Project Monitoring Evaluation & Learnings Officer (3 Positions)

VSO is the world’s leading international organisation working through volunteers to create a fair world for everyone. We focus on people who are marginalised or excluded, including those living in poverty, people with disabilities or illness, and those facing discrimination, violence, disasters, disease, and conflict.

VSO places these individuals at the centre of its work as primary actors and agents of change. We work with communities to identify their priorities, opportunities, and solutions, supporting locally led and sustainable change.

Our Approach

VSO’s Volunteering for Development (VfD) approach supports vulnerable and marginalised people to claim their rights and drive lasting change. It addresses the root causes of vulnerability and marginalisation through three core approaches: social inclusion and gender, social accountability, and resilience. These approaches underpin our work in inclusive education, health, resilient livelihoods and peace building.

About the Job

VSO is a lead implementer of the Internship Opportunities for Young Women program (iWork), financed by the Mastercard Foundation. The program will be implemented in Ethiopia across Amhara, Oromia, and Harari regional states, as well as the Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa city administrations. iWork aims to create internship opportunities for 24,000 financially disadvantaged young people, with a primary focus on young women. The program also promotes inclusion by reaching persons with disabilities, refugees, internally displaced people, and returnees. Through internships, iWork aims to help young women build the skills and experience they need to access dignified and fulfilling work, contributing to poverty reduction and an improved quality of life.

VSO Ethiopia is recruiting a Project Monitoring Evaluation & Learnings Officer for iWork program.

Role Purpose:

To implement the MEL plan at the assigned cluster in line with the i-Work MERL framework and VSO’s Measuring Impact for Learning and Empowerment (MILE) approach. The role is responsible for monitoring project progress, tracking performance against targets and plan, collecting and managing quality data, supporting assessments and learning activities, contributing to reports, evidence generating and sharing insights to inform decision-making, accountability, continuous improvement and compliance.

Tasks Responsibilities

• Implement the MEL plan, systems, tools and processes at the assigned cluster, in line with i-Work MERL framework and VSO’s MILE methodology.
• Collect, manage and analyse data, compile periodic learning documentation for the assigned cluster and contribute to donor and quarterly organisational reporting.
• Monitor project progress in the assigned cluster against planned targets, indicators, outputs, outcomes and work plans.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to internship sites, training centres and operational areas in the assigned cluster to verify activity implementation and data quality.
• Collect, validate, clean, analyse and store project data for the assigned cluster, including tracking key performance indicators and maintaining secure, accessible databases, records using the consortium aligned digital platform and documentation in line with data protection, safeguarding and ethical data management principles.
• Conduct baseline, midline, end-line and routine monitoring exercises for the assigned cluster, and compile, interpret and present findings through timely reports, dashboards and presentations to support learning, donor reporting and evidence-based decision-making.
• Implement research activities, assessments, surveys, case studies and learning initiatives for the assigned cluster.
• Facilitate reflective sessions in the assigned cluster.
• Develop case studies, learning reviews and evidence products for the assigned cluster, documenting and disseminating lessons learned, good practices, innovations, challenges and success stories from project implementation.
• Work closely with the MERL Lead and project teams to implement project monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan.
• Coordinate with Cluster Coordinators and field teams to achieve timely and accurate data collection, entry, verification, analysis, and reporting.
• Coordinate with consortium PMU and cluster teams to track progress against project indicators, targets, and implementation milestones.
• Provide technical support to cluster team and partners on MEL tools, reporting templates, and data collection methodologies.
• Participate in project planning meetings, review sessions, supervision visits, and donor engagements.
• Coordinate with government stakeholders, TVETs, enterprises, internship host organisations, consortium and implementing partners to support assessments, monitoring, learning, reporting, data validation and knowledge sharing in the assigned cluster.
• Organise and participate in joint monitoring visits, data verification exercises, evaluations, stakeholder review meetings, technical working groups, learning forums and coordination platforms as assigned.
• Maintain communication with external evaluators, consultants and research partners, and share project findings, lessons learned and data-driven insights with local stakeholders and ecosystem actors.

Work Location: Addis Ababa (1) Bahir Dar (1), and Kombolcha (1)

Required Qualification

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent knowledge and skills in, Statistics, Economics, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Project Management, Data Science, or related fields.
• Additional training or certification in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning (MERL), data management, or project management is an added advantage.

Required Experience

• relevant experience   in monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning within development or donor-funded projects.
• Proficient skills in Monitoring, Evaluation & Learnings with knowledge of current M&E tools and proven track record of using participatory methods.
• Proficient in data collection, documentations and basic research skills using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Practical experience using digital data collection tools and database management systems with ability to use SPSS, EPI-Info and other packages; qualitative data analysis tools/software such as KoboToolbox, ODK, CommCare, Power BI, or similar platforms.
• Knowledge of youth employment, workforce development, women and youth economic participation with understanding of gender, inclusion, safeguarding and youth-centred programming and development context in the assigned cluster will be an advantage.
• Ability to conduct field visits and work in challenging environments.
• Project Management and MEAL Frameworks: Familiarity with MEAL frameworks, including logframes, theories of change, and results-based management.
• Reporting Standards: Knowledge of donor reporting requirements, impact assessment, and reporting formats for various funders.
• Report Writing: Strong skills in writing clear, concise, and well-organized reports for internal and external stakeholders.
• ICT and MEAL Technologies: Knowledge of digital data collection tools (e.g., Kobo Toolbox, CommCare), data analysis software (e.g., SPSS, R, Excel), and dashboard/visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Analytical and Critical Thinking: Ability to interpret data, assess project impact, identify trends, and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Good written and verbal communication skills in English and local languages (Knowledge of Amharic language), and report writing skills.
• Good coordination and facilitation skills with ability to engage with different stakeholders.
• Demonstrated VSO Behavioural Competencies.
• Commitment to VSO’s vision, mission, values, code of conduct, people-first principles, volunteering for development approach.

Travel Requirement

Ability to travel frequently to project field locations, woredas and stakeholder sites within the assigned cluster, and occasionally to other programme locations as required

Equal Opportunities

VSO promotes equal opportunities and values a diverse workforce.

VSO is committed to a fair, transparent and merit-based recruitment. VSO does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process.