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 Ethiopia since 2004. In partnership with civil society organizations, private sector, and the government, Mercy Corps Ethiopia has reached more than five million Ethiopians with interventions to save lives and build secure livelihoods. Our programs emphasize market-driven solutions, reinforce social bonds, and help communities build resilience to the impacts of climate change. Currently in six regional states – Afar, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Amhara and South Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR) – Mercy Corps Ethiopia is driven by the mission to contribute the emergence of a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Ethiopia which is inclusive of youth and women.
Position Title: MONITORING EVALUATION AND LEARNING (MEL) SPECIALIST
Duty Station: Jijiga, Somali Region
Open Position: 1
Program Summary
Mercy Corps is implementing the EUR 10 million, 44-month ‘Strengthened Socio-Economic Development and Better Employment Opportunities for Refugees and Host Communities in the Jigjiga Area’ program, with funding from the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF). The program is being implemented in partnership with Danish Refugee Council (DRC).
Globally, and in Ethiopia, Mercy Corps is a leading practitioner of market systems development (MSD) approaches to poverty reduction, with expertise in implementing MSD programs in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. This program will apply our market systems expertise to refugee and host community contexts in the Jigjiga areas, with the objective of finding durable solutions to the protracted refugee situation. This program is part of a broader portfolio of markets and refugee programming for Mercy Corps in Ethiopia.
The program has three objectives / outcomes:
· Increase the ability of the local/regional economy to create jobs for various skills as per existing and/or potential economic value chains.
· Increase demand-driven skills of the labour force in the area of intervention.
· Refugee and host communities experience improved social integration and access legal rights.
General Position Summary
Mercy Corps seeks a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist for ‘’Strengthened Socio-Economic Development and Better Employment Opportunities for Refugees and Host Communities in the Jigjig Area’ (STEDE) program based in Jigjig, Ethiopia on a full-time basis. The general duties and responsibilities of the MEL specialist are to provide oversight of project-level MEL activities within the Program, ensuring the quality of the project’s MEL activities, information management via the programs reporting system (which may be tied with Mercy Corps’ proprietary Tola systems), and geographic information systems (GIS).
The MEL specialist is responsible for the capacity building and mentoring program staff on themes related to monitoring, evaluation, accountability, reporting and learning.
He/she will work closely with the STEDE MEL Advisor and STEDE Team Leader to coordinate the collection, compilation, consolidation, and analysis of data, while monitoring STEDE program progress in Somali region.
He/she will develop STEDE MEL system for reporting, evidence gathering, reflective practice, lessons learned generation, success stories documentation, and dissemination, and the implementation of communication and feedback mechanisms with partners, stakeholders, and beneficiaries.
Essential Job Responsibilities
STRATEGY & VISION
· Ensure effective data collection from different private and public institutions.
· Work closely with the program teams and local partners, to ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting of program activities and results.
· Coordinate reporting with local partners, specifically tracking deadlines, ensuring adherence to monitoring formats and requirements, ensuring reporting quality and accuracy, and periodic report writing, editing, and submission.
· Compile progress against indicators and report back to the team according to the monitoring plan.
· Conduct, follow up and ensure the implementation of Data Quality Assessment Plan.
· Perform spot checks on the team’s data collected and reports each month.
· Work closely with the program team and partners ensuring we adhere to humanitarian principles, Mercy Corps’ gender policies, Do No Harm principles and beneficiary accountability standards;
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
· Participate in programme quality assessment on different private sectors that succeeded the eligibility and technical criterion for STEDE small grants.
· Capture STEDE programme performance indicators output data and compile into TolaData.
· Perform quarterly data collection from the STEDE Programme partners including both private and public institutions and update the Institutional Performance Tracking Sheet (IPTS).
· Participate and supervise baseline data from different private institutions.
· Participate in STEDE Programme Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanisms (CARM) set up and regularly follow up the functionality of CARM channels as well as provide updates on programme participants feedback to MEL Advisor.
· Coordinate with STEDE Gender Specialist and support gender outcome mapping based agreed progress markers defined under each level.
· Build the capacity of technical team members to implement program-monitoring tools, accurately enter program data into relevant databases, and support technical team members to produce quality reports and other documents.
· Build the capacity of consortium team and our local partner organizations through ongoing training and support on: monitoring tools, entering program data into databases, the development of reports and other documents.
· Document lessons learned and success stories on the project.
· Compile presentations and updates on progress, successes and challenges as required by Team leader, STEDE Programme Director, MEL Advisor, and government
· Ensure adherence to program management minimum standards in carrying out his/her duties, advising and supporting other staff in the same as required.
· Take on overall responsibility for project Weekly and Monthly basis updates to STEDE Team Lead, Program Director, MEL Advisor and Mercy Corps Country level Programme Performance and Quality (PaQ) team members.
· Other duties as assigned.
FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
· Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations in all program implementations and financial utilization
· Draft and/or review scope of work and ToRs to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.
INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION
· Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
· Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.
GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)
· Understand and aware GDI related priorities of the country office and contribute for the realization of priorities (continually work to understand and be aware of the gender diversity and inclusion priorities of the country office and contribute in the execution)
· Promote gender equal and inclusive workplace culture in a day-to-day interaction with a team member, partners and program participants.
● Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
● Contribute to creating a secure environment for team members.
● 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.
· 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.
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 and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 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 elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
Knowledge and Experience
· Bachelor’s or master’s degree in social sciences, statistics, monitoring and evaluation, or related field is required or demonstrated equivalent work experience in the field.
· At least five years’ work experience for master’s degree, and seven years of experience for Bachelor’s degree holders in implementing practical monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management or database management in pastoral and agro-pastoral systems of Ethiopia;
· Demonstrated experience in monitoring routine data collection, data analysis and reporting against indicators at all levels.
· Demonstrated experience in quantitative and qualitative survey implementation and support.
· Demonstrated skill in training and M&E capacity development of field staff.
· Demonstrated skills in analyzing data, both qualitative and quantitative.
· Experience in the region is required; previous experience in arid and semi-arid parts of Ethiopia is preferred.
Success Factors
· Business minded, entrepreneurial, adaptive, curious, great problem-solving skills, unafraid to ask questions, and results motivated.
· He/She will be a tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures
· Excellent communication, facilitation, and networking skills with a wide range of private, partner and NGO-sector actors
· Fluent in English and Somali languages
· Computer literate especially in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
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