Job Overview
Mercy Corps
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Position Title: SENIOR MONITORING EVALUATION & LEARNING (MEL) OFFICER
Employment Type: Full-time
Salary Grade: O2
Job Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Valid through: May 18, 2022
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. Mercy Corps has been operating in Nepal since 2005, implementing programs in food security, agriculture, market development, financial services, girl’s education, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. We take a systems-based approach in our programming, with the aim of improving the lives and potential of vulnerable individuals and communities across Nepal.
Program / Department Summary
Due to geographic and other vulnerabilities, each year Nepal faces substantial disturbance and damage in the education sector due to diverse kinds of hazards impacting children’s rights to access to education and continuation of quality learning achievements. Nepal continues to face frequent disasters such as floods, landslides, fires, earthquakes, and disease outbreaks like cholera, dengue, and now, the COVID-19. The education sector is vulnerable to natural disasters, as they can result in damage or destruction of learning facilities and materials, closures and the prolonged disruption of education, increased barriers to education, limited access to schooling, and impact on the quality of education. The COVID-19 pandemic-led school closures have posed challenges in children’s learning continuity. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of all about 35,000 schools in Nepal, for 8 months which impacted the learning loss of 8.3 million children in the first wave.
In aligning with the federal structure, the Constitution of Nepal (2015) has devolved the local government’s power and authority related to basic and secondary school education. The overall management of basic and secondary education is with the local governments, including emergency preparedness and response. In this light, European Union and UNICEF have collaborated to support the government for COVID19 education response initiatives, focusing on cluster capacity strengthening to equip education stakeholders responsible for preparedness and response to combat all kinds of emergencies to enhance the resilience of school education.
Implementation of Minimum Package of the Comprehensive School Safety (CSS) is the priority agenda of government and development partners in Nepal. EU and UNICEF have collaborated to support the government for Education cluster strengthening initiatives that also address the education covid responses. This support will be extended through TA support. To support these initiatives UNICEF has established partnerships with the Mercy Corps and NSET to provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Education and Science (MoEST) and Centre for Education Human Resource Development (CEHRD) at federal, provincial, and local levels. These partnerships envision the capacity to strengthen federal and cluster partners of all seven provinces, update and develop the Cluster corresponding guidance, tools, and training packages and disseminate it to all three tiers of the governments and clusters partners. The developed guidance, tools, and techniques will be initially disseminated to 80 LGs in Madesh, Karnali, and Sudur Pashchim provinces and eventually disseminate to all the local governments. Mercy Corps will be overseeing the development of the guidance, tools and techniques in 30LGs in Karnali and Sudurpaschim province. Strong and robust cluster mechanism aligning with the national disaster laws and guidelines contribute to reducing further learning loss due to any disturbance, natural hazard, and pandemics.
General Position Summary
The Senior MEL Officer will play leadership role in developing a rigorous and effective monitoring, evaluation, and database management system for project. They are responsible for cross-cutting programmatic M&E, knowledge management, and information dissemination and utilization for ongoing program improvements and reporting. They will play a lead role of evidence-based program documentation and management of proper data filing and record keeping.
Key responsibilities includes the creation and testing of measurement tools for both quantitative and qualitative monitoring, as well as design of discrete assessment measurements, capacity building of the partner’s team and maintaining and strengthening collaboration between M&E, project staff, and management to ensure that high quality and timely reports are generated and project decisions are made based on evidence established through M&E. As gender and social inclusion (GESI) and governance cross-cutting components of all Mercy Corps program(s), Senior MEL Officer is required to own these components and ensure GESI sensitivity and integration, and governance practices are integrated into the work area.
Essential Job Responsibilities
The specific duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:
PROJECT DESIGN AND PLANNING
1. Provide technical leadership to the project in developing project level M&E systems that meet donor requirements and Mercy Corps minimum standards, as well as feed into a standardized countrywide M&E system and strategy.
2. Development and roll out of project M&E Frameworks, guidelines, plans or tools to guide quality M&E in the projects.
3. Lead to design and conduct the base line, mid-term, end-line survey, KAP and Impact Evaluation of project
4. Support team to develop work plan, budget and review result measurement framework by tracking indicator progress and work plan
5. Ensure GESI sensitive monitoring and evaluation process (for e.g.: ensure disaggregated data and information is regularly collected, analyzed and updated to monitor the progress of the project implementation, by closely working with other team members including GESI.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E)
1. Serve as M&E focal point for the project for external representation inside and outside country platforms. Closely work with regional and headquarters M&E team as and when required.
2. Regular review of M&E plans, data collection tools, reporting template and other documents such as results metrices, reporting templates etc., as may be necessary in close coordination with relevant colleagues or partners
3. Develop M&E capacity building plan for partner staff as well as other technical staff. Implement the plan through different training, mentorship, coaching, onsite support and sharing of information with partner team
4. Contribute to drafting the monthly, quarterly and annual report and help technical team by providing necessary data for reporting
5. Develop data collection tools, protocol and use digital data collection platform for data collection.
6. Provide oversight and development of program databases, including migration of data from cloud-based aggregation platforms to internal databases.
7. Design and implement quality checklist and monitoring tools for determining quality of project being delivered. Disseminate the findings from quality monitoring using dashboards for both internal and external users.
8. Design and monitor survey related data collection methodology, data quality, reports and field work for regular surveys as well as during emergencies.
9. Ensure routine monitoring information is systematically and regularly gathered for the reporting requirements
10. Closely work with project and the partner staffs to ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting of project deliverables
11. Contribute to draft the periodic internal and/or donor reports by providing M&E data and content thus ensuring the indicator achievement are against the target as per the result framework.
12. Ensure the baseline and endline survey are carried out. Develop the tools for the study in line with the indicators of the project
13. Conduct frequent visit to project areas – 50% of the time away from the home base
DATA MANAGEMENT
1. Develop and implement data management plans
2. Manage data entry works by providing required capacity building training on mobile data collection
3. Oversee and validate that the data management process being followed by project staff and partners
4. Handle database and design suitable dashboard for information dissemination.
5. Work as the focal person for the project to update MC Global Tola system
6. Participate in the preparation and presentation of data, when applicable
CAPACITY BUILDING
1. Build the capacity of all relevant team members, including partner team members, to develop and maintain an excellent M&E system and tools.
2. Regularly conduct project site visits to provide hands-on training to field staff on how to capture and organize information for accurate documentation and reporting.
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND REPORTING
1. Assist the project team with timely and accurate data for reporting to donors.
2. Assist to develop and implement project knowledge management plan, documentation, and communication plans/strategies.
3. Provide technical support to the project team and partner staff to collect project learning’s and good practices.
4. Support developing variety of communications and promotional materials including developing and editing success stories/case studies.
5. Provide a central role of project documentation and prepare sharing documents for project stakeholders on timely manner.
FINANCE AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
1. Support to create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
2. Support Project Manager to ensure compliance with UNICEF and Mercy Corps regulations.
3. Support to build and/or maintain operational systems that ensure proper administrative support for programs.
INFLUENCE AND REPRESENTATION
1. Manage good relationships with project stakeholders, including Government and Non-government officials, community institutions.
2. Coordinate closely with, and the partner Project Officer and Supervisors to ensure upwards and downwards communication of developments in M&E related thinking.
SECURITY
1. Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership, especially related to staff and partners’ security during emergency distributions, as well as digital information security related to digital emergency transactions.
2. Contribute to creating a secure environment for team members.
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. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
OTHERS
Ensure proper integration of child safeguarding and GESI aspects into sector specific project planning and implementation.
- Mercy Corps as a humanitarian agency is expected to respond as and when crisis and humanitarian situation engulfs. As an MC employee all staff are expected to be part of humanitarian and emergency response in addition to their regular roles and responsibilities.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Conduct themselves both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
- Other duties as assigned by their supervisor and or Country Director.
Supervisory Responsibility
Reports Directly to: Project Manager
Works Directly with:
Project Manager, Program Manager, DoP, Cluster Coordinators, IMOs
Knowledge and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies/Social Works/Communication/Sociology/Finance, Economics or relevant topics.
- At least 3 years of M&E or relevant research experience for I/NGOs and development agencies.
- Proven ability to design both qualitative and quantitative data collection tools and provide relevant analysis and to build staff capacity in those areas.
- Statistics skills and experience working with statistical software strongly preferred
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently to project villages, often in remote locations.
- Strong curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the complex cultural, political, security, and social environment of Nepal.
- Knowledge and skills of participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation.
- Representational skills and proven ability to coordinate with and influence others
- Sound analytical capacity, documentation, and communication skills to communicate with internal and external audience.
- Ability to work independently and show initiative. Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to meet deadlines and work cooperatively with team members.
- Effective writing and organizational skills for report development, complete analyses and make presentations.
- Strong computer skills in MS Office programs.
- Sound judgment skill within agreed processes using a good understanding of the operating environment, project team and partners
Success Factors
A successful Sr. MEL Officer will combine exceptional collaborative and technical skills to collect and document all program intervention results, manage learnings, and collaborate on any research or studies. They will have proven experience with cross- cultural team and capacity building of partner and internal team. Multitasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail as well as strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal
and/or professional growth and development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
Safeguarding & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
