Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Director

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 25 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home. The IRC has a well-structured operational base in South Sudan. IRC is operating in eight field sites in South Sudan, covering four of the former ten states. With two offices in Northern Bahr el Ghazal (Aweil East and South), four offices in Unity State (Jamjang, Bentiu, Ganyliel and Nyal), one office in Rumbek town covering the whole of Lakes, and one field office in Central Equatoria (Juba) for urban programming together with the South Sudan Country program office. The IRC has been one of the largest providers of aid in the region of South Sudan for over 25 years, delivering emergency relief and post-conflict assistance since 1989. Today, the IRC provides services for more than 900,000 people across the country, delivering lifesaving care and life-changing assistance.

Position Summary

IRC is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Director for an anticipated an anticipated 5-year $25M USAID-funded orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) activity. The project will work to prevent new HIV infections and optimize outcomes for those living with HIV by fostering resilience among high-risk children, youth, and their caregivers in high-burden counties in South Sudan. Interventions will be delivered at three levels to achieve all outcomes: (i) strengthened capacity of most vulnerable households to provide basic needs for their children and other family members; (ii) improved retention in care, treatment adherence, and viral load suppression for children and adolescents living with HIV; (iii) reduced incidence of new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women; (iv) decreased experiences of sexual, physical, and emotional violence among children, adolescent girls, and young women.

The MERL Director will be responsible for developing and implementing the project’s MERL Strategy, in accordance with IRC, USAID, and international best practice. The MERL Director will work closely with the COP and technical staff to ensure that relevant data is collected, analyzed, and used to inform management and design decision, and to provide project updates, as required. This position is contingent upon signed agreement and USAID approval of the anticipated project.

The position will be based in Juba, South Sudan, and will report to the Chief of Party.

Job Responsibilities

Strategic & Leadership:

• Develop, manage and implement a monitoring and evaluation strategy for the project, including a 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.

• Participate and provide input to program strategy, including necessary adjustments or refinements to the work plan.

• Prepare the MERL section of the annual work plans, and of review or updates of it, as needed.

• Effectively represent the Program at MERL coordination meetings and forums.

Technical role:

• Hire, train, supervise and mentor the project’s MERL team. Reinforce or build their capacities on data collection, quality assurance, analysis, interpretation, and use.

• Communicate information obtained through MERL activities to program staff, and external stakeholders, including USAID, to enable informed decision making.

• Develop and ensure compliance with procedures for collection and reporting of program performance data to provide quality and timely data.

• Regularly review data collection processes, perform data quality assessments, and adjust as needed.

• Oversee baseline and endline surveys and assessments and ensure the MERL system’s functionality on a day-to-day basis.

• Conduct regular visits to project sites to provide on-site technical assistance and ensure proper monitoring of project activities.

Requirements:

• Advanced degree (PhD or MA) 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 seven years of experience in MERL experience on multi-million-dollar humanitarian or development projects in crisis contexts.

• Significant previous experience carrying out MERL activities in South Sudan or within the East African region, preferably for USAID.

• Experience with USAID’s collaborating, learning, and adapting (CLA) approach preferred.

• Experience in HIV prevention and care including children living with HIV (CLHIV), as well as experience in orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) programming.

• Experience developing performance monitoring plans and associated data collection-analysis-presentation systems. In addition: proven experience in implementing surveys/ assessments/ evaluations.

• Utilize statistical software systems such as SPSS or STATA. Ability to use and mainstream ODK based mobile data collection software, such as Kobo Collect and CommCare.

• 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 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

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

South Sudanese Nationals, Women, Minorities and People Living with Disabilities Are Encouraged To Apply.

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Qualifications