Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning – MERL Lead

Job Description

Purpose of the Role

The IRC is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning – MERL Lead for the five-year, $50 million USAID-funded HICRA. This project will encompass a set of innovative interventions, with an overall goal of addressing the social and economic and environmental challenges in the southeastern districts of Cox’s Bazar and Bandarbun. The challenges are most acute in the communities directly responsible for hosting the refugee camps.

The MERL Lead provides strategic guidance, vision, and management for successful monitoring and evaluation of the program. The Manager oversees all MEL activities, provides technical direction and support, ensures the accurate reporting of results for program activities, and ensures the program aligns with IRC’s quality standards for MEL in close coordination with the country office’s MERL team.

This position will report to the Technical Director/DCOP and is contingent on the IRC being awarded funding. It is anticipated to begin in September 2023.

Highlights of Key Responsibilities

· Oversee the design and implementation of the project’s MERL system in coordination with IRC’s MEAL team to develop key performance indicators, targets, tools, and appropriate MERL responsibilities across the project that meet IRC standards and practices, project and program needs, enable accountability to clients, partners, and donors, and foster program learning.

· Manage baseline and endline assessments and support the implementation of research studies with IRC’s project team.

· Lead all aspects of MEAL (including client feedback mechanisms) functions across multiple sectors and multiple geographical areas/large portfolio and or complex environment.

· Develop and disseminate relevant M&E tools, formats and lead the provision of M&E specific technical training.

· Oversee data collection, collation, storage, analysis, and reporting, ensuring that data is of high quality and audit worthy.

· Coordinate any external evaluation processes, including drafting evaluation ToR and selection of firm, in alignment with award.

· Supervise other M&E staff and oversee consortium partners’ compliance with MERL system.

· Work closely with partners to establish their internal MERL systems, M&E plans, and data quality management, oversee partners’ compliance with MERL system, and design and conduct trainings to support capacity for MERL among partners.

· Ensure appropriate training and supportive supervision of all partners in monitoring and evaluation procedures, data collection tools, and data management practices.

· Strengthen staff and partners’ capacity in qualitative and quantitative monitoring and evaluation techniques through comprehensive staff training, mentoring, and/or coaching.

· Oversee the development and maintenance of a comprehensive project database, ensure accurate and timely storage of electronic files.

· Responsible for the data analysis, writing, and review of the results and learning sections of program reports in collaboration with program staff, before submission to donor and ensure consortium partners’ compliance with internal data quality requirements and timely submissions for reporting.

· Commitment to applied learning and adaptation based on data: Lead the program team on routine reviews and interpretation of data for learning and adaptation; package and disseminate timely findings in a meaningful way and make suggestions for adaption.

· Manage MERL team members.

· Represent the IRC on MEAL at internal and external meetings, forums, and other events.

· Produce learning products and thought leadership pieces relevant to the project intervention, present in local conferences or on webinars regarding project’s MERL successes.

· Other tasks as assigned.

· Strong management and social skills and proven track record to work with diverse groups of people in a multicultural environment.

· Self-motivated with excellent organization, planning, and analytical skills - able to work without close supervision, including prioritizing work and multi-tasking.

Qualifications

· Master’s degree in any of the following or related fields: social science, international development, public health, evaluation, statistics, or economics.

· At least 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in designing, managing, and implementing results-based MEL activities.

· At least 5 years of supervisory experience.

· Demonstrated relevant technical skills in analyzing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data and packaging the findings.

· Excellent organizational as well as English oral and written communication skills. Fluency in Bengali is strongly preferred.

· Progressively responsible experience in monitoring and evaluation of building capacity for civil society organizations and networks/coalition strengthening, program beneficiaries, and program staff.

· Experience in utilizing gender and social inclusion sensitive indicators and measures.

· Extensive knowledge of reporting procedures, including USAID, best practices, guidelines, and tools for monitoring, evaluation and learning, including impact evaluation.

· Ability to work well on team and with various partner organizations.

· Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs, i.e., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc., and the ability to use various commercially available statistical software programs.

· Willingness to travel to field-level offices.

Specific Educational Qualification

• Master’s degree in any of the following or related fields: social science, international development, public health, evaluation, statistics, or economics.

Professional Degree/ Certification

• N/A

Standard of Professional Conduct

IRC and IRC employees are required to abide by the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct which are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons, and several others.

Gender Equality & Equal Opportunity

We are committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer generous benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances. We welcome and strongly encourage qualified women professionals to apply.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Are you ready to join the most dynamic team?