Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and CARM Officer

Job Description

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.

We help people overcome poverty and conflict. Working with communities, we leverage local logic to help people transform their lives. To grow more food, earn higher incomes and ultimately advocate for their needs. We see global challenges as an invitation to pioneer innovative, sustainable solutions. During our 34-year history, our work has improved more than 170 million lives in more than 115 countries around the world.

Position Title: Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and CARM Officer

Duty Station: Jijiga

Open Position:  1

Program Summary

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 and acts on behalf of people who have become disenfranchised and poor. We stand with Ethiopia to find and access opportunities, and to be part of lasting and meaningful transformation in the country. Mercy Corps seeks to be influential with government and development actors towards a more resilient country where poverty is tackled through the eyes of those who understand it best. This translates into ensuring that the population is financially stable, healthy & nourished, educated & unformed, and that natural resources are accessible, shared and utilized sustainably.

Mercy Corps anticipates 18 months, 10 million-dollar USAID funded initiative focused on: Improve short-term food security, nutrition, and WASH outcomes for vulnerable households, sustain and increase food production by farmers and livestock producers while fostering a shift to more resilient production practices; female and male youth TOPs have improved capacity to make a successful transition to alternative livelihoods. The program will operate in multiple pastoral regions across Ethiopia.

Mercy Corps is looking for individuals who will have responsibility to support technical teams in targeting, lead Community Accountability Response Mechanisms (CARM), monitoring of activities, performance checking, and outcome monitoring.

General Position Summary

The MEL and CARM officer will work with RIPA site team. Mercy Corps is looking for individuals who will have responsibility to support technical teams in target group verification, indicator performance measurement, data collection, analysis, reporting and perform CARM activities.

Essential Job Responsibilities

1. Support targeting of beneficiaries for project interventions — Working together with the field technical team and government counterparts, the incumbents will participate in the targeting of beneficiaries (including collecting data from said beneficiaries) for the project interventions: nutrition, livestock producers, animal health service providers, job & employment creation beneficiaries and other project activities.
2. The position holder is responsible to upload all approved Concept Notes (CNs) for the region to agency measurement system (CNMS), ensure that all the monitoring data and evidence are collected, stored on the system (TolaData) and ensure registration of institutions to the agency system (IPTS) and manage community and parthners feedback mechanism through CARM system.
3. Ensure all necessary documents for program management are properly filed and kept both in hard and soft copy as per the requirement by Mercy Corps project management standards (PM@MC).
4. Manage monitoring of activities — The incumbents will be responsible for establishing and monitoring beneficiaries (individual and institutional) data base in the intervention area, gather pieces of evidence for innovative ways to manage risk, supplemental fund program development gains & policy level impact, achievement of output & outcome level quantitative and qualitative indicators, and performances of challenges encountered in the overall project activities.
5. Involved in the development and implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning systems, including indicators, data collection, data management, analysis and reports as required by Mercy Corps, donor, and government.
6. Compile and report community and parthners feedback through different community accountability response mechanism channels, database management, standard report formats and sensitization mechanisms.
7. Compile presentations and updates on progress, success factors and challenges as required by the managers, donor, and government.
8. Ensure appropriate regular monitoring and timely submission of all necessary reports in line with donor, Mercy Corps and government reporting schedules and deadlines.
9. Provide timely updates to Crisis Response Coordinator on progress of program areas
10. Document and disseminate best practices and lessons learnt.
11. Develop and maintain effective information database for the project in the operational areas

Capacity-Building

1. Identify and recommend areas for specific training and capacity-building, both for staff and target communities to Crisis Response Coordinator.
2. Outcome monitoring and evaluation—MEL and CARM officer will be in charge of collecting baseline data from a sample of beneficiaries and follow up with them post-intervention.
3. Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
4. Be a team player—the crisis response requires more efforts to work closely together, communicate regularly and professionally for smooth implementation of activities.
5. Work closely with field CLA and MEL teams to develop and deliver staff/partner trainings, improving capacities in monitoring, evaluation and learning and database management, data collection, entry, verification, and analysis, and other identified needs.
6. Follow up on trainings by mentoring staff/partners to develop identified technical skills one-on one.
7. Other duties as assigned by the supervisor (Crisis Response Coordinator) and Cluster Coordinator.

Link M&E Results to Reporting

• Review or edit data in reports as requested and required
• Produce analytical summaries: graphs, charts, and tables as requested to fulfil reporting requirements
• Other duties as assigned and agreed upon

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, evaluation and learning of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility: No

Accountability

Reports Directly to: MEL Specialist (in Jigjiga)

Works Directly with: Crisis Response Team, MEL Manager, Communications Manager, Senior MEL-GIS Advisor, Gender Advisors and Program Specialists.

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, statistics, monitoring and evaluation, international development, communications, or related field is required or demonstrated equivalent work experience in the field.
• Three to five years relevant field management experience, especially in the areas of monitoring and evaluation and learning and knowledge management;
• Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues.
• Previous experience working on USAID funded programs strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience and ability to professionally and appropriately represent the organization and negotiate with a diverse range of government officials, local organizations, donors and other groups for outcomes in the best interest of program implementation
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational, and prioritization skills are necessary
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English, including report development, writing and editing.

Success Factors:

• Conscientious, with excellent judgment
• Display an entrepreneurial spirit that is both creative and flexible. We are looking for a motivated individual, who is eager to learn and share knowledge and who can balance working independently and in a team environment.
• Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential.
• S/he must have the confidence, and humility, to work effectively with a large variety of people who will be diverse culturally, economically and in social status
• S/he must be sensitive to political and cultural nuance and able to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and fast-changing situations
• Ability to foster solid working relationships with USAID, host Government, beneficiary communities, and partner organizations
• Ability to work as part of a team and coordinate with project personnel.
• Strong organizational skills.

 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.

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.

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.

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.

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply for the position advertised. All applications must be submitted electronically including a CV, three references, and all relevant official documents.

Only candidates that are short-listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.

“Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity, and    diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women and youth.”

DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: 30 September 2023/ 4:00 PM