Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

An exciting opportunity has arisen for the role of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer in the Nepal Office of Adara Development, the international non-profit development arm of the Adara Group.

The Adara Group is a unique business-non-profit partnership. Adara Development specialise in maternal infant child health, children at risk, and remote and rural health and education. In Nepal we have worked in Humla since 2001 (implementing our holistic community development programmes); in Kathmandu we have worked since 2005 (in child protection and development); and in Ghyangfedi, Nuwakot we have worked since 2015 in response to the Nepal Earthquakes.

We are looking for a person to work as the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (RMEO) within our Nepal Team, based 50% in project sites. The Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer will support the Country Director - Nepal, the Nepal team, and the Sydney-based Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, partner organizations and other relevant people and agencies in implementing the monitoring, evaluation and research.

Overall job goal

Adara’s Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (RMEO) is responsible for supporting Adara’s Monitoring and Evaluation Manager with the design of research, monitoring and evaluation frameworks and systems and with the implementation of research, monitoring and evaluation activities in Nepal. The RMEO will be based in Kathmandu with travel multiple times in a year up to two months at a time to Humla and up to three weeks at a time to Nuwakot Districts to implement RME activities, including data collection, data analysis, report writing, and training and facilitation.

This role involves liaison with Adara staff, partner NGOs, government line agencies, research partners, political and community leaders, and men, women and children and other development partners in Humla, Kathmandu and Nuwakot Districts.

Key responsibilities

The major responsibilities of the Nepal Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer (RMEO) are to:

1. Assist in the development of M&E Strategic plans, workplans, programme Theories of Change (ToC) and M&E frameworks:

• develop yearly, quarterly and monthly work plans and get the sign off from the M&E Manager and the Country Director – Nepal (CDN).
• meet regularly with both M&E Manager and CDN and promptly share meeting notes from these meetings.
• assist the M&E Manager in conducting Theory of Change (ToC) workshops and developing a comprehensive ToC for each programme.
• Using the ToCs, assist the M&E Manager to develop M&E Plans, including data collection tools and systems. 

2. Conduct data collection, data management, analysis and reporting:

• collect and manage all routine and event-specific qualitative and quantitative data, adhering to strict ethical standards. The RMEO will use a range of tools including questionnaires, interviews, observations and participatory approaches for data collection.
• organise and enter data from fieldwork into Excel/SPSS software packages and to qualitative data sheets, and check data for accuracy.
• assist the M&E Manager with data analysis.
• using prior designed reporting templates, submit data to the M&E Manager on a regular basis, depending on the need of each RME project.
• respond in a timely manner to requests for data from the M&E Manager and check all data for accuracy, cleanliness and thoroughness before submitting to the M&E Manager.
• when necessary, translate information from local languages into English.
• assist the M&E Manager and other staff to organise field visits and accompany them in the field when they visit Nepal, acting as a translator/interviewer where necessary.
• represent Adara in relevant internal and external meetings in Nepal and share M&E findings, as agreed by the M&E Manager and the CDN.

3. Provide training and support to Adara staff and Nepal programme partners (NGOs and community) on RME:

• build collaborative relationships with all programmes staff so that requests for RME data are met with an understanding that they are a means to achieving improved development outcomes.
• assist the M&E Manager to train Adara staff and Partner staff to develop and implement programme ToCs and M&E frameworks for Adara programmes and provide them ongoing support with data collection and reporting activities.
• build and maintain partnerships with universities to gain RME expertise as needed and to recruit student interns/volunteers for RME activities.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• A bachelor’s degree or a higher degree in Social Science, Public Health, Development Studies or related field.
• Demonstrated ability and minimum of 3 years’ experience in community development, public health, child protection or humanitarian response programmes in remote areas in Nepal as a project/programme/field officer/coordinator/manager (preferably in monitoring and evaluation, and work experience in Karnali or similar geographical areas).
• Experience in M&E and demonstrated ability in developing and implementing M&E frameworks and systems (Logical Framework Analysis, Theory of Change and other M&E frameworks) and in social research and impact evaluations.
• Demonstrated ability in conducting training sessions.

• Proven ability in data collection, consultation with community, report writing and documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to complete repetitive and at times tedious data management tasks.

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, with the ability to communicate with people from all social positions and ability to listen carefully and with patience and humility when interacting with children, women and men from diverse social, ethnic, religious and cultural groups in Nepal. Knowledge and familiarity of local customs and culture, especially in remote mid and far-western communities in Nepal would be preferred.
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Nepali.
• Good team player with strong organisational skills and strong interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office, including Word, Excel and Outlook, and with SPSS software packages and ability to work with internet-based communication methods including Skype.
• Ability to work efficiently and meet tight deadlines.
• Willingness for travel to remote areas in Humla and Nuwakot at least 4 times a year and ability and willingness to long-term stay (up to two months at a time) in project sites.