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 partner to put bold solutions
into action โ helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.
Program / Department Summary Climate change severely and disproportionately impacts small islands in the Caribbean. Worsening environmental risks like rising and warming seas, volatile dry and wet seasons, and catastrophic storms mean that islands and small island developing states (SIDS) bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change, even though their carbon footprint is small relative to the worldโs largest carbon producers, and their capacity to cope is constrained by their narrow resource base. Caribbean islands need flexible tools to make them more resilient through the climate crisis. Tools that protect and improve lives, livelihoods and also the natural resources these communities depend on. Mercy Corps partners with community service organizations across the Caribbean to strengthen the networks around vulnerable communities, provide resources to build out adaptive programming, and respond collaboratively to climate threats as they arise. Mercy Corps began this work following the historic 2016 hurricane season. Since then, with the help of our donors, more than $34 million has been put toward preparedness, response and climate resilience programming in the Caribbean. Mercy Corps has learned that empowering people and their communities with flexible assets and knowledge is the best way to measurably protect lives and livelihoods.
General Position Summary Mercy Corps is seeking a Monitoring Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager to support the implementation of an anticipated five-year USAID Increasing Resilience of Island Economies in Jamaica (IRIE Jamaica). The purpose of IRIE Jamaica is to strengthen communities, key economic sectors, and Jamaica's enabling environment to prepare for climate change and disasters.The MEL Manager will be responsible for oversight and management of Activity-level monitoring and evaluationโincluding qualitative inquiryโensuring that a robust MEL system provides evidence needed for learning and adapting throughout the program lifecycle. The MEL system should be robust enough that data can be used as part of an impact evaluation. The MEL Managerโs role is to also oversee and ensure coordination of the various technical areas across the MEL staff of the Project, and other relevant Project staff and components. The MEL Manager is responsible for the capacity building and mentoring strategy for program staff on themes related to monitoring, evaluation, accountability, reporting and learning.
Essential Job Responsibilities
MEL STRATEGY AND PLANNING
- Set up and lead the timely implementation of the Activity MEL plan (AMELP), Learning Plan, and the MEL Technologies plan. Ensure that key program deliverables are adequately reflected in the program implementation plan. Set a strategic direction for the MEL component of the program with Mercy Corps and partner teams and clarify the direction and priorities.
- Develop country-level MEL Standard Operating Procedures for key processes and ensure that they are appropriately followed. Conduct internal quality assurance on MEL standards and provide support to programs for improvement, as needed.
- Oversee data collection, analysis, management, visualization, mapping, and reporting on quantitative and qualitative indicators related to the programโs overall operational context and performance.
- Harmonize the MEL system across consortium partner systems and other external systems, as relevant.
- Maximize the use of participatory methods in MEL data collection.
- Ensure the quality of MEL implementation for the Activity, consistently reviewing and adapting the MEL systems and tools to the needs of the changing programmatic context.
- Ensure systems are established and maintained to collect sex- and age-disaggregated data to ensure that the project team can design gender-sensitive and socially inclusive components.
- Ensure that data protection is included in data collection (direct and remote), storage, and presentation of those data.
- Tailor evidence-based learning to diverse audiences, decision-makers, and stakeholders.
- Participate in program design, proposal writing, as well as support startups incorporating best M&E practices and resources appropriately for enhanced effective program management and measurement during implementation.
MEL DATA SYSTEMS
- Participate and support the development of the MEL system, maintain, and report on progress to support efforts of reporting to donors and internally (such as participant count, TolaData, Strategy Results Measurement and others). This may also include development, streamlining and standardization of program-level MEL systems and tools and data collection processes. Use the MEL technologies suite to guide the selection of the tools, data storage and data visualization best practices.
- Ensure data management processes (collection, cleaning, analysis, storage, reporting, and visualization) are functioning in all Activity locations to provide quality data within deadlines.
- Ensure data quality through routine internal Data Quality Assessments (DQAs) as required by the Mercy Corps MEL Policy and adjust, as needed.
- Ensure the Activity adheres to Mercy Corpsโ MEL and Program Record Retention and Responsible Data Policies.
- Develop reporting templates that facilitate the acquisition, aggregation, and flow of information and learning within the program as well as externally.
- Ensure quality remote monitoring practices are used in instances where in-person monitoring is not possible for MC teammates or enumerators.
- Conduct country-level program performance analysis, visualizations, using TolaData dashboards and present to country leadership during management and learning meetings. Present the programโs performance and progress during program leadership meetings, report on progress, challenges, gaps and guide the discussions on necessary adaptations within the program.
PROGRAM LEARNING
- Facilitate and conduct periodic pause and reflection sessions on program progress at the individual program and country levels, synthesize program learning, and disseminate to intended stakeholders within and outside Mercy Corps.
- Support the program manager to identify and document best practices and backing evidence, as well as scale up promising opportunities. Disseminate knowledge and best practices through country-wide learning events, as well as applying those in new program design.
- Facilitate documentation of best practice, work with the program and MEL teams to ensure they are appropriately documented and disseminated within Mercy Corps and across partners.
- Develop Scopes of Work, and oversee evaluations, and studies that are planned for the program.
- Support the efforts to implement Final Internal Performance Reviews (FIPR), evaluate and strengthen analytic capacity within the programs, identify and capture learning and best practices, and share across programs and partners, as necessary.
- Regularly conduct project site visits to provide hands-on training on how to capture and organize information for accurate documentation and use of data for decision making, report and dissemination.
Team Management
- Oversee the Activity MEL team and sub-contractors, such as external evaluators and enumerators.
- Use competency-based approaches to build the capacity of all relevant Activity and partner team members to develop and maintain a high-quality MEL system, which integrates regular reflection, learning, and adaption through analysis of quantitative and qualitative data and other knowledge gained through implementation of the AMELP.
- Promote staff accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one-on-one meetings and performance reviews.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Conduct recruitment and onboarding of new staff members.
Security
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
- Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
Organizational Learning
- As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
Accountability to Beneficiaries
- Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.Supervisory ResponsibilityActivity MEL Team
Accountability Reports Directly To: Chief of PartyWorks Directly With: The Activity team, global evidence and learning team, regional team, finance and operations teams, and the global technical support team.
Knowledge and Experience
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, including proven experience managing MEL staff.
- MA/MS in research methods, statistics, economics, monitoring and evaluation, or another relevant field preferred.
- Experience managing MEL and activities under USAID-funded programs.
- Proven success in designing, implementing, and overseeing program MEL systems from startup to closeout.
- Experience with and commitment to adaptive management and collaborative, learn, adapt (CLA) processes.
- Research skills, including participatory qualitative and quantitative methodologies and techniques, planning and managing surveys, and developing and refining data collection tools.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, and a proven ability to network and maintain effective working relationships with diverse actors.
- Experience and understanding of market-system development interventions and how these are monitored and evaluated.
- Previous experience in the Caribbean or similar context preferred.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
Success Factors The ideal candidate will have a strong curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the complex cultural, political, security and social environment of Jamaica. S/he will be an excellent communicator, multi-tasker, and able to work in ambiguous situations. S/he will be a tolerant and flexible individual able to work in difficult and stressful environments and follow procedures. The successful candidate will be focused on team building and capacity-building of national staff; be a strategic thinker, have strong skills in design, monitoring and evaluation of development programs and maintain a sense of humor.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions The MEL Manager is based in Kingston, Jamaica. All Mercy Corps employees are expected to work a five-day work week. This position requires 40% of travel by road to field program locations.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 Mercy Corp's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corpsโ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.
- Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
- As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.