Job Description
The
International Potato Center (CIP) seeks
a strategic and accomplished Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and
Impact Assessment (MELIA) to provide scientific and technical leadership
for the generation, analysis, and use of evidence on the relevance,
effectiveness, adoption, outcomes, and impact of CIP's research and innovation
portfolio.
The
successful candidate will strengthen CIP's MELIA function by integrating
economics, social science, statistics and data science, monitoring and
evaluation, impact assessment, and organizational learning to document how
research and innovation contribute to sustainable and inclusive development
outcomes. The position will play a critical role in ensuring that evidence is
systematically translated into learning, decision-making, program improvement,
and organizational growth, in support of CIP2030.
About
the position: This is a global position based in CIP's Africa Region (Nairobi, Kenya, or
another CIP country office in Africa). The Head of MELIA will report to the
Director General, working closely with the Deputy Director General for Science
and Innovation, Science Leaders, and Regional Directors. The role will develop
and apply robust, up-to-date approaches for assessing research outputs,
outcomes, and impact, and will strengthen MELIA frameworks and practices across
CIP's programs and projects. Working across disciplines, programs, and regions,
the Head of MELIA will build a coherent institutional approach to MELIA,
support Senior Management in using evidence for decision-making, and contribute
to CIP's Organizational Growth agenda.
Key responsibilities:
Technical Leadership
·Provide
technical leadership in the development and implementation of CIP's approaches
to monitoring, evaluation, learning and impact assessment, ensuring alignment
with institutional strategy (e.g. CIP2030), research priorities and relevant
CGIAR frameworks.
·Develop
and promote appropriate methodologies, standards, tools and guidance for
assessing research outputs, outcomes, adoption, and impact.
·Strengthen
the integration of MELIA into the design and implementation of research
programs, projects and investment proposals so that pathways to impact,
assumptions, indicators and evidence requirements are clearly articulated from
inception.
·Lead
and contribute to the development of results frameworks, indicator frameworks
and evaluation approaches for major programs and initiatives.
·Advise
research teams and management on appropriate methodologies for measuring
outcomes and impact, including economic, social, nutritional, gender,
inclusion, environmental and other relevant dimensions.
·Promote
the use of MELIA evidence as a management and learning tool, supporting
adaptive management and evidence-informed decisions.
Evidence Generation and Analysis
•Lead
the design and oversee the implementation of a robust and up-to-date Monitoring
and Evaluation framework at CIP that captures the full scope of CIP science and
innovation.
•Identify
and apply innovative analytical methods, digital technologies, data sources and
research approaches that strengthen the quality, efficiency and relevance of
MELIA.
•Design
and lead ex-ante and ex-post impact assessments and other evaluative studies
using appropriate quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method approaches.
•Contribute
to proposal development by incorporating impact assessment, socio-economic
approaches and MELIA components
•Work
across CIP's research programs, regions and corporate functions to embed MELIA
approaches throughout the research and project lifecycle.
Institutional Learning and Organizational Growth
•Establish
mechanisms for synthesizing MELIA findings to identify institutional-level
risks and opportunities.
•Translate
evidence from monitoring, evaluations, impact assessments and research into
actionable recommendations for scientists, program leaders and management.
•Contribute
to institutional learning processes, portfolio reviews and strategic
discussions through customized analysis and presentation of evidence
•Specifically,
contribute to CIP’s Organizational Growth agenda in close collaboration with
the Resource Mobilization, Digital and Data, and Communications teams
•Contribute
to institutional knowledge management by ensuring that MELIA findings,
methodologies, datasets and lessons are appropriately documented, accessible
and usable.
Collaboration and Partnerships
•Build
and maintain effective research and MELIA partnerships with CGIAR entities,
national agricultural research systems, universities, governments, development
partners and other relevant organizations.
•Represent
CIP in relevant CGIAR and external technical networks, working groups and
communities of practice related to MELIA, agricultural economics, impact
assessment and evidence-based decision-making.
•Build
the capacity of CIP staff and partners in MELIA methodologies, impact
assessment, evidence generation and the interpretation and use of findings.
•Comply
with national and international health and safety laws, regulations and
standards.
Requirements
What are we looking for?
Expertise and Specialization:
•Ph.D.
in Economics, Statistics, Data Science, or a related scientific discipline.
Specialization in methodologies relevant to MELIA is desirable.
•At
least 8 years of experience in similar positions.
•Significant
relevant professional experience in agricultural research, international
development, agricultural economics, impact assessment, and/or monitoring,
evaluation, and learning.
•Demonstrated
experience designing and conducting rigorous impact assessments, evaluations,
adoption studies, and socioeconomic research.
•Demonstrated
experience developing theories of change, results frameworks, indicators, and
MELIA approaches for complex research or development programs.
•Experience
working in multidisciplinary and multicultural research environments and with
international and national partners.
•Experience
with CGIAR, international agricultural research, or comparable
research-for-development organizations is highly desirable.
•Demonstrated
experience contributing to successful research proposals and resource
mobilization is highly desirable.
•Strong
quantitative analytical skills and experience with relevant statistical and
econometric methodologies, with a demonstrated ability to integrate qualitative
and mixed method approaches where appropriate.
•Demonstrated
record of scientific publication and of communicating research findings to
technical and non-technical audiences.
•Strong
communication and networking skills.
Leadership competencies:
•Empowering
& Coaching
•Navigating
& Driving change
•Wellbeing
& Inclusion
•Vision
& Strategic Thinking
Languages:
•Advanced
written and oral communication skills in English.
•Fluency
in the official language of the country of assignment is desirable.