Job Abstract

Management Systems International (MSI), a Tetra Tech Company, is a Washington, D.C. metro area management consultancy with a 40-year history of delivering results for our clients. Our expertise is in the fields of monitoring and evaluation; democracy and governance; peace and stability; rule of law and accountability; education; gender and inclusion; strategic communications; and leadership and organizational development. MSI has implemented projects in 90 countries around the world such as Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria and Ukraine, and works domestically. We support clients ranging from the U.S. Government (e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Departments of State and Labor, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation) to large bilateral and multilateral donors (e.g., the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program). We also work with national and local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), think tanks, foundations and universities. For more information, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.

Project Summary:

The objective of USAID's Monitoring, Reporting, and Capacity Strengthening Contract for the Sahel (MRCS) is to establish and implement a third-party monitoring (TPM) mechanism that is independent, impartial, responsive, contextualized, and forward-looking with operational support services. MRCS works primarily in Burkina Faso and Niger to conduct TPM in predominantly insecure areas and ensure verification of outputs and outcomes, conduct evaluations/studies/assessments, support USAID's Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced initiative stakeholders to have functional national-level monitoring and evaluation working groups, and build capacity, particularly in monitoring and evaluation of relevant government offices/structures in Niger and Burkina Faso, as well as sub-national state institutions, local civil society organizations, community-based organizations, and implementing partners. To a lesser extent, and if the need arises, this mechanism will provide similar services in Mauritania, Chad, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, and the Gambia.

**Please note: All citizenships are eligible for this position**

Position Summary:

The Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) Expert possesses in-depth knowledge of humanitarian aid and development activities. The Expert will participate in the development of monitoring strategy and tools and help train managers and enumerators in the use of data collection tools. The Expert will assist with data quality assurance and analysis and contribute to report writing and dissemination as needed. This is a short-term technical assistance (STTA) position. The Expert will be based remotely and report to the Headquarters Technical Director based in Washington, D.C. This position may include some amount of travel to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and/or Niamey, Niger. There is no expected travel outside of these capital cities.

Responsibilities:

• Meet with USG clients to better understand TPM priorities and expectations while simultaneously socializing and proposing best-practice TPM methods and activities.
• Meet with implementing partners (IPs) of USG-funded activities, as necessary, appropriate, and feasible while in-country, to socialize the purpose of TPM in order to garner buy-in and ownership of results.
• Maintain communication with IPs from a backseat supportive technical position to the field office (FO) TPM team.
• Meet with local TPM teams in Niger and/or Burkina Faso, either remotely or in-person, to understand current TPM approaches and the local operating context.
• Cross-pollinate ideas for effective TPM among USG clients in Burkina Faso and/or Niger, local TPM staff, and IPs.
• Assess, propose, design, and implement effective, standardized, best-practice routine TPM processes and methods in concert with the local TPM team members in Burkina Faso and/or Niger.
• Work closely with IPs of USG-funded activities to design effective TPM.
• Support the local team to recruit and train qualified enumerators to assist in data collection, as needed.
• Work closely with MRCS partner Tango to design, program, and implement TPM tools, such as questionnaires, surveys, observational checklists, etc.
• Adapt and revise the current TPM approach to reflect best-practice, objective TPM with an increased quantitative focus.
• Adapt the current TPM system or design a new one to provide more agile and efficient data quality assurance and analysis services, with an aim to substantially reduce the time it takes to finalize, clean, analyze, and report out on data.
• Work with the local TPM team to adapt its reporting and dissemination with a focus on utility, brevity, and succinctness.
• Build the capacity of local TPM team members in Burkina Faso and/or Niger to carry out the standardized routine TPM in the future.
• Present progress to date and/or TPM findings on a regular basis to MRCS and USG clients as appropriate.
• Work closely on a daily basis with any MRCS and/or local IP security staff to monitor the security situation and adapt activities accordingly.