Chemonics seeks a MEL Manager for the USAID Heshimu Bahari (Respect the Ocean) Project. The USAID Heshimu Bahari (Respect the Ocean) Project is a five-year project that aims to improve the ecological resilience and productivity of Tanzania’s high marine biodiversity areas. Heshimu Bahari aims to establish an enabling environment and science-driven framework for sustainable Marine Management Areas (MMA) and wild-caught fishery co-management by government, communities, and the private sector. The Project has four integrated strategic approaches:

1. Strengthening the enabling framework for a network of MMAs and Fishery Replenishment Zones to support biodiversity conservation, climate resilient communities, and sustainable wild-caught fisheries.
2. Community co-management of MMAs/wild-caught fisheries and climate resilience strengthened.
3. Private sector investment in MMAs and wild-caught fisheries expanded.
4. Integration of relevant science to MMA and fisheries policy and management improved.

The MEL Manager is responsible for overseeing the implementation of Heshimu Bahari’s MEL plan, providing oversight and quality control to data collection and reporting. The MEL Manager will apply the principles of Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) in close partnership with technical staff to promote learning and make adjustments during implementation. They will build the MEL and CLA capacity of our consortium partners, grantees, and other stakeholders through training and knowledge transfer. The MEL Manager will work with technical and operational staff to develop and manage tools for data collection, storage, and analysis. The MEL Manager will review collected data, ensure MEL procedures are followed, generate reports and data visualizations based on analysis of data. They will have responsibility for Heshimu Bahari’s indicator reporting requirements and will contribute to developing and disseminating evidence-based lessons learned, success stories, communications materials, and other knowledge products.

Responsibilities:

General

• Overall responsibility for life of project MEL functions including development and application of standard operating procedures, data collection tools, quality control of reported data, developing and delivering MEL trainings to stakeholders as appropriate.
• Supervise Heshimu Bahari’s M&E Officer and provide guidance and mentorship to the Project’s subcontractors and grantees.
• Build capacity of staff in data collection and data quality assurance methods and work with project partners to increase capacity to provide quality and timely data.
• Oversee production of technical reports, and coordination across project teams to set standards for and harmonize data included in all contractual (including ad hoc) reporting requested by and submitted to USAID.
• Demonstrate maturity, dependability, integrity, and initiative to learn competencies and skills required for the job assignment.
• Contribute positively to a work environment that emphasizes teamwork, respect for differences, accepting and giving constructive feedback, and collaboration.
• Other related duties as assigned by the Deputy Chief of Party.

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Lead the development, revision, and implementation of the Project’s MEL plans, ensuring that it aligns with agreement requirements including client objectives.
• Develop data collection tools to ensure collected data meets data quality standards.
• Oversee data collection process in accordance with the MEL plan, including collecting and verifying data, cleaning data, and collecting baseline data for the required indicators.
• Support environmental and social safeguard compliance monitoring and reporting.
• Build capacity of project staff and counterparts through targeted training on MEL tools and best practices for data collection, analysis, and data quality assurance.
• Maintain the Project’s MEL database.
• Analyze indicator and other project-collected data for use in reporting and adaptive management.
• Complete required USAID quarterly and annual including Development Information System reporting.
• Contribute to the development of annual work plans and review the relevance of the MEL plan against these work plans.
• Review MEL system periodically to evaluate its effectiveness and adjust tools and procedures as necessary to provide the project with accurate and useful data.

Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA)

• Collaborate with other teams to collect feedback from beneficiaries as qualitative data to support the quantitative analysis results.
• Assist with planning and implementing learning activities internally in the project team and externally with partners (e.g., pause and reflect sessions, after action reviews, etc.) and develop follow up action plans based on outcomes from learning events.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors’ degree in statistics, quantitative/qualitative data analysis, project management, marine science, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in utilizing tools for data collection, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of donor-funded projects, including minimum of four (4) years of experience on USAID-funded projects and in supervisory roles.
• Experience developing results frameworks, indicators, and targets for USAID-funded projects required; experience with USAID environmental compliance monitoring preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of integrating CLA into project interventions to inform decision-making and incorporating CLA into capacity building for program monitoring requirements.
• Demonstrated experience with quantitative and qualitative research methods, including developing surveys and facilitating focus groups.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, with demonstrated diplomacy and the ability to communicate effectively in a cross-cultural environment.
• Computer skills including strong knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word and Office applications.
• Excellent English written and verbal communication skills required.
• Fluency in Kiswahili required.