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 collaborate to put bold solutions into action, helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.To create a better world, 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.
Program / Department Summary Mercy Corps has been operational in Pakistan since 1986, when we began responding to the Afghan refugee crisis in Pakistan. Over the next 15 years, we primarily supported Afghan refugees and their hosting communities. Since the beginning of 2000, Mercy Corps has worked with Pakistani communities, and governmental and non-governmental partners to increase access to quality health care, livelihoods, and education, and has helped communities recover from natural disasters/emergencies.Mercy Corps has implemented over $140 million of humanitarian and development programs in Pakistan, with a focus primarily on public health including maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH), primary healthcare, malaria control, nutrition as well as emergency health interventions, with a wide geographical coverage. All programs are designed and implemented jointly with the national Ministry of Health, provincial Departments of Health, and key vertical programs such as the National and Provincial Tuberculosis Program, Lady Health Workers (LHW) Program, MNCH Program, and the target communities. Mercy Corps has been a Principal Recipient of Global Fund to Fight against AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) for tuberculosis grants since 2007.
Mercy Corps is seeking a qualified Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Lead for the anticipated $50-100 million, five-year, USAID-funded TB program in Pakistan. Offer contingent on securing donor funding and approval.
General Position Summary The MEL Lead is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing a MEL system and plan that includes a focus on Collaboration, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) and a robust Management Information System (MIS) and database to store and aggregate collected data. The MEL Lead will provide technical expertise and leadership to generate and analyze quality evidence and data through monitoring, assessments, and evaluations as well as oversee learning agenda/priorities. They will be responsible for the coordination and technical supervision for all M&E aspects of the Activity. The MEL Lead should demonstrate experience developing and operationalizing a comprehensive MEL Plan, including building or strengthening monitoring systems, conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis, designing survey methodology, learning/CLA, and promoting evidence-based program management, ideally for USAID multi-year health programs. The MEL Lead should demonstrate the ability to network and engage with necessary stakeholders. They will manage staff, resources, consultants (as needed) and coordinate closely with partners to fulfill the MEL requirements of the program as well as promote evidence-based decision-making, adaptive management, and a culture of learning.
Essential Job Responsibilities
M&E Management and Technical Leadership
- Design and revise strategic MEL documents, including the MEL Plan, learning/CLA plan, theory of change, program logic models (e.g. logframe, results framework, etc.), performance indicator reference sheets and tracking table, data protection standard operating procedures, and sex and age disaggregation plans.
- Set up and oversee all principal M&E system components, including protocols and data flows for monitoring and evaluations, data and information management, M&E budgets, staffing, competency building and technology/MIS systems.
- Design and oversee the implementation of participant-based surveys, including the scope of work, sampling strategies, questionnaires, statistical processing and analysis plans.
- Promote collaboration, learning and adaptation (CLA) through intentional and routine periodic learning initiatives sessions to share, discuss and use monitoring data, document and disseminate lessons learned and evaluation findings, support program management to conduct program improvements informed by data.
- Champion the inclusion of qualitative data collection and analysis for both direct and supplemental measurements of program performance.
- Ensure that the Chief of Party is alerted to any issues that prevent full implementation of the Activity in line with the Theory of Change.
- Ensure the Activity adheres to the USAID Policy & Guidance and the Mercy Corps M&E Policy and Record Management & Retention Policy.
Data and Information Management
- Design and oversee the set-up of a MIS System, including processes and technology solutions for data collection, storage, processing, analysis, visualization, and reporting for all activity indicators and additional data needs for learning, adaptation and reporting.
- Oversee integration of program MIS system with Pakistan National TB MIS system (DHIS2)
- Design and implement data flows that align indicator definitions, tool matrices, databases and sampling frames to ensure traceable, timely, comprehensive, high-quality and demand-responsive data collection and processing in compliance with USAID and Mercy Corps requirements.
- Ensure data quality in all aspects of MEL, by conducting periodic DQAs, and integrating corrections and remedies as necessary, to align with Mercy Corps’ and USAID data protection and MEL standards.
- Conduct need-based field visits to targeted areas to ensure the implementation of robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices, allowing for accurate and consistent data collection at the ground level utilizing mobile data collection tools that are interoperable with MIS (e.g. CommCare)
- Ensure near real-time reporting and analysis of key performance indicators by integrating MIS data with data visualization software (e.g. Microsoft Power BI)
- Ensure progress against indicators is regularly updated on the Mercy Corps Indicators tracking platform (TolaData)
M&E Team Management
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect, accountability and clearly communicated expectations where team members strive and are equipped with the resources to achieve excellence.
- Develop and oversee the implementation of a career development strategy for M&E and partner staff that promotes M&E competencies and a culture of learning through systematic analysis and reflection of program data.
- Actively provide mentorship and training to program and M&E teams to improve their competencies in quantitative and qualitative methods, information management, critical thinking, data communication, problem solving, facilitation and data literacy.
- Train and facilitate teams in the use of technology and appropriate methods for both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, including surveys, focus group discussion and key informant interviews and lead qualitative data collection in participating communities as needed.
Internal and external Coordination & Representation
- Represent Mercy Corps in MEL forums with humanitarian and development community.
- Develop working relationships and coordinate/collaborate with partner organizations and international and national agencies active in the target areas.
- Conduct due diligence of partner MEL systems and processes, including data collection, processing, analysis and reporting, and organize periodic workshops and sharing sessions, ensuring that they are equipped with adequate resources and systems to contribute rigorous data to the overall program.
- Collaborate closely with HQ or region-based MEL and research and learning teams, lead and/or collaborate with external evaluators on the design and roll out of the program baseline and evaluations, while setting up effective systems for learning.
- Contribute to country Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism (CARM) by assisting in the design of a program CARM Plan and supporting functions.
- Participate in Mercy Corps’ Community of Practice for MEL in Asia, by sharing lessons learned and promoting good practices in MEL
Supervisory ResponsibilityExpected to supervise several direct reports on the MEL team.
Accountability Reports Directly To: Chief of PartyWorks Directly With: program team members, Country Office MEL team, partner organizations, Regional Program Team, Mercy Corps’ Global and Regional MEL and Research and Learning teams.
Knowledge and Experience / Qualification and Transferable Skills
- MA/S degree in statistics or economics; or a degree in a relevant field with substantial course work in quantitative methods. BA/S plus two (2) years of additional applicable experience may substitute for a master’s degree.
- At least seven (7) years of professional experience in designing and implementing MEL systems in the context of health programs is required, with preference for experience on USAID-funded programs.
- Extensive experience in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems as they are practiced in the context of health programs of similar size and complexity.
- Demonstrated experience in building or strengthening monitoring systems, quantitative and qualitative analysis, survey and sample design, and effectively promoting evidence-based program management with a strong understanding of the risk profile across systematically marginalized and vulnerable groups.
- Strong conceptual knowledge about theories of change, logic models, MEL plans, data quality assurance, mobile data collection, data utilization, and resilience, gender and youth integration into MEL. Strong preference for experience with USAID MEL frameworks
- Demonstrated experience with designing, implementing, overseeing CLA approaches and learning agendas that facilitate strategic program learning and adaptive management
- Demonstrated experience in participatory community governance, advocacy, capacity and development, and/or management and use of grassroots level-generated data.
- Experience supporting partner organizations to ensure quality of their MEL systems.
- Experience providing capacity building training to MEL team including partners.
- Excellent skills in software solutions and platforms for data collection, storage, processing, analysis and visualization (e.g. MS Office, CommCare, Stata, R, and Power BI) preferred.
- Demonstrated experience in the utilization of digital/MIS systems in facilitating data-driven decision making and enhancing program learning
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and fluency in English
Success Factors A successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles and cultures, follow procedures and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. They will have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, be accountable for results, and understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details. The MEL Lead will be comfortable working within a complex and sensitive setting and following laws and security protocols. The MEL Lead will have a good handle on adaptive management, integration and coordination, stakeholder engagement, capacity strengthening, community-level governance and planning, facilitation, and conflict-sensitive approaches. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving environments, and prioritize effective written and verbal communication in all situations.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions This position is based in Islamabad, Pakistan with significant travel required to program locations across the country. Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment. 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.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 projects.Ongoing LearningIn support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.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 projects.Ongoing LearningIn support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.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 & 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 Misconduct Disclosure Scheme — SCHR. 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 must complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and annually.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]).