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.
The Program / Department / Team
Mercy Corps has been present in Liberia since 2002, focusing its interventions on Governance, Youth Livelihoods, Economic Growth and Development. With funding from the EU, SIDA, AFD, UAE MOFAIC and USDA, Mercy Corps has been able to work together with communities in Liberia to respond to their various needs bringing benefits to more than 40,000 beneficiaries through the provision of employment and entrepreneurship opportunities and access to energy.
General Position Summary
The Country Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager is a key position at Mercy Corps responsible for cross-cutting programmatic information management, monitoring and evaluation, ensuring that information collected is reflected upon, used to improve ongoing programs, and is incorporated into consistently high-quality reports and proposal development. The Country MEL Manager will be responsible for developing, coordinating, maintaining and continually improving the country-wide M&E system, as well as training M&E staff across each field office. Also, the position holder is responsible for ensuring that the reports generated by each field office are timely and of high quality and that the data can be validated. The Country MEL Manager will also work with Program teams to track the pipeline of potential new business opportunities for Liberia and support country teams in prioritizing and preparing for them; They will support program development efforts in Liberia
Essential Responsibilities
Strategy and Planning
- Develop the country MEL strategy in line with Mercy Corps’ policies and standards, provide leadership to field offices in developing individual program level M&E systems that inform and improve each program, as well as feed into the broader country-wide M&E system and country strategy.
- Participate in country management meetings and country-wide strategy sessions.
- Conduct MEL/program performance gap assessments covering specific M&E activities, processes and tools in Liberia. Based on assessment findings, begin development of a long-term rollout/training plan and strategy in coordination with country leadership.
- Work with the all MEL Officers to develop and implement individualized Action Plans to ensure more systematic data collection, management and analysis.
- Work with field-based MEL Officers to strengthen links and coordination between Monrovia and field-based MEL teams, working to ensure that all MEL team members understand the roles and responsibilities of M&E and can carry out their duties effectively.
- Conduct field-based training and capacity assessments in the individual sub-offices alongside the field-based MEL Officers, working to strengthen the implementation of sound M&E systems across all areas of intervention.
- Lead the TolaData rollout and adoption in Liberia, which includes: program identification and selection; program readiness assessment and support; training and capacity building; and post-training user support and adoption/institutionalization;
- Serve as the CARM focal Point for Liberia, working closely with the Senior MEL Officers, MEL Officers, Program Managers, field team members, and country leadership
- Ensure that appropriate and adequate reporting and accountability mechanisms are in place at all levels within the country to ensure long-term, sustainable adoption and usage of TolaData.
Program Management Support
- Work with M&E staff, Program Managers, the Director of Programs and support teams on building a culture of adaptive management, evidence and learning in Liberia, and supporting the better overall performance of the country team in these areas.
- Conduct initial orientation and onboarding of new program staff (esp. M&E, program managers, and country leaders) – promote tools like DIG, M&E tools, and PM@MC.
- Lead and support PM@MC compliance and provide a backstop for in-country training, and assist in specific PM@MC topics as needed.
- Conduct PM@MC gap analyses with PM@MC specialists, and help Mercy Corps Liberia develop action plans for correcting gaps, and developing plans for monitoring adherence to PM&MC minimum standards.
- In collaboration with the Director of Programs and Program Managers/Team Leads, organize monthly or quarterly program reflection meetings.
- Conduct program quality reviews including implementation quality, meeting of minimum standards, quality of M&E data collection and analysis.
Grant and Reporting Management
- Regularly conduct project site visits to provide hands-on training to field staff on how to capture and organize information for accurate documentation and reporting.
- Assist the program implementation team in timely and accurate reporting to donors.
- Coordinate with a variety of teams, HQ, Finance, Program and Country Director to ensure that reports are timely, high-quality, and responsive to donors.
- Lead national team capacity building through coaching in report writing and quality control of final written products.
Monitoring and Evaluation Assessments
- Assist in designing programs that incorporate Mercy Corps’ standards on design, monitoring, and evaluation.
- Coordinate and play a role in assessments as requested. Provide input as to M&E systems and act as a link to HQ M&E technical staff.
- Set up and supervise the country M&E programs including hiring, orienting and supervising M&E staff as appropriate.
- Play a central role in all evaluation, design and implementation, and developing the capacity of the national team to conduct internal evaluations.
Team Management
- Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
- Lead and develop a country M&E team and also assist the M&E officers assigned to each program in developing and maintaining a system that improves the country’s ability to analyze and represent impact to donors, government, colleague agencies, and communities themselves.
- Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
- Play an active role in hiring, orienting and leading team members as necessary.
Supervisory Responsibility
Program MEL Managers/Officers x 8, MEL advisor
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Country Director
Works Directly With: Director of Programs, Program Managers, Finance, HR, Communications Officer
Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program 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
- MA/S or equivalent, preferable public administration, economics or international development.
- 5-6 years of experience in the area of monitoring and evaluation, including relevant experience building and managing an M&E system and team, relevant experience supervising data collection and data validation exercises, and building staff capacity.
- Must have extensive training skills and experience working with a variety of donors, including EC, USAID and SIDA.
- A high degree of computer literacy; Excel and Word skills are essential.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills.
- Internationally recognized qualification in project or program management or a commitment to obtain the qualification in the early months of work
Success Factors
The ideal candidate will have an intense curiosity for understanding and working effectively within the complex cultural, political, security and social environment of Liberia. They will be an excellent communicator, multi-tasker, and able to work in ambiguous situations. They 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 excellent writing skills
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The MEL Manager is based in Monrovia. This location is accompanied and secure. Housing is individual accommodation with unlimited freedom of movement beyond the house/office. There are several International schools in Liberia. Staff will have access to essential services – medical, electricity, water etc. This position requires 40% of travel by road to field offices in safe environments.
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 professionally and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an integral part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer, regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment
Ongoing Learning
In 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 & 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. 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 elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
More Information
- Job City Monrovia
