. The MEL Director oversees all MEL activities, provides technical direction and support, ensures accurate reporting of results for program activities, and ensures the program aligns with donor requirements and Pact’s MEL quality standards.

Technical Leadership in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Lead the design and execution of the project’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plan, ensuring timely collection, management, analysis, and reporting of quality data that meet donor and government reporting requirements.
• Ensure MEL strategies and activities are aligned with Malawi’s national health guidelines, protocols, and reporting systems.
• Lead development of performance monitoring plans by identifying key performance indicators; and develop and oversee system for monitoring progress towards intended results.
• Design tools and develop strategies for data capture and data analysis for implementation of monitoring and evaluation of the project’s technical components and integration of interventions.
• Design and manage assessments and collection of performance indicator data for MNCH and Nutrition interventions.
• Oversee project data management approach, ensuring effective, efficient, and secure flow of data from collection through compilation, storage, analysis, and reporting.
• Institutionalize data quality into all MEL activities to ensure validity, reliability, precision, integrity, and timeliness of data, including through Routine Data Quality Assessments (RDQA) and implementation of corrective actions.
• Lead routine data review meetings to ensure data use for decision-making through review and interpretation of data, packaging and disseminating findings, and making recommendations for adaptation.
• Oversee activities to strengthen subnational health management teams to plan, manage, monitor, and evaluate their health programs.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting to the donor and government through data analysis, writing, and review of sections of narrative program reports.
• Ensure compliance with national, donor, and international best practice data governance policies, including human subjects’ protection, open data, and data quality standards.

Management and Other Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise a diverse team of MEL staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
• Promote coordination and effective collaboration within the MEL team and across units within the organization.
• Collaborate with technical, program and finance teams to plan, budget, and manage MEL activities.
• Ensure effective coordination and collaboration with the MOH, aligning with their Implementing Partner Cooperation Framework.
• Provide leadership and represent the project in MEL-related interactions with stakeholders including donors, government, and implementing partners.
• Ensure appropriate capacity development and supportive supervision for staff and partners as appropriate in monitoring and evaluation procedures, data collection tools, and data management practices in alignment with the MEL plan.
• Participate in the senior management team, contributing to overall organizational leadership, strategy, and staff performance.

• Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in public health, epidemiology, demography, statistics, information sciences, or related field.
• Minimum of 9 years of experience in MEL with at least 3 years’ experience as MEL lead on large health sector programs in Malawi, with a strong focus on MNCH-N.
• Demonstrated expertise working in a leadership capacity with international donors, senior government officials and policymakers.
• Proven track record of timely donor reporting, including high-quality narrative and PowerPoint performance reports and quality-assured performance metrics.
• Proven expertise in quantitative and qualitative methodologies, data quality assessments, data analysis, and presentation of data in meaningful ways.
• Experience in design and use of electronic MEL tools and software, including for data collection, management, analysis, and visualization.
• Proven in-depth knowledge understanding of Malawian national health management information systems, including the iCHIS.
• Experience working with MOH on strengthening HMIS and local capacity for collecting, analyzing, and using data for decision-making.
• Proven experience designing and implementing MEL systems for routine reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor staff and partners in MEL and data use.
• Strong management, coordination, teamwork and planning skills.
• Excellent verbal, written, communication, and presentation skills in English.
• Ability to travel nationally.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and professional proficiency in Chichewa (other local Malawian languages are desirable).

• National candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.