TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR MONITORING, EVALUATION AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT OFFICER

Monitoring, Evaluation and knowledge management will be assigned to the project entitled “Strengthening smallholder farmers resilience to (food and climatic) crisis for improved food security and livelihoods in Rwanda”.

Job summary:

The ME and KM Officer will be assigned 100% to the project. Under the supervision of the project Coordinator, he/she will bring his/her expertise to the project teams and to the projects’ institutional and operational partners in the development and use of ME and KM tools. He/she will ensure that the project is documented, monitored, analyzed and capitalized on the process, results and lessons learned.

Summary of the project:

The project’s central objective is to increase food security, livelihoods, and resilience (to climate and other crisis) of cassava farming households in an inclusive manner. This objective will be achieved through four project specific objectives namely:

• (1) Increase of production and income of cassava farmers through the use of clean and improved cassava seed, the scale-up of Zai Pit technique, improved practices in production (GAP: Good Agricultural Practices) & PHHS (Post Harvest Handling and Storage), and market linkages by connecting producers and buyers.
• 2) Improve cassava producers’ resilience to climate shocks through awareness-raising and capacity-building for climate change adaptation
• 3) Strengthen the upstream and downstream links in the cassava value chain and offer new job opportunities to women and young people through better access to financing.
• (4) Guarantee a sustainable, high-quality service offering for cassava producers through Institutional strengthening of INGABO and member cooperatives in the areas of Project Management, Knowledge Management, and Monitoring and Evaluation.

The project will be implemented in 10 districts namely Gatsibo, Kayonza, Bugesera, Kamonyi, Muhanga, Ruhango, Nyanza, Gisagara, Nyamasheke and Rusizi.

The position is assigned the following objectives:

• Contribute to the management and effective implementation of the projects by ensuring their monitoring, evaluation and knowledge management in accordance with the requirements of Ingabo Syndicate and IFAD;
• Coordinate the overall ME & KM strategies of the projects and support their implementation in collaboration with the project teams and partners;
• Ensure the appropriation and use of ME & KM tools by the projects’ stakeholders.

Main tasks and responsibilities:

Development and implementation of harmonized ME frameworks for the projects

• Assess the needs and available resources of the projects in terms of ME systems, data collection and reporting;
• Participate in the development and implementation of participatory ME systems/plans adapted to the projects;
• Ensure the quality, consistency and harmonization of ME tools, processes, procedures and methodologies deployed at different stages of the projects;
• Implement data collection and analysis tools (forms, development of rigorous databases, etc.) that facilitate the monitoring activities’ progress and guide decision making on corrective measures;
• Establish a system for filing and archiving digital and paper data (reports, surveys…);
• Classify, archive and organize technical documentation produced and/or used.
• Ensure the confidentiality and security of data.
• Develop KM plan and ensure its update throughout project life cycle
• Develop project learning agenda and ensure its implementation
• Develop tools box of KM and ensure their use for dissemination of lesson learnt both internally and externally.

Leading the projects’ ME activities

• Ensure the reliability, quality and relevance of the data collected for objective analysis;
• Monitor indicators, collect data, develop and update data collection and analysis tools, share findings with the Project Leaders and teams, and alert on significant deviations;
• Participate in the preparation and implementation of project reviews (monthly, annual and semi-annual);
• Participate in the preparation of projects’ annual reports for donors by integrating data from the ME system;
• Lead projects’ baselines, midterm and final evaluations (develop terms of reference, participate in recruitment processes if needed, reporting, review deliverables, etc.);
• Conduct participatory ME activities to measure the projects’ impact, using both quantitative and qualitative data;

Technical support to the projects’ partners

• Support the implementation of ME plans by the projects’ partners through the development of indicators and ME tools with each stakeholder, in line with their specific action plans, and define the terms of use (frequency of completion, collection, sharing);
• Strengthen partners’ ME capacity through training and collaborative exchanges, the development of tools and reporting methods;

Learning

• Capitalize, document and share the projects’ best practices, achievements and innovations;
• Assist the Project Leaders in the organization and facilitation of capitalization activities such as review meetings, workshops, develop ToR, etc.;
• Undertake beneficiary and partner satisfaction surveys for project improvements.

Support communication and partner engagement activities

• Participate in coordination meetings, steering committees, brainstorming sessions and workshops at the Project Leaders’ requests;
• Develop communication support to enhance the projects’ and Ingabo Syndicate’s visibility.

Profile

Qualifications and professional experience

• At least Bachelors degree in Economics, Statistics, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, or any other field relevant to the role;
• At least 3 years’ professional experience in ME functions, including knowledge management, data collection, monitoring and evaluation for donor-funded development activities, preferably in Agriculture sector;
• Experience of working on IFAD -funded projects and knowledge of the Rwandan context are also an asset;
• Mastery of project management fundamentals is an asset.

Technical competencies

• Excellent understanding of results frameworks and indicators, as well as international ME standards and applications, particularly for IFAD-funded projects;
• Excellent knowledge of tools and methodologies for project cycle management, results-based management, quality assurance, data security and gender mainstreaming;
• Mastery of the main ME tools and methods (including quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis) and their use in the field;
• Design, database management and data exploitation;
• Good knowledge of data collection software (Kobo Tool Box, Survey CTO, ODK, etc.), data analysis (R, SPSS, Stata, etc.), data visualization software (Power BI, Tableau etc.) and Excel.
• Experience on capitalization and learning workshop facilitation;
• Good understanding of gender-sensitive ME and programming;

Skills 

• Rigor and organizational skills;
• Excellent coordination and teamwork skills;
• Ability to anticipate and be proactive;
• Ability to work independently on several tasks at once;
• Excellent analytical and writing skills;
• Ability to manage and analyze information in a critical and methodical manner;
• Perfect command of English and Kinyarwanda; Fluency in French is an asset.

 Additional information

• Full-time position based in Muhanga, with occasional travel to the districts of intervention
• Starting date: ASAP
• Remuneration: According to Ingabo Syndicate’s salary scale and the candidate’s seniority level

Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV and cover letter mentioning at least 3 references, before the deadline. Candidates should submit their applications via Ingabo Syndicate email ([email protected]) or hard copies should be deposited at Ingabo Syndicate office in working hours by 25^th February, 2025 at 5:00 PM Kigali time.

Ingabo Syndicate reserves the right to pre-select candidates before this date. The selection process will take place in three stages:

• First, a shortlist will be drawn up freely by Ingabo Syndicate;
• Secondly, shortlisted candidates will be invited to a take a technical written test;
• Thirdly, shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.

Note: Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

The list of shortlisted candidates will be published on Ingabo Syndicate website “www.ingabosyndicate.org” and head office for further recruitment process.

Done at Muhanga on 19^th February, 2025

MBABAZI Francois Xavier

Chief Executive Officer