Funding for research, training opportunities

Anna Schurmann

20 April 2010 - 12:00pm

Dear All,

Please find following details of four new employment opportunities and two announcements about funding opportunities for program research. Good luck to all those applying!

Kind regards, Anna

Grants and Funding Opportunities

1. NIH Directory

Fogarty International Center - National Institutes of Health, NIH
Bethesda, MD USA

Website: http://www.fic.nih.gov/funding/directory_fellowships.htm

2. The International Initiative for Impact Evaluation has recently announced a new Open Window for funding in any theme.

The Open Window funds quality impact evaluations of interventions aimed at improving social and economic development in low and middle-income countries. It accepts proposals on any theme, and there are no pre-established funding limits.
Read more on 3ie Principles of Impact Evaluation, 3ie Impact Evaluation Practice and Instructions for Proposals.
The call for proposals for Open Window Round 3 will be launched on May 17 with a deadline for submission in July.

http://www.3ieimpact.org/openwindow/

Employment opportunities

1. Ushahidi Haiti Project is interested in assessing the effectiveness of the mobilization of the Ushahidi technology platform following the recent earthquake in Haiti, in particular during the initial disaster response phase. The deployment was based out of and managed by students from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, a graduate school of international affairs based at Tufts University

The evaluation will look at how widely the Ushahidi Haiti platform was used by different organizations, how effectively it was implemented, and how it was communicated to people on the ground. Furthermore, the evaluation will address the appropriateness of Ushahidi Haiti Project’s work; does this form of deployment addresses the real needs of the situation and add value to the response? The evaluation will take place in Boston and Haiti from June 2 to July 2. Full TOR attached.

2. Mildmay International-Kenya is currently recruiting a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. see attached advertisement for details.

3. Khulisa Management Services (Pty) Ltd, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist, Johannesburg, South Africa

Khulisa Management Services (see www.khulisa.com) is a South African-based firm that provides a wide range of monitoring, evaluation, research, and information management services. Since 1993, we have served over 140 different clients including the governments, local and international donors, corporations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and other service providers.

Khulisa is seeking an M&E specialist for a current financial sector project in South Africa whose aim is to expand access to high quality, affordable financial products and services for small and medium enterprises (SME) through improving financial services, SME bankability, enabling environment, and knowledge sharing.

The M&E specialist will be responsible for implementing the performance monitoring plan (PMP), populating the project’s M&E system, and keeping the project team abreast of progress towards targets. S/he will work with technical staff and program partners to ensure timely and consistent data collection and develop databases and spreadsheets to ensure data is readily available. S/he will perform data analyses and/or create graphics to inform reporting requirements and project communications products. S/he must be familiar with financial services indicators. S/he will also collect and disseminate lessons learned, and share successes during project implementation.

Additionally, the qualified candidate will be responsible for the Knowledge Management component of the program as well as spearheading the programs’ information dissemination and training activities. S/he will be a thought leader in the development and management of an electronic SME data portal and collect, review, and disseminate salient information through a myriad of methods. S/he will be responsible for the assessment of training and workshops preparing survey instruments, collecting and evaluating data on impact and absorption of data shared.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Implement the project’s approved PMP

· Organize the collection of data in accordance with the PMP.

· Provide technical, strategic, logistical, and administrative leadership for the implementation of M&E activities.

· Support project staff training and guidance to assist in the data collection.

· Ensure data quality and integrity by periodically conducting field visits and spot checks to verify data and investigate any data anomalies.

· Identify and track any sources of information, outside of the approved PMP, that can and should be integrated into the M&E system to help better manage project implementation (e.g. any work that may generate data or information that could be incorporated into the system).

· Conduct periodic training in M&E procedures for project staff, stakeholders, and/or partners. Share information to help them monitor the progress of their work and use the data for strategic decision-making.

· Maintain the M&E system, periodically evaluate its effectiveness, and adjust as necessary to provide the project with accurate and useful data.

· Contribute to the development of annual work plans and review the relevance of the PMP against these work plans.

Communicate M&E information

· Compile and analyse relevant data from partners to demonstrate project progress for contractual reports, including quarterly and annual reports and/or presentations.

· Provide as-requested M&E data to the client in a timely manner.

· Systematically and regularly communicate progress against targets to project staff.

· Collect and disseminate lessons learned and best practices to internal and external stakeholders, as appropriate.

· Prepare and facilitate presentations and project reports, including progress, final and financial reports.

· Participate in face-to-face meetings, telephonic conference calls and other relationship management responsibilities with project officers and other relevant stakeholders and policy makers.

Manage the Knowledge Management Component

· Strategically plan and organize innovative methods to disseminate the program’s project information.

· Design and maintain a multiple user platform for effective knowledge management.

· Generate relationships with and collaborate with contribution partners.

· Identify, review and post salient items to SME finance portal.

· Prepare quarterly updates for inclusion in a formal report.

Required Knowledge, Experience and Qualifications:

· Minimum Master’s Degree in relevant discipline.

· Thorough understanding of M&E principles.

· At least 5 years of demonstrated success as M&E Specialist.

· Experience with USAID M&E frameworks as well as a demonstrated understanding of USAID reporting formats and definitions.

· Effective writing and analytical skills.

· Advanced excel skills.

· Thorough understanding of and familiarity with current KM and social networking and other information sharing platforms.

· Familiarity with South African culture/languages.

Interested candidates should email a cover letter, current CV and writing sample to Maliile Ramashamole (mramashamole@khulisa.com) no later than 23 April 2010.

Please reference “M&E Specialist, South Africa” in the subject of the email.

Kindly note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

4. Khulisa Management Services (Pty) Ltd, Chief of Party, Zimbabwe

Khulisa is seeking a Chief of Party for an anticipated project in Zimbabwe. The project is a large scale multi-million dollar, five-year project. The Chief of Party (COP) will be responsible for the overall management and implementation of a health data dissemination and information use project in the Republic of Zimbabwe. Working closely with the home office Project Director, s/he will lead project implementation, ensuring that the program meets its administrative, programmatic, technical, and operational objectives. S/he will supervise and guide field office personnel and coordinate the work of partner organizations. The COP will represent Khulisa and the project in Zimbabwe, interfacing with the US Centers for Disease Control, Ministry officials, and other stakeholders.

S/he must demonstrate excellent program management, staff management, and technical skills; demonstrate a high level of diplomacy; and will be able to foster an atmosphere of teamwork, productivity, creativity, fairness, equity, and innovation within the project. S/he must be an effective negotiator and mediator, and will be able to facilitate large team meetings internally, as well as facilitating external more formal interactions with program participants and partners.

The incumbent will be based in Zimbabwe over a five year period. Fluency in both Shona and English is a requirement.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

· Provide technical, strategic, logistical, and administrative leadership for the implementation of the project.

· Ensure that all work planning is completed effectively with counterparts and partner organizations.

· Establish productive working relationships with relevant stakeholders.

· Prepare project reports, including monthly and annual progress and financial reports.

· Participate in face-to-face meetings and telephonic conference calls and other relationship management responsibilities with project officers and other relevant stakeholders and policy makers.

· Lead project activities and technical strategy in close collaboration with project partners and MOHCW counterparts including the following:

o Strengthen capacity of MOHCW to coordinate and conduct effective strategic information, policy and systems strengthening activities supported through PEPFAR

o Strengthen management capacity of the MOHCW to formulate and implement strategic information policies

o Strengthen capacity of provincial, district and clinic level health workers in use of data for decision making

o Strengthen capacity of MOHCW to develop and refine national strategic information guidelines and policy documents in accordance with the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS

o Collaborate with National Monitoring and Evaluation Advisory Group to ensure data quality issues are given priority and that HMIS reporting rates are improved

o Provide HMIS technical assistance in systems requirements, analysis, design, specifications, development, piloting/testing, implementation and evaluation

o Collaborate with CDC staff across HIV/AIDS technical areas to ensure that data generated by USG supported surveys and by the MOHCW surveillance systems are useful and used for program planning, policy development, advocacy and impact evaluation

o Assure that monitoring and evaluation activities work as part of the national HIV/AIDS framework by clearly specifying proposed outcomes

· Ensure issues of data quality are given priority, including the improvement of reporting rates from all health institutions across the country.

· Ensure that data generated are useful and used for program planning, policy development, advocacy, and impact evaluation.

Required Knowledge, Experience and Qualifications:

· Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Public Health, Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Management, Public or Business Administration or a related field.

· Demonstrated success as the Chief of Party/Project Director/Deputy Chief of Party of a comparable multi-dimensional donor-funded project, managing professional and financial resources on a similar scale preferred.

· At least 10 years of progressively responsible management experience, including at least five years in southern Africa.

· Demonstrated competence in program management, including managing documents and information systems, budgets, timelines, and a track record of meeting deadlines.

· Extensive experience in leading the planning and management of large scale M&E/ research projects.

· Experience working on Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) including analysis, design, specifications, development, piloting/testing, implementation, and evaluation.

· Experience working within a ministry or government department in a developing country on a long term assignment and demonstrated understanding of operating principals required to achieve success in that environment.

· Extensive experience in large scale quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis preferably in the health sector.

· Database management and design knowledge is required.

· Familiarity with Zimbabwe culture/languages.

Interested candidates should email a cover letter, current CV and writing sample to Maliile Ramashamole (mramashamole@khulisa.com) no later than 30 April 2010.

Please reference “COP Zimbabwe” in the subject of the email. Kindly note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Attachment	Size
Mildmay International-ME Advert.pdf	91.25 KB
Ushahidi Haiti Evaluation ToR.pdf	100.59 KB