Project Officer

Description

BACKGROUND:

Passing Gifts Private Limited (PGPL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Heifer International USA and it providesservices in educating, consulting, training, advising, and providing professional and technical services toindividuals,associations,andentitiesinIndiaandabroad,particularlythosewhosupportorareworkingintheareasofsocialadvancementandsustainabledevelopment.Thispositionmayalsorequireserviceagreements,secondmentagreements, betweenentities,etc.

Heifer International through PGPL is partnering with Cargill Inc and the International Poultry Council in theimplementationoftheTransformationalStrategiesforFarmOutputRiskMitigationor“TRANSFORM”inIndia.TRANSFORMisaUSAIDfundedprojectandacriticalpartoftheHealthSecurityProgramthatseekstoadvancemarketdrivenanimalhealthsolutionstoincreaseglobalhealthsecurity,andincreaseaccesstosafe,affordable, animal sourced nutrition while improving farm productivity and farmer incomes. TRANSFORMfocuses on protecting human health by improving practices related to animal production through mitigationof antimicrobial resistance and prevent emerging infectious disease (zoonotic and transboundary animaldiseases-TADs) while improving farmer livelihoods in India. Heifer is leading the deployment of biosecuritytrainingstofarmersandothervaluechainplayersthroughcommunityagro-veterinaryentrepreneurs(CAVEs)and farmer agrobusinesses; Social and Behavior Change awareness campaigns in biosecurity measures usingdifferentapproaches;supportingfarmerandvaluechainactors’accesstofinanceandmarketlinkagestoinputsuppliers,off-takers, andother actorsin themarketsystem.

PGPL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employmentwithout regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identify, sexual orientation, age, statusasa protectedveteran, amongotherthings,orstatusas a qualifiedindividualwithdisability.

FUNCTION:

This position will support the development and manage the implementation ofmonitoring, evaluation,learning and systems (MELS). A strong emphasis for this role is on data collection, ensuring data quality,partnercapacitybuildingonMELS,evaluation/surveymanagement,integrity,dataanalysis,reporting,dissemination, andlearnings.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DELIVERABLES: (including approximate percentage effort)MELS:Implementmonitoring,evaluation,learning,andsystemsfortheproject.(40%)

•Leadthe implementationof theMELSPlanforthe project;

•ReviewandadjustMELSplans andtargets,tools,andprocesses periodicallyandupdatethesame;

•Prepareoutputreportsandcoordinate forannualoutcomemonitoring/surveys;

•Work with external evaluators to conduct the Baseline, Mid-term and final evaluations whileensuringdata quality;

•Conduct and manage the monitoring of project progress, living income validation, and outputmonitoringasper theMELS plan;

•Ensuretheeffective implementationofPGPLMELSpoliciesandproceduresforthe project;

•Ensureproperuseofavailabledigital toolsandtechniquesforeffectivelymanagingMELSactivities;

•Disseminate learning findings from project monitoring, evaluation, and research. Lead learningevents with key stakeholders within the project communities, implementation partners, and PGPL ingeneral;

•Elevate MELS-related challenges to the Project Manager and Program Manager – MELS forcoordination with the Senior Project Director, and Executive Country Director to find timelysolutions;

•Design data collection tools, plans, and processes for all required information, ensuring high qualityandintegrityof data;

•Supportthedevelopmentofprojectresultframeworksandlogicalframeworks forallnew projects;

•SupportintherolloutandmanagethePGPLMELSsystemandIPMSfor the projects.

ProjectEffectiveness:Datamanagement,AnalysisandSupportinData-baseddecision-making(35%)

•Conductand/orqualityassureallMELSdatacollectedfortheproject;

•Organize routine data quality assessment on a quarterly basis and performance monitoring of eachsub-Awardonasemi-annual basis;

•Summarize/aggregate/analyze data at the state/project/FOAB/geography level to promote data-baseddecision-makingandsupport intheprogramstrategy;

•Manage all data properly in clean form, and analyze to use for project management, learnings, andmeet allthe reportingneeds;

•Support in designing, managing, and evaluating study protocols, questionnaires, samples selection,andanalysis for studiesoroutcomemonitoring;

•Work with the project management team to respond to periodic donor and PGPL requests foradditionalinformationonproject activitiesandresults;

•Document,store,andsharelessonslearned,successes,failures,andbestpracticesviacasestudies;

•Ensure to collect data through PGPL computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) Survey-CTOsystemforall requireddatacollectionactivities.

CapacityDevelopment(15%)

•Build the capacity of project partners for operationalization of the project MELS system, andreportingof leveraged resources;

•Workcollaborativelywithdifferentprogramsforstrengtheningintegrationandcross-learningsinprograms;

•Equip program, partner, and FOAB staff with skills to deliver MELS activities efficiently as per theMELSsystem;

•As needed, supervise, and manage supporting staff for efficient work and to maintain project andMELScompliance;

•Providecoachingandtrainingtoequipstaffto delivertheassignedresponsibilitiesefficiently;

•Contribute to the recruitment, training, and supervision of external parties that are contracted toimplementspecialsurveysandstudiesrequiredforevaluatingprojecteffectsandimpacts.

SubAwardDesignandManagement(5%)

•Collaboratewithprojectholdersand PGPL teamsinprojectdesignandMELS budgeting;

•Supportinpreparationofsub-awardproposals;

•Supportresearch andevaluationinitiatives in thecountry

•Assist in networking with other development organizations, governments and other line agencies inpromotingPGPLdevelopmentmodel/initiatives, andpotentialcollaborations;

•Trackphysicalandfinancialprojectprogressagainstthe annual plan.

May perform other job-related duties as requested (5%)QUALIFICATIONSANDSKILLS:

•Bachelor’sdegree inprojectplanning,MonitoringandManagement,Economicsand/orStatistics,or

Social Science and or an equivalent with an academic focus on monitoring and evaluation or anotherrelatedfield;

•Havingaminimumoffive(5)yearsoftotalexperienceinI/NGOs,outofwhichaminimumofthree(3)yearsof relevantexperienceinMELSand research;

•Knowledge andunderstandingofprojectMonitoring,Evaluation,Learning,andResultFramework;

•KnowledgeoftooldevelopmentusingtheODK platform;

•AgoodknowledgeofAdvance Excel,SPSS/STATA;

•Experience in the design and usage of digital data collection tools like Survey-CTO, ODK, key surveys,etc.;

•Soundknowledgeandskillsinprojectmanagement,MELSplan,resultframework,andevaluationmanagement;

•Agoodknowledgeandskillstomanageprojectdatabasemanagementsystem.

ESSENTIALCOMPETENCIES:

•Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to navigate challenging situations to achieve goals anddeadlines;

•Demonstratea highdegreeofhonesty andintegrity;

•Motivatedtoworkresponsibly withlittlesupervision;

•Abilitytomeetanddealwithothers inacourteous andtactfulmanner;

•Abilityto workwithsensitive informationandto alwaysmaintainconfidentiality;

•Abilityandwillingnessto work aflexibleschedule;

•FluentinHindi,English,andLocalLanguagespokenaswellaswritten;

•Haveaninterestinanimals/agriculturecommunitydevelopment;

•Willingness andabilityto travellocallyandinternationally;

•Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, web designing, collaboration platformandtools, andelectronicmailsoftware(Microsoftpreferred);

•Constantsitting,standingandwalking,withoccasionalbendingandlifting;mayworkatacomputerforextendedperiodsoftime.