Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Nairobi has an opening for the position of a Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor. The position will be available immediately.

Closing date for this position is April 13, 2012.

Minimum Requirements

NOTE: All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item. à A Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation or a numerate subject is required.à Minimum 3 years of experience working as an M&E officer in a health/medical research organization, university or public health program implementing agency, preferably in developing countries is required. Must have experience with HIV/AIDS programs or related health service programs.à Level IV (fluent) English ability and Level IV (fluent) Kiswahili is required. à Must have strong quantitative and analytical skills, verbal skills and ability to communicate technical information clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical colleagues.à Proficiency in MS-Office applications is required.

Job Specification

BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Advisor serves as the HIV/AIDS Subject Matter Expert (SME) for monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programming, which requires the incumbent to have outstanding technical skills in M&E of HIV/AIDS programs, Government of Kenya’s (GOK) national M&E framework and its priorities, as well as situational assessment and interpretation skills, timely decision making ability, judgment in planning and carrying out tasks, and strong interpersonal and teambuilding skills. The incumbent is expected to possess good understanding of the US President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and requirements regarding all aspects of planning, monitoring and evaluation. The Monitoring & Evaluation Advisor will function as part of the USG Country Strategic Information (SI) team and will oversee CDC implementing partners’ annual planning, target setting, collection and collation of high quality data as well as reporting. S/he will work towards translating M&E and other strategic information into improved PEPFAR programming and delivery of services, contribute to a single national M&E system in Kenya, and strengthen systems and capacity among CDC partners receiving PEPFAR funding to collect, manage, and use quality M&E data to inform program and policy in the national response to HIV and AIDS. S/he will work closely with GOK counterparts to develop new M&E tools and review existing ones.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES % OF TIME

A. CDC/DGHA partners M&E Activities (65%) The incumbent will work closely with CDC technical staff and the USG SI team members to plan and monitor all PEPFAR activities across HIV/AIDS technical areas to ensure that data generated by M&E and other SI systems are useful and used for program planning, policy development, advocacy, and program evaluation. S/he is expected to understand and contribute to programmatic activities supported by partners across the country.

1. Systems Strengthening/Partner Capacity Building: Facilitate work with all CDC funded partners, including NGOs, CBOs/FBOs and NASCOP to strengthen their M&E capacity and address sustainability for M&E. There will be an increased focus on technical assistance to the government partners to help build their capacity to do this important work with an eye toward sustainability.

2. Coordination for M&E: Facilitate work with USG Country PEPFAR SI Team members to provide relevant technical support to the ongoing implementation and enhancement of the National HIV/AIDS M&E Framework including assessing progress and reporting on HIV/AIDS programs in Kenya; support national work on the “Three Ones”; work closely with the Government of Kenya (GOK) officials.

3. Review CDC HIV/AIDS implementing partners’ workplans and quarterly reports.

4. Work with CDC technical staff to develop and review Quality of Service (QoS) indicators to complement the standard PEPFAR and GoK indicators. The incumbent will work with a contractor or CDC staff in ensuring that targeted health facilities collect data correctly and in a timely manner. S/he will use this and data from other sources to prepare epidemiologically useful reports that partner, program managers and policy makers use to assess the impact of interventions and improve program management. S/he will facilitate the generation of timely quarterly or bi-annual feedback to partners and health facilities.

5. Participate in/support Operational Research/Public Health Evaluation: Work closely with USG Country PEPFAR SI team, HHS/CDC technical staff and implementing partners to carry out relevant operational research and public health evaluation projects. Provide assistance to HHS/CDC partners on mutually identified critical operational research and/or targeted public health evaluation questions, and help disseminate findings to the broader community.

6. Monitor activities undertaken by implementing partners; track progress against program descriptions; oversee the formulation and implementation of workplans; assess progress and barriers to achievement; recommend action for improvement or modifications to address problems; and document and highlight results.

7. Provide support for evaluating selected HIV/AIDS activities by ensuring that performance monitoring systems are in place and in line with Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) guidance. Take part in review and approval of annual work plans and quarterly reports of HHS/CDC partners.

B. Country Operation Plan (COP) Process and PEPFAR Reporting (25%).

Provide data for portfolio reviews and evaluation of partner performance.

1. Country Operation Plan (COP) Development: Work closely with CDC’s Division of Global HIV/AIDS (DGHA) technical staff and the USG Country PEPFAR SI Team members to ensure systems are in place for partners receiving PEPFAR funding to plan and monitor programs for PEPFAR requirements. Specific roles will include reviewing partner targets within program areas, and taking into account the PEPFAR contribution to the national targets in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Participation in the Inter-Agency Technical Team (ITT) and/or PEPFAR Inter-Agency Team (PIAT) is expected. The incumbent is expected to provide all the required data from various sources such as PEPFAR five-year plan, the Kenya National M&E framework, Kenya National AIDS Strategic Plan (KNASP), previous PEPFAR reports and other GOK sources, for the development of the annual COP. The incumbent will build CDC implementing partner capacity and government partner capacity to respond to planning and reporting requirements, review and assess their targets, track the progress of results achieved by all partners against their targets, track overall progress in achieving the PEPFAR goals, and, when needed, recommend adapting targets to be consistent with appropriated budgets, country constraints, and new opportunities.

2. Program Monitoring and Reporting: Be responsible for the timely compilation and reporting of indicators for monitoring the progress of the PEPFAR for all partners receiving funding through CDC. The incumbent will work closely with the implementing partners to ensure the PEPFAR SI/M&E requirements are met on a timely basis (e.g., target setting for the COP); activity development for SI program area in the COP, semi-annual progress report, annual progress report, 5-year strategic plan, and coordinate responses to CDC ESI Branch Chief.

3. Document activities of CDC-supported implementing partners: establish routine communications, conduct site visits and inspections – including Data Quality Assessment (DQA), maintain up-to-date information and files on the status of partner activities, resources and work plans.

C. Management and Technical Oversight of CDC/DGHA HIV/AIDS Partner Organizations (10%):

1. Serve as the program officer for CDC supported grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts and ensure that all necessary documentation is prepared and all CDC regulations and procedures are followed.

2. Provide management and technical guidance and leadership to the implementing partners who carry out activities within the CDC’s HIV/AIDS portfolio.3. Ensure that documentation of CDC/DGHA activities are prepared and submitted in a timely fashion.


Selection Process:

WHEN EQUALLY QUALIFIED, U.S. CITIZEN ELIGIBLE FAMILY MEMBER (USEFMs) AND U.S. VETERANS WILL BE GIVEN PREFERENCE. THEREFORE, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE CANDIDATES SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS ABOVE IN THE APPLICATION.

Additional Selection Criteria:

à Management will consider nepotism/conflict of interest, budget, and residency status in determining successful candidacy. à Current employees serving a probationary period are not eligible to apply.
à Current Ordinarily Resident employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory on
their most recent Employee Performance Report are not eligible to apply.
à Currently employed U.S. Citizen EFMs who hold a Family Member Appointment (FMA) are ineligible to apply for
advertised positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment.
à Currently employed NORs hired under a Personal Services Agreement (PSA) are ineligible to apply for advertised
positions within the first 90 calendar days of their employment unless currently hired into a position with a When Actually
Employed (WAE) work schedule.
à Applicants must be available for an interview and for proficiency testing as required by the selecting official.

DEFINITIONS

1. Eligible Family Member (EFM): An individual related to a U.S. Government employee in one of the following ways:

• Spouse or same-sex domestic partner (as defined in 3 FAM 1610);
• Child, who is unmarried and under 21 years of age or, regardless of age, is incapable of self-support. The term shall include, in addition to natural offspring, stepchildren and adopted children and those under legal guardianship of the employee or the spouse when such children are expected to be under such legal guardianship until they reach 21 years of age and when dependent upon and normally residing with the guardian;
• Parent (including stepparents and legally adoptive parents) of the employee or of the spouse, when such parent is at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support;
• Sister or brother (including stepsisters and stepbrothers, or adoptive sisters or brothers) of the employee, or of the spouse, when such sibling is at least 51 percent dependent on the employee for support, unmarried, and under 21 years of age, or regardless of age, incapable of self-support.

2. U.S. Citizen Eligible Family Member (USEFM): For purposes of receiving a preference in hiring for a qualified position, an EFM who meets the following criteria:

• U.S. Citizen; and,
• EFM (see above) at least 18 years old; and,
• Listed on the travel orders of a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service member assigned to or stationed abroad with a USG agency that is under COM authority, or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan; and either:

1. Resides at the sponsoring employee's or uniformed service member's post of assignment abroad or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan; or
2. Resides at an Involuntary Separate Maintenance Allowance (ISMA) location authorized under 3 FAM 3232.2.

3. Appointment Eligible Family Member (AEFM): EFM (see above) eligible for a Family Member Appointment for purposes of Mission employment:
· Is a U.S. citizen; and
· Spouse or same-sex domestic partner (as defined in 3 FAM 1610) or a child of the sponsoring employee who is
unmarried and at least 18 years old; and
· Is listed on the travel orders or approved Form OF-126, Foreign Service Residence and Dependency Report, of a
sponsoring employee, i.e., a direct-hire Foreign Service, Civil Service, or uniformed service member who is permanently
assigned to or stationed abroad at a U.S. mission, or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), and who is
under chief of mission authority; and
· Is residing at the sponsoring employee's post of assignment abroad or, as appropriate, office of the American Institute in
Taiwan.
· Does not receive a Foreign Service or Civil Service annuity

4. Member of Household (MOH): An individual who accompanies a direct-hire Foreign, Civil, or uniformed service member permanently assigned or stationed at a U.S. Foreign Service post or establishment abroad, or at an office of the American Institute in Taiwan. An MOH is:

• Not an EFM; and,
• Not on the travel orders of the sponsoring employee; and,
• Has been officially declared by the sponsoring USG employee to the COM as part of his/her household.

A MOH is under COM authority and may include a parent, unmarried partner, other relative or adult child who falls outside the Department’s current legal and statutory definition of family member. A MOH does not have to be a U.S. Citizen.

5. Not Ordinarily Resident (NOR) – An individual who:

• Is not a citizen of the host country; and,
• Does not ordinarily reside (OR, see below) in the host country; and,
• Is not subject to host country employment and tax laws; and,
• Has a U.S. Social Security Number (SSN).

NOR employees are compensated under a GS or FS salary schedule, not under the LCP.

6. Ordinarily Resident (OR) – A Foreign National or U.S. citizen who:

• Is locally resident; and,
• Has legal, permanent resident status within the host country; and,
• Is subject to host country employment and tax laws.

EFMs without U.S. Social Security Numbers are also OR. All OR employees, including U.S. citizens, are compensated in accordance with the Local Compensation Plan (LCP).