Title Position:  Monitoring & Evaluation Officer and Data Manager 
Duty Station: Bamako, Mali (with frequent travels to Ghana)
Type: Research Assistant
Duration:  Two-year, renewable based on performance and availability of funding
Conditions of Employment, Benefits and Performance Appraisal: To be established by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
Background
Africa RISING (AR) program comprises three research-for-development projects supported by the United States Agency for International Development as part of the U.S. government’s Feed the Future (FTF) initiative. Through action research and development partnerships, the Program will create opportunities for smallholder farm households to move out of hunger and poverty through sustainably intensified farming systems that improve food, nutrition, and income security, particularly for women and children, and conserve or enhance the natural resource base. The three projects are led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in West Africa (Ghana and Mali) and East and Southern Africa (Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia) and the International Livestock Research Institute in the Ethiopian highlands. The International Food Policy Research Institute leads an associated project on monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment across all the Program countries. To aid with its monitoring activities, IFPRI has developed a web-based project monitoring and mapping tool (PMMT) and assisting program researchers with the management of program-generated data using ILRI’s data repository (CKAN).
Objective
The objective of this position is to contribute to the M&E of research activities in Ghana and Mali, providing all the necessary backstopping activities to AR researchers and IFPRI’s M&E team. The potential candidate is expected to accomplish this by working in close consultation with AR researchers in Ghana and Mali, the M&E team at IFPRI, and AR researchers in other program countries.
Duties
The potential candidate will act as a focal point and local coordinator for Ghana and Mali with the following duties:
Liaise between AR researchers in Ghana and Mali and IFPRI’s M&E team regarding overall monitoring of research activities and management of project generated gender-disaggregated data.
Through field and desk activities, provide AR researchers necessary overall support with the planning, implementation, and documentation of AR activities, as well as the necessary protocols and requirements for gender disaggregated data collection.
Assist AR researchers and the M&E team with data management through CKAN and the PMMT. Monitor compliance with the Africa RISING data management plan by the researchers, especially timely uploading of data and embargo period.
Engage with relevant stakeholders in the technical and operational design and implementation of AR activities as well as gender disaggregated data collection.
Together with AR researchers in Ghana and Mali and in collaboration with the M&E team, through field visits and desk activities collect and ensure timely (and complete) upload of FTF and custom indicators data through the PMMT, for final submission to the FTF Monitoring System.
Work with the M&E team and AR researchers in Ghana and Mali to analyze the data collected and write reports and joint publications, as well as develop necessary project monitoring tools.
Interact with AR researchers in the program country and travel occasionally to program countries, as necessary, for in-country meetings and trainings.
Reporting and supervision
The potential candidate will work under the joint supervision of Carlo Azzarri (IFPRI), Asamoah Larbi (IITA), Chief Scientist of Africa RISING in West Africa, and Birhanu Zemadim (ICRISAT), Coordinator of Africa RISING in Mali.
Required Skills
At least Master’s degree in agricultural economics, applied economics, applied statistics, biometry, monitoring and evaluation or a very closely related field
Minimum 3 years of proven experience in Monitoring & Evaluation in a complex, multi-stakeholder project
Demonstrated success in the design and application of monitoring & evaluation systems in a development context, preferably on the agriculture development sector
Experienced in survey methodologies and design, data collection protocols, management, analysis and compilation
Ability to work independently, pay due attention to details, and deliver with efficiency
Solid knowledge of Microsoft Applications (Excel, Word processor) and data analysis software (such as Stata, SPSS, SAS, R, Genstat, etc.)
Fluency in written and spoken English and French
Demonstrated strong writing skills and capacity to analyze complex phenomena and to publish findings in various forms
Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience in effective interactions and negotiations in a multi-cultural setting with researchers, policymakers, donors, and civil society, facilitating impact of research, capacity strengthening, and bridging across disciplines.
Willingness to travel extensively within country and to program countries as required
Good organizational skills
Preferred Qualifications
Good knowledge of the agriculture sector in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Ghana and Mali.
Working knowledge of a local language of relevance to the geographic areas of research focus.
Please send your Application* before November 12, 2016 to:
Mrs. Kadiatou Yena, ICRISAT WCA Human Resource – k.yena@icrisatml.org
Mr. Mark Traore, Africa RISING project officer – m.traore@icrisatml.org
*Application need to include Cover letter and motivation to do the work, and current CV