Back MEL Manager

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.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.

The ProgramMercy Corps Europe, formerly known as Mercy Corps Scotland, has been operational in Sudan since 2009 and is facilitating recovery by addressing economic recovery needs and laying the groundwork for long-term development. MC Europe is committed to long-term programming in Sudan and faces numerous opportunities for expansion.

The Position The Monitoring Evaluation Learning (MEL) unit exists to strengthen the monitoring efforts of Mercy Corps’ programs. The MEL unit provides technical support service to programs. The aim of the MEL unit is to assist programs in specific activities that help quantify, analyze, and document the output, outcome and impacts of Mercy Corps’ programs including data collection, data management, data analysis, and mapping. The MEL Unit conducts surveys, manages program data, maps program activities, provides reports and participates in monitoring evaluation and learning activities. Mercy Corps is looking for an experienced, qualified and business minded staff to fill the position of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager. The MEL Manager position will serve as the focal point for all monitoring and evaluation activities and a management role for all MEL assessments, monitoring and reporting. Reporting PaQ Director, this is a technical position working in close collaboration with Area Managers, Team Leads, Program Managers and other MEL and support functions to ensure that all program needs are being met and that data collection, analysis, storage and reporting is according to plan. The MEL Manager will provide leadership, management and technical support in the design and implementation of the country’s MEL system.

Essential Responsibilities Support the design of the MEL system.

• Take lead in working with the MEL Coordinator and MEL Officers on the design of County and Program-level MEL systems.
• Lead in designing or reviewing strategic and thematic area specific results chain and/or Theory of Change (ToC) and identify the assumptions that underpin the expected pathways of change, and subsequently direct data collection efforts to test those assumptions, for all programs.

  Support the management and implementation of the MEL systems

  • Work closely with Program Managers, ensure that all program MEL Plans are implemented.
  • Manage all operations related to MEL according to individual program MEL plans, budgets and implementation strategies.
  • Monitor program implementation, measure impact and calibrate program strategies and implementation accordingly.
  • Ensure continued re-evaluation of program activities and that achievements and best practices are captured and disseminated with resulting activity adjustments.
  • As part of the learning function, seek to identify learning points across the range of work carried out, and identify opportunities to share this learning with program teams.
  • Implement a robust research design to assess the impact of the program on participant’s economic and non-economic outcomes over time. Tracking of outcomes and impact will be conducted via outcomes surveys for both youth and market actors.
  • Oversee data management (collection, cleaning, entry, storage and maintenance of approved databases etc.) including timeliness and completeness of reporting.
  • Collaborate with the Program Managers to provide weekly, monthly, quarterly and any other reports as required. Analyze and provide summarized reports as requested.
  • Coordinate with Program Managers to ensure regular monitoring is being performed as scheduled and that data collection is adequately completed.
  • Serve as a liaison between Mercy Corps program staff and collaborating research institutions for data-based research projects, as directed by the PaQ Director.

    Support MEL Team Management

    • With the support of the PaQ Director, the MEL Manager will be responsible for the performance management of MEL Coordinator and MEL Officers in the field.
    • Track and advise on MEL staffing needs and manage the recruitment and training of MEL staff when necessary to ensure staff are of the quality and capacity for successful implementation of activities.
    • Facilitate capacity building and technical assistance for MEL staff from program and implementing partners, to improve the quality of monitoring data and maximize program-wide learning.

      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.

        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 Program Participants

          • Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our participants 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.
          • Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

            Safeguarding Responsibilities

            📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

            ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

            • Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work
            • Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members
            • Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options

              Supervisory ResponsibilityMEL Coordinator and MEL Officers

              AccountabilityReports Directly To: PaQ Director

              Works Directly With: Area Manager, Team Leads, Program and support functions in implementation areas across Sudan.

              Accountability to Participants and StakeholdersMercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

              Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

              • A graduate degree in statistics, quantitative Economics, Information Technology, Computer science, Development economics or related field
              • At least 5 years of relevant experience in M&E
              • Wide experience in design and execution of monitoring and evaluation systems is essential and experience in working in consortia or partnerships is an added advantage.
              • Proven technical experience in monitoring and evaluation of market facilitation, development programs, livelihoods, agriculture and value chain, climate smart, resilience programming is an added advantage.
              • Good English communication skills. Arabic is an advantage

                Success FactorsThe ideal candidate will have a natural curiosity for quantifying and articulating the impact of Mercy Corps’ programs on individuals and in communities. S/he will also have an interest in exploring the larger factors that influence the success of humanitarian and development programs and the well-being of populations affected by natural disasters. S/he will undertake innovative approaches, be agile in the conceptualization of new programme ideas and will be well versed in strategic thinking, planning and monitoring frameworks. A successful candidate will have skills and a passion for data collection, entry, and analysis as well as the ability to mentor others in these areas. This position requires the ability to work effectively in a team as well as assume individual responsibility for supervision and specific reporting tasks.

                Living Conditions / Environmental ConditionsThe position is based in Port Sudan (subject to review) and it requires up to 50% travel to support field teams, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited. Housing for this role is in shared housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.

                Diversity, Equity & InclusionAchieving 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 OpportunityMercy 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 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, color, 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 and EthicsMercy 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 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. By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy. 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 to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis. As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.

                Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.