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.
Program / Department Summary The Program Performance and Quality Unit (PaQ), supports effective, efficient and equitable program performance through a culture of quality management, to achieve results for those who matter most - our program participants. PaQ consists of the following teams and functions: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL); Strategic Leadership; Program Standards; and Infrastructure. These areas of work are central to Mercy Corpsโ desire to implement consistently high-performing and accountable programming.The MEL Team, housed in PAQ, supports both foundational and cutting-edge adaptive management approaches with design, monitoring, evaluation and learning functions as key processes and benchmarks to ensure evidence-based decision making for quality program implementation. The MEL Teamโs work ranges from provision of technical MEL support to programs, integration of MEL technologies, implementation of learning mechanisms and platforms, implementation and support with data quality assessments, support with agency-level reporting and others.
In 2022, we developed our 10-year strategy called Pathway to Possibility (P2P), which reflects our ambitions to not only meet the basic needs of communities affected by conflict and climate change, but to achieve lasting, transformational change at scale. The Pathway tells the story of who we are, what we do, why we do it, and how we center the needs and aspirations of our partner communities in all we do. A better world is possible. In 2022 we piloted a mechanism to measure our progress towards our strategic intent and are in the process of scaling it agency wide. Our strategy measurement mechanism includes two important components: 1) measuring outcomes of our programs towards participant-facing strategic goals and outcomes (โOrganizational Outcome Measurementโ, or OOM); and 2) tracking internally facing indicators of operational health (โOrganization Performance Indicators,โ or OPIs). Specifically, OOM summarizes data across the four outcome areas of P2P โ economic opportunities, food security, peace and good governance, water security โ using existing programmatic data, including indicator results, evaluations, and research studies.
General Position Summary We are looking for a Data Analyst with a focus on OOM to join the MEL Team. The Analyst will work withing the Strategy Measurement team, which comprises staff members dedicated to OOM and OPIs. They will work under the supervision of the Strategy Measurement Lead, and in collaboration with Mercy Corpsโ technical support unit (TSU) technical leads and other stakeholders, to lead the OOM analysis. The Analyst will refine the analysis framework to collect, analyze and summarize programmatic data from all outcome areas. A first framework was developed for food security programs, but it needs to be expanded to account for the remaining three outcome areas. The Analyst will also integrate inclusion and resilience themes in the analysis by leveraging case studies and primary research. The Analyst will work with the MEL Officer and the MEL automation team to analyze quantitative and qualitative data coming from programs โ it is expected that more than 200 programs will be part of the analysis, with data often incomplete or incoherent.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Organizational Outcome Measurement
Establishing Global Analysis Framework for OOM
Review the existing analysis framework and work with organizational stakeholders to update the analysis framework to ensure continued alignment with the organization strategy.
Integrate resilience and inclusion themes (through indicators and result statements) into the framework and analysis.Data Gathering and Analysis
With the support of the MEL Officer, develop a data collection, storage, and management plan to gather data from programs and other relevant departments, including research and learning and TSU.
Develop a data analysis protocol across each OOM outcome area that is replicable in STATA, R or other common statistical analysis software.
Analyze quantitative data from different program data sources including program indicator data, evaluations, and research studies This includes conducting aggregate data analysis of multiple programs as well as focusing analysis on singular programs
Create data analysis products/results that are clear, easy to understand, and relevant
Support qualitative data analysis from different program data sources including evaluations, research studies as needed.Organizational Outcome Measurement Data Dissemination and Reporting
Create visuals for the report that are clear, easy to understand and relevant.
Support the OOM report writing, including providing clear interpretations of data analysis
Liaise with the MEL automation team to coordinate data gathering, cleaning, and analysis efforts.
Liaise with key stakeholders to share findings, provide recommendations, and interpret results. Organizational Outcome Measurement Learning (15%)
Document learning related to framework development and implementation (process learning).
Refine the analysis framework based on feedback and learning.
Support sense-making workshops and learning events with countries and regions (outcome areas learning). Support OOM and OPI initiatives (10%)
Support indicators development in outcome areas.
Work with the OPI MEL Advisor in integrating OPIs in the analysis.
Supervisory Responsibility:
This position will not have supervisory responsibilities but will need to work in a networked leadership environment.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Strategy Measurement Lead Works Directly With: MEL, PaQ, Research and Learning, and the Technical Support Unit, as well as regional and country portfolios. 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 & Transferrable Skills:
Education:
Special provisions: Candidates from LAC, Middle East, Africa and Asia, women, minority groups, people with different abilities are highly encouraged to apply. Captioning, assistive, and inclusive workspace accommodations are available at Mercy Corps offices.
Physical Requirements: This is largely a sedentary position that requires the ability to speak, hear/read (captioning available), see, and lift small objects up to 20 lbs.
Travel: International travel with at least one month prior notice may be required and may include travel to support programs in fragile and/or conflict-prone zone Success Factors The Analyst will contribute towards and establish the foundational systems and practices for promoting components of strategy measurement within Mercy Corps. They will engage stakeholders at all levels with flexibility, creativity, respect, and enthusiasm, contextualize their technical support accordingly. The individual must have exceptional writing skills and the ability to multitask, set priorities, pay attention to detail, and work under tight deadlines within complex team environments. They must also apply a system thinking to all the initiatives they support. The Analyst must take an active role in building and maintaining relationships as well as demonstrating the drive and initiative to contribute to internal team efforts. The individual must learn quickly how to provide support and build skills among various team members, in the most efficient and effective way possible for each unique team and environment. All PaQ positions require strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills, and a level of emotional intelligence proficiency that quickly builds and maintains productive relationships across teams. Being aware and sensitive to international development issues and diverse cultures is critical. Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions This position will be located in one of the countries where Mercy Corps implements programs, including Europe (UK, Netherlands, Switzerland) and US Headquarters.