Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Lead

ABOUT FC AFRICA

FC Africa, formerly First Consult, is a regional development organization operating across East Africa. The transition to FC Africa reflects the organization’s substantial growth in regional reach, technical expertise, and service offerings since its establishment in 2006. Alongside FC Development and FC Investment, we operate through a unified model that blends development resources, investment capital, and advisory services. FC Development delivers grants, guarantees, and technical assistance, while FC Investment supports enterprise financing, investment readiness, and capital mobilization.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

EthiopiaAI is a 3-year program launched in May 2026 designed to support Ethiopia in accelerating the responsible adoption and institutionalization of Artificial Intelligence across priority sectors, including public service delivery, economic transformation, and climate resilience. The programme builds on national policy frameworks such as the National AI Policy and the Digital Ethiopia 2030 Strategy, which together establish a strong foundation for the integration of advanced technologies into governance and development systems.

The MERL Lead for this program is responsible to design, establish, and operationalize the foundational MERL architecture for the project. The MERL Lead will build the complete monitoring and evaluation ecosystem from scratch, ensuring the project has the frameworks, tools, and workplans required to effectively measure impact and pivot based on evidence.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Framework Architecture & Theory of Change:
  • Review project proposal documents to refine and finalize the project’s Theory of Change and Logical Framework (LogFrame).
  • Develop a comprehensive MERL Framework that defines clear indicators (KPIs), baseline requirements, data sources, and targets.
• Documentation & Standardization:
  • Draft the master MERL Manual/Plan, outlining data flow, methodology, roles, and responsibilities across the team.
  • Design standard operating procedures (SOPs) for data collection, quality assurance, data privacy, and storage.
• Workplan & Tool Development:
  • Create a detailed MERL Annual Workplan synced with the overall project implementation timeline.
  • Design and customize data collection tools (e.g., surveys, qualitative interview guides, dashboard wireframes).
• Learning & Adaptation Strategy:
  • Establish a “Learning Agenda” to capture unexpected outcomes and institutional knowledge.
  • Set up mechanisms for regular reflection sessions (e.g., Pause & Reflect moments) to feed data back into implementation.

Education

• Master’s degree in Statistics, Economics, International Development, Social Sciences, or a related field.

Experience

• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive experience in MERL, with a distinct track record of designing MERL systems during project start-up/inception phases.
• Expertise in developing Logical Frameworks, Indicator Performance Tracking Tables, and Theories of Change.
• Proficiency with digital data collection platforms and data visualization tools.
• Soft Skills: Strong strategic thinking, excellent technical writing skills (proven ability to write clear manuals), and the ability to work independently under tight start-up deadlines.
• Excellent writing and analytical skill in capturing learnings and drafting reports;
• Perform any other duties as may be required by the immediate supervisor
• The ideal candidate must have proven experience building MERL systems from scratch, rather than just maintaining existing ones.

REPORTING

The MERL Lead reports to the Programme Lead.