Senior Research Fellow–Monitoring and Evaluation Program/MTID (#11-119)

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THE INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
POSITION # 11-119–SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW/MTID

POSITION SUMMARY:
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks a qualified candidate to serve as Senior Research Fellow/ Monitoring Program Evaluation Specialist in its Markets, Trade and Institutions Division. This is a two-year, fixed term, exempt, renewable appointment based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The candidate will work in the newly-created Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), which is an initiative of the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) with the primary aim of promoting agricultural sector transformation by supporting existing structures of government, private-sector and other non-governmental partners to address systemic bottlenecks and deliver on a priority national agenda to achieve growth and food security.

The formation of the ATA is a result of two years of extensive diagnostic study across eight sub-sectors of Ethiopia’s agricultural system in a highly-consultative, multi-stakeholder process. Its structure and function is focused on nimble, innovative and results-oriented support to a range of partners in the agricultural sector.

Programmatically, the ATA will focus on a set of high priority initiatives identified by an inter-ministerial Council chaired by the Prime Minister. There are expected to be approximately 6-7 initial areas of focus, including seeds, markets/cooperatives, technology access and adoption and extension and research. Across the thematic initiatives, the ATA engages public, private and non-governmental stakeholders to support strategic planning, manage and strengthen implementation capacity and test innovative models. The ATA will be financed by GOE and a range of development partners.

The Senior Research Fellow/ Monitoring and Program Evaluation Specialist will have primary responsibility for the design and implementation of systems that enable the ATA to assess impact and to continually improve performance through learning and knowledge management. In addition, the specialist will require managing external communications, ensuring that ATA programs, learning and results are broadly shared to relevant stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of Ethiopia and a state-of-the-art understanding of monitoring & evaluation, knowledge management and learning systems. S/he will likewise be a superlative communicator, problem-solver and capacity builder. S/he would likewise possess the ability to propose constructive suggestions to senior management of the ATA, disseminate technical information in simple languages and take necessary actions to make the monitoring system credible and sustainable.

The Senior Research Fellow/Monitoring and Program Evaluation Specialist will report to the Division Director of the Markets, Trade & Institutions Division of IFPRI with day-to-day working with the Chief Executive Officer of the Agency.

Essential Duties:

• Develop and manage Monitoring & Evaluation systems across all Agency programs, which include programs for: agricultural inputs and value chain development; soil fertility management; seed sector development; agricultural extension; cooperatives/farmers’ organizations; and technology dissemination.
• Facilitate knowledge management, learning, and dissemination across all programs and sub-programs within the ATA.
• Communicate ATA programs, results, tools and learning to key national and external stakeholders.
• Document and analyze the lessons of experiences in setting up and implementing M&E system in agricultural and rural development.
• Defining the ATA’s approach to Monitoring & Evaluation; identifying appropriate tools for program impacts assessment.
• With consultation with national and international experts, instituting internal systems to set key performance indicators, setting up rigorous methods of assessing against the performance indicators, and internalizing these methods in the ATA and, as appropriate, its partners within the Government of Ethiopia.
• On each project, ensuring that the Monitoring & Evaluation system is being implemented, as adapted to the specific needs of each team/initiative.
• Building the capacity of ATA staff and key external stakeholders around Monitoring & Evaluation. Using learning from program initiatives to continually improve the performance of the Agency.
• Supporting CEO, Deputy CEO and Program Directors in using Monitoring & Evaluation data in order to help them make critical programmatic decision, including course correction.
• Hiring and establishing collaboration with external Monitoring and Evaluation agencies, academic institutions, and well-recognized professionals in the field of monitoring, program evaluation, and knowledge management.
• Establishing norms and procedures within the ATA for internal learning.
• Creating a platform for internal knowledge sharing (e.g. regular meetings, online forum, written reports, after action reviews, etc.)
• Creating a repository of tools used through the course of ATA activities and making tools accessible for future work.
• Overseeing Agency communications and public relations functions: launching ATA website, commissioning articles about ATA activities, organizing public events, etc.
• Communicating Agency results to leadership, staff, Governing Council, donors and external stakeholders.
• Drawing lessons and experiences from the program, so they can be shared as international public goods.


Required Qualifications:

• PhD in applied economics, agricultural economics, or closely related field.
• Demonstrated 10-15 years of experience in senior program leadership role in government, international agency or private sector.
• Deep understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural system, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private and informal actors operate within the system.
• Demonstrable track record of success with Monitoring & Evaluation, performance management, learning systems, knowledge management and communications.
• Fluency in English is essential. Fluency in at least Amharic and/or one additional language is a plus.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, start-up environment, with an emphasis on high performance, teamwork, accountability and results.
• Ability to build relationships with all kinds of people and organizations.
• Excellent adaptive problem-solver in challenging environment.
• Established track record of analytical skills in the field of monitoring and evaluation. .
• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service.

IFPRI is one of the international agricultural research institutes organized under the umbrella of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The mandate of IFPRI is to identify and analyze alternative national and international strategies and policies for meeting world food needs in ways that conserve the natural resource base, with emphasis on low income and on the poorer groups in the countries.

IFPRI offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits. IFPRI is an international and equal opportunity organization and believes that diversity of its staff contributes to excellence. We encourage women and developing country professionals to apply.

TO APPLY:
Go to http://www.ifpri.org . Click on “Careers” and “Research” to link you to Position # 11-119 – SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW/Monitoring and Program Evaluation/ MTID. Please complete on-line application, including a complete curriculum vitae and a detailed letter of interest. Also complete section providing 3 references.

For more information on IFPRI, please visit our website at www.ifpri.org . EOE

For more information about the ATA please visit: www.ethiopian-ata.org

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