Strategic Information Advisor

The Strategic Information Advisor holds portfolio-wide leadership of m2m's Strategic Information (SI) and M&E function within the Technical Management Unit. The role owns m2m's indicator definitions, M&E framework, data quality standards and reporting systems across every award and country, and is accountable for the integrity of the programme results m2m reports to its donors and consortium partners.

The role provides higher-level SI leadership to the EKN portfolio and to priority non-EKN countries and projects, and engages directly with implementing partners, donors and external technical counterparts on SI matters. It line-manages the M&E Specialist, sets the standards and priorities within which that post operates, and holds the Technical Management Unit's side of the interface with Digital Products & Learning on data systems, analytics and reporting.

This is an advisory and leadership role: it sets the standards that others apply, represents m2m externally on SI, and carries accountability for the outcome.

Key Performance Areas

SI leadership, definitions and standards

- Own m2m's indicator definitions, data dictionary and M&E framework across all awards and countries: one indicator, one definition, one owner.
- Set the data quality standards and assurance protocols applied across the portfolio, and hold them where an award, partner or country would prefer a looser reading.
- Own the design of m2m's reporting systems and results frameworks, and approve any change to them.
- Provide m2m's SI technical position in organisational strategy, programme design and proposal development, including the MEL components of new business.

Donor, consortium and partner accountability

- Accountable for the accuracy and defensibility of programme results reported to donors, including baseline, target and actual results and IATI publication under the EKN award.
- Lead MEL alignment across the EKN consortium, an obligation m2m carries as Coordinating Party, including negotiating and agreeing common definitions and reporting standards with independent partner organisations.
- Represent m2m on SI and M&E matters with donors' MEL counterparts, implementing partners, government counterparts and external technical bodies.
- Lead m2m's SI and MEL response to donor reviews, audits and data verification exercises.

Programme intelligence and decision support

- Ensure programme performance analysis reaches the Executive, country leadership and partners in a form they can act on, and advise on what the evidence does and does not support.
- Set the analytical agenda for the M&E function and, jointly with the two Senior Leads, the quarterly priorities for the Lead: Programme Analytics & Forecasting.
- Build the interpretation and communication capability of the M&E function and of country SI staff.

Leadership, management and interface with Digital Products & Learning

- Line-manage the M&E Specialist: set objectives, allocate the post's capacity between EKN and the non-EKN portfolio, review that allocation quarterly, and develop the postholder.
- Own the Technical Management Unit's requirements for data systems, dashboards and reporting products and hold Digital Products & Learning to them; Digital Products & Learning owns the platforms, engineering and integrations.
- Work as peer to the Lead: Programme Analytics & Forecasting: this role owns definitions and reporting, that role owns prediction and forecasting.

Country and partner SI support

- Provide higher-level SI technical support to country teams and implementing partners across the EKN direct service delivery and technical assistance countries and priority non-EKN countries, including in-country support visits.
- Oversee SI inputs to programme start-up and close-out.

Qualifications, Experience and Competencies

Must Have

- Qualification. Master's degree in public health, epidemiology, statistics, demography, health information systems or a related discipline.
- Experience. Seven to ten years in Strategic Information, M&E or health information roles, of which at least three years with portfolio- or multi-country-level accountability for an M&E function rather than a single project or country.
- Accountability for reported results. Direct experience as the accountable owner of programme results reported to major institutional donors (for example PEPFAR, Global Fund, Netherlands MFA or comparable), including responding to donor data verification.
- Definitional rigour. Demonstrated ownership of an organisation-wide indicator framework or data dictionary, and the discipline to hold definitions steady across awards and under pressure.
- Partner-facing leadership. Experience representing an organisation on M&E or SI with donors, consortium partners or government counterparts, and negotiating shared reporting standards.
- Management. Line-management experience of M&E or SI professionals, including setting objectives and developing analytical and communication skills.
- Communication. Able to explain programme performance, and its limits, to executives, boards and country leadership, and to develop that ability in others.

Nice-to-Have

- Consortium MEL alignment across independent partner organisations, as Coordinating Party or equivalent
- IATI results publication or Netherlands MFA reporting requirements
- DHIS2 or comparable national health information systems
- Portfolio-level experience of digital health data systems (for example CommCare or custom mobile applications)
- Working French or Portuguese

Reporting & Team Structure

- Reports to: Senior Lead: Technical Management
- Collaborates with: Senior Lead: Technical Management; Programme Technical Advisor; Senior Lead: Digital Products & Learning; Lead: Programme Analytics & Forecasting (dotted-line peer); Senior Data Engineer; EKN Project Director; consortium partners; Country Directors and country SI leads
- Supervises: M&E Specialist

Working Conditions

- Employment Type: Full time, 1.0 FTE
- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
- Travel Requirements: Regular regional and international travel, up to 25%

Compensation and Benefits

- Competitive salary and performance-based incentives
- Comprehensive benefits (health, retirement, leave)
- Opportunities for growth, leadership, and professional development