Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Advisor - Beirut - Lebanon

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

Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has implemented community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged in the country. In 2012, the program portfolio shifted in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria and Mercy Corps in Lebanon has solidified its emergency response programming while integrating longer-term development programming by focusing on key sectors: Protection; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Governance and Conflict Mitigation; and Livelihoods.

General Position Summary

The Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Advisor is an important position in the Mercy Corps Lebanon program, responsible for contributing to strategy discussions, providing technical assistance on M&E for each program and developing successful mechanisms for learning. The MERL advisor will also lead on developing research strategy and support research initiatives. The MERL Advisor will support cross-cutting programmatic MERL and information management, ensuring that information collected is reflected upon, used to improve ongoing programs, and is incorporated into consistently high quality reports and proposal development processes. The MERL Advisor will collaborate to ensure teams integrate MERL planning across the program life cycle (from design through close-out). In coordination with senior management and team members, s/he will be responsible for developing, coordinating, maintaining and constantly improving the country-wide M&E system; cultivating opportunities for research; as well as implementing an internal M&E capacity building strategy that trains and mentors M&E staff and promotes a culture of learning.

Essential Job Responsibilities

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP

• Provide leadership, training and mentoring in the development of: research/ learning agendas; logical frameworks and indicator plans; design of methodology and tools for data collection, data analysis, and other skills required for assessing the impact of programs.
• Support team in planning for large-scale assessments and/or broad surveys (e.g. baselines, end-lines).
• Coordinate with program leadership and senior management to encourage a culture of learning; facilitate connections to relevant resources and support lessons learned reviews at programmatic reflection points (e.g. mid-point and close-out).
• Support planning for and oversight of external evaluations in partnership with program leadership.
• Ensure programs use appropriate M&E systems and tools, to inform and improve each individual program, as well as feed into the broader country-level M&E system and country strategy.
• Support alignment of relevant indicators across programs to contribute to organizational- wide M&E systems, and other external systems as relevant.
• Support teams in collecting sex and age disaggregated data and using gender sensitive data- collection methods in order to understand and respond to program results with diverse participants.
• Participate in the facilitation of country and sector-level strategic planning sessions, assisting program managers and senior management in the development of their annual plans.

RESEARCH

• Coordinate with senior management and program leadership to develop a clear strategy for growth of research within Mercy Corps Lebanon.
• Cultivate relationships with internal and external stakeholders to partner with in designing high-quality research.
• Support development and oversight of research initiatives.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• Work with senior management, program leadership, and global technical resources to develop a holistic country-level M&E system that emphasizes data quality, accessibility and usage by key stakeholders, and enables country-level aggregation where strategic.
• Share standardized templates and tools that ensure quality and facilitate the acquisition, aggregation and flow of information in programs.
• Provide guidance and leadership to ensure that the M&E systems meet the needs of senior management and program leadership.

CAPACITY BUILDING AND MENTORING

• Collaborate with program leadership and HR on recruitment and onboarding of new MEL team members.
• Develop and oversee implementation of a capacity building strategy for team members and partners.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COORDINATION

• Active contributor and collaborator with regional and global counterparts to promote the use of MEL best practices.
• Strengthen linkages with other internal resources, including the Digital Library, Hub, and Workplace, to enhance organizational learning where relevant to MEL.
• Maintain close working relationships with M&E counterparts in other relevant international NGOs, and local NGOs and associations in Lebanon.

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: MEL Manager, MERL Coordinator

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Program Performance and Quality Manager

Works Directly With: Program teams, Reporting Coordinator, IT Coordinator, and Regional Program Performance and Quality Advisor. Coordinate with headquarters MEL team, headquarters technical support unit.

Knowledge and Experience

• BA/S degree in development studies, research methods, statistics, economics, social sciences, monitoring and evaluation, project management or other relevant field required. Postgraduate degree preferred.
• 5-7 years of MEL work experience in emergency and development programming required.
• Experience with theoretical and practical background in both qualitative and quantitative MEL methodologies and techniques.
• Experience in designing or support research initiatives preferred.
• Strong background in data collection, including survey design and methods as well as use of digital data collection tools (such as CommCare, ODK Collect, Kobo, etc) required.
• Excellent quantitative skills; advanced use of Excel and familiarity with statistical packages (such as Stata, R or SPSS) preferred.
• Demonstrated success with enabling timely analysis and application of relevant data to drive team decision-making, with emphasis on data visualization tools (such as Tableau, PowerBI) preferred.
• Fluency in spoken and written English required. Arabic skills are a plus.

Success Factors

A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. S/he will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, and be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solving, work within a complex and sensitive setting and to follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team 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.

Living /Environmental Conditions

This position is based in Beirut, Lebanon and it is accompanied. The position requires frequent travel throughout Lebanon. Beirut is a pleasant and cosmopolitan city on the Mediterranean with good medical services and access to excellent schools and diverse entertainment options. The security situation is uncertain in Lebanon, with a possibility for rapid deterioration, particularly dependent on the Syrian conflict. Though currently secure in Beirut, all security guidelines and protocols must be closely followed at all times.

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 Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Apply Here: http://www.Click2Apply.net/r6k8dkqfg6c8bgkv

PI102339628

Apply Here: http://www.Click2Apply.net/r6k8dkqfg6c8bgkv