Introducing Integrity
Integrity is an ethical consultancy and service provider working in challenging and complex environments around the globe.
We help our clients succeed in fragile and challenging environments while building trust and understanding as the basis for transformative change.
We work across all phases of the program and project cycle, delivering ten complementary services: research, evidence and analysis / monitoring, evaluation and learning / data and knowledge management / program and project management / grant and fund management / risk management / technical assistance / capability and capacity development / stakeholder engagement / communications. Our services are underpinned by the principles on which we were founded, a commitment to providing reliable information and evidence, and expert and high-quality delivery.
Headquartered in London and Washington DC, Integrity also has offices in Jordan, Kenya, and Pakistan. Our multi-national team of over 50 specialists deliver a diverse and global portfolio of projects for a range of government clients and international institutions including DFID, USAID, the FCO, US State Department and the World Bank.
We are guided by an organizational vision, mission and commitment.
Vision: Integrity sets the international standard for ethically delivered, expert services in conflict, post-conflict, and fragile contexts. We transform conflict and build stability, accountability, and prosperity.
Mission: We help clients and communities to build trust and understanding as the basis for transformative change. We do not advocate: we listen, comprehend, and recommend.
Commitment: We uphold the highest ethical standards in our service delivery, our employment of staff and our interaction with people. This ensures not only that our clients receive the best possible service but that we benefit the individuals and communities among whom we work.
Further information about Integrity can be found at www.integrityglobal.com.
Scope of work
Integrity is looking for a dynamic and ambitious Chief of Party (COP) for the USAID/Nigeria Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Support Activity. The objectives of the proposed MEL Support activity are to assist the Mission with strategy-, project-, and activity-level performance monitoring, evaluation, and learning including:
• Independent field-based monitoring
• Data quality assessments
• Data gathering and verification
• Impact and performance evaluations and assessments
• Collection of select country context indicators
• Organizational learning and improving knowledge management
In addition, the activity will support short term technical assistance for USAID programmatic objectives where short-term technical assistance (STTA) staff for learning are embedded in the Mission or in Nigerian government systems that need the support.
This activity is expected to help support Nigeria on its Journey to Self-Reliance (J2SR), helping to build a highly qualified domestic cadre of MEL Specialists, including USAID staff, its own staff and partners, staff of other USAID implementing partners, contractors, government counterparts, and others.
The COP will lead and manage the overall complex operations of the Nigeria MEL activities and ensure that quality standards and schedules are met. S/he will provide vision and overall leadership to program operations and serve as the primary point of contact with USAID on day-to-day activity implementation and management issues. The COP will supervise the work of all personnel assigned to tasks under the program and provide cost and quality assurance of all tasks and assignments undertaken to achieve the objectives of this contract.
This is an Abuja-based, full-time position. The expected period of performance is an estimated five years to cover the duration of the program. Please be advised that the position is dependent on contract award.
Project background – USAID Nigeria MEL Support
USAID/Nigeria works across several teams to address the country’s development challenges and support Nigeria on its journey to self-reliance. Presently, the technical teams are (1) Economic Growth and Environment, (2) Education, (3) HIV and Tuberculosis, (4) Health, Population, and Nutrition, and (5) Peace and Democratic Governance. In addition, USAID addresses humanitarian crises in Nigeria through the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance, and some of the immediate impact of conflicts created by Islamic State of West Africa and Boko Haram through USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives.
USAID/Nigeria’s current Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) goal is “Reduced extreme poverty in a more stable, democratic Nigeria.” The Mission is working to achieve this goal through a set of three broad Development
Objectives (DOs):
DO 1: Broadened and inclusive growth,
DO 2: A healthier, more educated population in targeted states, and
DO 3: Strengthened good governance.
The strategy is currently undergoing redesign and the Mission anticipates having the new strategy in place not later than the Fall of 2020. Many of the activities under the current strategy are expected to continue under the revised strategy, and the period of performance of the proposed MEL Support activity will roughly align with the new CDCS, 2020-2025. USAID/Nigeria seeks highly experienced and capable firms that can work closely with the Mission and its partners to track and demonstrate performance, enhance Mission MEL capabilities, and support the learning agenda.
Your experience and expertise
We are looking for a wide range of experience in supporting collaborative processes that create better spaces for people to reflect on and learn from each other’s experience and know-how in the context of MEL.
In particular, the COP will:
- Serve as Integrity’s point of contact in Nigeria for the activity, responsible for leading the project and managing the activities of all long and short-term personnel.
- Develop collaborative relationships with key stakeholders, including the Government of Nigeria, USAID/Nigeria and USAID/Nigeria’s COR, USAID/Washington, NGOs and relevant in-country stakeholders; ensuring smooth implementation through liaising with USAID staff, institutions, and country partners to exchange information and develop professional relationships.
- Ensure full compliance with the contract agreement, Integrity’s standard operating procedures, USAID policies and regulations, and national policies and laws through facilitating the development of quarterly and annual activity work plans and budgets, providing technical, operational, and managerial oversight to all aspects of the
program to ensure all activities, and deliverables (activity reports, materials, and publications) are submitted
timely and executed to a high quality. - Mentor, support, and supervise activity staff and directly manage consultants, ensuring technical capacity and providing technical assistance and backstopping when required.
- Ensure activities are sustainable, through effective networking, linkages to other programs, capacity building of project staff, and institutional strengthening in support of the journey to self-reliance, as well as ensuring documentation and dissemination of findings, impact, innovations, and lessons learned.
- Support the optimal use of human, financial, and physical resources to successfully meet project milestones, objectives, deliverables and targets, ensuring necessary program planning, development, resource availability, and management activities function smoothly and efficiently.
Qualifications
- A minimum of a Master’s degree in an interdisciplinary area such as applied international development, strategic planning, project design and implementation, or a related field,
- A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience managing high-performing interdisciplinary teams in international development settings (at least the last five must be as a Chief of Party), and experience working in non-permissive environments and leading third party monitoring platforms.
- Experience in West Africa, with a U.S. Government foreign affairs agency, international assistance organization, or nongovernmental organization strongly preferred.
- In particular, prior experience in Nigeria as a Chief of Party on USAID-funded contracts and contracting agreements will be prioritized.
- Demonstrated knowledge of, proven technical experience in, and strong familiarity with monitoring and evaluation best practice, USAID CLA practices, performance management, and complexity-aware monitoring and change management in fragile and post-conflict settings
- Demonstrated experience in performance monitoring, tracking data quality, data management, and/or training in performance management topics as well as evaluation methodology, statistical analysis, experimental design, and/or data collection and analysis.
- Experience building organizational capacity in monitoring, evaluation and learning and/or training USAID staff, implementing partners, and government counterparts in monitoring and evaluation.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex relationships with a diverse variety of stakeholders, including liaising with high-level private and public sector representatives as well as engaging with local organizations and stakeholders, donor/development organizations, government officials, civil society leaders, community leaders, and project participants.
- Demonstrated leadership, strategic thinking/planning, management, and presentation skills, including strong multi-cultural, interpersonal and supervision skills. Experience working in similar settings, including managing diverse (and at times remote) staff is required.
- Especially charismatic, collaborative, professional credentials to be able to establish close, trustful relations for pursuing earnest organizational learning with, particularly USAID/Nigeria’s American and Nigerian senior professional staff and leadership, including the Mission Director’s Office.
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
How to apply:
If you are interested in applying for this position, please complete the application form at http://www.integrityglobal.com/apply/ and attach a CV and cover letter at the bottom of your application.
The closing date for applications is October 9, 2020.
However, we will review candidates on a rolling basis and the vacancy may be filled before this deadline. We encourage early applications. Please be advised that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Please note that this position is contingent on the awarding of funding.
Integrity is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. We will respect your confidentiality and abide by data protection laws.