Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager

Overview

The Strengthening Host and Refugee Populations in Ethiopia (SHARPE) programme uses a market systems development approach to stimulate private sector investment and increase livelihoods opportunities for refugees and host communities. SHARPE operates in three locations in Ethiopia, Jijiga, Dollo Ado and Gambella, with a coordinating office in Addis. The programme commenced in September 2019 and is due to finish in March 2025.

Role and responsibilities

SHARPE’s portfolio comprises a diverse set of activities that require a nuanced approach to monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) to effectively design or adapt the appropriate data collection, evidence gathering, and learning tools to meet the contract objectives.

The MEL Manager supports the programme to implement its Results Measurement (RM) system and lead more challenging design, research, and aggregation efforts. The MEL Manager works closely together with the SHARPE senior management, intervention managers and regional hub teams to ensure a consistent and seamless integration of strategy, implementation, monitoring and results measurement, and learning feedback loops.  S/he is part of all strategic sector discussions and, together with other programme staff, ensuring that learning from results feed into strategies and interventions. The MEL Manager supports supplementary research as required and is also responsible for implementing the SHARPE learning agenda. S/he works closely with a part-time MEL Advisor (based overseas) and supervises three field based M&E Officers, one in each regional office.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

 Monitoring and Results Measurement

• Responsible for maintaining, in collaboration with the MEL Advisor, a results measurement system in line with best practice. The measurement system should include up-to-date Intervention Guides and a monitoring visit plan.
• Collaborate with the SHARPE team members and technical advisors to develop high-quality results chains (logic models) and measurement plans for each partnership and strategic engagement area. The MEL Manager should execute these plans in a timely and collaborative manner with the country team, ensuring inclusion indicators are appropriately integrated into results chains and research plans.
• Analyse assessment results ensuring the findings are communicated meaningfully. Based on the findings, the MEL Manager should suggest ways to improve SHARPE’s sector strategies or intervention designs.
• Participate in and prepare updated results for all strategy meetings, notably the quarterly management and annual reviews meetings, but also day-to-day discussions on progress and planning.
• Prepare the Annual Aggregation of Results; provide insight into progress against key headline and intermediary indicators as and when needed; support reporting on specific indicators as requested by the donor (FCDO).
• Support reporting of M&E findings through existing programme and sub-programme reporting arrangements. Ensure that reporting formats: (i) are clearly aligned to the log frame; (ii) allow for answers to pre-set M&E questions; (iii) capture VfM strategy indicators as required at relevant intervals; and (iv) are prepared collaboratively, practicable and meet FCDO requirements.

Ongoing Implementation Tasks

• Continually analyse sectors of the economy to understand their functioning and help to identify potential opportunities for pro-poor, inclusive growth.
• Communicate with partners and stakeholders to introduce innovation that unlocks growth potential for hosts and refugee communities
• Travel extensively to develop a deep insight in the host and refugee economy, meet the players and potential partners, and verify whether the interventions designed achieve their objectives.

Knowledge Management

• Work with the SHARPE programme team to generate insight and learning that can be used as content for engagement, influencing and learning events.
• Contribute to the documentation of impact and learning for wider dissemination

Other Tasks

• Carry out other activities as directed by the Team Leader, programe management team, and technical advisors or other representatives of SHARPE
• Manage short-term assistance research inputs, as required.

The MEL Manager will be based in Addis Ababa with regular travel to Dollo Ado, Gambella, and Jijiga as needed. This is a full-time role and will report to the SHARPE Team Leader.

 Technical Requirements

• Experience in applying monitoring principles to be able to conduct monitoring and results measurement in line with best practice.
• Practical experience in using reporting frameworks (including inclusion frameworks) and applying frameworks for research design and learning.
• Understanding of the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to development, with the ability to design and manage interventions in line with its principles.
• An ability to be self-critical about the sustainability, effectiveness and efficiency of programmed results achieved and willing to learn from them.
• An understanding of the obstacles faced by women and refugees and ability to actively search for opportunities to increase their participation in economic growth.
• Experience in promoting environmentally and socially responsible business practices and avoid promoting business practices that are not sustainable from an environmental or social point of view.

Desired requirements

• Preferably more than three years of work experience
• Educational background in business, economics, sociology, anthropology or other relevant field(s) are preferred
• Strong business or (applied) research orientation and work experience in a related field
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to apply quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Excellent written and spoken English language skills, able to write evidence-based reports.
• Willingness to work in a challenging environment and to travel nationally.