Position Title: Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Officer, Nutrition

Location: Madang Province

Type: Full time

Employing agency: Clinton Health Access Initiative Inc

Point of Hire: Madang Provincial Health Authority

BACKGROUND

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to our mission of saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries. We work at the invitation of governments to support them and the private sector to create and sustain high-quality health systems.

CHAI was founded in 2002 in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic with the goal of dramatically reducing the price of life-saving drugs and increasing access to these medicines in the countries with the highest burden of the disease. Over the following two decades, CHAI has expanded its focus. Today, along with HIV, we work in conjunction with our partners to prevent and treat infectious diseases such as COVID-19, malaria, tuberculosis, and hepatitis. Our work has also expanded into cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and other non-communicable diseases, and we work to accelerate the rollout of lifesaving vaccines, reduce maternal and child mortality, combat chronic malnutrition, and increase access to assistive technology. We are investing in horizontal approaches to strengthen health systems through programs in human resources for health, digital health, and health financing. With each new and innovative program, our strategy is grounded in maximizing sustainable impact at scale, ensuring that governments lead the solutions, that programs are designed to scale nationally, and learnings are shared globally.

At CHAI, our people are our greatest asset, and none of this work would be possible without their talent, time, dedication and passion for our mission and values. We are a highly diverse team of enthusiastic individuals across 40 countries with a broad range of skillsets and life experiences. CHAI is deeply grounded in the countries we work in, with majority of our staff based in program countries. Learn more about our exciting work: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org

CHAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and is committed to providing an environment of fairness, and mutual respect where all applicants have access to equal employment opportunities. CHAI values diversity and inclusion and recognizes that our mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people with diverse experience, backgrounds, and culture.

Malnutrition remains a critical public health challenge in Papua New Guinea with severe malnutrition accounting for 10% of Paediatric hospital admissions and a case fatality rate of 12.4%[1]. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life is a proven, cost effective and safe intervention to prevent malnutrition and its adverse effects. However, despite national efforts, the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey indicates that only 62% of children under six months in PNG are exclusively breastfed, highlighting gaps in early childhood nutrition practices[2].

Madang District in Madang Province has been identified as a key project site for the Child Nutrition and Social Protection (CNSP) project due to its high rate of childhood malnutrition and limited access to essential health services. According to the Papua New Guinea Electronic Health Information System (eNHIS), the national target for moderate-to-severe malnutrition in children under five was set at less than 15% in 2023[3].

However, Madang District reported a significantly higher malnutrition rate of 18.5 % in 2024, mirroring similar trends across Madang Province. The high burden of malnutrition stems from multiple interrelated factors, primarily the inability of families to provide adequate nutrition and the health system’s challenges in effectively engaging with communities on essential nutrition and child health interventions.

The inadequacy of health service delivery in Madang Province further exacerbates the malnutrition crisis. Outreach services remain low, with only seven integrated outreach sessions per 1,000 children under five years, limiting access to critical services such as immunization, growth monitoring, and nutrition counselling. Immunization coverage is alarmingly low at 21%, directly affecting vitamin A supplementation, which is essential for child growth and immunity. In addition, low antenatal care attendance of 47% for first visits and a facility-based delivery rate of only 32.1% further reduce opportunities for micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy, which is crucial for preventing maternal and child malnutrition. Addressing these service delivery gaps through targeted interventions will be key to improving child nutrition and overall health outcomes in Madang District.

Position Overview

The M&E Officer will lead the monitoring, evaluation, and learning efforts of the CNSP Project in Madang Province. This position plays a central role in tracking program performance, ensuring data-driven decision-making, and fostering accountability at all levels. The M&E Officer will be based in Madang and report to the Program Manager.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Design and implement a comprehensive M&E framework aligned with project objectives, CHAI internal systems, and donor reporting requirements.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) across program areas, including VHA performance, health facility engagement, and community mobilization.
• Establish and manage project data systems including databases, data collection tools, reporting templates, and dashboards.
• Conduct baseline, midline, and endline assessments to evaluate program outcomes, with specific attention to malnutrition rates, immunization coverage, and access to child health services.
• Train Village Health Assistants (VHAs), health facility staff, and implementing partners on M&E tools, protocols, and standards.
• Coordinate and supervise routine data collection, data entry, and quality assurance across 28 wards, 6 health facilities, and 5 aid posts.
• Lead regular data quality assessments, site visits, and supervision to ensure data integrity and compliance.
• Analyze program data and generate monthly, quarterly, and annual reports for CHAI, Provincial Health Authority, and donor stakeholders.
• Prepare presentations, data visualizations, and briefs for internal and external use, highlighting key program trends and insights.
• Support implementation of community-based monitoring tools such as the Community Scorecard and biannual household surveys.
• Facilitate learning sessions and performance review meetings to discuss program progress, challenges, and evidence-based improvements.
• Document best practices, lessons learned, and success stories for internal learning and external communication.
• Monitor safeguarding indicators and community feedback mechanisms, including grievance reporting and PSEA compliance.
• Support capacity building of PHA staff, VHAs, and local partners in M&E systems and practices.
• Ensure alignment and integration with national health information systems, such as eNHIS.
• Collaborate with government and development partners on harmonized monitoring strategies and shared learning platforms.
• Any other responsibilities assigned by the Senior Program Officer and Program Manager from time to time.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Atleast 5 years of relevant experience in M&E, preferably in maternal and child health, nutrition, or primary health care programs.
• Strong skills in designing and managing M&E systems, conducting evaluations, and leading data collection efforts in rural settings.
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R) and digital data collection tools (e.g., KoBo Toolbox, ODK, SurveyCTO).
• Experience with database management, data visualization, and reporting tools.
• Proven ability to present data clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience working with health systems or community health worker programs in PNG or similar contexts is highly desirable.
• Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (particularly Excel and PowerPoint).
• Willingness to travel frequently to rural and remote communities.
• Fluency in English and at least one local language is preferred.

If you are motivated by our mission, passionate about increasing access to quality healthcare in resource-limited settings and interested in this exciting opportunity, then please email your application CV and relevant qualifications to: [email protected] with the Subject: Nutrition M&E Officer.

Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

1. National Department of Health, June 2021. National Health Plan 2021-2030, Volume 1, Policies and Strategies, pg 20.
2. National Statistical Office, Port Moresby, PNG. Papua New Guinea Demographic and Health Survey
3. 2016-2018, pg 23eNHIS accessed 04/02/2025 http://healthpng.com/home/NH_spar_report