MELKS Officer - Children Believe

Our Mission is to empower street-connected children and their families in Ghana and beyond to live healthier, happier, and better lives. Since our inception over 20 years ago, we nurtured an inclusive environment that embraces the diversity and uniqueness of everyone. Irrespective of gender, role, or background, we pride our relationships on the highest levels of integrity and trust.

Job Description

Careers That Empower Young Dreamers

When you decide to work with Children Believe you’re not just doing something great for your career, you’re helping empower children around the world to access education, pursue their dreams and be a voice for change. We know there are lots of career options for talented, top performers like you, but not many offer the opportunity to help children live and dream fearlessly. Children Believe is currently recruiting for the following positions:  

MELKS (Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, Knowledge and Sharing) Officer – Ghana Office

The Monitoring, Evaluation, (ME), Learning & Knowledge Management (KM) Officer will dialogue with the Country office Program Manager and senior management at the Country Office on all performance-related issues, including those that may impact policy and programmatic decisions.

The incumbent is responsible for shaping up country's strategic plan with relevant key indicators and measurement tools ensuring the focus of gender and social inclusion and undertaking studies/documenting thematic case studies to create a knowledge base in line with strategic KPIs, CoE and Influence Agenda in collaboration with the PM and others.

This is a field-centric role and the position holder is expected to provide facilitative leadership and technical guidance over MELKS-related functions of CB and all its current and future subsidiaries or affiliates (CO). The Officer will be responsible for monitoring and analyse and report country's strategic plan and gender outcomes and undertaking studies / documenting thematic case studies to create a knowledge base in line with strategic KPIs, CoE and Influence Agenda in collaboration with the PM. S/He will also be ensuring outreach of results to different stakeholders as relevant for positioning CB at the national/regional/global level.

This role includes, but not limited to:

Monitoring & Evaluation (ME)– 30% of Time 

• Work collaboratively with the program / management team in drafting country strategic plan, theory of change with operational and strategic KPIs specific to CO Ghana for measuring impact 
• Refine, engender and finalize the ME framework included in the program and project proposal.
• Develop and roll out of the ME strategy with gender and inclusive perspective for the project in close consultation with the project partners / program team.
• Refine indicators, develop monitoring instruments and ensure timely data collection for analysing the progress and evolving learning and recommendations for improvement / course correction
• Ensure program/project assessments are undertaken and relevant baseline data collected so as program monitoring and evaluation can take place;
• Develop and implement standard monitoring and reporting formats.
• Ensure timely and accurate program/project tracking, analysis of gendered outputs/outcomes, and reporting.
• Write monthly / quarterly / annual reports, in close collaboration with program & project partners, and support Mid / End Project Review and related reporting requirements.
• Prepare briefings for presentation to the Country Program Manager on the program´s and project’s activities and lessons learned in collaboration with PM / program team.
• Ensure that program & project partners fulfill their ME obligations and that reporting systems are harmonized among the project partners and the funding partner.
• Identify core program / project for third party evaluation and facilitate it by engaging relevant external institutions / independent consultants to measure the impact in consultation with CD, RD and RNBDM. 

Knowledge Management (KM)– 30% of Time

• Define and implement a knowledge management approach aimed at enhancing knowledge sharing and delivering planned results.
• Develop and manage instruments for knowledge sharing and exchange with partners and other relevant project, programs and institutions /stakeholders.
• Work closely with program and project implementing partners to seek for the latest developments in all relevant thematic areas and take advantage of all mechanisms for contextualizing and sharing that knowledge.
• Prepare knowledge products, including best practices and lessons learned, change stories, newsletters and interim assessments on GeSI and pointers on strategic Intent.
• Draft monthly knowledge-sharing reports to stakeholders on the developments in the project.
• Provide technical guidance and contributions to partners / CB staff for being into gender-related knowledge networks and communities of practice to share learning and experiences on GeSI and other relevant outcomes.      

Guidance & Technical Support: – 30% of Time

• Provide technical insights and quality inputs that are responsive to influence national / regional priorities from a gender and inclusion perspectives based on the evidence based results and advance COs influence agenda
• Implement learning aspects of new Program Design (project design, program performance management, M&E).
• Implementation of the forthcoming Knowledge Management (KM)/Learning Strategy.
• Based on implementation results, new learning and stakeholder feedback, work across the programs and projects with Program Manager and Technical teams to guide iterative course corrections and ensure ongoing and evolving alignment of CB´s strategy.
• Proactively analyse relevant data and present logical data analytics and substantive briefs for effective decision making and advise CB Country Office on project/activity-specific PMPs for all projects and activities.
• Undertake relevant studies and knowledge products for CoE and Influence Agenda in consultation with CO Ghana Team

Grant Proposal Support – 10% of Time

• Provide support to the Country Director, Program Manager and / Business Development Manager in developing grant proposal with specific reference to the context, content, relevant & authentic data, appropriate M&E methodology, logic model/LFA, PMF and processes as relevant; research design, research questions and review of literature in submission of research oriented project proposals.
• Collaborate with PM to develop capacity statement to support the development grant proposal. 
• Comply with all CB policies and procedures.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Required Skills or Experience

The ideal candidate possesses: 

• Master’s degree in social science, International Development, Research Methods or related field
• Bachelor’s degree in mathematics/statistic/economy or related field,
• Experience of working/volunteering internationally in a research or ME/KM capacity; 
• Experience in the design, development and implementation of ME/KM frameworks with gender perspectives for international/national development and/or community sectors, including for quantitative and qualitative data;
• Experience in participatory approaches to ME/KM with a gender sensitive and inclusive lens is desirable;
• Experience in using statistical analysis software is desirable;
• Experience in using data collection platforms is desirable;
• Clear demonstrable understanding of research ethics;
• Experience in undertaking formative assessment and facilitating third party evaluation of the program / project
• Ability to work with staff and partners to implement ME/KM systems, and to build capacity across cultures;
• Demonstrable experience of information analysis and report writing, document stories of change and ability to align these to KPIs;
• Have the ability and desire to work with teams from different economic and cultural backgrounds
• Have excellent communication skills, including a sound ability to adapt material for different audiences and across sensitive topics;
• Be able to work both independently and as part of a multicultural and multilingual team;
• Have passion and motivation for the work and to enthuse staff / partners;
• Demonstrate proven ability to recognise and appropriately deal with challenging situations;
• Demonstrate an awareness of and comfort with increased social and professional responsibility, working at all times with cultural sensitivity and respect
• Be punctual and be able to work to tight deadlines in an organised manner and to a high standard;
• Have a flexible and patient attitude;
• Have excellent problem-solving skills;
• Commitment to CB's Vision, Mission and Values

Attributes, Traits, Behaviours

• Leading by Example
• Accountability for Results
• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to network, collaborate, build relationships and negotiate effectively
• Cross-cultural sensitivity and experience
• Commitment to DEI
• Flexible and adaptable to changing demands and priorities in a high pressure environment
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Results-oriented, proactive, deadline-driven
• Inclusive Collaboration 
• Commitment to ongoing professional development