Position Title: Researcher and M&E) Officer (Consultant)

Project: SAFE-MIT: A Shared Foundation to Protect Against Risks of Irregular Migration and Trafficking
Duration: 12 Months (June 2025 – May 2026), Approx 15-20 working days per month
Duty Station: Nairobi, Kenya (with potential travel to project sites)
Reports To: Project Lead (SAFE-MIT MMD III at The Youth Cafe)

Collaborates with: Programs Coordinator and the Project Team.

1. Background

Migration dynamics are deeply influenced by access to information, societal expectations, and personal aspirations. The Multi-country MMD III Safe-MIT Project, funded by ICMPD, aims to enhance the shared knowledge and decision-making capabilities of African youth concerning migration. It seeks to equip young people in Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, and Senegal with the necessary tools to make informed decisions. This is achieved through targeted, age-appropriate, and culturally sensitive school engagement and social media campaigns, all underpinned by robust child protection and safeguarding standards to ensure content integrity.

Implemented by a consortium of African and European civil society organizations, SAFE-MIT not only strengthens South-North partnerships but also empowers African consortium partners, including The Youth Café, to cascade their skills. They will replicate their experience by training selected NGOs in Ethiopia, Uganda, Tunisia, and The Gambia to develop and run migration information campaigns, thereby fostering South–South cooperation and peer-to-peer learning across the continent.

The Youth Café, as a co-implementor, is specifically responsible for implementing project activities in Kenya and providing remote support for activities in Uganda, to address the risks of irregular migration and human trafficking, influencing knowledge, norms, and decision-making among young people across key migration routes.

2. Purpose of the Assignment

The Researcher and M&E Officer will support the project by ensuring rigorous monitoring, conducting research and analysis, and generating actionable insights. They will lead the M&E system, support training delivery, and inform continuous improvement of project activities and materials, especially those targeting teachers and youth.

3. Key Responsibilities

A. Monitoring & Evaluation

Develop and implement the project’s M&E framework, tools, and methodologies.
Collect, analyze, and interpret quantitative and qualitative data related to project outcomes and outputs.
Monitor progress against performance indicators and generate periodic M&E reports (monthly, quarterly, and final).
Lead baseline, midline, and endline assessments, including data analysis and reporting.
Ensure high data quality, secure storage, and timely submission of donor-compliant reports.

B. Survey Design, Execution, and Support

Ensure the design, execution, and analysis of surveys are accurate, ethical, and provide actionable insights.
Support Education Outreach Officers (EOOs) to administer pre-training surveys to a sample of 225 teachers prior to their participation in the teacher training.
Analyze survey results to identify capacity gaps, challenges, and opportunities.
Translate findings into recommendations for project teams, trainers, and policy stakeholders.

C. Training Material Review and Adjustment

Collaborate with education and training teams to refine and adjust the teacher handbooks and training materials.
Ensure materials are evidence-informed and effectively address the needs identified through pre-training surveys and assessments.
Provide ongoing input to improve the pedagogical quality and relevance of content delivered to teachers and other stakeholders.

D. Research and Learning

Conduct research and policy analysis on youth migration, reintegration, and governance challenges and opportunities.
Lead participatory research processes including interviews, FGDs, and stakeholder mapping.
Develop knowledge products such as research papers, case studies, policy briefs, and infographics.
Engage with academic and policy institutions to validate findings and broaden knowledge dissemination.

E. Capacity Building & Internal Learning

Train project staff and partners on M&E tools and ethical data collection protocols.
Organize learning workshops and adaptive management sessions to share findings and improve implementation.
Lead outcome harvesting and facilitate continuous reflection on project impact.

F. Reporting

Prepare monthly, quarterly, and final narrative reports summarizing project activities, key performance indicators, outcomes, and insights; The final narrative report shall be inclusive and aligned with the financial report which shall be produced by the Finance Consultant (or as referred in ToR);
Contribute M&E data and findings to donor and internal reports;
Ensure consistency and accuracy of data presented in reports and presentations.

4. Deliverables

M&E framework and tools by June 2025
Baseline report by July 2025
Pre-training teacher survey report and analysis by August 2025
Revised training handbook and materials by September 2025
Monthly and quarterly M&E reports
Monthly, quarterly, and final narrative reports;
At least two research or policy briefs and one comprehensive research report
Final endline report and learning documentation by April 2026
Presentation of key findings at end-of-project policy forum

5. Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Education, Development Studies, Migration Studies, or related field (Master’s degree preferred).
At least 5 years of experience in research and M&E roles within education, youth empowerment, migration, or development sectors.
Strong knowledge of survey methodology, participatory research, and data analysis (quantitative and qualitative).
Proficiency in M&E and data tools (e.g., KoboToolbox, Excel, SPSS, NVivo, PowerBI).
Proven experience in developing and adapting training content based on evidence and feedback loops.
Strong writing, reporting, and presentation skills.
Fluency in English (French is an added advantage).

6. Duration and Compensation

Duration: 12 months, from June 1st, 2025 to May 31st, 2026.
Compensation: Fixed consultancy fee on a monthly basis of €400 (totaling €4,800) subject to the 5% withholding tax.
Location: Based in Nairobi, Kenya, with potential travel to project sites.
Payment Schedule: Monthly, upon submission of deliverables and timesheets

7. Application Process

Interested consultants should submit:

A one-page cover letter outlining suitability and availability
Updated CV

Email applications to: human.resource@theyouthcafe.com
Subject Line: Researcher, Monitoring and M&E Officer (Consultant) – SAFE-MIT MMD III Application
Deadline for submission: 30th May 2025

Equal Opportunity

The Youth Café is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion and strongly encourages applications from women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups.