Description
About Mercy Corps
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.
Programme / Department Summary
Mercy Corps began working in Kenya in 2008 and has built a robust and diverse portfolio working to enable Kenyans affected by poverty, climate change, resource scarcity and conflict to be healthy, productive and to drive peace and development of their communities.
To do this, we deliver integrated programming to strengthen market and governance systems, innovate urban youth employment opportunities, respond to climate-related shocks, address the root causes of conflict, and build the resilience of vulnerable populations – in particular youth, women, adolescents and marginalized communities.
Mercy Corps is seeking a MEL Officer for its three year Sauti Yako, Amani Yako (Sauti) Sauti Yako, Amani Yako (your voice, your peace) or “Sauti”, is a localized, system-strengthening approach to PCVE in Kenya. Sauti responds to the persistent threat of violent extremism present in Kenya and the risks of recruitment and radicalization experienced by vulnerable female and male youth.
The goal of Sauti is that, locally driven resilience to VE is strengthened in targeted communities by establishing an inclusive, responsive and self-sustaining PCVE system in Kenya. To achieve this goal Mercy Corps works together with the Kenya School of Government’s (KSG) Security Management Institute; the Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies (CHRIPS), and a network of local CSOs in Kilifi, Mombasa, Kwale, Lamu and Garissa.
The Position Summary
This position is a key role on Mercy Corps’ program evidence and learning unit. The Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Officer will support the program in planning and execution of evidence gathering and learning activities.
The MEL Officer will support the MEL Manager in ensuring quality in accordance with accepted standards, providing essential feedback to team members and partners for learning, accountability and decision making, as well as conducting program assessments. The MEL Officer will be responsible for reviewing necessary tools that feed into the needs of Mercy Corps and donor reporting requirements.
Essential Job Responsibilities
STRATEGIC INPUTS AND OVERSIGHT
- Support review and implementation of monitoring and evaluation tools.
- Support inputs into program review documents.
RESULTS-BASED MONITORING, EVIDENCING & REPORTING
- Support implementing partners on activity-level MEL efforts, ensuring quality, reliability, and consistency in data collection efforts using program MEL templates.
- Validating and verifying core indicators against the different sources of information.
- Review, validation, and analysis of in-coming results data from implementing partners.
- Visit sites and partners to collect supplementary data, stories and conduct qualitative reviews both independently and in teams.
- Maintaining a database of results and related results tracking tools.
- Work with the Senior Program Manager, Program Officer, the MEL Manager and other relevant staff in tracking implementation of partners’ activities, attending necessary events in the targeted counties, as relevant, to ensure that activities are implemented on plan and progress towards targets is not compromised.
- Collaborate with the Senior Program Manager and Program Officer in the preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual activity reports and verification of reported
LEARNING
- Support the MEL Manager, program implementation staff and implementing partners to identify lessons learned from project implementation
- Regularly document and give support in sharing learnings from program implementation.
- Support the program implementation team in incorporating those lessons into the activity development cycle
- Maintain an up-to-date database that reflects progress and program indicators.
- Maintain strong working relationships with partners to enable robust results collection and feedback loop for program learning and adaptation.
CAPACITY BUILDING
- Build the capacity of implementing partners to develop and maintain an excellent MEL system;
- Facilitate implementing partners in conducting periodic reflection using outcome mapping and outcome harvesting processes, and analysis of project monitoring information that feeds into Sauti’s programming and learning.
- Support training of implementing partners in use of technology for MEL.
ASSESSMENTS, SURVEYS AND EVALUATIONS
- Support conduct of program assessments, evaluations and surveys.
- Support data analysis pertaining to assessments, evaluations and surveys.
SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES
- Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
- Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
- Encourages openness and communication in their team, encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g. Integrity Hotline and other options
Other Duties as Assigned
Remain flexible and open to taking on new/different responsibilities as the program evolves and progresses, especially as requested/ guided by the Programme lead.
Supervisory Responsibility
None
Accountability
Reports to: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager
Works directly with: Chief of Party, Senior Program Manager, Program Officer and implementing partner organizations.
Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
- Must hold at least a bachelor’s degree in social science, Statistics, or relevant field.
- At least 5 years of program monitoring and evaluation experience.
- Should understand concepts and demonstrate skills in monitoring and evaluation, project cycle, results chain and frameworks, participatory monitoring.
- Should be able to implement assessments and surveys.
- Must have good writing and analytical skills.
- Should have knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection, reporting techniques. They should understand and be able to apply basic measures of central tendency and spread.
- In addition to Microsoft Excel, the incumbent should demonstrate fluency in use of at least one data statistical analysis software such as, SPSS, and STATA, and data collection software such as CommCare, ONA, Kobo
- Must be fluent both spoken and written English and Kiswahili.
Success Factors
The MEL Officer should be an exceptional analyst with a passion for data-driven decision-making and leveraging M&E processes for program improvement. They must demonstrate proficiency in monitoring and evaluation concepts, project cycles, results chains, participatory monitoring, and the implementation of assessments and surveys.
Excellent writing and analytical skills, along with knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection and reporting techniques, are crucial. The candidate should be adept at applying measures of central tendency and spread, and fluent in Microsoft Excel and at least one statistical analysis software such as SPSS or STATA, as well as data collection software like CommCare, ONA, or Kobo
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Mercy Corps’ Mombasa office with approx. 50% travel to program locations.
Ongoing 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.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving 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 world’s 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 Opportunity
Mercy 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 on the basis of race, color, 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, program 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.
By applying for this role an applicant confirms that they have not previously violated an employer’s sexual misconduct, sexual exploitation and abuse, child safeguarding or trafficking policy. 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 Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times.
Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline ([email protected]).
