Senior Officer- Monitoring, Evaluation, Results and Learning (MERL)

Description

iDE is an international NGO with over 40 years of experience in designing and delivering market-based anti-poverty programs in 11 countries. We are a world leader in making markets work for the poor as well as the longest-established market development specialist NGO in Bangladesh. iDE believes that markets can be a powerful force for improving smallholder prosperity by creating income and livelihood opportunities for poor rural households. iDE Bangladesh currently has eight projects in Agricultural Markets, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Access to Finance with a focus on women’s economic empowerment and climate-smart technologies.

Number of Vacancies: 1 (One)

Job Location: Dhaka with field visits as needed

Reporting Line: Manager-MERL

iDE’s emphasis is on delivering cost-effective programs that offer verifiable value for money – for both donors and for the poor households with whom we work. iDE measures its progress through an approach to monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning that we refer to as MERL, which includes both data for action and data for impact; made up of static analyses, using statistical analysis tools for in-depth study, as well as dynamic analyses, that leverage information system to deliver near real-time information to the proper people at the right time.

iDE Bangladesh is currently looking for a dynamic team player as Sr. Officer in MERL unit. As a key member of the MERL unit, this position manages the implementation of monitoring and evaluation plans/processes for key programs across iDE’s portfolio, and in addition develops, maintains and supports appropriate digital solutions for such plans and the operational needs of iDE’s country projects. This position will work to expand iDE's ability to learn and adapt from monitoring, evaluation, research, and other sources of knowledge we identify, which will help iDE continuously improve its work, broaden its evidence base, and share more powerful stories and thought leadership on its work. Reporting to the Manager of MERL and as a member of iDE institutional MERL team, the MERL Senior Officer will manage M&E efforts across three key areas of iDE's programming:

● Monitoring of intermediate progress and results within project/program lifecycles

● Managing the evaluation of projects to meet internal and external accountability requirements

● Expanding the value of program-level learning and knowledge dissemination

Roles and Responsibilities: The responsibilities of the Sr. Offficer- MERL will include but are not limited to the descriptions below-

Manage Monitoring and Evaluation Process/Plan and implementation:

● Support the development of new evaluation plans for programs that meet, or exceed, the standard donor requirements in collaboration with relevant project managers and/or project M&E leads.

● Support on-going M&E activities in the field through iDE Bangladesh HQ and field assignments; provide technical knowledge and solutions to meet project needs while building capacity of local MERL staff

● Support, lead and advise, where relevant, training and capacity building activities for monitoring activities for MERL staff across projects

● Deploy digital technology tools and systems to collect and manage M&E data, develop and maintain data models

Expand the value of program- level Learning and Knowledge dissemination:

● Devise ways to capture, store, share and apply critical knowledge generated by MERL systems and processes to share best practices

● Support the development and implementation of participatory qualitative methods at the organizational and project level that leverage ethical storytelling and other methods used to inform learning

● Further develop MERL guidance in collaboration with global MERL team members on generating new sources of qualitative evidence at iDE

● Work with the MERL and Communications and Knowledge Management units to identify and develop a platform for knowledge management and dissemination of learning

Other duties and responsibilities:

● Support MERL team with ad-hoc objectives as needed

● Represent iDE at external events and meetings as agreed with the supervisor.

● Support other iDE teams (e.g. Programs, Business Development, Communications, etc.) to develop and implement efficient systems to support their effective use of data throughout the organization.

Benefits

Application Deadline: 25 June 2024

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview

(Any personal persuasion will result in disqualification)

Women are actively encouraged to apply

iDE provides a women friendly work environment with flexible work arrangements, appropriate skill development opportunities, and good career development potential for high-performing individuals. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. Employee selection and related decisions are made without regard to gender, race, age, disability, religion, national origin, color, or any other protected class.

Fraud Alert: Protect Yourself from Fraudulent Job Offers. Please be vigilant against any job postings falsely claiming to be from iDE. At no point in our recruitment process do we request payment, fees, or sensitive personal information from applicants. Ensure you are accessing genuine iDE job opportunities by visiting only our official social media pages (Facebook, LinkedIn) and recognized national and international job sites.

Requirements

A successful Senior Officer of MERL unit of iDE BAN are expected to have the following qualifications, skills, and experience

Education

● Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics/ Economics/ Development Studies/ Anthropology/ Sociology

● Master’s Degree in relevant fields will be considered a bonus

Work Experience

● A minimum of 3-4 years of work experience in Monitoring and Results Measurement/ MERL / M&E in development projects

● Demonstrated expertise and experience in development programming and implementation

● Ability to collaborate with diverse team members and adapt to different work conditions

● Prior research experience preferred

Technical Skills

● Familiarity and experience with project management concepts

● Experience with the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach and Systemic Change will be a plus

● Preferred experience in survey design and leading field assessments

● Introductory to Intermediate level of skill in business analysis/database design – able to gather requirements and convert them to technical specs

● Familiarity with learning agendas and project learning frameworks like Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA)

Software Skills

● Experience with Business Intelligence (PowerBI, Looker Studio, Tableau), and statistical analysis (R, STATA) software preferred

● Proficiency in using standard data management/ analysis tools such as Microsoft Excel, Google Looker Studio

● Introductory to Intermediate level of skill in business analysis/database design – able to gather requirements and convert them to technical specs

● Prior experience with mobile data collection software and systems, especially ODK/KoBoCollect/TaroWorks for field data collection

Physical and Language Skills

● Excellent communication skills in both Bangla and English

● Willingness to engage in fieldwork in rural contexts when required, and the ability to work extended hours as required