Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action - helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within, now, and for the future.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Location: Abuja (FCT)
Employment Type: Full-time

Program / Department Summary

• Waves of resource-based, ethnic, and sectarian conflict, rising criminality and banditry, and expanding violent extremism are rendering North Central and Northwest Nigeria increasingly insecure.
• While multiple initiatives seek to address the complex causes of violence, community and security responses to drivers and triggers are often piecemeal at best, and ineffectual at worst. Existing Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) systems suffer from slow responses, poor coordination, top-down mandates that limit community ownership, weak dispute resolution skills among responders, little political and financial investment, leadership structures that exclude women and youth, and scant rigorous evidence.
• The result of ineffective EWER systems is that unchecked, violence proliferates.
• To examine and mitigate these barriers, Peace Action for Rapid and Transformative Nigerian Early Response (PARTNER) will pursue a bold approach to collaboration across local, international, government, non-government, community, state, and security stakeholders.
• Our consortium of Government Agencies and CSOs will be led by Mercy Corps in a mentorship capacity in Years 1 and 2, after which local partners will assume leadership, working hand-in-hand with other consortium members. Local ownership, fueled by iterative organizational performance assessment and capacity strengthening, will inform each component of the proposed sustainable, flexible, and evidence-based national EWER system that builds on existing locally-led and gender-sensitive conflict management mechanisms for vertical integration; incentivizes quick responses through horizontal coordination; and fosters increased trust in security and government actors to promote inclusive and collective action.
• By embedding EWER innovations within formal structures from the beginning, PARTNER will increase Nigeria’s self-reliance in leading a holistic, coordinated, and effective effort to promote sustainable peace.

General Position Summary

• The Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Officer will work closely with the M&E Advisor in supporting the program with technical oversight and direction on all monitoring and evaluation needs across implementing area.
• S/he will support the MEL team in collecting, collating, computing and analyzing data from program activities that measure outputs and outcomes against milestones and indicators with the objective of monitoring program progress, evaluating impact and learning from challenges faced, strategies resorted to surmount these challenges and to successes achieved in the PARTNER program.
• S/he will provide technical support in the design and conduct of qualitative and quantitative PARTNER survey for the collection of relevant data on EWER and other related activities in order to measure the conflict situation. He will provide technical support in the design of data collection tools, design of training guide, survey protocol, training of enumerators, supervisors, and support in all PARTNER activities.
• The M&E officer will support the M&E team in data verification for the purpose of data quality, document lessons learned, challenges, and ideas, check the effectiveness, relevance and efficiency of the skills acquired. The M&E officer will have a specific focus on Peace building data measurement and will be responsible for contributing to strategic discussions, providing technical assistance, and developing successful mechanisms across the program.
• The M&E Officer will use USAID’s principles to effectively integrate real-time monitoring, Evaluation and learning back into the project strategy and program implementation and ensure knowledge is shared.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Support the existing M&E systems to monitor and evaluate project activities and impact, in accordance with existing Mercy Corps guidelines.
• Support data capture across program interventions and analyze data collected during monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Support data indicator tracking and analysis, linking it with evidence on a regular basis and ensuring that data and metrics in field reports are accurate.
• Play supporting role in the development and leading in the review of result chains, sector intervention strategies and M&E frameworks and document changes to generate learnings and ideas for programs
• Write and develop quality and informative M &E monthly field reports for donors and internal teams.
• Assist in tracking and documenting key aspects of projects for iterative adaptive learning and scale of proven models
• Assist in coordinating assessments, evaluations and monitoring surveys in the area of operation.
• Provide support on the design and implementation of baseline studies, mid-term evaluations and final evaluations.
• Visit project sites and partners to collect supplementary data, verification and conduct qualitative research both independently and in teams to ensure regular and accurate information.
• Work closely with program teams for filing/archiving documentation of both softcopies and hard copies.

Organizational Learning:

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Additional Task:

• Support with other tasks as needed.

Security:

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
• Report on any problems encountered in the field such as project participant complaints, local authority interference, and security threats to MC staff and activities. Coordinate with MC Security Officer and State Manager on any threats to MC staff and activities; follow up on incidents/security threats in areas of operation.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• No Supervisory Responsibility - (None).

Accountability:

• Reports Directly To:M&E Advisor
• Works Directly With:PARTNER Consortium members, Program Team.

Knowledge and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Social Science, Developmental Studies, Economics, Demography, Statistics, Business Administration or relevant field (Essential).
• At least 2 years of experience in Development, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation or other learning efforts is required.
• Should understand concepts and demonstrate skills in Monitoring and Evaluation, Project cycle, results chain and frameworks, participatory monitoring and or Market facilitation.
• Capacity to produce high-quality briefs and reports.
• Demonstrated ability to train and build the capacity of others, including partner organization on the essence of data for decision.
• Should be able to design and implement surveys, have knowledge of commonly used probability and purposive sampling techniques.
• Should have knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection, reporting techniques. S/he should understand and be able to apply basic measures of central tendency and spread.
• Experience developing and disseminating regular communication materials and updates.
• Experience representing the organization and its interests to a diverse range of local and international government officials, private sector, local civil society organizations, other international organizations, the media and the public.
• Proficiency with digital platforms for MEL (e.g.,Commcare,Ona/Kobo)– including familiarity with other technology platforms to support programs and MEL related activities.
• Ability to demonstrate innovative and adaptive management skills.
• Demonstrated strengths in analytical skills, monitoring and evaluation, and report writing.
• Demonstrate strong emotional intelligence.
• Excellent oral and written skills and computer skills.
• Fluency in English; fluency in local languages required.

Success Factors:

• S/he will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive communication skills and proven experience with capacity building. S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions:

• The position is based in Abuja and requires travel to project states.
• Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Application Closing Date
1st November, 2021.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

• Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have a sustained global impact.
• We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, colour, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics:

• Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members.
• As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.