World Education, a division of JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (WE/JSI) is dedicated to improving people’s lives around the world through greater health, education and socioeconomic equity for individuals and communities, and to providing an environment where people of passion can pursue this cause.
JSI/WE is seeking for a Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning-MIS (MEL-MIS) Specialist for USAID’s Targeting the Learning Crisis Activity in Uganda, which aims to create sustained, measurable improvements in development outcomes in Basic Education through Targeted Instruction for foundational skills, a learner-centric pedagogy that reorganizes math and reading instruction based on children’s actual learning levels, rather than on the prescribed grade-level syllabus. The Activity seeks to implement cost-effective, sustainable, and impactful programming, centered around Targeted Instruction pedagogy for P3-P5, Targeted Instruction and other evidence-based approaches for P1-P2, and evidence-based early childhood education for pre-primary years, in order to significantly improve math and reading learning.

The MEL-MIS Specialist is a full-time position and will be based in Kampala and will report to the MEL Director. The MEL-MIS’s primary responsibilities are to provide support to the TLC Activity MEL function and will work with the TLC Activity MEL team, MEL focal persons from consortium partners, and the Activity team to design and lead a strong MEL system for the activity. He/she will support integration of Geographical Information System (GIS) in activity reporting, including GIS mapping and dissemination of MIS/GIS reports.
S/He will lead the operationalization of the TLC Activity MIS. The MIS will be used for decision-making, and for the coordination, reporting, control, analysis, and visualization of data and information for the Activity. The role will support TLC MIS activities across all the consortium partners on which JSI/WE is a lead. The MIS Specialist will be responsible for the MIS and its functionality (i.e., designing routine monitoring forms, overseeing data collection, compiling and aggregating data, maintaining databases, generating descriptive statistics, and providing support to surveys and evaluation) as well as learning and accountability system for JSI/WE’s technical interventions and impact on the TLC Activity. S/He will undertake routine monitoring through both quantitative and qualitative data collection activities to monitor progress against program performance indicators for reporting, learning, and program improvement and will establish a mechanism for collecting, tracking and responding to feedback and complaints from Programme stakeholders.

In addition, the MEL-MIS Specialist ensures that there is a tailor-made documentation strategy for impact stories, reports, and best practices in place. The Regional MEL Officer will cultivate a culture of learning within the project and ensure that lessons learnt from pilots and project interventions are documented, shared between partners and with key stakeholders and contribute to national and global level learning and research. He/She will proactively integrate USAID learning cycle processes into a cohesive project management approach that leads toward collaboration, learning, and adapting (CLA) for improved development results.

A: Delivery of Results

• Contribute to developing the requirements (functional & technical; user stories) for the MIS system requirements.
• Lead: MEL system components: Data collection (e.g. Beneficiary registration; Conducting surveys /evaluations;), and others as required
• Support: Indicator management (e.g. Log frame, PIRS and others as required)
• Support: Detailed Implementation Plans, and others as required
• Support the work to ensure the MEL requirements within the MIS are captured and updated.
• Support the implementation of the TLC Activity’s assessment, research, and evaluation activities, which may include performance evaluations, surveys, formative research, qualitative studies, and rapid/special studies. This may include providing support to the contracted local research firm or partner universities.

B. System Management

• Develop the requirements (tools, data, business, user stories) for the MIS system
• Carry out / facilitate user testing on the project management & MEL modules within MIS system, ensuring system works for the end-user
• Responsible to ensure the MIS System functions effectively with data uploaded on time and reports generated frequently as required;
• Work closely with MEL Staff across the TLC Consortium to ensure that data provided at the field level is of high quality and timely;
• Undertake data quality checks on a regular basis at field level;
• As required, provide refresher trainings on data management, data cleaning, and data analysis

C. Communication and Documentation

• Ensure that regular data analysis reports are provided to the TLC SMT level for effective programme management and decision making;
• Lead on communicating key findings as per interest/requirements of technical managers and their teams;
• Support field level MEL teams to document all sources of verification and maintain an electronic database;
• Provide data analyses and visualization as required for TLC Kampala and field-based staff;
• Coordinate regularly with the MEL Director and solicit support from USAID MEL member staff to ensure USAID expectations and requirements are met, given the rigorous reviews in USAID data, analyses, and studies.

D. Integrate ICT in the program MEL system

• Support implementation of MIS and integration of GIS in reporting, in coordination with the team and partners.
• Support GIS mapping and dissemination of MIS/GIS reports.
• Provide MIS content/requirements and feedback to the MEL team, program operations team, Chief of Party, and technical advisors and document progress on indicators/achievement of targets.
• Enhance use of digital data collection, through use of Kobo, ODK, or other programs.
• Ensure safeguards and integrity of data management on MIS and create a dashboard in power BI and other online platforms.

E: Build culture of Learning and Knowledge Management

• Participate/coordinate in the design of quantitative and qualitative participatory activity evaluations (baseline, annual, and final evaluations), assessments, reviews and other special studies in conjunction with TLC technical and partner staff.
• Support conceptualization and building an evidence base that enhances data-driven decision making and learning.

F. Capacity Building

• Support field MEL teams and TLC Consortium staff to use project databases at the field level.
• Ensure capacity of the MEL officers and project team on the MIS system.
• Develop a capacity building matrix for the staff to track performance and capacity of the team to utilize the MIS system.

G: Other

• Ensure that in of line of duty, S/He is aware of child safeguarding principles and guidelines and apply it in your day-to-day roles as you interact with communities and children.
• Ensure promotion of safe child practices and mitigation, prevention and reporting of violations of children to ensure compliance; and
• Perform any other tasks required for the needs of the project as assigned by the supervisor or designee.

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Quantitative Economics, Computer science, Information Systems and Technology, Education, or any other relevant discipline; Post Graduate training in M&E or Project planning and management, preferred.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in software and/or database development, implementation and maintenance or relevant work experience in development of Project Management Information Systems.
• Strong IT background with application development and platform management.
• Highly knowledgeable about open-source software and systems integration best practices.
• Detailed knowledge of content and data management techniques.
• Strong execution skills, and ability to overcome and work around operational obstacles.
• Experience collecting data through quantitative household surveys
• Clear understanding of the standards to ensure data quality and USAID donor requirements.
• Knowledge of data analysis and software (ideally SPSS, STATA, R, ArcGIS, Power Bi, NVivo, and/or ATLAS.ti).
• Experience managing mobile data collection platforms (like Kobo Collect, ODK, Epi Info, IForm builder, etc).
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation techniques to assess the quality and effectiveness of program strategies for program learning.
• Prior experience supporting the Ugandan education sector is desirable but not required, preferably including experience coordinating with national and sub-national level stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills
• Ability to communicate complex technology concepts with non-technical staff