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Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager, Central African Republic

Bangui

  • Organization: Mercy Corps
  • Location: Bangui
  • Grade: Mid/Senior level - Mid/Senior
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Education, Learning and Training
    • Monitoring and Evaluation
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date: Closed

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.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been operational in the Central African Republic (CAR) since September 2007. With offices in Bangui, Bouar and Bambari, Mercy Corps works to integrate short-term humanitarian assistance with programs to strengthen community resilience and support market-led economic development, with a cross-cutting accent on governance and gender. Mercy Corps takes a sustainable approach to its programming, seeking to change behaviors and create institutions to foster long-term development in the sectors of protection and gender based violence, civil society capacity building, water/sanitation, social cohesion and socioeconomic activities. Funding comes from a range of donors including USAID, the European Commission, OFDA, UNHCR, and private foundations. By addressing a number of overlapping and associated needs within a wide range of activities, Mercy Corps in CAR takes an integrated approach to ensure the greatest possible impact.

General Position Summary

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager will provide leadership, in collaboration with program leads and the Programs Director, in all aspects of design, monitoring, evaluation and information management. The MEL Manager will contribute to program design and planning to ensure adherence to Mercy Corps' standards, including internal program management standards related to monitoring, evaluation, and utilization of tools and resources available at organizational level. The MEL Manager will be responsible for setting up an M&E system that ensures centralization, high-level standardization of tools and indicators as well as alignment to programmatic strategic objectives, international standards, and donor requirements. Furthermore, in close collaboration with Program and various departments, the MEL Manager will constantly support documentation of program progress and achievements and conduct learning exercises to ensure that lessons learned are incorporated into new phases of the program cycle. The MEL Manager will also facilitate information sharing through the creation of an interactive knowledge management platform that will further enhance program quality through increased and quick access to documentation and results of MEL activities.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

  • Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
  • Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
  • Create a countrywide monitoring system that facilitates synergies among programs of different sectors and geographic locations while ensuring a high level of standardization of indicators, tools and methodologies used for data collection. The main scope in this respect will be increased efficiency through centralization of information at Bangui level, which will in turn facilitate the creation of an information management system.
  • Manage the M&E system and information management system by performing regular reviews and troubleshooting when required.
  • Ensure that these systems are flexible, appropriate, and at all times respond to the most urgent programmatic needs and are compliant with internal and international standards as well as donor requirements.
  • As a strategic leader, actively participate in management meetings and countrywide strategy sessions.

Programs Management

  • Perform a review of existing tools and processes and provide guidance on improving them through alignment with Logical Frameworks, donor requirements, and Mercy Corps Program Management Minimum Standards and the Design for Impact Guide and international standards.
  • Design new tools for the programs to track progress and capture lessons learned by customizing available tools from Mercy Corps' Digital Library where possible.
  • Perform regular assessments using both qualitative and quantitative methods particularly prior to project design workshops. Ensure that the data which will not be informing proposals is stored safely and efficiently and available for future programmatic needs.
  • Ensure incorporation of Alpha indicators from Mercy Corps' Design for Impact Guide in new tools developed during the design phase (Logical Frameworks).
  • Devise a MEL country strategy that takes into account means, costs and risks associated with the roll out of an M&E system while ensuring that M&E activities are budgeted in proposals and included in work plans.
  • Coordinate internal and external evaluations with a strong emphasis on learning.
  • Provide support to teams utilizing the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS) and enhance the system with regular assessments and qualitative studies to allow for gender mainstreaming into programs and an in-depth understanding of specific needs of women and girls in the areas of intervention.
  • Pro-actively liaising with Grants to ensure harmonization of Reporting Calendars and exercises carried out for collection of data based on PMPs (Indicator Plans).

Team Management

  • Pro-actively promote learning organizationally through learning sessions during regular staff meetings, learning workshops and inclusion of learning chapters in internal and external reports.
  • Based on knowledge gaps identified, develop a comprehensive capacity building strategy in DM&E for DM&E staff as well as Program staff by ensuring gradual transfer of responsibilities to field offices and national staff. Ensure coaching and mentoring of DM&E staff through field visits, workshops, supervising all aspects of the data collection process, and through other capacity building exercises.
  • Conduct project site visits to provide hands-on training to field staff on data collection, analysis, reporting, documentation, and use of Performance Management Plans (Indicator Plans).

Finance & Compliance Management

  • Coordinate with a variety of teams, HQ, Finance, and Program Managers to ensure that M&E activities are relevant for program implementation, of high quality, and compliant with both international and internal standards as well as donor requirements
  • Ensure all interventions adhere to Mercy Corps' Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.
  • Develop accountability mechanisms, which are context-specific and based on stakeholder analyses

Influence & Representation

  • Strengthen linkages with other internal agency resources, including the Digital Library, the Hub, and Connect, to enhance organizational learning.
  • Coordinate with Mercy Corps' HQ-based Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) team to guide process of midterm evaluation, from the design, implementation and documentation phases, as well as for the development of M&E tools, processes, and procedures.
  • Participate in M&E-related working groups and maintain close working relationships with Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning counterparts in other relevant international NGOs, and local NGOs and associations in CAR.

Security

  • Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country
  • 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 One DM&E Officer in Bangui, one DM&E Officer by field office (2).

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Programs Director

Works Directly With: Program Managers, M&E Officers, TSU

Knowledge and Experience

  • Postgraduate degree in development studies, research methods, statistics, social sciences, measurement and evaluation, project planning and management or other relevant field preferred.
  • 3- 5 years of active M&E work experience in development programming required; ideal candidate will have both theoretical and practical background in M&E and skilled in qualitative and quantitative M&E methodologies and techniques.
  • At least 2 years of experience training staff on monitoring and evaluation tools and approaches and supervising national staff in M&E roles.
  • Familiarity and experience with sectors including gender-based violence, intercommunity dialogue, economic development, and resilience programming; preferably in insecure or transitional environments and/or in Central Africa.
  • At least 2 years of experience in program design conducting qualitative assessments and rapid assessments informing proposals; Logical Frameworks, and documentation.
  • At least 2 years of experience in setting up and managing M&E systems in emergency and development contexts.
  • At least 1 year of experience in implementing accountability mechanisms in emergency and development contexts.
  • At least 3 years of experience mainstreaming gender, protection, and equality into programs.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills required, with demonstrated experience in writing reports.
  • Excellent computer skills, including: Word Package including Excel and PowerPoint, SPSS or other statistical packages preferred. Qualitative software experience such as Atlas or NVivo preferred.
  • Digital data collection experience strongly preferred, in setting up a digital data collection system, supervision of data collection processes and in analysis of results.
  • Ability to conceptualize, plan and implement program activities creatively, as well as possess the ability to analyze data and utilize lessons learned for the continuous improvement of program implementation and to promote a culture of learning.
  • Ability to adjust to last-minute changes and demonstrate cultural sensitivity as well as a keen interest in forwarding the principles and values of Mercy Corps in the communities of intervention.
  • Fluency in written and verbal English and French required.

Success Factors

The successful MEL Manager will have the ability to multi-task, set priorities, and respond to multiple deadlines within a complex team. S/he will take initiative and contribute to team efforts, as well as demonstrate an ability to communicate, assume leadership, and make solid decisions while working remotely from country leadership. S/he will have an ability to work independently, take initiative in tasks and self-learning, and be proactive in communications and development of professional relationships. S/he will be able to live and work closely with a diverse team of individuals in a highly intense and fluid work and security environment with demonstrated sensitivity to the people and issues in the region. S/he will demonstrate exceptional interpersonal, relationship and cross-cultural communication skills especially in high stress environments are essential for success. S/he will be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps; have the ability to creatively problem-solve, to juggle multiple priorities under tight deadlines and to calmly and diplomatically deal with unexpected and sudden events impacting program operations with patience, dynamism, tenacity and a good sense of humor.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position will be based in Bangui, Central African Republic with up to 40% travel to Mercy Corps field office in the North, West and South East of the country. This position is unaccompanied for spouses and/or children and includes hardship allowance and R&R benefits.

Recent increases in violence around the capitol and areas to the north and west has led to a more fluid and less stable situation on the ground. Hospitals and access to quality health care are very limited. Malaria is prevalent. It is estimated that 7-8% of the population may be HIV positive. Suitable group housing is available, but electricity and clean water are sometimes sporadic as well as the Internet.

Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. 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.

PI101178948

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