Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Consultant

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Organization: Population Media Nepal (PMN) 

Position: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Consultant

Status of Appointment: Contract position of limited duration 

Reporting to: Country Director

Expected dates of employment: August through December 2024

Location: Kathmandu, Nepal

This position is open only to nationals of Nepal

GENERAL INFORMATION

Population Media Nepal (PMN) is a non-profit organization established in January 2018 in Nepal. PMN uses entertainment education and mass media to promote social and cultural change by addressing the interconnected issues of the full rights of women and girls, population, and environment.

The unique Social and Behavior Change Methodology, rigorously and repeatedly tested and proven in a dozen other countries by the Population Media Center, is applied to bring about measurable changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. It has produced Mai Sari Sunakhari (‘Orchid Like Me’), a 204-episode Nepali radio serial drama, and Hilkor (‘Ripples in the Water’), a 104-episode Maithili radio serial drama that featured issues of child marriage, family planning, gender-based violence (GBV), maternal and child health, nutrition, migration, and reproductive health. PMN has been working with young adolescents of Province 2 on community-based theater and campaigns to motivate positive behaviors and normative change in deep-rooted social issues.

PMN is seeking applications from suitably qualified and experienced individuals to fill the position of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Consultant for its Lalitpur office to oversee the endline evaluation of a project on the topic of child marriage and girl’s education.

General Description  

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Consultant, under the supervision of the Country Director, will supervise and coordinate all activities related to data collection and management for the endline evaluation of the Child Marriage project in the Far West and Karnali provinces. This is a part-time, temporary position. He/she will assist the Country Director in the development of the budget and work plans for all research activities related to the endline evaluation. He/she will also work closely with the Global Impact Unit (GIU) of the Population Media Center (PMC) to ensure that the research conducted in the country meets the specifications required by the project. The GIU will support the MEL Consultant by drafting an evaluation plan that will guide all data collection and analysis for the endline evaluation. The MEL Consultant will personally oversee data collection activities to ensure that the evaluation plan is implemented according to the highest ethical standards. He/she will work in collaboration with the GIU, the Country Director and a local contracted research company.

Project Description

PMC rebroadcast Mai Sari Sunakhari, a 208-episode radio drama addressing the issues of child marriage and girls’ education, family planning and reproductive health, gender-based violence against women and girls, and maternal and child health/nutrition, in 10 districts in the Far West and Karnali provinces. The broadcast began in September 2023 and continued for 12 months with a target audience of Nepali-speaking adults aged 14-49. The original 208 episodes of the radio serial drama were broadcast four times per week, strategically augmented by additional community-focused events. The focus of the present research is to examine the effects of the radio serial drama and associated activities on Nepali-speaking people living in these ten districts.  

In addition to the radio serial show, there was a separate airing of the child marriage storyline of 5 minutes per episode, with 156 episodes. The child marriage-only storyline contents were also given to school students to listen to in a group or individual at their free time to enhance the drama's impact. 

Additional activities included in the current project:  

• 78 episodes of JuniMaya Ko Katha (JK) shadow play is published on Facebook and YouTube 
• 156 Episodes of Junimayako Katha (the child marriage storyline) are aired after Evening Sajha Khabar three times per week 
• 20 In-depth interviews with loyal listeners 
• Two orientation workshops (80 participants total) 
• Two reflective and storytelling workshops (70 participants total) 
• One-day campaign workshops held in three schools of each district (900 participants total) 
• Videos and other content about child marriage broadcast on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok 
• 30 School groups/child clubs implement self-designed activities 
• A radio talk show to discuss collected child-marriage stories from the community

Duties and Responsibilities  

Management: 

• Assist the Finance Officer in controlling research expenditures in accordance with project budgets and report to the Director in a timely manner. 
• Determine the timing of all research activities and ensure that they are implemented in a timely manner.  
• Ensure that project staff adhere to ethical procedures for all data collection efforts, including documenting informed consent for interviews, success stories, and other data collection efforts. 

Data Collection, Analysis and Reporting: 

• Collect, compile, and analyze data from relevant social media platforms, in collaboration with the local Marketing and Communication Unit (MarComm) (or other social media parties), and then integrate the results into routine MELs and reports.  
• Assist the design of data collection tools and analyze data for small surveys and stakeholder interviews, with support from GIU. 
• Provide supervision, feedback, and technical expertise to local research companies engaged for evaluation research. 
• Monitor the progress of all research contracts and ensure that GIU receives data, reports and any other relevant documents in accordance with the terms of the contract.
• Accompany local contract research companies during research activities to monitor research progress, document research activities and ensure quality control in data collection.

Research Study Design:  

• Work with GIU and local contract research companies to develop qualitative research instruments for endline evaluation. 
• Serve as the local point of contact for the required approval procedures (such as ethical/IRB procedures) for all research activities conducted in the country.

Use of data: 

• Write reports and communicate the results of the evaluation to stakeholders, with the support of GIU. 
• Work with the local MarComm Manager or MarComm staff at the PMC HQ to prepare fact sheets, presentations, and auditor testimonials about the project for donors, partners, and the public. 
• Ensure that all documents related to the qualitative endline evaluation are filed in accordance with PMC policies. 
• Other duties as assigned by the Country Director or by GIU staff at the PMC headquarters. 

Qualifications: 

• Advanced degree in social sciences, public health, international development, or a related field. 
• 3 to 5 years of experience in project design, performance monitoring and/or evaluation of international development projects; 5 to 7 years or older preferred. 
• Excellent writing, speaking and presentation skills in English. 
• Excellent skills in the use of Microsoft Office, especially in editing documents in Microsoft Word and in data analysis and charting in Microsoft Excel. 
• Knowledge of qualitative coding and analysis (NVIVO) preferred. 
• Ability to travel within country as needed.
• Previous experience with non-governmental organizations is strongly desired. 
• Ability to produce quality work under pressure. 
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and team-oriented environment. 
• Flexibility to work long hours, if required.

To apply, submit via email a cover letter and CV to pmn@populationmedia.org

Applications are due by Monday, 18th July 2024, at 5 pm.

To learn more about PMN, visit https://www.populationmedia.org/where-we-work/nepal