Interim Vice President, Measurement, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) at The END Fund
*At the time of interview, Kevin served as Senior Director, Measurement, Evaluation & Learning at The END Fund.
Kevin Mcrae-Mckee is Interim Vice President at The END Fund, a philanthropic fund dedicated to combating the five most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that cause up to 90% of the NTD burden in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Kevin’s extensive work in digital health encourages continuous development and knowledge sharing within the wider NTD sector, including “getting your hands dirty” within the operational side of data.
Managing teams across the globe, Kevin values regular social connections in an increasingly remote working world. When #OOO, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his family on the rugged shores of Nova Scotia’s lakes and Atlantic coast.
"Data-focused jobs often risk becoming only about the numbers on paper... understanding the operational side of how data are collected, managed and used for decision making is just as, if not more, important."
M.INT –What does a ‘positive working culture’ look like in your organisation?
KMM –There are three key pillars for us:
1. Exemplary leadership: having leaders in place that would not ask something of a direct report that they would not be willing to do themselves.
2. Full team buy-in to the system: supporting each other in turn during the inevitable ebbs and flows of each individual’s workload. Instilling in the team that while you might be going the extra mile to support a teammate today, tomorrow they will be returning the favour.
3. Regular social connections: in an increasingly remote working world, taking the time to schedule a quick coffee, non-work-related chats or starting each meeting asking about a colleague’s day/weekend and interests goes a long way to promoting a good working environment.
M.INT –What are you looking forward to in 2024?
KMM –2024 represents an opportunity for our team to build new internal systems to address current needs but with a long-term vision. I have been lucky enough to be able to dedicate enough time to get to know the strengths and weaknesses of current systems with the objective in mind of redesigning the way that we think about and approach the monitoring and evaluation of our programmes going forward. There is lots to do in 2024 but the potential benefits are very exciting.
M.INT –What is the most rewarding aspect of your current role?
KMM –The END Fund mobilises resources for neglected tropical diseases (NTD) and focuses on delivering NTD treatments to those in need by growing and engaging a wide community of stakeholders and partners internationally. The opportunities to travel and get exposure to so many people, cultures, and health programmes is my favourite part of the job.
Data-focused jobs often risk becoming only about the numbers on paper in front of you but in our specific field of work, understanding the operational side of how data are collected, managed and used for decision making is just as, if not more, important given the many limitations and challenges that we face every day. I encourage all my colleagues to “get their hands dirty” as early as possible – luckily most people who work in this industry are happy to do so!
M.INT –Looking back on 2023, what challenge did you find most trying and/or rewarding?
KMM –A lot of the work we do is in countries that we do not always have a sustained physical presence in. As such, it can be difficult to have long-term sustained impacts following the periods of support that we provide.
One way that this can be avoided is by committing significant time to training and capacity building on the tools and methodology that we employ to ensure successful implementation of activities. Seeing the long-term impact that supporting local organisations in building their skills and knowledge can have is extremely rewarding and benefits everyone involved.
M.INT –What advice would you give a new colleague on their first day?
KMM –Get to the know the people you work with on a personal level, regardless of seniority. Building stronger relationships with people not only creates a more pleasant work environment but understanding how people think about and interpret or react to situations more generally will help improve coordination and efficiency within your team.
