Job Description
DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE
Communications requirement:
This position holder will hold continuous communication with the Programme Leads, Advisors, Specialists, and Project Managers for support in developing the TOC, result framework, and performance measurement plan for measuring outcome indicators. The MERL Specialist will share monitoring findings with the programme team regularly and facilitate responses to address gaps and replicate best practices. The MERL Specialist will also hold communication with concerned project staff clarification regarding various issues in the project.
External communications requirement involves partner organisations, donors and national and international NGOs.
Risk management:
In accordance with Plan International’s Ethical MERL Framework and Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy, the organisation is committed to ensure that the rights of the children, adolescents and youth who are participating in monitoring and evaluation activities are respected and protected. Therefore, the position holder should be proactive that all ethical issues are ensured.
External representation:
As assigned by the supervisor/Line Manager this position holder may be responsible to represent Plan at national and international workshops, seminar and conferences related to monitoring and evaluation. S/he is also responsible for representing the organisation for providing various services to other NGOs or INGO Forums as assigned by the supervisor.
Reach/breadth of the post/ or area of responsibilities:
This position holder will work closely with the Project MERL Manager to develop the Theory of Change, result framework, and project indicators to measure success. The MERL Specialist will work closely with the project team, primarily on capacity building of Plan and partner staff and where organizational level support is needed, including CPAC, Joint Monitoring Visits, Social Audits, project review and reflection etc.
The MERL Specialist will develop methods to track outputs and assess outcomes and report about these periodically to the project team and management. This position holder will be responsible for developing and rolling out tools for data quality assurance to ensure quality reporting to donors. The MERL Specialist will conduct regular process monitoring at the project level to ensure interventions are delivered as per agreed standards and share the monitoring findings with concerned staff members in the programme.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
Contribute to project design and reporting:
- Provide inputs in program development and facilitate planning activities including the design of project theory of change and/or logical framework.
- Compile and provide required data for reporting to donors and Plan International requirements.
- Ensure all project activities meet Programme and Influence Quality Policy and Procedure Requirements.
Establish effective project monitoring system:
- Contribute to the design of the Monitoring and Evaluation framework for the project.
- Work with the project team to develop data collection tools.
- Ensure monitoring data is collected, consolidated and analysed according to the MERL Standard and in a timely manner.
- Perform regular field visits to ensure the quality of data collected by project and partner staff and to verify the accuracy of reported data.
- Prepare, disseminate and follow up MERL report as part of Plan International’s information management system.
Implementation of M&E Systems like PMERL, MIS of Plan International Nepal:
- Ensure that project data is regularly and accurately uploaded to Plan’s information management system (PMERL) by appropriate project staff. Provide capacity building as needed.
- Capacity building to the PNGO staffs of the project team to set up and implementation of MIS system.
Facilitate accountability and stakeholder feedback mechanisms:
- Support in conducting regular review and reflection with partner organisations and communities.
- Design, plan and carry out social audit along with Knowledge Management Specialist.
- Develop and follow up plan of action based on recommendations from review/reflection and social audit events.
- Support the program team to establish complaints and feedback mechanism for assigned programmes/projects to respond to the complaints/feedbacks/concern from community and beneficiaries, including analysis of data with management actions identified.
Evaluations, research and learning generation:
- Lead project evaluations and research activities.
- Participate in the development of data collection tools and the design of evaluations and research.
- Perform quantitative analyses using appropriate software (i.e., SPSS, or STATA or any statistical application).
- Work with program teams to utilise data for quality improvements.
Develop capacity of Plan International Nepal and partner staff:
- Identify the capacity gaps and work with Project MERL Manager to build the capacity of the monitoring staff at Field and those of partners to ensure smooth implementation of MERL system.
- Support the Project MERL Manager in providing capacity building, training and mentoring in MERL to relevant staff in the country office, field offices and partner organisation.
Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
Job Specification
Essential
- Master’s degree in social sciences, social research, development studies, public health or a related field oriented to monitoring and evaluation methods with at least 4-5 years of relevant experience OR Bachelor’s degree in related field with at least 7 years of leading monitoring, evaluation, research, and accountability in national/international development organizations.
- Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English and Nepali.
- Proven experience in a technical capacity involving design and implementation of evaluations/research or leading evaluation/research teams and drafting technical reports.
- Proven experience with quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
- Ability to implement data quality assurance mechanism for project level.
- Knowledge on digital data collection tools and procedure.
- Skill to critically analyse data and produce comprehensive reports to support programme decision-making.
- Experienced in developing TORs and coordinating with consultants for quality evaluations and assessments.
- Experience conducting interviews with young people, children and communities.
- Strong capacity and creativity in leading and facilitating participatory methodologies to meaningfully engage beneficiaries, including children, and receiving their feedback through approaches such as social audit, employing quality benchmarks.
- Experience in capacity development of staff or partners in project monitoring, evaluation or research.
Desirable
- Proven experience in managing multiple and competing tasks while maintaining quality of deliverables within deadlines.
- Experience of managing large datasets. Experience of using SQL server is an asset.
- Experience in use of statistical packages such as SPSS, R or STATA for inferential analysis.
- Experience in use of data visualization tools like Power Bi, Tableau, GIS.
- Experience in use of electronic data collection platforms like Kobo toolbox, ODK, ONA.
- Experienced in rights-based approach to development.
- Facilitating child led/focused monitoring, evaluation or research.
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