Position Overview
The Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) aims to advance a more equitable world through a shared vision of a positive digital future. We connect evidence about digital tools that work for society through research, demonstrations, and advocacy. We partner with others to promote digital systems that hold qualities of inclusion, trust, choice, and human agency, with a particular focus on the themes of effective digital public infrastructure and strong data governance.
DIAL is a partnership among some of the worldโs biggest digital development champions, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Kingdomโs Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and is hosted within the UN Foundation in Washington, D.C.
DIAL is at a pivotal point in its strategy where it is evaluating its results from the first 2 years of its 5-year Digital Beacons strategy Learnings from this process will support strategic adjustments to help chart a new direction for the organization. The MEL Director will be a critical driver of this exciting strategic development process and key to planning and refining of our learning strategies and practices based on this new direction. DIAL seeks a leader who understands how research and analysis support policy and advocacy efforts as well as how to understand the impact of those efforts. The MEL Director will guide and refine ongoing implementation of MEL policies and practices, including the change management aspects of bringing DIAL staff along the path to understanding, and valuing, MEL as a key function to our organizational success. The Director will need to be action-oriented to drive forward this MEL agenda and be a relationship builder who can work across multiple teams and projects. The ideal candidate will help build an organizational culture that values data-driven analysis, unbiased learning and rapid iteration and improvement cycles.
The MEL Director will lead and manage our org-wide learning and evaluation systems, processes and activities. They will provide expertise and guidance for evaluation, measurement and other MEL-related activities to better understand the effectiveness of our program activities, documenting impact, and informing strategic decision making. The MEL Director will oversee the implementation and refinement of our MEL plan and update our teams on refined or new practices. This position conducts ongoing research on systems for evaluation, data collection and analysis to support DIALโs results framework. They will facilitate and train staff on data management and reporting systems. The MEL Director will be a critical driver of DIALโs culture of learning, inquiry, experimentation, and our ability to learn from failures.
This position is U.S. remote.
Essential Functions
MEL Systems and Practices
Support the design of an actionable revised organizational strategy, grounded in research, DIALs competitive advantage, and an understanding of the digital ecosystemDesign and revise strategic MEL documents, including the M&E Plan, learning agenda, theory of change, performance indicator reference sheets, indicator performance tracking table, and sex and age disaggregation plansIntegrate into MEL plan effective practices to capture the results of our advocacy efforts and develop tactics to track successes and stories of those activitiesManage and refine learning and evaluation systems and practices, including, but not limited to data management, software selection and data analysis, according to the MEL PlanReview and refine on a regular basis DIALs Results Framework, based on what weโre learningWork with each program to support implementation and provide the technical assistance to align systems and processes with our MEL PlanIn collaboration with our Operations Team, build capacity and train staff members to integrate learning and evaluation practices into their overall work (planning, implementation and reflection)Facilitate engagement and expand DIALs network with learning and evaluation researchers, practitioners, peer funds and aligned research centers to exchange our learning and evaluation practices, lessons and challengesData Analysis & Learning
Lead, coordinate and support internal Outcomes Harvesting projects to get historical lessons and reflections of DIALs trajectory in supporting our partners and influencing the digital ecosystemPromote collaboration, learning and adaptation 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 dataCo-design and innovate research and learning projects to document DIALs historical lessons to provide externally within the digital sector and to current and potential donorsCollaborate on special projects to improve data collection, management, accessibility and/or sharing within our organizationWork with relevant DIAL members on data analysis projects for grantmaking and reporting impactOther duties as assignedSelection Criteria
Master's degree (or equivalent) in public policy, statistics, social science, economics, international affairs, or related field 8-10 years of monitoring and evaluation/performance measurement experience, including work in the international development sector Experience with understanding and explaining how advocacy efforts support research learnings and how advocacy is measured for resultsExperience with or exposure to the ICT4D/digital development sector and M&Eโs role in it Experience with both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including data collection, analysis and presentationWork closely with government counterparts and other local stakeholders to strengthen capacity in data collection, reporting, and use of data for decision makingDemonstrated experience in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and adaptiveA willingness to travel 10%, domestically and internationally and the ability to interact with people from diverse, multi-cultural backgroundsAbility to work under pressure and handle stressStrong technical skills in some of the following: web-based applications, databases, data visualization tools, enterprise and/or software integration, mobile data collection tools, etc.The salary range for this position is $130,000.
Benefits & Compensation
For full-time, benefit eligible employees, UNF offers an excellent range of benefits, including:
a choice between two health plans through UnitedHealthcare (PPO or HDHP with HSA)dental insurancevision insuranceflexible spending accounts403b retirement savings plan with a generous matching contributiongroup term and supplemental life insuranceshort-term disabilitylong-term disabilityhealth club discountscommuter subsidyback-up careemployee assistance programAdditionally, all benefit eligible employees have 12 paid holidays, 20 vacation days, 10 sick days, 3 personal days, and 8 weeks of family leave care.
LI-#Remote
The United Nations Foundation is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative-action employer. The United Nations Foundation provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.