MEL Manager

SCOPE OF WORK

MEL Manager

Background

Improving Private Sector Competitiveness (IPSC) is a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) technical assistance project, and the Agency for Enterprise Development (AED) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is the project owner. The project is implemented by Deloitte Consulting LLP (“Deloitte”) and runs from 2020 to 2025.

The purpose of the USAID IPSC Activity is to remove constraints and build the competitiveness of small and growing businesses (SGBs) in Vietnam, including those led by vulnerable populations. With this activity, USAID/Vietnam is supporting Vietnam’s competitiveness: vertically at the policy, market, and firm level; and horizontally by working along the entire spectrum of enterprise growth models, from household businesses transforming into registered firms to small firms on the cusp of scaling up.

IPSC is made up of four interrelated Objectives:

• Objective 1.     Building business management capacity of SGBs, including those led by vulnerable populations, particularly women and ethnic minorities.
• Objective 2.      Improving efficiency and productivity by promoting innovation, technology adoption, and sustainable business models.
• Objective 3.      Enhancing business enabling environment for a broad-based inclusive economy.
• Objective 4.     Strengthening business-to-business (B2B) and cross-sectoral linkages.

Summary of Activities

IPSC collaborates closely with the Government of Vietnam (GVN) counterparts, including the project owner, AED, under MPI. IPSC and AED develop strategies for sector selection, geographic focus, and SGB engagement and engage a broad range of market actors across the economy that make up the SGB ecosystem, including SGBs, cooperatives, and household businesses (HBs); business chambers, associations, and business development service providers (BDSPs); GVN Ministries and Agencies, provincial and local administrations; and private sector consultants, training institutions, and financial institutions. Using incentives and cost-sharing with SGBs, Pioneering Enterprises (PEs), and other partners, IPSC builds greater demand and supply of business development services (BDS), while improving providers’ capacity to understand and offer services desired in the marketplace.

The MEL Manager will lead the strategic objectives of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) and collaboration, learning, and adaptation (CLA) activities, while implementing and managing IPSC’s MEL operations across the project. The MEL Manager will work closely with technical staff under the supervision of the Cross-cutting and BSO Director.

1.     Tasks and Responsibilities

The MEL Manager shall perform the following tasks:

• Responsible for tracking, monitoring, reporting and documenting IPSC project activities.
• Provide strategic direction on all matters pertaining to MEL contractual requirements, data collection and aggregation, strategic communications, branding and marking, and monitoring progress of technical results.
• Monitor and evaluate technical activities on the project with respect to the project’s learning agenda and priorities, conduct monthly touchpoints with the Cross-cutting and BSO Director, and lead annual internal reviews.
• Revise annually the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (AMELP), maintain data collection and analysis systems to ensure data quality, update indicators, and measure progress towards achieving project objectives. 
• Oversee the collection, synthesis, and analysis of project data, including updating performance indicator reference sheets (PIRS) and the project Performance Indicator Tracking Table (PITT).
• In collaboration with the Cross-cutting and BSO Director, hold teams accountable for progress against the work plan and project objectives; inputs to reporting requirements, work plan updates, inputs to the AMELP; data collection and aggregation; monitoring progress of technical results; and meeting COP and client requests in a timely fashion.
• On a routine basis, identify shifts in the policy and business environment that may impact IPSC directly and provide updates to the technical team.
• Build the capacity of IPSC staff to collect required data from activities and input the information into the MEL database to be used to drive decision-making on technical activities.
• Engage with project stakeholders to conduct data collection (i.e. informant interviews, focus groups, and surveys) to obtain activity data needed to measure project results.
• Implement robust knowledge management and CLA practices across the project, including facilitation of regular strategic review/ pause-and-reflect sessions.
• Share best practices with other external audiences, success stories, and generate new ideas for collaboration and learning.
• Manage shared online data for internal project use, including uploading reports and materials for access by project staff, and oversee data quality.
• Document lessons learned for incorporation into IPSC continuous learning on what works for activity implementation, strategies, and achievement of intended results.
• Keep the Cross-cutting and BSO Director appraised of the project’s progress toward objectives and MEL indicators.
• Communicate success stories and major milestones achieved to the Cross-cutting and BSO Director on a regular basis to share with USAID and AED.
• Any other duties as assigned by the Cross-cutting and BSO Director or project leadership. 

2.     Qualifications

• Minimum Years of Experience: 5 Years
• Minimum Degree Required: Bachelor's degree in marketing, research, statistics or another relevant field.
• Professional fluency in English required (both verbal and written)
• Previous experience conducting research with primary data sources.
• Demonstrated ability to track implementation of processes, activities and/or programs, and draft recommendations for improvement.
• Attention to detail, ability to meet and exceed deadlines, self-motivated with excellent time management and communication skills (verbal and written) 
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and Google Cloud
• Demonstrated organizational management skills required to track staff movements, activities, reports, data and ensure complete and accurate record management.
• Able to engage effectively with counterparts and technical staff and work as part of a supportive team to document results objectively and in clear terms.
• Experience with USAID preferred, especially in terms of reporting, monitoring and evaluation. 

3.     Reporting Requirements

This position will report to the Cross-cutting and BSO Director.

• Period of performance:                      Apr 2024 – December 2025
• Level of Effort:                                 Full time
• Mode:                                             Onsite
• Location:                                         Hanoi, Vietnam, with travel to other provinces as required 
• Compensation & Benefits:                  Competitive

4.     Submission and Deadline:

• Interested candidates are invited to submit their CV and Cover letter in English to [email protected] . Please state “Application for MEL Manager – Full name” in the subject line.
• Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Deadline for applications is COB 25 Mar 2024, Hanoi time.

USAID Improving Private Sector Competitiveness Key Concepts and Definitions

• Small and Growing Business (SGB): An organization/economic unit of Vietnam, including enterprises, under the provisions of the Law on Enterprises, cooperatives operating under the provisions of the Law on Cooperatives, and business households registered in accordance with Vietnamese law, which employs no more than 500 full-time employees, has growth potential but lacks the resources of knowledge, finance, human resources, and technology to realize its goals and growth potential.
• Pioneering SGBs or Pioneering Enterprises (PEs): A growing Vietnamese enterprise with Vietnamese-branded products, good competitiveness, the ability to lead and expand in the industry, sector, and locality, good management capacity and willingness to innovate and produce products with high added value, the vision/objective to build a Vietnamese brand in the international market.
• Business Development Service Provider (BDSP): Agencies, organizations and enterprises in both the public and private sectors with functions, duties/business lines providing non-financial services to support enterprises to improve operational efficiency and business development.
• Business Support Organization (BSO): An organization with the function and mission to connect and support business development, often including business associations/clubs, industries, etc.
• Department of Planning and Investment (DPI): A specialized agency of the Provincial People’s Committee, which functions as a consultancy and assists the Provincial People’s Committee in managing planning and investment, including the management of domestic and foreign investment in the province; management of official development assistance (ODA) sources, concessional loans from donors, foreign non-governmental aids; Business registration within the province; providing public services within the scope of state management of the Department in accordance with the law.