MEL Lead

Job Description

The IRC is seeking a MEL Director to drive the FCDO funded ‘GOAL’ in Pakistan. This is a 5-year, £130 million anticipated programme, with an expected release date by October 2022, and mobilization in the first quarter of 2023. GOAL focuses on two main priorities - access to and quality of learning for all children particularly girls - in the least developed districts of Punjab (South Punjab) and KP (the Newly Merged Districts).

Background and objectives of GOAL

The programme will cover 3 broad components: Technical Assistance, Service Delivery and Financial Aid. It aims to deliver the above-mentioned outcomes through five outputs:

1. Reduced barriers and schooling costs for girls and marginalized children,

2. Increased awareness and prioritization of education (learning)

3. Improved teacher knowledge, skills and classroom practice

4. Learning facilitated through quality (teaching learning) resources and guided by assessment

5. Improved planning and management at the school, district and provincial level.

MEL Director Profile

This is a senior position which requires outstanding leadership, strategic thinking, and organizational, team-building and representational skills. The MEL Director will be responsible for developing and implementing the project’s MEL strategy, in accordance with IRC, DFID, and international best practice. The MEL Director will work closely with the Team Leader and technical staff to ensure that relevant data is collected, analyzed, and used to inform management and design decisions, and to provide project updates, as required.

Job Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage a monitoring and evaluation system across all project components that leverages qualitative and quantitative methods, and draws from a variety of data sources to measure progress and evaluate impact, as well as support collaboration, learning, and adaptation;

• Communicate information obtained through M&E activities to program staff, and external stakeholders, including FCDO, to enable informed decision making;

• Ensure data collection process is functioning in all activity locations to provide quality, timely data;

• Regularly review data collection processes, perform data quality assessments, and make adjustments as needed;

• Conduct regular visits to project sites, as possible, to provide technical assistance and ensure proper monitoring of project activities;

• Produce M&E monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports, as needed and on-time.

• Also contribute to IRC staff and partners’ capacity building on MEL best practices.

Requirements:

• Advanced degree (master’s or doctorate) from an accredited university in social science, international development, evaluation research, statistics, or a related discipline required; equivalent experience may be substituted for graduate degree;

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in MEL for similar Education programming. Experience with projects designed to improve education in Pakistan preferred;

• Significant previous experience carrying out M&E activities in hard-to-reach provinces and districts, preferably for FCDO;

• Experience working in Pakistan on Education programming

• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop relations with local counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders;

• Strong communication skills, both oral and written;

• Fluency in English required

The MEL Director role is envisaged to be full-time and will be based in Islamabad, Pakistan with travel to the focal provinces: KP and Punjab.

Please note that the JD is high level and indicative only at this stage and may be subject to change once the Terms of Reference for the programme is released and as the opportunity develops. This position will be contingent on the outcome of the bid.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

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