Gift Hyelnai Iliya

My name is Gift Iliya, I am a second class upper graduate of Public administration from the University of Maiduguri, I am a Highly motivated research and data management professional with over six years of experience in research, data management and analysis, report writing, programme planning, and participatory learning approaches. I have a keen interest in research and knowledge management for evidence-based organizational systems strengthening, policy influencing, and community development. I also have passion for disseminations of findings and learning for the purpose of adaptive management.

Mercy Corps

Research,Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer(GIRL-H) – Kano, Kano State      September 2022 – to date

• Enrolled 26,000 adolescent and young boys and girls in the safe space program at the individual level, which                    is one of the GIRL-H Program's approaches.
• Established and set up all M&E systems in Kano and Lagos, including data collection tools, questionnares, and logical framework.
• Created and maintained the program's learning agenda in order to extract learnings and use them to inform program decisions.
• Created and maintained a tracker to track participants' progress across all program cascades.
• In Nigeria, I established an organized system for documenting program deviations, reports, and program evidence(MOVs).
• Successfully managed international consultants hired to conduct baseline, midline, and endline program evaluations.
• Review and compile activity reports, field visit reports, monthly and quarterly reports, and other reports.
• Manage the weekly and overall Nigeria workplan successfully.
• Trained and equipped partner M&E staff with data collection tools, analysis, and information dissemination         at the field levele.t.c.
• Track and monitor program results/progress against each logical framework program indicator.
• Maintained a lessons-learned tracker that was discussed and distributed to partners, program staff, and the senior management team.
• Take the lead in meetings for pause and reflection, as well as review meetings where lessons learned are discussed.
• Led the community accountability and reporting mechanism in Nigeria as a means of gathering feedback from the implementing communities.(Kano &Lagos)
• Supported the Kenya and Uganda team with cross-learning MEL aooroaches,methodologies and systems adopted by the Nigeria team in order to strengthen the program regionally

Mercy Corps

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer(USAID/ADPAT) – Maiduguri, Borno State May 2021 – August2022

• Successfully managed a team of 1 M&E assistant, 2 interns and more than 20 enumerators overseeing a large scale USAID programs focused on early recovery and humanitarian activities across Gwoza
• Participate actively in the implementation of M&E processes by providing technical support and checking data quality.
• Collate, verify, upload monthly program evidence to the google drive and update the Indicator performance tracking table.
•  Developed monitoring tools based on work plans and MEL framework with the use of Ona, Commcare and Power BI, in close coordination with the program officers and MEL Team.
• Harness, adapt and roll out tools and technological innovations for collecting and analyzing data with an aim of improving the project
• Conduct pre/post test to ascertain the level of knowledge gain amongst participants.
• Participate in developing an M&E Plan, M&E work plan and indicator tracking matrix, in line with the project’s thematic standards and practice.
• Developing tools for easy data management and evidence-based- programs.
• Participate actively in the enforcement of Quality Assurance (QA), Quality Control (QC) and Quality Improvement (QI) measures for all program sectors.
• Support program team members in capturing and documenting best practices and success stories for learning, reference and dissemination.
• Generated programme information and dash boards for tracking and depicting progress on programmes and strategy implementation against targets and key milestones
• Initiate data analysis and action planning meeting with program teams to review data trends and overall project performance
• Maintained a tracker of key action points agreed at review meetings and disseminate progress of implementation
• Work with the field teams to ensure that program indicators are tracked through regular field visits
• Prepare/conduct trainings for enumerators, program staff(WaSH,Shelter and Nutrition/Health)and support to make arrangements for senior management and high level meetings.

Mercy Corps

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Assistant(UKAID/FCDO) – Maiduguri, Borno State     Oct 2019 – April 2021

• Successfully managed a team of 4 M&E Officers from local partner organizations and more than 40 enumerators overseeing a large scale DFID(FCDO) program focused on Peace building, conflict mitigation,Social cohesion and gender inclusion activities across MMC, Jere, Dikwa, Damboa and Gwoza.
• Developed monitoring tools based on work plans and MEL framework with the use of Ona, Commcare and Power BI, in close coordination with the program officers and MEL Team.
• Lead regular data collection across program field sites, implementing tools such as pre-and post-test, surveys, focus group discussion and interviews.
• Oversaw and worked closely with Senior M&E Officers and Coordinator to design, integrate, and streamline digital M&E tools and best practices in over 5 LGAs and throughout Borno state.
• Take lead/support in the program and sector-specific assessments, monitoring, surveys, evaluations and analysis and also sharing and documentation of lessons learned.
• Ensure proper filing,documentation, handling and movement of project files.
• Facilitate capacity building sessions for the Local partner’s MEL Team.
• Supervise enumerators during data collection to ensure data quality.
• Served as Communications focal point.

Catholic Relief Services Maiduguri, Borno state

Enumerator (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning)                                     Sept 2018 – Oct 2019

• Collected qualitative and quantitative data to support program assessment
• Conducted Key Informant Interview and Focus Group Discussion
• Participated in After-Action Review

Community Engagement & Social Development Initiative, Opposite Govt House Damaturu

Monitoring & Evaluation/ Office Assistant (National Youth Service Corps)                               Dec. 2017 – Sept 2018  

• Managed all matters relating to Administration and Procurement
• Conducted community mobilization and sensitization
• Designed quantitative and qualitative data collection tools for 3 separate multi-sectoral assessments
• Supported in general office management – managed inventory, training materials and office resources.

Catholic Relief Services Damaturu, Yobe state

Enumerator (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning)                                     July 2017 – Dec 2017

• Community mobilization and sensitization
• Supported in establishing accountability mechanisms

The University of Maiduguri, Borno State - Master in Public Administration  2020

University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri - B.Sc. Public Administration                                2017