NGO Jobs in Kenya – icipe

Vacancy: Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

Ref. No. NRS/138/102015
 

Location: icipe - Mbita, Western Kenya
 

Duration: 2 Years
 

icipe - African Insect Science for Food and Health is a world-class research centre with a mission to alleviate poverty by ensuring food security, improving health, protecting the environment and building the capacity of researchers and communities across the developing world through the application of insect sciences. 

Employing more than 500 national and international staff, icipe is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with outposts in Ethiopia and on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya.

icipe has a proud reputation and history of delivering world quality science that has made crucial contributions to African food and health policy, delivered development outcomes to rural communities and has been at the forefront of building Africa’s biological research capacity. 

The Centre’s research activities span the African continent with partnerships linking research organisations, not only across Africa, but also the globe. 

In addition, more than 100 graduate students and a number of postdoctoral
fellows contribute to icipe’s research portfolio annually.

icipe wishes to urgently recruit a Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist in its Push-Pull Programme to be based in Mbita, western Kenya. 

The position is on an initial 2-year contract, subject to a six (6) months’ probation period, satisfactory performance, continued relevance of the position, and adequate funding. 

A competitive and generous compensation package will be offered to the right candidate. Only shortlisted candidates meeting the itemised requirements will be contacted.

Overall role: Establishing and managing an overall results-based framework, and a robust monitoring, learning and evaluation system with well-defined results, milestones and targets for the implementation of research projects under the Push-Pull programme.

Specific Responsibilities

• Establishing and managing a performance-monitoring framework with clear-cut goals, outcomes, outputs, inputs, processes, indicators, data needs and sources, and reporting formats and frequency, for effective monitoring, reporting and updating progress of projects in the Push-Pull programme;
• Developing comprehensive baselines of projects, including biophysical and socioeconomic conditions in the target areas or populations, and collecting periodic data and information against the baselines to assess and report progress on the overall development of beneficiary communities, and on project specific benchmarks;
• Creating and managing geo-referenced databases with data from baselines, periodically collected performance data, project results, publications, and general reference data;
• Working with scientists and taking lead in developing M&E tools with performance indicators and targets embedded in each project’s intervention logic for implementation and tracking;
• Assisting scientists in developing overall Push-Pull management programme and monitoring framework, as well as project-specific and implementing partner-specific work plans;
• Organising and conducting ex-ante baseline, mid-term and post-project evaluations of all Push-Pull projects;
• Coordinating with each project partners’ project implementation teams for data planning, identification of data sources, and collection of data for monitoring purposes;
• Preparing periodic project progress reports, and the overall Push-Pull programme Results Based Management annual reports with the support of scientists, partner organisations, and project management staff;
• Working with scientists in developing project proposals;
• Monitoring and following up progress on various proposals, meetings, reports, working papers, etc. with scientists and partner organisations;
• Identifying key issues, lessons learned, and best practices in the Push-Pull programme and projects, and organise research documentation.

Requirements/Qualifications

• Masters degree in project management, and social sciences (such as rural development, economics, or agricultural economics), or similarly relevant development fields.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in monitoring & evaluation in a research related field preferably linked to international agricultural research, applied sciences, or Research-for-Development (R4D).

Core Competencies

• Project planning, monitoring and evaluation of donor-funded projects
• Developing results frameworks, logical frameworks, or similar tools for project management
• Developing and/or using performance management plans
• Using knowledge management software or database management software
• Managing grants or contracts.

Abilities and skills

• Demonstrated ability in development project design, including indicator development, project metadata analysis, and monitoring and evaluation of research and development projects.
• Must have excellent analytical skills along with strong organisational ability.
• Must be able to obtain, analyse and evaluate a variety of information, and organise, interpret and present it in meaningful oral or written form for varied audiences, as well as provide solid analysis leading to sound decision-making.
• Excellent interpersonal and team working skills, and a high degree of computer literacy are preferred.

Reporting: This position reports to the Principal Scientist and Programme Leader of the Push-pull programme or his designee.

The selected candidate should be available to start as soon as possible.

Vacancy: Postdoctoral Fellow (Socio-Economics and Gender)
 

Ref. No. IRS/137/102015

Location: icipe - Mbita Point Field Station in western Kenya
 

Duration: 3 Years

icipe - African Insect Science for Food and Health is a world-class research centre with a mission to alleviate poverty by ensuring food security, improving health, protecting the environment and building the capacity of researchers and communities across the developing world through the application of insect sciences. 

Employing more than 500 national and international staff, icipe is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with outposts in Ethiopia and on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya. 

icipe has a proud reputation and history of delivering world-quality science that has made crucial contributions to African food and health policy, delivered development outcomes to rural communities and has been at the forefront of building Africa’s biological research capacity. 

The Centre’s research activities span the African continent with partnerships linking research organisations, not only across Africa, but also the globe. 

In addition, more than 100 graduate students and a number of postdoctoral fellows contribute to icipe’s research portfolio annually. 

icipe is seeking to recruit a proactive and results-oriented postdoctoral fellow in the field of social science/economics and gender to work in the Push-Pull Programme (www.push-pull.net). 

The position is tenable at icipe-Mbita Point Field Station in western Kenya, and will entail conducting socio-economic and gender research in Push-Pull Programme in eastern Africa.
 

The position is for an initial fixed-term contract of 3 years, after which further employment is subject to performance and the continued availability of funds. 

The successful candidate will receive icipe’s internationally competitive salary and benefits, including comprehensive health and life insurance, paid vacation, and assistance with relocation shipment. 

Only shortlisted candidates meeting the itemised requirements will be contacted.

Responsibilities

• Designing and implementing quantitative and qualitative social science and gender research using participatory methods and approaches in agricultural research and development.
• Conducting socio-economic and gender studies, undertaking field surveys and data collection related to the main components of the project in each of the four countries while incorporating gender issues in the study designs.
• Assessing the multidimensional (social, economic and environmental) impacts of push-pull on the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers, especially women.
• Conducting ex-ante and ex-post impact assessments as well as monitoring and evaluation of the push-pull technology projects, while mainstreaming gender in the planning and implementation of projects.
• Assessing adoption patterns of push-pull innovations, including technology diffusion dynamics and associated drivers of technology adoption.
• Translating findings into R4D priorities and implications, including the development of strategies, options and recommendations to set research priorities, guide policy decisions, facilitate adaptations and stimulate scaling up and out of Push-Pull technology.
• Strengthen the impact culture within the project and beyond through better articulation of impact pathways.
• Publish and communicate research findings through internationally recognised forums, and contribute to the dissemination of research findings to stakeholders.

Requirements / Qualifications

• PhD in agricultural economics, development economics, or a related social science field from a recognised institution.
• Strong skills in data management, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis using relevant economic models and using SPSS and STATA.
• Established publication record in international peer-reviewed journals.

Core Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Other desirable attributes

• Good partnership and interpersonal skills and team player, including ability to work with different nationalities, disciplines and educational levels, as a member of a diverse work team.
• A high degree of personal organisation, and the ability to multi-task and work under pressure.

Reporting: This position reports to the Principal Scientist and Programme Leader of the Push-pull programme or his designee.
 

The selected candidate should be available to start as soon as possible.
 

How to Apply
 

Applications will be accepted up to 23rd October 2015, or until the position is filled, whichever is earlier. 

Interested applicants should submit: 

(a) a confidential cover letter, 

(b) detailed CV with names and addresses of 3 referees (including e-mail addresses, fax numbers), and 

(c) a statement illustrating suitability against the listed qualifications/competencies/attributes.

Candidates are required to apply online through:http://recruit.icipe.org

icipe is an equal opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values gender equity, teamwork, and respect for diversity. Women are encouraged to apply.