Senior Manager, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning “MEL” (Kenya (Njabini))

About Flying Kites. Flying Kites partners with teachers in rural (South Kinangop Sub-County, Nyandarua County) Kenya to transform primary schools so that girls can thrive. Delivered in public primary schools, our work is focused on training teachers and mobilizing communities to support girls during very young adolescence (ages 10-14), a critical time for their physical, social, and emotional development, and an age where they are exposed to increased risks to their rights and well-being. At Flying Kites, we envision a world where all girls can live healthy, self-determined lives and make informed decisions about their bodies, their education and their futures.

The MEL Manager is a senior management position with responsibility for the design, implementation and management of MEL systems and processes at Flying Kites. The Senior MEL Manager will work closely with programme teams, development teams, technical experts and other stakeholders to ensure that FK programmes achieve their intended outcomes, and that results are accurately measured, reported and are used for learning, communication and decision making. Responsible for leading the development and management of tools, standards, and practices for measuring the outcomes of all Flying Kites programs aligned with our Theory of Change and logical framework. The role requires exceptional knowledge and expertise in the areas of data capture, management, and governance, as well as highly-developed capacity-building and communication skills, the highest attention to detail and follow-through, and a commitment to teamwork, integrity, fiscal responsibility, ethics, and collaboration with colleagues, partners, and community stakeholders. The MEL Manager also serves as a contributing member of our Global Management Team.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: “Essential duties” are those that an individual must be able to perform with or without reasonable accommodation or additional staffing support. MEL Planning & Development – develop and oversee the implementation of MEL plans and strategies for programmes, ensuring alignment with Theory of Change and donor requirements.

● In collaboration with the programme team, develop and refine the theory of change, logframe performance indicators and targets

● Develop and oversee the effective collection of qualitative and quantitative data using tools and methodologies aligned with identified target outcomes

● Documentation, qualitative data, and termly activity reports from program leaders – monitoring and evaluating ongoing activities aligned with programmatic inputs, outputs, and outcomes

● Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) surveys of relevant stakeholder groups – measuring outcomes against targets through baseline and endline data collections

● Training and meeting participation records – monitoring participation, alignment, and positive engagement with relevant stakeholders

● Focus group discussions with school community stakeholders (educators, parents, students) – ensuring the voices and needs of our beneficiaries remain central to our work

● Meetings and focus groups with local leaders, public officials and community members – deepening our knowledge of community-specific drivers and collaborating to establish a community-wide infrastructure for communication, allyship, and alignment

● Community engagement activities – identifying and facilitating qualitative data gathering methods to measure knowledge sharing, social/societal outcomes, and the reputation of our work in the community

● Workshop and activity assessments – measuring the impact of our training programs and other inputs

● School enrollment, academic, and attendance data from Network Schools – monitoring and evaluating the scale and impact of our programs on students

● Reports and data from partner organizations – learning from outside external sources to inform our programs and evaluate our investments in collaborative partnerships

● Collect contextual sub-national and national data analyze and identify trends using various statistical and qualitative methods, and interpret Flying Kites programme performance against the trends Data Management & Analysis: Maintains and updates programme monitoring database, manage data entry, data integrity, and analysis aligned by theories of change and logical frameworks with:

● Commitment to data authenticity and integrity – through data collection activities performed by trained resources, and the regular employment of cross-checking data audit practices.

● Commitment to confidentiality and data security – in alignment with the laws of Kenya and the United States, with particular emphasis on cross-border communications and the preservation of student identities using secure identification numbers and other strategies.

● Development and utilization of data collection and data input tools that minimize human error – including drop-down menus, standardized terms, and the utilization of digital surveys and input forms by populations with the capacity to do so.

● Development and enforcement of internal data protection policies and practices – including staged access to data and sensitive documentation limited to trained, devoted personnel.

● Avoidance of duplicative data – develop digital tools to draw on one set of master data and auto-populate a variety of data collections and analyses related to programs benefiting that same population. Knowledge Management, Learning and Reporting: Prepares regular MEL reports and resources; shares and reports updates summarizing programme progress, achievements, challenges and lessons learned, including::

● Developing and overseeing a learning agenda

● Designing and preparing reports for donors in alignment with requirements

● Facilitating knowledge building, sharing, and learning among programme teams and stakeholders, ensuring M&E findings are effectively communicated and used for adaptive decision-making and course correction

● Providing resources and input to the communication and development teams, to formulate and communicate impact results with stakeholders, and in fundraising initiatives

● Strengthening internal M&E capacity, including training staff and providing technical assistance to programme stakeholders

In addition to the Essential Duties and Responsibilities set forth herein, the Senior MEL Manager is expected to contribute to special projects, participate on working committees, and/or be assigned additional responsibilities from time to time, as instructed, including to support gaps in core services and to provide coverage for colleagues on leave.