Monitoring & Evaluation, Mentoring & Coaching Consultant

The consultant will serve as a TA M&E Coach/Mentor as part of the MELR team. The Consultant in close collaboration with the Technical Lead will help feed into the M&E Framework for Phase 2 of the SLiSL, development of nested logframes for the Implementing Partners, development of monitoring and tracking tools for use by MELR. They will be responsible for responsible for providing technical support to the MoHS directorates (including DPPI and DRCH) on M&E specific activities. The overarching objectives of this consultancy are to build the capacity of national M&E staff to act as internal experts through coaching and mentoring them to perform the work themselves rather than doing it for the M&E staff and helping national staff to in turn to mentor and coach programme and district level M&E officers as they build their capacity. See sections on Specific Roles and Responsibilities of the Consultant and Deliverables below.

Specific Roles and Responsibilities of the Consultant

The following are the specific roles and responsibilities of the Consultant;

• Provides systematic coaching and mentoring to the MoHS directorates and district staff on MELR related M&E pieces to ensure capacity building and knowledge transfer
• Assesses strengths and weaknesses, develops individual coaching plans, and provides appropriate coaching and mentoring interventions
• Guides M&E staff in designing and developing data collection tools and M&E frameworks using the Log Frame approach for the MoHS (including DPPI and DRCH) and donor-supported programmes, in concert with MoHS monitoring and evaluation policies, standard
• Helps the national M&E staff strengthen communication and reporting relationships between national and programme/facility-level M&E staff.
• Helps the national M&E staff todevelop policy briefs based on evidence from HMIS
• Helps the national M&E staff to design bench aides and other guidelines to improve data quality facility level.
• Promotes increased cross-functional collaboration through supporting DPPI in conducting RACI charting exercises (or similar) amongst among the M&E team (national, programme, and facility levels).
• Advises M&E leadership in developing individual development plans (as part of the MoHS Individual Performance Appraisal System “IPAS”) for their staff, ensuring they will complement the TA coaching and mentoring capacity building activities.
• Supports M&E staff in developing frameworks, methodologies and databases for monitoring the achievement of internal and international goals (e.g. SDG); including preparation for monitoring of UHC and monitoring of PBF
• Identifies innovative evaluation methodologies and supports their incorporation into MoHS operations. Assists in promoting uniform communication about M&E indicators to all relevant stakeholders
• Supports M&E staff in developing and adapting tools, guidance, training materials, and manuals in monitoring and evaluation
• May assist the DPPI in monitoring and evaluation designs, strategies and approaches
• May support Health Information Management activities to ensure data is available at the national level for reporting purpose
• Works with DPPI leadership to ensure a substantive quality assurance framework based on credible data collection, as well as achieving high-standard, user-friendly monitoring and evaluation reports.
• May assist with field visits for data verification and supportive supervision to promote joint problem-solving and communication for data accuracy.
• Supports development of research and provision of key results to DPPI
• Participates in integrated supportive supervision within the district’s health facilities to ensure that timely and quality data is used in decision making by all health facilities and internal verification teams.
• Supports the M&E unit in their role of assisting with implementation of the Performance Based Finance, monitoring its effectiveness, performance indicators, and payment processing.
• Coaches the M&E staff to develop and introduce a verification checklist
• Supports the M&E unit in developing annual work plans and strategic documents.
• Provides coaching and mentoring to increase M&E staff’s facilitation/training skills

• Credible – Demonstrates exceptional M&E skills mastery gained through at least ten years of related M&E experience and builds rapport and trust with each coachee/mentee.
• Balanced Challenger - Encourages the coachee/mentee to stretch beyond what the coachee/mentee may feel is possible without overwhelm; Provides candid but compassionate feedback and supports coachee/mentee in overcoming emotional barriers.
• Adaptable – Meets each coachee/mentee at the level they’re at, asks powerful questions which help the coachee/mentee gain their own insights. Respects individual learning and performance styles while guiding coachee/mentee to perform the work (not doing it for them) to maximize development and growth
• Collaborative – Strong communication skills and emotional intelligence to cooperate with the DPPI team and TA M&E coach/mentor counterpart and supporting stronger connections among the M&E national unit and MoHS programme and district-level M&E staff

Requirements

Essential Skills, Qualifications, and Attributes:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in a relevant field is preferred
• At least 5 years relevant experience – including in Monitoring and Evaluation.
• At least 5 years previous international development project management or delivery experience in Sierra Leone
• Knowledge of the health sectors in Sierra Leone an advantage
• Experience of working within government sectors, particularly health
• Experience in coaching and monitoring
• A passion for doing development work better, working with all types of stakeholder, partner, client, consultant, government counterpart, and community members to improve people’s lives
• Exceptional drive, and a willingness to work hard to deliver high quality outcomes
• Strong time management, organisational and communication skills, and exceptional attention to detail
• Excellent written and spoken English, with the ability to produce accurate, inspiring and relevant content.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with the experience of seeking creative ways to overcome complex problems
• Microsoft Office proficiency (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint)
• Right to live and work in Sierra Leone essential (currently based in Freetown an advantage)

Desirable

• Understanding of DHIS 2.0 sorftware and HMIS systems desirable
• Knowledge of other languages (Krio, Mende, Temne, Limba)