Management Systems International’s Post

Senior Private Sector Development Specialist in Tanzania

Opportunity

Available Location: Ibadan Nigeria

In case you are interested

Opportunity

🏷 M&E, MEL, MERL or MERLA Specialist jobs on demand in PNG A good time to switch jobs is around this time of the year, as this is when organizations plan to recruit for the following year. Watch out for donor contractors who manage or implement projects for donors but also watch out for donor country offices. I recently checked LinkedIn job postings targeting Papua New Guinea in the last 2 months (between September 7, 2023 and November 7, 2023) and found 19 job postings related to the words "monitoring" and "evaluation". The majority of the job postings are from development organizations, such as DT Global, Abt Associates, Tetra Tech, UNICEF, WHO, IOM, Save the Children, and ChildFund International and other new INGOs making their way into PNG. This suggests that there is a strong demand for monitoring and evaluation professionals in the development sector in Papua New Guinea. However, do we have qualified and skilled human resource in this space to meet the ever demand in the market? Something for PNG universities to think about is incorporating M&E specific to development work as a core module in the courses offered. Most people stereotype M&E, MEL, MERL or MERLA roles as a data collection, collation and reporting area but it is not. M&E is a dynamic knowledge area (intertwined in Project Management's PMBOK)  which involves program/project designing, strategic planning, understanding policies, critical thinking, problem solving, designing tailored tools & processes, stakeholder engagement & participation, research, reporting, information technology, finance management, and strong leadership.

I have a God-father who is a chemical engineer and CEO of an oil and gas company in Accra. He consults for several oil fields in Africa as well. Recently, we engaged in a conversation about communicating one's value during negotiations. It was there he revealed how he rejected a job candidate for a CFO role because the candidate mentioned GHS10k cedis net as compensation. To him, a candidate who sees his worth in the region of GHS10k cedis cannot be trusted to manage the finances of a company with several millions of dollars. He revealed the budget for the role was rather $10k with other perks. But this is Ghana where the salary level is so low. How best can one communicate their value without coming up as "cheap" or not up to scratch? Communicating your value effectively involves highlighting your strengths, achievements, and unique skills in a confident and professional manner. Focus on articulating the tangible benefits you bring to the table, rather than just listing qualifications. Avoid underselling yourself or appearing desperate. I repeat: Avoid underselling yourself or appearing desperate. Instead, demonstrate self-assurance and enthusiasm for what you can contribute. Additionally, tailor your communication to your audience and be prepared to provide specific examples or evidence of your capabilities when discussing your value. It will do you a lot of good to do some painstaking research on the average salaries within the industry. This is a very tough ask in Ghana because data about salaries is like a top national security issue🫤. Nonetheless, platforms like Glassdoor LinkedIn can be of good help. NB: the above is more applicable to experienced professionals transitioning into management roles.

Opportunity

In case you are interested

Ongoing projects in Nigeria