STTA Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist

Vietnam Digital Trade

SCOPE OF WORK

STTA Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Specialist

Date: 23 October 2023

Position: STTA Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist

Reports to: USAID Vietnam Digital Trade (VDT) Director

Location: VDT Office in Hanoi

Eligibility: Vietnamese Nationals

LOE: (STTA) 70 days maximum

Period of Performance: November 2023 - April 2025

International Development Group LLC is an international development consulting firm that assists donors, governments, and the private sector to create and take advantage of opportunities for sustainable, broad-based economic development and poverty reduction. IDG provides entrepreneurs and policymakers with the practical tools needed to achieve real and measurable impact for their communities and countries. IDG assistance programs aim to build the capacity, skills, and knowledge of local individuals and institutions in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, fostering synergies between local knowledge and international experience. 

Position Description

IDG is seeking qualified candidates for the role of STTA Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist on USAID Vietnam Digital Trade (VDT) activity.

The VDT is a two-year activity (2023-2025) addressing regulatory gaps and promoting private sector engagement in the rapidly growing digital economy. USAID VDT activity supports the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s (MOIT) implementation of frameworks that facilitate digital trade, with an emphasis on supporting MOIT in holding public-private dialogues to ensure implementation is done in consultation with the private sector. Regulations that are responsive to private sector needs remove bottlenecks in trade faced by enterprises and increase regulatory transparency, helping to shape an e-commerce sector where enterprises of all sizes can benefit. The activity encourages the participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in digital trade by introducing new business models and other best practices, such as traceability of goods, as well as facilitating cross-border connections between enterprises via MOIT’s digital trade promotion platform.

The MEL Specialist supports the VDT team in framing the MEL plan, identifying performance indicators, collecting and managing data, and drafting MEL sections in VDT reports as requested by USAID.

Key Tasks/Responsibilities:

The MEL Specialist will be responsible in supporting the VDT team for the following:

• Preparing a simplified version of the MEL plan with the relevant indicators, in line with the Vietnam Digital Trade reporting requirements, including data collection tools and guidelines for their use.
• Implementing the VDT Activity MEL plan, including but not limited to, the following activities:

1. Schedule/Conduct Data Quality Assessments (DQAs), and maintain overall responsibility for storing and organizing data sets in a professional manner making them available for the team and external auditors.
2. Develop data processing procedure to analyze the monitoring data on a regular basis.
3. Provide feedback to reporting focal points on data quality.
4. Using monitoring data for learning activities including: supporting leadership to conduct regular data reviews to compare performance versus target, identify implementation gaps, and develop interventions to address the gaps.
5. Provide data for leadership to include in the periodical reports to submit to USAID.
6. Submit required data into DIS in a timely manner.
7. Preparing MEL and CLA parts/chapters of periodical and final reports.
8. Update the MEL plan (including the PIRS) as required.
9. Collecting data for contextual and performance indicators and other data required by USAID or the VDT Team.

• Cooperating with government partners to verify data sources for all the indicators, and research alternative data sources where necessary. This would also include assessing the data quality of data coming from secondary sources.
• Managing and developing, if required, data collection instruments.
• Ensuring the short-term technical experts and evaluation team members recruited under this program are aware of and incorporate MEL targets into high quality deliverables.
• Managing the MEL system - the database and filing system.
• Collaborating with the VDT communications team to accurately publicize/convey results to stakeholders and the general public.
• Determine how the activity will measure gender outcome.

Deliverables

The MEL specialist will support the VDT team in:

• Preparing a simplified MEL Plan for VDT.
• Drafting MEL reports as part of VDT periodical reports.
• Updating indicators database (implying the data collection for contextual and performance indicators.)
• Preparing concise post-event evaluation reports.
• Supervise the data system management.
• Support leadership to conduct learning activities including: pause and reflect, after actions, data reviews, etc.
• Concise monthly report on tasks carried out.

NB:

• VDT anticipates that the MEL preparation will tentatively require 15 days of LOE, with 10 days allocated for drafting the plan and 5 days for discussions and revisions with USAID. 
• During the activity implementation, the MEL specialist is expected to allocate 3/4 days per month (on average) to work for VDT. At the end of each month, the MEL specialist will communicate the anticipated workload for the following month to the VDT Director. The VDT Director will then approve the amount of  LOE (Level of Effort) deemed necessary to complete all tasks

Qualifications

The MEL Specialist should have the following qualifications:

• An advanced university degree in international relations, economics, statistics, political science, public policy, or other relevant field.
• At least seven years of experience at a senior level MEL position, preferably on USAID projects.
• Experience with indicator development, data collection and analysis, data quality assessments, and/or performance monitoring and reporting.
• Experience with developing and refining Performance Management Plans (PMPs) and other Monitoring and Evaluation planning documents.
• Experience designing and managing performance and impact evaluations.
• Experience with developing and field-testing surveys and other data collection instruments.
• Demonstrated ability to work on and lead an evaluation team.
• Familiarity with USAID policies related to Monitoring and Evaluation highly desirable.

How to apply:

Applications should be sent to [email protected] no later than November 10, 2023.