Market system and Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MMERL) Advisor Addis Ababa

Market system and Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MMERL) Advisor Addis Ababa Join to apply for the Market system and Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MMERL) Advisor role at Youth Impact Labs East Africa.

About the Project Mercy Corps Ethiopia has reached more than five million Ethiopians with interventions to save lives and build secure livelihoods, focusing on market-driven solutions and inclusive markets. This two year project (September 2024 - August 2026) in Addis Ababa, funded by the Conrad Hilton Foundation, aims to improve early childhood development while promoting economic empowerment through scalable childcare models.

Responsibilities Intervention Design & Implementation

• Develop and implement innovative market based interventions for childcare service, labor market/employment opportunities, and technical and vocational skill development.
• Design interventions, concept notes, and viable business models that consider vulnerable women (host, refugees, and IDPs).
• Build social cohesion and foster trust among host and IDP communities.
• Identify, assess and onboard relevant key market players (implementing partners).
• Map key market actors, value chains, and support services, considering vulnerable women and IDP communities.

Project Implementation & Stakeholder Engagement

• Support the Project Manager in planning, implementing, and monitoring project activities.
• Facilitate collaboration and coordination among partners, government, and other stakeholders.
• Review project proposals, concept notes, MoUs, ToRs and technical documents, providing constructive feedback for quality improvement.
• Facilitate meetings, workshops, and coordination sessions with partners and stakeholders.
• Support the management of implementing partners (IPs), including onboarding, performance tracking, technical guidance, and compliance monitoring.
• Follow up with internal departments such as Procurement, Finance, HR, and Logistics to ensure timely processing of project activities, approvals, and support.
• Oversee the implementation of the MERL activities across various partners, ensuring accurate data reporting and establishing clear communication and reporting structures.
• Develop strategies to ensure that project evaluation results are used effectively for program adaptation, advocacy, and scale up planning.
• Build capacity among team members and partners in research and learning approaches to ensure data driven decisions are institutionalized throughout the project lifecycle.
• Represent the project at relevant external meetings and conferences to share results, promote collaboration, and advocate for MERL best practices.

Strategy & Vision

• Develop and implement a robust MERL framework aligned with the project's objectives and outcomes.
• Lead the design and application of MERL tools, methodologies, and systems to measure the impact of project interventions, ensuring data driven decision making.
• Identify opportunities to enhance data collection, analysis, and reporting practices to promote continuous improvement and knowledge sharing across all stakeholders.
• Foster an environment where innovative solutions are applied to monitoring, evaluation, and learning challenges, facilitating a culture of adaptive management.
• Ensure integration of MERL activities with national and local development agendas, aligning with global best practices in MERL for development projects.
• Produce timely and high quality reporting to donors, government, and internal stakeholders.

MEL Strategy Implementation and Review

• Work closely with the Project Manager and lead the implementation of the MERL strategy.
• Ensure that all partners and their staff understand the MERL strategy and its work plan.
• Regularly monitor and review the MERL strategy and activities to ensure adaptability, making changes based on reflections and lessons learned from staff, partners, and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with the Project Manager to promote cross learning and coordination among technical teams.
• Lead the management of the CNMS (Concept Note Management System), IPTS (Institutional Tracking System), and Tola Data for indicator tracking and reporting.

OVERSIGHT OF M&E PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

• Work closely with the Project Manager and lead the implementation of the M&E plan/Measurement Table.
• Ensure accurate data collection, compilation, consolidation, and analysis.
• Coordinate with the team to ensure timely and accurate data from partners and provide necessary follow up, including data audits when required.
• Monitor programmatic compliance through document audits and assist partners in performing spot checks and assessments as needed.

Information Management, Dissemination, and Feedback

• Coordinate with technical teams and implementing partners to compile and disseminate monthly updates from the region and other reports as required.
• Summarize monthly lessons learned and ensure dissemination with partners.
• Provide weekly updates to the Project Manager to share with stakeholders.
• Assist technical teams in developing, implementing, and analyzing sub activity evaluations, alerting teams to results provided by the online information system.
• Organize feedback sessions and other platforms with partners, participants, and stakeholders (private and public sectors). Ensure timely responses are provided with the assistance of the Team Lead and Project Coordinator.
• Collect and document case studies and success stories for internal and external sharing.
• Ensure regular and timely reporting from project staff and implementing partners by monitoring receipt of monthly, quarterly, and annual progress reports and following up with partners on non reporting.
• Conduct quality control tests on incoming data.

TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT TO SUB GRANTEES

• Collaborate with the Project Manager to ensure compliance with branding and marking policies in the field.
• Work with Project Manager to assist partners in developing success stories.
• Organize quarterly M&E workshops with the Project Manager to address identified needs and gaps.

STAFF TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING

• Build the capacity of all relevant team members to develop, review, and maintain an effective M&E system.
• Ensure regular reflection and analysis of program monitoring data and provide evidence based recommendations and reports in a timely manner.
• Offer ongoing capacity building for incoming staff on M&E and assist the program team in technical learning activities.
• Organize other capacity building initiatives with the Project Manager.

Evaluation AND Assessments

• Play a key role in supporting baseline, mid term, and final evaluations.
• Work with partners on design, field testing, data collection, and analysis of additional evaluations that may be required at the program level.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING

• Support Mercy Corps' commitment to organizational learning by dedicating 5% of time to personal and professional learning activities that benefit both the organization and individual development.
• Conduct yourself professionally and personally in a manner that reflects well on Mercy Corps and supports its humanitarian mission.

TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to staff, ensuring that they are equipped with the necessary skills and tools to implement MERL activities effectively.
• Support the recruitment, training, and capacity building of team members involved in data collection, research, and evaluation activities.
• Promote a collaborative work environment, emphasizing the importance of data driven decision making, reflection, and knowledge sharing.
• Ensure team members understand the strategic objectives of the MERL framework and their role in achieving those objectives.

FINANCE & COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

• Ensure that all MERL activities comply with donor guidelines and Mercy Corps' operational standards.
• Oversee the financial aspects of MERL related activities, ensuring efficient and transparent use of resources while adhering to the project budget.
• Maintain systems to ensure financial compliance with donor and organizational standards in the collection, processing, and reporting of data.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• Represent the project in relevant external meetings and conferences to promote the MERL approach and share project insights.
• Advocate for the importance of evidence based decision making and demonstrate how MERL activities contribute to the project's success and impact.
• Engage with donors and partners to share results, learnings, and insights from the project's MERL activities.

GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

• Adherence of gender minimum standards.
• Allocate budget for GEDSI related activities and staff capacity building on GEDSI.
• Make sure GEDSI issues are properly reflected during program management.
• Support the organization's commitment to age and gender inclusive team building process.
• Promote an inclusive and equitable workplace culture.
• Support Staff Capacity Building on Increase staff knowledge of GEDSI.
• Ensure that gender, equality, diversity, and social inclusion (GEDSI) principles are embedded in all MERL activities, including data collection, analysis, and reporting.
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