Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Certification
Timeline
Generic

Josiah Nyando

Nairobi

Summary

Experienced Research and M&E Specialist with a strong background in designing and implementing cross-country research studies. Skilled in developing robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including Logic Models and Theories of Change, to assess program effectiveness using experimental and quasi-experimental designs. Adept at translating evaluation findings into actionable insights through data actionability workshops. Proficient in end-to-end data management—from mobile and CATI-based field data collection to high-frequency checks, DQAs, cleaning, and advanced analysis. Demonstrated expertise in descriptive and inferential statistics, data visualization, and automation using tools such as Stata, R, SQL, Python, Tableau, and Power BI. Experienced in integrating AI to streamline data workflows.

A collaborative leader and communicator, effective in remote, hybrid, and in-person environments. Known for inspiring teams with a clear vision while fostering a culture of feedback and continuous improvement.

Overview

9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Quantitative Researcher and Data Analyst

Compassion International
01.2024 - Current
  • Led field data collection for the Awana Spiritual Program Impact Study in Kenya, training 28 data collectors and managing the logistical process across Western and Eastern Kenya, covering 2,890 sampled children.
  • Cleaned and analyzed, using Stata, data for the Awana study using PSM and Difference-in-Differences design and supported the dissemination of findings for actionable learning for greater program impact.
  • Oversaw data collection using SurveyCTO for the Longitudinal Positive Youth Development Study (PYD) in Uganda, including training and monitoring data quality through Stata's High Frequency Checks.
  • Co-led the design of the Impact Evaluation of Youth Entrepreneurship and Microloans Program in El Salvador by performing Power Analysis in R and applying a Regression Discontinuity Design to determine the program's impact.
  • Continuously leveraging Snowflake SQL to build standardized datasets for cross-country trend analysis, enabling data-driven decision-making that improved program targeting for 5+ initiatives serving 50,000+ beneficiaries.
  • Drafting technical reports and visual summaries to communicate complex evaluation findings and data-driven recommendations to global program stakeholders, supporting evidence-based decision-making for child development initiatives.
  • Produced interactive dashboards in Power BI visualizing key child developmental metrics for over 50,000 program participants across five countries, accelerating global team access to actionable insights and reducing manual reporting time by 55%.
  • Developed longitudinal cohort tracking models in Python and R to monitor child well-being outcomes across 10+ countries, increasing reporting accuracy by 18% and enabling program managers to identify high-impact interventions in under-resourced regions.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Specialist

Compassion International
05.2021 - 12.2023
  • Spearheaded development of an integrated MEL framework for 15 multi-sector projects (WASH, Food Security, Climate Action etc.), standardizing 120+ indicators across Kenya's national office to reduce reporting discrepancies by 40%.
  • Co-created Theories of Change with 15 project teams using human-centered design principles, achieving 100% buy-in from stakeholders and 90% alignment with donor strategic plans.
  • Led baseline studies across 12 counties covering 3 sectors (n=8,500 participants), establishing measurement benchmarks that detected 25% variance in early childhood development outcomes between regions.
  • Engineered Kenya's first ODK-to-Power BI API integration, enabling real-time visualization of 50+ KPIs and cutting donor reporting delays from 6 weeks to 48 hours.
  • Documented 22% increase in household incomes attributable to livelihood programs through quasi-experimental impact studies, evidence used to secure $5M in follow-on funding.
  • Institutionalized data reflection rituals (8 quarterly/12 ad hoc sessions) that turned evaluation findings into 17 documented program adaptations, increasing cost-efficiency by 15%.
  • Upskilled 50+ staff through hands-on MEL clinics, resulting in 80% of projects self-managing routine data analysis within 6 months (vs. previous 100% external dependency).

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer

Amref Health Africa
01.2020 - 04.2021
  • Designed and operationalized the activity's MEL framework in alignment with USAID CLA standards, reducing indicator fragmentation by 40% and achieving 100% on-time reporting compliance for 3 consecutive years.
  • Established quarterly adaptive learning cycles engaging 60+ stakeholders (youth, partners, USAID), translating evaluation findings into 9 program improvements that increased cost-efficiency by 18%.
  • Pioneered ODK/DHIS2 integration for maternal/child health programs, increasing data accuracy by 25% and reducing reporting time from 12 to 7 days (20,000+ beneficiaries).
  • Facilitated 18 consensus-building workshops with USAID and county governments, achieving 95% KPI alignment and securing a 2-year activity extension worth $40M.
  • Led mid-term evaluation (n=3,200) revealing 27% rural implementation gap, prompting redesign that boosted final outcomes by 35% and informed national health guidelines.
  • Trained 45 staff in MEL best practices, enabling 80% of teams to independently generate data-driven recommendations - a 300% increase from baseline.
  • Integrated financial tracking with program data, identifying 22% supply chain savings through benchmarking - funds redirected to expand coverage by 15,000 beneficiaries.

Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator

Abt Associates
01.2018 - 12.2019
  • Designed and implemented the PMI Vectorlink M&E framework tracking 35+ IRS indicators across 12 sub-counties, achieving 98% USAID DQA compliance and enabling real-time spray coverage adjustments that protected 0.3M households annually.
  • Led quarterly data quality audits (5% sample verification) and trained 200+ spray team members on CommCare/DHIS2 protocols, reducing reporting errors by 40% and ensuring 100% on-time submission of PMI reports for 3 consecutive years.
  • Analyzed 18 months of mosquito resistance data to guide insecticide rotation strategies, contributing to 15% reduction in malaria incidence in hotspot sub-counties (verified through health facility surveillance data).
  • Collaborated with GIS teams to develop hotspot prediction maps integrating IRS coverage and larval source data, optimizing spray operations to reach 92% of target structures (exceeding 85% PMI benchmark).
  • Facilitated bi-monthly M&E technical working groups with MoH/NMCP, standardizing 25 core malaria indicators now used across 5 partner organizations.
  • Created IRS data visualization "playbooks" adopted by 120+ frontline staff, reducing indicator misinterpretation by 60% and enabling autonomous use of Power BI dashboards for spray quality monitoring.

Data Officer

Abt Associates
11.2016 - 12.2017
  • Trained 500+ health officials and CHWs across county/sub-county levels on ODK/Kobo/CommCare, achieving sustained 99% reporting accuracy - recognized by PMI as best practice for malaria data collection.
  • Designed and delivered tiered training programs for 300 CHWs and 35 data clerks, reducing data errors by 40% and enabling 95% project success rate through standardized protocols.
  • Authored 52 weekly evidence briefs for senior management, directly informing 12 resource reallocation decisions that improved IRS coverage from 78% to 85% within 6 months.
  • Co-developed the project's MEL framework incorporating real-time supply chain alerts, preventing stockouts in 8 high-burden counties and maintaining 93% spray team productivity.
  • Instituted routine DQA protocols (5% household verification sampling) that identified and corrected 3 systemic data collection flaws, improving indicator reliability by 35%.
  • Led CRM platform rollout for 12 teams, increasing beneficiary tracking efficiency by 50% and generating 2,000+ verified stakeholder engagement records for PMI compliance reporting.
  • Implemented data-driven replenishment system linking spray metrics with inventory reports, reducing equipment downtime by 22 days annually across project sites.

Education

Master of Science - Statistics

Strathmore University
Nairobi
12.2025

Associate of Applied Science - Social Impact Analytics

University of San Francisco
San Francisco
12.2025

Bachelor of Science - Mathematics

University of Nairobi
Nairobi
09.2016

Skills

  • Data Analysis: Python, R (incl Shiny), SQL (Snowflake, data mining), Stata (Propensity Score Matching)
  • Data Visualization: Power BI, Tableau, R Shiny
  • Survey Systems: SurveyCTO, KoboCollect, ODK, RedCap, SurveyMonkey
  • Research Methods: Experimental & quasi-experimental design, sample survey methodology
  • Data Quality: DQA, High Frequency Checks, data cleaning/validation
  • Monitoring and Evaluation: Results-based M&E frameworks and systems
  • Project Management: Project lifecycle management
  • Proposal development & grant management
  • Cross-functional team leadership
  • Capacity building & workshop facilitation
  • Remote team coordination
  • Stakeholder communication

Certification

  • Data Analyst Associate - Data Camp - 2025
  • Data Scientist Associate - Data Camp - 2025
  • Results-Based Monitoring and Evaluation - In-depth Research Institute, Nairobi - 2021


Timeline

Quantitative Researcher and Data Analyst

Compassion International
01.2024 - Current

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Specialist

Compassion International
05.2021 - 12.2023

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer

Amref Health Africa
01.2020 - 04.2021

Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator

Abt Associates
01.2018 - 12.2019

Data Officer

Abt Associates
11.2016 - 12.2017

Master of Science - Statistics

Strathmore University

Associate of Applied Science - Social Impact Analytics

University of San Francisco

Bachelor of Science - Mathematics

University of Nairobi

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Josiah Nyando