Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

The OrganisationAfghanaid is a British humanitarian and development NGO established in 1983. It is headquartered in Kabul and is currently working in six provinces: Badakhshan, Samangan, Ghor, Daykundi, Herat and Kunar. For nearly 4 decades, Afghanaid has developed its thematic expertise and the capacity of its staff in correspondence with the evolving needs of the country, international best practice, and opportunities for innovation. Our work supports four pillars of sustainable development: providing basic services; strengthening sustainable livelihoods and food security; climate change and disaster risk reduction, and emergency humanitarian assistance. Three guiding principles are mainstreamed in all our work to ensure its contribution to sustainable development: gender and inclusion, good governance and community development, and conflict mitigation and peacebuilding.Job profileThe M&E Specialist is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the Climate Change Adaptation and Rural Livelihoods (CARL) Project, which is implemented in a consortium with two downstream partners, as well as the PREVALE Project, a separate consortium project with four downstream partners. The M&E Specialist will work closely with Afghanaid staff and the partner NGOs to refine and implement the project’s M&E systems and tools, with a specific focus on geographical information systems (GIS).Reporting to the Deputy Director of Programme Performance and Monitoring and sitting alongside Afghanaid’s M&E Manager, s/he will oversee the complete M&E cycle for these projects, including data collection, analysis, and reporting. S/he will conduct regular monitoring visits to project locations, identify gaps, and recommend enhancements, actively contributing to the projects’ adaptive management.In addition to these project-specific tasks, the M&E Specialist will draw from his/her extensive experience in M&E to provide tailored capacity building, mentoring, and coaching to Afghanaid M&E staff, as well as partner NGO staff where needed, including on data analysis, data visualisation, reporting and GIS. The M&E Specialist will also play a portfolio-spanning technical support and troubleshooting role, advising M&E staff assigned to various other projects on data collection and analysis issues, and supporting the development of ToRs, tools and reports across the Afghanaid project portfolio.The M&E Specialist will also work closely with the Deputy Director of Programme Performance and Monitoring and the M&E Manager to design and implement strengthened organisational M&E systems, and build the capacity of Afghanaid’s M&E staff so that these systems can be adopted across Afghanaid’s programme portfolio. We envisage that the M&E Specialist will in time take over formal leadership over the M&E team – the timeline for this transition will be discussed with the final candidate as part of the recruitment and onboarding process.Work base: Kabul (Head Office)Travel Requirement: Regular visits to the project locations (Ghazni, Ghor, Nangarhar, Nuristan)Contract length: 12 months (renewable)Anticipated Starting Date: 26 April 2026Key Responsibilities: Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E):* Based on the project narratives and logframes, develop and continually refine project M&E documents including the M&E plan, indicator tracking sheet and activity tracking sheet; * Design and conduct baseline surveys, evaluations and impact assessments, and oversee the execution of these where they are conducted internally; * Conduct regular field monitoring visits to project sites; * Proactively gather participant feedback through FGDs, KIIs and other methods, and assess whether project and organisational complaint and feedback mechanisms are available and accessible for project participants; * Regularly gather evidence of project impact, including through the collection of success stories, photos and videos; * Facilitate and participate in external monitoring and evaluation missions; * Oversee the collection of project progress data to comply with donor requirements, and contribute to project progress reports; * Identify and promote innovative approaches for M&E to effectively engage with marginalised groups including women;Geographic Information System (GIS):* Develop and implement GIS components of the project M&E system, including tool design and roll-out; * Oversee the collection and analysis of GIS data; * Develop data visualisation products for internal and external reporting; * Present GIS data to Afghanaid and NGO partner teams to inform adaptive management and decision-making; * Train Afghanaid and NGO partner staff in GIS methods and approaches, including the use of GIS software;Consortium Coordination:* Plan, design and implement M&E capacity building across the consortium partners; * Work with the PM and partners’ M&E staff to set up a project database and tracking system to measure progress made by the project against milestones and targets; * Coordinate and organise M&E-related meetings and discussions across the consortium;Adaptive Management:* During and following field visits, develop monitoring visit reports outlining key findings from the visit as well as recommendations for improvement; * Ensure monitoring findings are discussed in appropriate forums; * Track the project team’s follow-up on recommendations from monitoring visit reports and management response plans, as well as findings from internal and external evaluations;Learning and Project Design:* Collaborate with programme development staff to design and conduct needs assessments and market assessments; * Contribute to the generation and documentation of project learning, e.g. by participating in lessons learned sessions; * Providing technical support to programme development and project teams in revising logframe indicators as and when required; * Support the development of new projects by advising on new logframes, contributing to narratives describing M&E approaches, and collecting and analysing evidence of past programming;Mentorship and Capacity Building:* Provide technical support, training and mentorship on GIS tools and technologies to Afghanaid and partner NGO staff; * Develop tailored capacity development plans for M&E staff as assigned, and oversee the follow-up on these plans; * Support the Deputy Director of Programme Performance and Monitoring and the M&E Manager by designing and implementing strengthened organisational M&E systems, and develop the capacity of M&E staff so that these systems can be adopted across Afghanaid’s portfolio of programmes; * Participate in regular management meetings to review the status and progress of the capacity development plans;Any other duties as and when assigned by the line manager and/or overview manager.PERSON SPECIFICATIONEducation & Professional QualificationThe position holder must possess a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in statistics, mathematics, project management, international development, engineering, social sciences or another relevant area, as well as extensive relevant professional experience.Work ExperienceAt least 4 years’ demonstrable experience in MEAL with a focus on GIS/MIS, designing and managing outcomes and result-based M&E systems to track progress, using GIS software, and developing and delivering M&E training to other staff. At least 3 of these years should be in technical data analysis and GIS positions with national or international organisations. Past work experience as a consortium M&E lead is desirable.Professional Skills, Competencies, Values and AttitudesAfghanaid seeks a responsible and dependable M&E Specialist with strong initiative, teamwork, judgment and adaptability as well as excellent skills in communication, organisational, interpersonal relations, decision-making, project management and reporting.Specifically, the holder of this position should also demonstrate the following:Key Skills and CompetenciesEssential* Excellent communication skills in English. * Outstanding technical monitoring and evaluation skills, including a robust track record in logical framework development and indicator selection, and experience developing and analysing large databases and data management systems. * Strong technical skills in GIS/MIS, including the use of GIS software such as ArcGIS, QGIS, or similar tools. * Highly developed reporting skills, including data visualisation. * Prior experience developing and managing consultancy assignments, including the selection of external consultants. * Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. * Strong organisational and coordination skills, able to work with significant levels of autonomy, manage personal priorities and meet tight deadlines. * Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment. * Gender sensitivity. * Sensitivity to Islamic and local cultures. * Ability to manage conflicting priorities in personal workload. * Proficiency in common computer software including Microsoft Office applications, as well as data collection and analysis software such as Kobo Toolbox, CommCare, Power BI, SPSS, MAXQDA and others.Desirable* Knowledge of Dari and/or Pashto, as well as the Afghan context. * Experience working in a consortium or partnership setting, ideally as a consortium M&E lead. * Experience developing and providing training to other staff, including in M&E, GIS and the use of GIS software. * Prior experience in mentoring, coaching and supervision/line management. * Prior experience leading an M&E team. * Resilience to live, travel and work in isolated and possibly insecure locations. * Commitment to support/develop the capacity of rural communities. * Knowledge of exit strategies and sustainability issues.Other InformationAfghanaid’s core values are creativity, fairness and honesty. Our staff are passionate about and proud to work at Afghanaid. Teamwork is fundamental to our standards and demonstrated by taking initiative, assisting others and taking on additional responsibilities and tasks if necessary. We are results-driven, committed and motivated to achieve targets and take accountability for our own actions.HOW TO APPLYPlease email a cover letter and CV to [email protected] by 14 March 2026, including the reference (ME-2026-01) your name and the job title in the subject line. Your cover letter should be no more than 1 standard A4 page in length and explain how you meet the essential and desirable position requirements and why you feel you would be a suitable candidate for this role. Your CV should be no more than 4 pages and include 3 professional references including your current employer. The precision and style with which you present yourself in your cover letter and CV will be given significant weight in shortlisting candidates. Applications with no proper subject (as detailed above), without the required CV and cover letter attached, or submitted after the deadline will not be considered. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are unable to respond to every application. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the deadline, then you have not been successful for shortlisting.