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.
Since the escalation of the war in 2022, Mercy Corps Ukraine has supported more than 950,000 conflict-affected people in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. We have provided cash assistance, food and hygiene kits, and psychosocial support for people in emergency situations; grants for micro, small and medium businesses, as well as small to medium farming enterprises; and conducted large-scale information campaigns. Notably, nearly all our programming is delivered in partnership with civil society organizations matching humanitarian action with capacity strengthening and a real commitment to localization.
The ProgramEnhancing resilience is at the heart of what Mercy Corps does and how we work. Mercy Corps strengthens sources of resilience to enhance the capacities of people, markets, and institutions to handle shocks, reduce risk, build more equitable and responsive systems, and improve well-being. Through our programs, partnerships, and influence, we support communities to cope, adapt, and ultimately thrive.
The 3-year FCDO-funded Building Livelihoods and Opportunities for Optimised Markets (BLOOM) programme aims to provide resilience support (farm & off-farm) to improve the food security and self-reliance of vulnerable, war-affected households and communities by protecting and restoring their food production and livelihoods. BLOOM will address immediate livelihood needs and market barriers in conflict-affected oblasts utilising a push-pull approach: Track 1 provides direct support (push) where needed, while Track 2 supports and strengthens the market systems Ukrainians rely on most both in and out of crisis (pull). Track 1 strengthens the resilience of vulnerable populations, helping them cope and adapt within ongoing crisis. This includes farm and off-farm cash grants, capacity strengthening, and protection services. These efforts, delivered in partnership with local actors, promote equity by enabling vulnerable households to transition from meeting immediate needs to economic self-reliance (Outcome 1). Track 2 complements Track 1 with โpullโ mechanisms to improve quality and responsiveness of the social and economic systems communities rely on. A Market Systems Diagnostic will identify systemic barriers that hinder micro, small, and medium-sized enterprisesโ (MSME) resilience and growth. The programmeโs Growth and Resilience Opportunity Facility (GRO Facility) will offer a suite of customised support for local actors, including a Challenge Fund, to pilot inclusive business models and catalyse local investment. By integrating real-time learning from Track 1, the Diagnostic will inform evidence-based, targeted solutions to meet Ukraineโs evolving recovery needs (Outcome 2).
The PositionThe Monitoring and Results Management (MRM) Manager will be a core member of the BLOOM Project Management Unit (PMU). The MRM Manager will manage the BLOOM MRM team and will oversee the implementation of the monitoring, evaluation and learning plan of the programmeโs activities, cultivating a strong learning culture, and providing leadership and strategic direction to the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) staff of the consortium's partners, as well as downstream partners.
The MRM Manager will lead on the design of the Research and MEL Plans in close collaboration with various other technical leads. S/he will set the technical direction for the programmeโs key learning questions, coordination of information sources, analysis of trends, and contribute to the programmeโs influence strategy. The MRM Manager will be responsible for overseeing MEL workstreams, various assessments and integrated research components, including data collection, analysis and learning papers, ensuring effective coordination and sharing of information and learning within the programme. As such, the MRM Manager will play a key role in ensuring effective practices for adaptive management are in place, taking a facilitatory role in pause and reflect sessions, contributing to evidence-based decision-making.
Essential Responsibilities STRATEGY AND PLANNING
- Design and develop a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Strategy in collaboration with the programme team (to be reviewed by and agreed with FCDO).
- Inform the development and implementation of a Market Diagnostic, as outlined by FCDO.
- Lead the development of an Evidence and Learning plan, based on the results of the Market Diagnostic and the Durable Solutions pilot, in addition to valid research investigations (e.g. impact evaluation, in-depth study) and in close collaboration with programme leadership and partners to (to be reviewed by and agreed with FCDO).
- Lead on synthesising and disseminating programme data relevant to performance and implementation among all consortium partners.
- Oversee data measurement and analysis of key performance indicators to inform strategic decision making and manage Value for Money throughout the programme.
- Coordinate consortium level MEL and Learning events and deliverables throughout the life of the programme
- Participate in inter-agency meetings to ensure coordination and share best practices and harmonise tools.
MONITORING & EVALUATION
- Oversee and support the delivery, development and analysis of formative assessments for the programme and work with the Track leads to distil learning, support decision-making and action findings.
- Design the detailed MEL Plan for the programme, ensuring close coordination and cooperation across partners and components of the programme.
- Set up the MEL system of the programme, including the set-up of technology for MEL and TolaData maintenance, ensuring they are compliant with donor and Mercy Corpsโ requirements.
- Lead systematic reviews of relevant theory and evidence to help identify core learning questions and working hypotheses.
- Oversee and guide the design and implementation of quantitative and qualitative data collection tools and analyses.
- Lead the monitoring and evaluation milestones related to the programme, including baseline, midline and endline, final evaluation, MEL-related formative studies and recurring monitoring activities.
- Coordinate and manage the production of external-facing learning products targeted to a wide variety of stakeholders and audiences.
- Provide support to programme managers to review MEL budgets, BVAs and ensure appropriate levels of resourcing for MEL Deliverables, if needed.
- Work closely with the community accountability (CARM) team to integrate communities and other stakeholdersโ feedback into reporting products to inform programmatic adaptation
RESEARCH & LEARNING
- Facilitate learning sessions with programme team(s) and external stakeholders to reflect on evidence and drive planning and implementation of programme inputs and activities.
- Develop Evidence & Learning plan and oversee its implementation.
- Support the development, management and coordination of knowledge management databases and tools.
- Support the consortium's intentional learning and continuous improvement culture by contributing to strategies to monitor, evaluate and report on the effectiveness of programme efforts through activities, such as Pause & reflect sessions, After-Action Reviews, quarterly reviews, and internal performance reviews.
- Conduct training sessions with partners about the various learning and knowledge management tools.
- Develop knowledge management tools and processes, adapt them if needed through the programme duration, and ensure implementation adoption
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Develop and ensure capacity strengthening plans are used to mentor and coach staff to build their capacity.
- Foster a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Lead a team across research, monitoring, evaluation and learning activities, including across consortium partners to ensure close integration of implementation and learning.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO PARTICIPANTS AND STAKEHOLDERS
- Collaborate with Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism (CARM) staff members to strengthen systems to promote accountability to participants and communities.
- Support programme teams to ensure communities understand their rights and are comfortable to provide feedback to Mercy Corps on MEL processes and programme activities.
- Ensure all research and MEL activities are gender sensitive and in adherence with Mercy Corpsโ and FCDO Gender Policies.
- Apply Do No Harm standards to ensure that MEL activities do not have adverse effects on communities.
- Support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in design, monitoring and evaluation of the programme.
Supervisory ResponsibilityMRM Coordinator (x1)
Accountability Reports Directly To: BLOOM Team LeadWorks Directly With: Project Management Unit (PMU), Steering Committee, Track 1 and Track 2 Leads, Mercy Corps Ukraine Director of Programmes, consortium partner focal points. Coordinates with Mercy Corps regional and HQ MEL teams and the Technical Resources and Quality Unit.
Accountability to Participants and StakeholdersMercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our programme 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 Qualification & Transferable Skills
- 7+ years experience in designing and implementing approaches to MEL.
- Experience working for FCDO funded programmes preferred.
- Proven ability to produce final documents (such as logframes, M&E Plans, learning agendas, etc.) for donor consumption required.
- Experience with theoretical and practical background in MEL and knowledge of qualitative and quantitative methodologies and techniques required.
- Successful experience with the adoption of mobile data collection tools like CommCare and ability to use data visualisation software (e.g. PowerBI).
- Thematic experience in agriculture, market systems development, livelihoods programming in the Ukrainian context preferred.
- Proficiency in Ukrainian and English required.
Success Factors The successful candidate will demonstrate high-level communication skills, effectively conveying ideas and collaborating with colleagues and stakeholders. Strong time management and prioritisation abilities will be essential for handling multiple tasks efficiently while maintaining productivity. Effective interpersonal skills will enable the candidate to build and maintain professional relationships, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment. A keen attention to detail will ensure accuracy and precision in all aspects of the role. While self-motivation and the capacity to work independently are essential, the ability to collaborate effectively within a team is equally important. The ideal candidate will possess a solutions-oriented mindset with a strong focus on achieving results, ensuring the ability to analyse challenges and implement effective solutions independently.
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 worldโs 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 based on race, colour, 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 & Ethics
Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, programme 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. 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