Technical Assistant to the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Kano State SAPZ Program - Technical Assistant to Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

The Kano State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources is a prominent government body established in 1967 tasked with driving agricultural growth, ensuring food security, and improving rural livelihoods in Kano State, Nigeria.

Kano State Program Implementation Unit of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Program now invites eligible and interested candidates to fill the position below:

Job Title: Technical Assistant to the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Location: Kano

Estimated Duration of the Assignment: twelve (12) months with the possibility of extension based on program needs, satisfactory performance and conduct

Background

• The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has secured a facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to implement a five-year ADB/IFAD/IsDB-Assisted Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Program in partnership with the State Governments and Private Investors in seven (7) participating states of Imo, Kano, Kaduna, Cross River, Kwara, Oyo and Ogun as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in the first phase of program imple-mentation.
• The implementation of a govemment enabled private sector driven SAPZs is a major investment program of the Federal Government of Nigeria, driven by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) in collaboration with relevant Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to develop agro-processing clusters in areas of high agricultural production across the country. It is a strategic move to rapidly develop modern Agro-processing capacity to serve the vast and growing local markets, create sustainable market for farmers and reduce post-harvest losses of local agricultural produce and thereby create wealth for farmers, promote import substitution and create sustainable agriculture-related jobs.
• This clustering approach is to help address investment challenges in the development of Agro-processing enclaves across Nigeria, including poat access to quality infrastructure, inadequate feedstock supplies and other challenges confronting agro-processing environment. SAPZs, therefore, will be developed with requisite infrastructure for Agro processing environment which will help reduce: cost absorptions and engender competitiveness in agro-industrial production that is critical to further unlocking the potentials of Nigeria's agriculture to create ready markets and wealth for farming communities and reduce rural poverty.
• "The SAPZ is made up of two building blocks which include the Agricultural Transformation Centres (ATs), which are community-based rural institution within the host community, supported with provision of quality production drivers for the production of feedstock and the Aggregation Centre (AC) for primary stor-age; and the Agro-Industrial Hub (AlH) equipped with desirable infrastructure to create modern Agro-processing environment where secondary value addition will take place.
• The Agro-Industrial Processing Hub (AlH) will draw its processing feedstock from the ATs where activities of the production clusters and Aggregation Centres are being coordinated.

Description

• The Technical Assistant will support the State M&E (SME) Officer in developing, implementing, and maintaining an effective Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) system to ensure that the project is on track, achieves desired outcomes, and provides evidence-based data for decision-making.

• This includes assisting in data collection, analysis, reporting, and facilitating capacity-building initiatives to enhance PME proficiency across programme stakeholders.

• Scope of Work and Responsibilities

The TA will assist the SME Officer with the following tasks:

Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting Across All Components:

• Assist in populating the Programme's M&E framework at baseline, midline, and completion stages, tracking programme activities against objectives and targets.
• Develop data collection tools and methods.
• Establish data management and analysis processes.
• iSupport in developing data collection formats to track performance metrics, financial disbursements, and other relevant data.
• Support in preparing periodic reports (quarterly and annual) to communicate insights to stakeholders and guide programme adjustments.
• Maintain an M&E database.

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Activities:

• Support in organizing and conducting regular (quarterly) monitoring and evaluation visits to participating states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
• Develop a comprehensive M&E framework and plan.
• Aid in coordinating mid-term and end-of-programme reviews to assess programme performance, impacts, and outcomes for intended beneficiaries.
• Ensure tracking of project progress, assess outcomes, and make data-driven decisions for project improvement.

Technical Support and Capacity Building:

• Provide support in organizing M&E workshops, training, and capacity-building sessions for project officers and relevant staff.
• Train State Project Staff on M&E Principles and Practices.
• Assist in preparing Terms of Reference (ToRs) for M&E service providers and supervise their performance, ensuring deliverables meet programme standards.
• Review M&E and baseline, midline, and end-line reports submitted by consultants.

Programme Documentation and Database Management:

• Maintain an updated, accurate database for M&E data, managing both quantitative and qualitative data in alignment with programme requirements.
• Assist in data entry, cleaning, and analysis using databases, spreadsheets, and statistical software.

Support for Special Studies and Third-Party Monitoring:

• Help coordinate third-party monitoring activities, ensuring the quality and relevance of data collected by external monitors.
• Provide support for special studies and research initiatives by preparing data, assisting in analysis, and contributing to the formulation of findings and recommendations.

General Administrative and Strategic Support:

• Support the SME Officer in the preparation of work plans, budgets, and programme performance indicators.

• Support any additional tasks assigned by the State Project Management Advisor or the National Programme Coordinator to ensure the effective execution of programme and M&E activities.

• Qualifications and Skills

• A minimum of a Master's Degree in Social Sciences, Agriculture, Economics, Statistics, Rural Sociology, or a related field is desired.

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in monitoring and evaluation, data management, or project support, with preference for experience in donor-funded projects.

• Understanding and experience in designing and implementing M&E frameworks, including logical frameworks, indicator development, and data collection plans.

• Proficiency in data management tools, including spreadsheets, databases, and statistical software (e.g., SPSS, STATA), is crucial.

• Excellent report writing and presentation skills.

• Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and technical skills, with experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis.

• Competency in Microsoft Office Suite, including MS Project, Excel, and Access.

Application Closing Date

13th October, 2026; 12:00 noon local time.