Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer - USAID / OTL at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 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, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state.  In early 2014, IRC opened a field office in Mubi town of Adamawa state in NE Nigeria followed by offices in Yola (Adamawa state) in November 2014, Maiduguri (Borno state) in October 2015 and Damaturu (Yobe state).  The IRC Nigeria country program is implementing multi-sectoral interventions in the sectors of: Health and Nutrition; Environmental Health; Child Protection; Education; Women’s Protection and Empowerment; Economic Recovery and Development and Protection. Most of these programs are driven in partnership with strategic local NGOs.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer - USAID / OTL

Requisition ID: req21152
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Employment Type: Full-Time
Sector: Monitoring & Evaluation
Employment Category: Regular
Open to Expatriates: No

Job Overview / Summary

• The purpose of the MEL Officer position is to coordinate the collection, compilation, consolidation, and analysis of data to track programs/projects activities, monitor progress and support impact measurement. 
• S/he will also conduct development research, engage in reflective practice, and generate lessons from projects/program and prepare M&E plans for the OTL (MEL) sector.  
• S/he is responsible for establishing and ensuring better field level data management systems for the core program s/he is assigned to and coordinates the proper and timely evaluation of project objectives/impact. 
• S/he will contribute to the existing client response mechanisms and ensure program staff participation in M&E activities.    
• S/he also will work closely with the IRC MEAL unit on technical matters and reports to the MEL lead.

Major Responsibilities
Program/Project Design and Learning:

• Implements baseline, midline, and endline evaluations, as well as MEL data collection in the form of FGDs, surveys, classroom observation, performance scorecards, and related approaches
• Supports the MEL Lead to deliver training for OTL staff on the MEL system, performance indicators, data quality assurance, and facilitative data collection with local partners and stakeholders.
• Supports OTL internal and external project evaluations.
• Participate in project review especially in log frames and contribute to learning
• With support from the MEL Lead, establish and maintain project level information management system.
• Closely work with OTL  program team to ensure the project has tested standard monitoring tools that capture both program activity and indicators progress.
• Closely work with the Child Protection team to ensure smooth integration of both Child protection and education activities in carrying out OTL project implementation.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Responsible for tracking progress against monitoring work plans.
• Responsible for ensuring the on-time execution of projects major monitoring and evaluation events including but not limited to baseline survey, mid-term evaluation, final evaluation, data quality audit and field supervision.
• Responsible for providing technical support to staff and partner organization on information management system, proper data collection and record keeping.
• Responsible for updating M&E plan timely and provide feedback to program staff on status and quality of implementation.
• Responsible for monthly and/or quarterly performance indicator analysis, including generation of reports as well as presentations for staff related to on-going performance.
• Responsible for conducting regular data verification exercises to ensure reporting and collection of quality data as well as to check for completeness, correctness and consistency
• Responsible for documenting findings from data quality audits and store in project files to ensure collective and sustainable access.
• Responsible for closely working with staff to ensure they follow correct procedures and criteria during beneficiary registration.
• Accountable for the recruitment of enumerators and support in other survey including engagement of consultants.
• Contribute to providing M&E inputs for report written during project implementation.
• Work with project staff to ensure that data is collected and entered into the databases as well as tracking sheets, and platform data quality audits regularly to identify and resolve systemic problems affecting data quality.

Information Management and Reporting:

• Support in establishing and maintaining project information management system.
• Responsible for submitting data set to update country office wide program database on monthly basis.
• Support to ensuring all projects have downward/ forward client responsiveness mechanisms and works with project staff to make sure its implementation.
• Responsible for compiling quarterly, biannual, and annual tabular, and narrative reports (as required by project stakeholders) on projects’ accomplishments by cost and alert the management for special deviations from the plan.

Capacity building and supervision:

• Responsible for providing assistance to partners in designing monitoring and reporting tools and establishing database management systems.
• Responsible for the orientation of front-line staff, partners’ staff and volunteers on the monitoring tools and train them how to use data for decision making.
• Accountable for coaching, mentoring, and supervising Data assistant.
• Responsible for her/his subordinate/s in completing performance management activities including performance planning, monitoring, and annual performance appraisals.

Perform other duties assigned by the supervisor:

• Perform other task related assignment proposed by his/her supervisor/s.

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to: MEL Lead
• Position directly supervised by: State Programs Managers (dotted line to MEL Lead)
• Indirect Reporting: Data Assistant, any other.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Economics, International Development, Education or a related field.
• Minimum of four years of relevant experience in MEL, research, and or analytics.
• Demonstrated knowledge tracking and analyzing project indicators and capture best practices and lessons learned to incorporate into project activities.

Desirable:

• Good verbal communication skills in local languages and working knowledge of English.
• Most importantly, commitment to IRC values and principles.
• A strong team player with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with groups of diverse backgrounds.

Standards for Professional Conduct

• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, 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.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.