Program / Department Summary

General Position Summary

Essential Job Responsibilities

MEL STRATEGY AND PLANNING

• Set up and lead the timely implementation of the Activity MEL plan (AMELP), Learning Plan, and the MEL Technologies plan. Ensure that key program deliverables are adequately reflected in the program implementation plan. Set a strategic direction for the MEL component of the program with Mercy Corps and partner teams and clarify the direction and priorities.
• Develop country-level MEL Standard Operating Procedures for key processes and ensure that they are appropriately followed. Conduct internal quality assurance on MEL standards and provide support to programs for improvement, as needed.
• Oversee data collection, analysis, management, visualization, mapping, and reporting on quantitative and qualitative indicators related to the program’s overall operational context and performance.
• Harmonize the MEL system across consortium partner systems and other external systems, as relevant.
• Maximize the use of participatory methods in MEL data collection.
• Ensure the quality of MEL implementation for the Activity, consistently reviewing and adapting the MEL systems and tools to the needs of the changing programmatic context.
• Ensure systems are established and maintained to collect sex- and age-disaggregated data to ensure that the project team can design gender-sensitive and socially inclusive components.
• Ensure that data protection is included in data collection (direct and remote), storage, and presentation of those data.
• Tailor evidence-based learning to diverse audiences, decision-makers, and stakeholders.
• Participate in program design, proposal writing, as well as support startups incorporating best M&E practices and resources appropriately for enhanced effective program management and measurement during implementation.

MEL DATA SYSTEMS

• Participate and support the development of the MEL system, maintain, and report on progress to support efforts of reporting to donors and internally (such as participant count, TolaData, Strategy Results Measurement and others). This may also include development, streamlining and standardization of program-level MEL systems and tools and data collection processes. Use the MEL technologies suite to guide the selection of the tools, data storage and data visualization best practices.
• Ensure data management processes (collection, cleaning, analysis, storage, reporting, and visualization) are functioning in all Activity locations to provide quality data within deadlines.
• Ensure data quality through routine internal Data Quality Assessments (DQAs) as required by the Mercy Corps MEL Policy and adjust, as needed.
• Ensure the Activity adheres to Mercy Corps’ MEL and Program Record Retention and Responsible Data Policies.
• Develop reporting templates that facilitate the acquisition, aggregation, and flow of information and learning within the program as well as externally.
• Ensure quality remote monitoring practices are used in instances where in-person monitoring is not possible for MC teammates or enumerators.
• Conduct country-level program performance analysis, visualizations, using TolaData dashboards and present to country leadership during management and learning meetings. Present the program’s performance and progress during program leadership meetings, report on progress, challenges, gaps and guide the discussions on necessary adaptations within the program.

• Facilitate and conduct periodic pause and reflection sessions on program progress at the individual program and country levels, synthesize program learning, and disseminate to intended stakeholders within and outside Mercy Corps.
• Support the program manager to identify and document best practices and backing evidence, as well as scale up promising opportunities. Disseminate knowledge and best practices through country-wide learning events, as well as applying those in new program design.
• Facilitate documentation of best practice, work with the program and MEL teams to ensure they are appropriately documented and disseminated within Mercy Corps and across partners.
• Develop Scopes of Work, and oversee evaluations, and studies that are planned for the program.
• Support the efforts to implement Final Internal Performance Reviews (FIPR), evaluate and strengthen analytic capacity within the programs, identify and capture learning and best practices, and share across programs and partners, as necessary.
• Regularly conduct project site visits to provide hands-on training on how to capture and organize information for accurate documentation and use of data for decision making, report and dissemination.

Team Management

• Oversee the Activity MEL team and sub-contractors, such as external evaluators and enumerators.
• Use competency-based approaches to build the capacity of all relevant Activity and partner team members to develop and maintain a high-quality MEL system, which integrates regular reflection, learning, and adaption through analysis of quantitative and qualitative data and other knowledge gained through implementation of the AMELP.
• Promote staff accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-one meetings and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Conduct recruitment and onboarding of new staff members.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
  to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility

Accountability

Knowledge and Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, including proven experience managing MEL staff.
• MA/MS in research methods, statistics, economics, monitoring and evaluation, or another relevant field preferred.
• Experience managing MEL and activities under USAID-funded programs.
• Proven success in designing, implementing, and overseeing program MEL systems from startup to closeout.
• Experience with and commitment to adaptive management and collaborative, learn, adapt (CLA) processes.
• Research skills, including participatory qualitative and quantitative methodologies and techniques, planning and managing surveys, and developing and refining data collection tools.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, and a proven ability to network and maintain effective working relationships with diverse actors.
• Experience and understanding of market-system development interventions and how these are monitored and evaluated.
• Previous experience in the Caribbean or similar context preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

Success Factors

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions