USAID Program Management Specialist, Strategic Information at the U.S. Embassy

The U.S. Mission to Nigeria comprises of the Embassy in Abuja, FCT, and the Consulate General in Lagos. U.S. Consulate General Lagos is the Mission’s representative to the Nigerian people in the southern region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: USAID Program Management Specialist, Strategic Information (All Interested Candidates) (72062021R10011)

Announcement Number: Abuja-2021-021
Location: Abuja
Vacancy Time Zone: GMT+1
Series/Grade: LE – 4005 11
Hiring Agency: Embassy Abuja
Work Schedule: Full-time – Work Schedule is 40hrs per week
Promotion Potential: LE-11

Overview

• Hiring Path: Open to the public
• Who May Apply/Clarification From the Agency: For definitions, use URL ww.usaid.gov/ads/policy/glossary – Open to All Interested Candidates: Cooperating Country Nationals (Nigerians Only).
• Security Clearance Required: Public Trust – Background Investigation
• Appointment Type: Permanent
• Appointment Type Details: Five (5) years renewable, estimated to start on or after August 2021

Marketing Statement:

• USAID is an independent Federal Government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., USAID fosters transformational development around the world. Our work supports economic growth and trade; agriculture and the environment; education and training; democracy and governance; global health; global partnerships and humanitarian assistance. We operate in the following regions of the world: Afghanistan and Pakistan, Africa (all of Africa), Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean and the Middle East.

For more information about USAID, visit: http://www.usaid.gov

Summary

• The Project Management Specialist, Strategic Information provides senior / high level technical guidance to Health Office, Mission staff, IPs, and other USG agencies on MEL concepts, processes, design, training, and best practices.
• The incumbent serves as a C / AOR and/or Activity Manager for SI/MEL programs / projects / activities awarded through the Health Office providing financial and programmatic oversight to ensure contracts and grants achieve anticipated results.

Travel Required:

• Occasional Travel
• The job holder may be expected to perform work-related travel.

Duties
Program / Project / Activity Performance Management and Reporting:

• Provides expert direction and technical guidance in the implementation of the Health Office portions of the Mission Performance Management Plan (PMP), and Health Office responsibilities from Mission PMP; and SI and MEL services and support to IPs in the development and implementation of program/project/activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plans.
• Provides guidance to IPs in understanding of the Performance Monitoring Plan systems, and their role in the process, and advises on specific measurement techniques appropriate for their programs/projects/activities.
• Provides technical strategic information (SI) and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) expertise to the Program Office, USAID/Washington, and other USG agencies to plan and manage Health Office responsibilities related to the PMP, including collection, assessment of validity, and improving data quality.
• Develops innovative and cross-cutting monitoring tools, including Data Quality Assessment and Improvement (DQA/I) tools in coordination with the Program Office and SI / MEL contractors; tracks and maintains multiple sets of key indicators, common indicators related to standard components in all USAID programs / projects / activities, indicators at the strategic objective level, and detailed indicators at the activity level; and, ensures proper collection of data, and that indicators serve is an appropriate measure of their corresponding result.
• Provides technical leadership to CORs/AORs and IPs to ensure activity work plans and monitoring plans include relevant and effective performance measures, which together provide greater results and more accurate measurements.
• Leads, designs, and performs assessments/studies/research requiring independent analysis and interpretation, on a regular and recurring basis; studies and research are cross-cutting, and include substantive and often sensitive Mission and Health Office topics. Briefs Health Office and Mission leaders on findings and makes recommendations to impact strategic, operational, and programmatic direction.
• Provides expert guidance to Health Office technical staff on defining measurable indicators and targets for desired results addressed by their program, and edits quarterly, semi-annual, and annual performance Reports.
• Leads USAID’s support to the host government for the development and management of a national information system, and a central repository (data warehouse) for Health data; and serves as USAID point of contact for Health data and information systems.

Evaluation and Organizational Learning:

• Provides technical guidance and leadership to ensure evaluations are properly planned and carried out in a high quality and professional manner, by aiding Health Office CORs/AORs to draft appropriate Scopes of Work (SOWs) for evaluation Teams, by actual participation in and/or leading evaluation Teams, and by ensuring that Team comments on draft evaluation reports are reflected in final reports.
• Leads a team in the development and execution of an evaluation plan that ensures compliance with USAID Evaluation Policy. Advises thematic teams/working groups and technical specialists on planning, designing, and implementing appropriate Evaluation Plans.
• Provides technical guidance and leadership to other USG agencies in the development, preparation, and dissemination of results of Public Health evaluations, Demographic Health Surveys, etc.
• Leads cross-cutting evaluations, and supports prioritization and implementation of recommendations, as required.
• Manages the Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) component of Health Office activities.
• Organizes and leads roundtables and consultations with Health Office staff, IPs, and other stakeholders to develop a Learning Agenda for Health interventions; identifies mechanisms for implementing research; and manages implementation of research and evaluation activities and dissemination of results.

Project Management:

• Serves as a C / AOR for SI / MEL programs awarded through the Health Office, providing financial and programmatic oversight to ensure contracts and grants achieve anticipated results, and are linked to and enhance attainment of the Health Office, Mission, and USG objectives.
• Conducts site visits as required to monitor progress, and to provide technical and programmatic recommendations to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and judicious use of USG funding.

Representation:

• Provides technical and strategic leadership in the preparation of key annual and mid-term planning reporting documents including the Country Operational Plan, Operational Plan, Congressional Budget Justifications, Technical Notifications, Quarterly, Semi-Annual and Annual Progress Reports.
• Drafts talking points and/or speeches for the Office Chief, Mission Director, Ambassador, and others, as required, and prepares briefing papers, presentations, and coordinates site preparations for VIP site visits.

Qualifications and Evaluations
Requirements:

• Physical Demands: The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

Education Requirements:

• Completion of a US-style University Master’s Degree in a field related to Social Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Mathematics, Economics, Computer Science, Epidemiology, Health Informatics, Public Health, Infectious Disease, Zoonotic Disease, Biology or other quantitative discipline, or the local equivalent, is required.

Evaluations:

• Knowledge: 10 points
• Skills and abilities: 10 points
• Communication and Language skills: 10 points
• Interview Performance: 70 points
• Total Possible Points: 100 points

Applications that do not meet the required minimum qualifications will not be scored. Candidates meeting the required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application. USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the top ranked short-listed candidates. If the interview is conducted, the interview will be one of the determining factors in the final selection.

Reference checks will be made only for the successful candidate. If a candidate does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the application letter.

USAID is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

• All qualified candidates will be considered regardless of age, race, color, sex, creed, national origin, lawful political affiliation, non-disqualifying handicap, marital status, sexual orientation, affiliation with an employee organization, or other non-merit factor. Management may consider the following when determining successful candidacy: nepotism, conflicts of interest, budget, and residency status.

Qualifications

• Prior Work Experience: Five (5) years of progressively responsible job-related professional-level experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and other surveillance systems, evaluation of program / project / activity implementation, in direct program / project / activity management, or in a closely related activity is required. At least two years of this experience in a development-oriented workplace, or a related field, for USAID, other donor agencies, host-country organizations, or private-sector institutions, and which included project design, performance monitoring, and / or the analysis and interpretation of large amounts of data, is required.

Job Knowledge:

• The Senior Specialist must have in depth, professional-level knowledge of development approaches and methods for performance analysis, data visualization, and program design, monitoring and evaluation.
• The Senior Specialist must have excellent knowledge of MEL systems, public health programming, and international donor operations in the sector.
• The Senior Specialist must have knowledge and understanding of the economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics of the host country; development problems in the health sector in the host country and the region; an understanding of the resources, resource constraints, and overall development prospects and priorities of the host country and the region.
• The Senior Specialist must have working knowledge of USG legislation, policy, and practice relating to monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and of USAID programming policies, regulations, procedures, and documentation, and of the objectives, methodology, and status of assigned activities.

Skills and Abilities:

• The Senior Specialist must have the ability to plan, organize and execute complex SI/MEL activities, including the ability to provide technical leadership and apply this ability to programming in the host country and the region.
• The Senior Specialist must have the ability to issue precise and accurate factual reports using rigorous analytical and interpretive skills.
• Excellent communication skills both writing and speaking, especially in being able to communicate technical subjects to individuals with nontechnical background.
• This role requires the ability to respond professionally and adjust in fluid situations to meet deadlines in the face of competing priorities and time pressures. Excellent computer and software skills including ability in excel, SPSS, STATA, R and / or other analytical databases.

Language Proficiency:

• Level IV (fluent proficiency) in English, and in the appropriate host-country business language, both written and spoken, is required.  Language competence may be tested.

Benefits and Other Info

Benefits
Agency Benefits:

• As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

Benefits:

• Health Insurance
• Annual Salary Increase (if applicable)
• Annual and Sick leave
• Annual Bonus

Allowances (as applicable):

• Transportation Allowance
• Meal Allowance
• Miscellaneous Allowance
• Housing Allowance

Other Information:

• USAID Acquisition Regulation (AIDAR), Appendix J, “Direct USAID Contracts With a Cooperating Country National and with a Third Country National for Personal Services Abroad,” including contract clause “General Provisions,” available at: https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1868/aidar_0.pdf
• Contract Cover Page form AID 309-1 available at: https://www.usaid.gov/forms
• Acquisition & Assistance Policy Directives/Contract Information Bulletins (AAPDs/CIBs) for Personal Services Contracts with Individuals available at: http://www.usaid.gov/work-usaid/aapds-cibs
• Ethical Conduct.  By the acceptance of a USAID personal services contract as an individual, the contractor will be acknowledging receipt of the “Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch,” available from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, in accordance with General Provision 2 and 5 CFR 2635.  See: https://www.oge.gov/web/oge.nsf/OGE%20Regulations

Taxes:

• The Mission emphasize to its employees of the fact that they are obliged to observe Nigerian Laws, including those concerning income and related tax obligations.  Payment of such taxes is a matter between the individual employee and the Nigerian Government. In the absence of a specific international agreement, the U.S. Government will not withhold local taxes from an employee’s salary.

Salary
NGN 15,890,203 Annually

Application Closing Date
8th March, 2021.