Regional MERL Specialist

Location: ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Company: Plan International

Job Description

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 75 countries.

The MERL Specialist will be providing technical support to Plan International’s Country Offices in Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. The MERL Specialist will work closely with the Country Offices and PlayMatters Consortium partners in developing MEL plans and country indicator frameworks, as well as in the roll out of a testing plan of newly developed learning materials for children aged 3 – 12+. This includes overseeing and/or conducting trainings in use of MEL tools. In addition, the MERL Specialist will be part of PlanBørnefonden’s MEL team and contribute to M&E, learning and documentation.

Key tasks of the position include:

  • Coordinate and lead PlanBørnefonden’s engagement in the MERL workstreams in the PlayMatters programme, in close cooperation with the Programme Manager, Technical Advisor and Research and Learning Advisor
  • Support the development and roll-out of country-level MEL plans in collaboration with Country Offices and Consortium partners, including country indicator frameworks and tools to measure the redesigned country level approaches under PlayMatters 2.0.
  • Provide MERL support to Plan International’s Country Offices ensuring M&E systems are aligned with the Consortium MEL Plan for effective monitoring of key outputs and outcomes
  • Support the delivery of baseline/midline/endline assessments in Plan areas of operation
  • Serve as regional RMEL technical focal point to one country RMEL team (currently Ethiopia) as part of the current PlayMatters’ Consortium RMEL structure
  • Participate in the PlayMatters Consortium RMEL/Evidence Unit meetings and contribute to RMEL activities and the PlayMatters’ learning agenda
  • Work with Plan Research & Learning Advisor on any joint research and MEL work or activities. This may include sometimes covering for the Research & Learning Advisor while they are on leave and vice-a-versa.
  • Ensure gender and inclusion are mainstreamed in Consortium RMEL work
  • General support to M&E tasks across the department’s programmes and projects, including applying lessons learnt from PlayMatters based on MEL work.

​​​​Key tasks of the position include:

  • Coordinate and lead Plan Børnefonden’s engagement in the MERL workstreams in the PlayMatters programme, in close cooperation with the Programme Manager, Technical Advisor and Research and Learning Advisor
  • Support the development and roll-out of country-level MEL plans in collaboration with Country Offices and Consortium partners, including country indicator frameworks and tools to measure the redesigned country level approaches under PlayMatters 2.0.
  • Provide MERL support to Plan International’s Country Offices ensuring M&E systems are aligned with the Consortium MEL Plan for effective monitoring of key outputs and outcomes
  • Support the delivery of baseline/midline/endline assessments in Plan areas of operation
  • Serve as regional RMEL technical focal point to one country RMEL team (currently Ethiopia) as part of the current PlayMatters’ Consortium RMEL structure
  • Participate in the PlayMatters Consortium RMEL/Evidence Unit meetings and contribute to RMEL activities and the PlayMatters’ learning agenda
  • Work with Plan Research & Learning Advisor on any joint research and MEL work or activities. This may include sometimes covering for the Research & Learning Advisor while they are on leave and vice-a-versa.
  • Ensure gender and inclusion are mainstreamed in Consortium RMEL work
  • General support to M&E tasks across the department’s programmes and projects, including applying lessons learnt from PlayMatters based on MEL work.

The ideal candidate has:

  • Relevant educational background e.g. Education, Psychology, Sociology, International Development, Economics or the like.
  • Minimum of at least seven (7) years of experience in design and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning systems in an international context, preferably with Education and/or EiE
  • Experience with Quantitative Research Design and understanding of the link between quantitative and qualitative knowledge processes and methods (mixed methods).
  • Experience working with external consultants, as well as knowledge and research institutions.
  • Theoretical and practical understanding of gender attitudes and power dynamics, and how they shape MERL approaches and methodologies
  • Able to maintain a good overview of several processes at once and is well organized and has strong cooperation skills.
  • Experience with data collection tools such as CommCare and/or KoBo Toolbox
  • Experience with databases including setting up dashboards and conducting data analyses
  • Experience in education and early childhood education, fragile contexts, preferred

Conditions of employment: The preferred starting date is 1st of November 2022. It is a 2-year project position with possibility of extension with the possibility of extension.

Duty station: Kampala, Uganda; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; or Kibondo/Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Please note the applicant should have the right to work in one of the above countries. International travel of 4 – 8 weeks a year is expected.

Application.

 Please send your cover letter and CV in one collated PDF file to job@planbornefonden.dk. Write “MERL Specialist” in the subject field.

For further information about the position, please contact Susanne Thorsbøll (susanne.thorsboell@planbornefonden.dk).

Application deadline.

26th of September 2022. Interviews are planned for week 39-40.

About Plan International. Plan International is a global independent development and humanitarian organisation focusing on children and young people’s rights and gender equality for girls. Plan International works to safeguard the rights of children and young people and to lift millions out of poverty. We work in 52 developing countries in Africa, Asia and South and Central America.

About Plan Denmark. Plan Denmark supports development and humanitarian programmes across approximately 20 countries, with a strong focus on its four West African and four East African priority countries. Our programme strategy have three focus areas: Healthy, Safe, and Playful Early Childhood; Young People Driving change; and Building Resilient Communities and Responding to Emergency. Currently, we implement education in emergency programmes in eight countries. Read more at www.planbornefonden.dk.
Location: Kampala, Uganda; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; or Kibondo/Dares Salaam, Tanzania. Please note the applicant should have the right to work in one of the above countries. International travel of 4 – 8 weeks a year is expected.

Type of Role: Regional MERL Specialist

Closing Date: 26th of September 2022

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates. 

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