MLE Consultant, Africa Safe Water

Evidence Action•Washington, DC

2d•Remote

About The Position

Evidence Action is seeking an MLE Consultant to support ongoing MLE Strategy work across Africa Safe Water programs. This role will help design, test, and integrate MLE redesign efforts into the broader MLE approach. The consultant will support project management and execution for MLE Strategy activities, including work plan development, milestone tracking, and documentation of findings. They will design and execute pilots to test MLE redesign approaches, synthesize learnings, and support the integration of successful approaches into standard MLE practice. Additionally, the consultant will coordinate with regional MLE, program, and country teams to ensure alignment and quality, and support data quality and assurance processes. Key Deliverables include: - DSW Operational Monitoring: Implement redesigned DSW operational monitoring approach in Uganda and potentially Malawi, developing sampling approach, coordinating with MLE-D on implementation, and documenting learnings. - ILC Waterpoint Monitoring: Support wrap-up of the ILC waterpoint monitoring pilot, conduct exploratory analysis, gather qualitative insights, and synthesize findings. Implement the redesigned ILC waterpoint monitoring approach in Uganda and Malawi, incorporating pilot learnings and coordinating with MLE-D. - Data Systems Mapping: Support development of a data structure map for East and Southern Africa safe water programs, identifying streamlining opportunities. - Historical Data Analysis: Conduct exploratory analysis of historical program data for DSW and ILC programs to identify areas for improvement. - Overarching Africa Safe Water MLE Strategy Coordination & Management: Support ongoing project management for Africa Safe Water MLE strategy activities, including work plan tracking, milestone documentation, and coordination with regional teams.

Requirements

3-5 years experience developing M&E frameworks and plans
3-5 years experience conducting implementation research
3-5 years experience designing M&E activities including sampling design, survey protocols, and data collection tools
Experience developing or piloting new approaches from scratch
Ability to contribute effectively to iterative redesign processes
Data analysis skills with experience in exploratory analysis
Comfortable working with incomplete information to surface insights and inform decision-making
Ability to manage complex and interdependent work plans and projects
Ability to prioritize effectively
Ability to adapt plans as needed while managing multiple priorities simultaneously
Ability to collaborate effectively across teams and departments in a global, matrixed environment
Ability to work variable hours to overlap with colleagues across time zones
Skilled at proactively synthesize inputs from multiple stakeholders to identify a path forward
Ability to work independently to drive progress in ambiguous situations
Must be based within the United States
Available to meet and coordinate during agreed-upon windows with Evidence Action's country and global teams

Nice To Haves

Some experience in WASH or water program monitoring and evaluation preferred

Responsibilities

Support project management and execution for MLE Strategy activities for Africa Safe Water programs.
Develop work plans, track milestones, and document findings to promote consistency across geographies.
Design and execute pilots to test MLE redesign approaches.
Rack and synthesize learnings from pilots to assess what is working and inform decisions about broader integration.
Support the integration of successful redesign approaches into standard MLE practice across Africa Safe Water programs.
Coordinate with regional MLE, program, and country teams to ensure alignment and quality across MLE activities.
Support data quality and assurance processes, flagging issues and contributing to resolution.
Implement the redesigned DSW operational monitoring approach across the scale-up footprint for Q3 and Q4 monitoring in Uganda (and potentially Malawi).
Develop the sampling approach for DSW operational monitoring.
Coordinate closely with MLE-D on implementation of DSW operational monitoring.
Document learnings from DSW operational monitoring to inform ongoing redesign.
Support wrap-up of the ILC waterpoint monitoring pilot, including conducting exploratory analysis of collected data.
Gather qualitative insight from the ILC waterpoint monitoring pilot.
Synthesize findings from the ILC waterpoint monitoring pilot to inform next steps.
Implement the redesigned ILC waterpoint monitoring approach across the scale-up footprint in Q3 and Q4 for Uganda and Malawi.
Incorporate pilot learnings into sampling design for ILC waterpoint monitoring.
Coordinate with MLE-D on high-quality implementation of ILC waterpoint monitoring.
Support development of a data structure map for East and Southern Africa safe water programs.
Identify opportunities to streamline data flow within current EA systems.
Conduct exploratory analysis of historical program-collected data for DSW and ILC programs.
Identify areas for improvement or optimization in data collection design.
Support ongoing project management for Africa Safe Water MLE strategy activities.
Track work plans and document milestones for Africa Safe Water MLE strategy activities.
Coordinate with regional MLE and program teams for Africa Safe Water MLE strategy activities.