Social Solutions International, Inc. (Social Solutions) is a Hispanic and woman-owned business emphasizing quality research and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and institutional support services. We are a mission-driven organization that believes that superior science can improve the world. Social Solutions is dedicated to the creation of social and health solutions to improve the welfare of underserved populations worldwide.

Social Solutions is a large, thriving business with a fun atmosphere that encourages creativity, new ideas, and employee health and well-being. We put our employees first and use empathetic leadership, taking a genuine interest in our employees’ lives and the challenges they face in and out of the workplace. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are integral to our company culture, and we are continuously striving to enhance our DEIA efforts across our company. You will feel like a contributing member of a growing team and company that has flexibility to enhance processes and procedures quickly to improve performance and growth. We help our employees carve out a professional pathway that has mutual benefits for them and Social Solutions. Social Solutions also offers exceptional compensation and benefits, detailed below.

Social Solutions International Inc. is seeking an experienced Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning & Gender Equity Social Inclusion (MEL-GESI) Program Lead to support the Pacific American Fund (the Fund), a five-year, $35 million project financing facility funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Fund serves as a key platform for supporting the United States Government’s Indo-Pacific Strategy while also advancing USAID’s goals of promoting the localization of aid delivery. The goal of the Fund is to improve the quality of life in vulnerable communities and to improve access to services for remote communities in the region, and the Fund operates across 12 Pacific Island Countries. These goals are met through two components of the Fund: 1)  multi-year grant-making facility and 2) US $8 million small-scale construction program in Malaita Province, Solomon Islands.

The Fund supports grant activities focused on: the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; climate change adaptation; disaster resilience; economic growth and market-based enterprise development; biodiversity, conservation, and sustainable natural resource management; education; and water, sanitation, and hygiene. All activities incorporate cross-cutting challenges associated with gender equity and socially inclusive development. In addition, the Fund provides technical support to build the capacity of grantees to ensure the sustainability of their efforts and to strengthen long-term self-reliance. Improved proficiency in grant management will enable these organizations to scale up their capabilities, leverage the activities and resources of partners, and engage in more complex projects, including public-private partnerships. The Fund will capture best practices and lessons learned at the community level and disseminate these to a variety of stakeholders.

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Deadline: September 5, 2023, 5 PM FJT
• Submit CV and cover letter to info@pacificamerican.fund with the following:
  • Email subject line: MEL-GESI Program Lead Candidate - First Name Last Name
  • CV File Name: MEL-GESI Program Lead_First Name Last Name_CV
  • Cover Letter File Name: MEL-GESI Program Lead_First Name Last Name_Cover letter

Position Summary

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) and Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) are critical components of implementing the Pacific American Fund. MEL activities have the three key objectives of (1) tracking and assessing the performance of Fund activities; (2) informing decisions about the management and implementation of the project based on evidence; and (3) contributing to USAID’s learning about capacity building for local organizations. Pacific American Fund MEL systems and activities encompass the Fund itself as well as grant activities implemented by grantees, and construction activities in the Solomon Islands. All activities are guided by the Pacific American Fund MEL Plan, grantee and construction subcontractor MEL plans, and other related documents. Addressing GESI is a contractual obligation; the Pacific American Fund program and grantee projects are all required to incorporate GESI elements in both management and technical implementation.

The MEL-GESI Program Lead role will support a range of relevant tasks including developing, overseeing, and coordinating MEL-GESI activities for the Pacific American Fund and providing implementation and capacity building support to grantees and construction subcontractors in MEL, GESI, learning and project adaptation, and other technical areas including institutional strengthening.

The MEL-GESI Program Lead role is part of a dynamic team of professionals implementing the Pacific American Fund. The MEL-GESI ProgramLead reports to the Chief of Party and works in collaboration with other PAF personnel focused on MEL, GESI, information management, and learning and development.

• Provide strategic guidance, management, and oversight with respect to the development, revision, and implementation of the Pacific American Fund MEL Plan, GESI Action Plan, Learning and Development Plan, and overall capacity building for PAF staff, grantees, and construction subcontractors
• Supervise and manage two Learning & Development Specialists including task management and capacity development
• Develop and lead decision-making processes for the Pacific American Fund's MEL-GESI and Learning & Development structure, processes, and systems
• Revamp and manage data collection, analysis, and reporting on all Pacific American Fund performance indicators incorporating inputs from grantees and construction subcontractors
• Lead the collection, management, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, ensuring disaggregated data and the use of GESI indicators to assess overall program level impact and grant/construction activity level impact
• Lead data quality assessments to evaluate grant/construction activities
• Oversee the implementation and updating of the Pacific American Fund GESI Action Plan
• Develop and oversee the implementation of the Learning and Development Plan for PAF staff and grantee capacity development
• Research, compile, write, and submit information, including results and their analysis, for program reports, including the quarterly and annual reports, and respond to requests for data from the donor and other stakeholders
• Develop planning and reporting templates and guidelines to support grant and construction activities and provide training where necessary
• Participate in the technical evaluation of grant proposals and provide technical inputs related to MEL and GESI
• Utilize critical inputs, feedback, and assessments to improve program approaches.

• Master’s degree in social sciences, economics, international development, evaluation research, statistics, or a related field
• At least 7 years of experience in designing, managing, and implementing results-based MEL plans and systems, preferably for relatively complex projects
• Advanced data analytics software skills with proficiency in Microsoft Excel is a minimum requirement; Proficiency in Stata, PowerBI, Tableau, etc. is an added strength
• Experience analyzing quantitative and qualitative performance data
• Detail-oriented and able to perform independently with minimum supervision, as well as experience managing other staff and working in teams
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• Experience deploying technology to improve MEL, including platforms for mobile data collection and cloud-based data management.
• Familiarity in working with an international development organization and knowledge of reporting procedures, best practices, guidelines, and tools for monitoring and evaluation
• Direct experience working with USAID-funded programs and providing capacity building support in MEL and/or GESI to Pacific Island organizations is an added strength
• Experience working in the Pacific Island is preferred

Social Solutions offers competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Please submit your resume online at www.socialsolutions.biz.

Social Solutions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.