About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is an international Humanitarian organization operating Water and Sanitation, Economic Development, Livelihoods, Capacity Building, Emergency Response, Health and Nutrition, and similar sectors in the regions of SNNPR, Somali, Oromia, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. Mercy Corps works with communities, public and private sectors to implement appropriate relief, recovery and development interventions. Mercy Corps Ethiopia invites motivated and qualified candidates to apply for the following vacant position.

Position Title:  Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning(MEL) Specialist

Duty Station:  Arbaminch, eTHIOPIA

Post Position: One

Program/Department summary

Mercy Corps is a consortium member for the Omo Delta Programme: Expanding the Rangeland to achieve Growth and Transformation, funded by the European Union Trust Fund (EUTF) and led by VSF-Germany and implemented in Ethiopia (South Omo, and West omo zones) and Kenya (Turkana, Marsabit counties).  The program comprises three results areas:  Increase wealth of young people in particular and especially young women, accelerate trade at local and cross border level and increase stability to promote growth and protect gains. Within this consortium, Mercy Corps’ role is market systems strengthening to increase wealth of young people mainly focus on unemployed youths and women; Mercy Corps Ethiopia and Mercy Corps Kenya will be collaborating in this effort.

[Describe overview of job missioGENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning specialist will work with Omo Delta Program: Expanding the Rangeland to achieve Growth and Transformation team. S/he will be responsible for supporting the Program manager/Team Leader and Coordinator to ensure that performance monitoring and results reporting across the entire program are in place, effectively implemented and well synchronized among the consortium organizations. The position requires key skills in M4P,OdK,ONA,MEL toolls, experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning of market system development, facilitation and planning; expertise in relationship management within the team, with partner organizations stakeholders, beneficiary community members; and strong capacities in project MEL related areas.

Mercy Corps is looking for individuals who will have responsibility and mandate to support technical teams in targeting, monitoring of activities, performance checking, and outcome and impact monitoring.            

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

1.      Support targeting of beneficiaries for Omo Delta Program interventions – Working together with the field technical team, consortium partners and government counterparts, the incumbents will participate in the targeting of beneficiaries (including collecting data from said beneficiaries) for Omo Delta program intervention area and upload to COBO and fill ALTI systems;

2.      The position holder is responsible to upload all approved intervention CNs and sub activity CN for the Omo Delta Program to agency measurement system (TolaData),to  ensure that all the monitoring data and evidences are collected, stored on the system;

3.      Ensure all necessary documents for program management are properly filed and kept both in Hard and soft copy on Google Drive/Drop Box or any other systems/mechanisms as per the requirement by PM@MC; 

4.      Manage monitoring of activities – The incumbents will be responsible for  establishing and monitoring  beneficiaries ( individual and institutional) database in the aforementioned intervention  areas , gather pieces of evidence  for innovative ways to manage risk, Omo Delta 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 and Evaluation systems, including indicators, data collection, analysis and reports as required by Mercy Corps, donor and signatory government agencies;

6.      Compile presentations and updates on progress, successes and challenges as required by the managers, donor and government agencies;  

7.      Ensure appropriate regular monitoring and timely submission of all necessary reports in line with donor, Mercy Corps and government reporting schedules and deadlines;

8.      Provide timely updates to program managers and coordinator on progress of program areas;

9.      Document and disseminate best practices and lessons learnt;

10.  Develop and maintain effective information database for the project in Omo Delta Program operational areas.

11.  Engage in survey and assessment in project intervention areas whenever needed

CAPACITY-BUILDING

12.  Identify and recommend areas for specific training and capacity-building, both for staff and target communities to Program Team Leader and Coordinator.

13.  Outcome Monitoring and Evaluation – MEL Specialist will be in charge of collecting baseline data from a sample of beneficiaries and follow up with their post-intervention.

14.  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.

15.  Be a team player – Omo Delta Program as a complex program requires more efforts to work closely, communicate regularly and professionally for smooth implementation of activities with beneficiaries, consortium organizations, government stakeholders & donor agency.

16.  Discharge other duties related to the program when assigned by project manager and country MEL manager

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

1.      Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, social sciences, statistics, monitoring and evaluation, or related field is required or demonstrated equivalent work experience in the field.

2.      At least five years’ experience in project monitoring, evaluation and learning 

3.      Demonstrated experience in reviewing data for quality and accuracy.

4.      Experience writing short technical reports.

5.      Previous experiences working in other international NGOs are strongly preferred.

6.      Proficient in tablet-based data collection and application of TolaData and COBO

7.      Effective English oral and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational, and prioritization skills are necessary.

8.      Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is required.

9.      Ability to meet deadlines; work independently and cooperatively with team members.

10.  Ability to travel long distances across Omo Delta Program target woredas for monitoring purposes.

11.  Experience of working in pastoral area is advantageous

SUCCESS FACTORS:

·         Ability to work as part of a team and coordinate with personnel.

·         Conscientious, with excellent judgment.

·         Display an entrepreneurial spirit that is both creative and flexible. S/he will combine strong communication skills, creativity, initiative, participatory leadership and tactful decisiveness to assist in the development and implementation of Mercy Corps’ MEL strategy. 

·         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 host Government, beneficiary communities, and partner organizations

·         Strong organizational skills.