Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research Learning (MERL)
iDE, Ethiopia
Job Description
International Development Enterprises (iDE) is an international NGO working with the mission to create income and livelihood opportunities for poor rural households in Ethiopia through the various development projects implemented in different parts of the country. iDE is currently seeking to recruit a qualified Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research amp; Learning (MERL). This is a senior position with duty station in Addis Ababa.
POSITION TITLE Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research amp; Learning (MERL)
PROJECT OR DIVISION MERL
REPORTS TO iDE Ethiopia Country Director
LOCATION Based in Addis Ababa with frequent field visits to coordinate MERL inputs and gather knowledge/insights from across iDE’s field areas.
PURPOSE
The Head of MERL plays a diverse role in the iDE Ethiopia team by bringing together monitoring and evaluation inputs from key projects to ensure streamlined reporting to funders, while also playing a leadership role in iDE Ethiopia’s communication, new business, and knowledge management efforts. The Head of MERL will also work directly MERL activities to ensure that all MERL inputs are properly analyzed for funder reporting, while also capturing key insights across the iDE Ethiopia Programs and sharing them across the project teams. Additionally, the Head of MERL will assist with proposal development and external communication products. The successful candidate will become a key member of iDE Ethiopia’s country program management team.
RELATIONSHIPS
The Head of MERL will report directly to the Ethiopia Country Director, while also working and directly with the MERL team at iDE’s headquarters in Denver, Colorado. The Head of MERL will serve as a bridge between the headquarters-based Global MERLteam and iDE Ethiopia ensuring that Mamp;E knowledge management and external communication products are of high quality for global sharing. This hire will also coordinate with the Communications team in Denver, Colorado headquarters.
PERFORMING OF DUTIES
People Development: Strengthen capabilities of MERL and real-time data use to service program and project needs; grow the Mamp;E and Knowledge Management teams in line with new business goals.
Systems development: Ensure purpose-driven, rapid, and accessible data is available for key projects; expand and strengthen measurement approaches as necessary; improve reliability and quality of data; increase information and data sharing within iDE Ethiopia and across iDE more broadly.
Analyze and Report. Lead on the analysis and reporting for funders and support iDE Ethiopia’s Country Director and Program Director on regular reporting for other projects as needed.
Strategy: Evolve and strengthen the Mamp;E framework, use of management information systems and knowledge management processes to drive performance and learning, and to inform strategic priorities and business growth.
Business development: Contribute to designing and developing new concepts, projects, and solicitations for funding partners.
Communication: Develop marketing products to communicate project successes and accomplishments. Translate donor and technical evaluation reports into publication materials for external audiences.
Global MERL: Contribute to the development of iDE’s global MERL capabilities through regular interaction with the Global MERL team around innovative MERL design work, smart data and analysis, and evidencing impact.
Requirements
QUALIFICATIONS amp; SKILLS
- Well-educated, with a relevant BA or MA degree (Economics, Statistics, Agriculture Economics, Development Studies) from a reputable university
- Demonstrable experience in building out and using statistical software (i.e., SPSS, Stata, R, etc.), Microsoft suites, graphics database development and management, and tools and systems for mobile data collection and analysis.
- Strong demonstrated proficiency with Windows operating system (Windows 7 and 8), Microsoft Office suite (advanced Excel)
- Demonstrable capacity and/or sound working knowledge in one or more of the following thematic areas nutrition, gender, climate resilience.
- Strong understanding and experience in knowledge management, with related experience in sharing insights, knowledge and findings across multiple projects or departments.
- Able to build productive relationships with diverse teams field staff, global management, private sector companies and groups of stakeholders.
- Efficient communicator, with significant experience writing for audiences outside of Ethiopia preferably with experiences including both technical and non-technical writing.
- Demonstrable capacity and/or sound working knowledge in on