Emd Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Manager

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. The agency pursues its mission through emergency relief services, sustainable community development, civil society and economic development initiatives. Mercy Corps has been present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently works in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq. Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has implemented community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged in the country.  In 2012, the program portfolio shifted in response to the massive refugee influx from Syria and Mercy Corps in Lebanon has solidified its emergency response programming while integrating longer-term development programming by focusing on key sectors: Protection, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Governance and Conflict, and Livelihoods.  Mercy Corps will be implementing a three-year program focused on skills training and employment growth to mitigate risks for instability and conflict in the target areas. The Programme aims to support Lebanese communities, Palestinian and Syrian refugees in Zahle, West Bekaa, Chouf, Jezzine and Saida to address their economic needs through employment, increased income for small businesses, and focused improvements to Public and Private TVET centers.   The programme will be focused on the Agriculture, Energy, Manufacturing, and Services (inc.  Tourism) Sectors ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: The Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Manager is responsible for the technical design of M&E across for the Programme. The EMD MEL Manager will facilitate the design, set-up and implementation of standard M&E processes in close collaboration with Programme Manager and M&E staff to ensure data is used to drive evidence-based programming. This includes defining project logic, indicators, and methodologies while bringing best practices to these key areas. The post holder will build internal capacity to constantly improve systems and data quality. M&E Management Examines program indicators, standardizing and refining based on application, in coordination with Mercy Corps’ global standards and post 2015 Sustainability Goals; Provides technical guidance and recommendations on data collection, measurement and sampling methodologies to ensure quality data is collected and applied; Develops data collection tools and templates, including assessments, baselines, monitoring forms, and final evaluations as well as oversee database systems across programs; Leads design and implementation of final program evaluations and research studies that help to identify the drivers of impact; Works closely with Programme staff to promote course corrections and organizational learning, using examples to build replicable prototypes that can be used by other programs. Analysis and Data Reporting Complete final review of internal and external reports, as requested and required; Produce analytical summaries: graphs, charts, tables, narratives and appealing visuals, as requested, to fulfill internal and external reporting requirements; Liaise across will other Mercy Corps programme teams to ensure that the databases complement and align; Develop user-friendly web-based data visualization applications to facilitate analysis and organizational learning; Capacity Building and Mentoring Develops program staff and partner capacity building strategy that promotes a culture of learning through systematic analysis and reflection; Provides training and mentoring in survey design, methodology, data collection and analysis and other skills as required for assessing the impact of programs including ODK Collect, Google Fusion Tables, CKAN, and MS Office products; Contributes to the knowledge management repository with best practices in MEL and Information Communication Technology and ensure that it is accessible to all staff and partners.    Strategic Leadership Provides leadership to ensure that  the Programme’s logical framework and monitoring plan meet Mercy Corps’ Program Management Minimum Standards and measure program output, outcomes and impact against goals and indicators; Supports the Program Manager and Mercy Corps MEL Manager  to design quality information collection strategies that inform a country-wide system and information management platform; Designs and promotes strong feedback loops within EMD programs to enable iterative program design, planning, and management to create a comprehensive system;    Other Ensure all activities are gender sensitive and follow Mercy Corps’ Gender Equity Policy; Apply Do No Harm standards to ensure activities do not have detrimental effects on vulnerable communities; Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission in Lebanon; Participate in internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops; Other duties as assigned.   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 towards 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, M&E of our field projects.   SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY: REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Programme Manager SUPERVISES: M&E Officers, and Assistants WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Project Managers, Technical Advisors, Information Manager, Program Development and Quality Manager, and Mercy Corps Lebanon MEL Manager KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE: 5 years relevant professional experience, including at least three years working in M&E. Experience designing Result Frameworks for multi-year; multi component programmes. Knowledge of major aspects of program development, implementation and documentation and excellent verbal and written communication skills required within the economic development sector Strong Research background desired with an ability to design and analyze economic development research through proven methodologies Significant experience in training and capacity building of staff and implementing partner agencies. Successful experience with the adoption of mobile data collections tools like Open Data Kit and Ona including XLSForm authoring. Experience with data management including the ability to structure and collate data sets for ease of analysis. Demonstrated understanding of intermediate statistics and ability to summarize and make predictions from multiple data sets. SUCCESS FACTORS: The post holder will have strong organizational skills and the ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel. S/he will have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and a demonstrated ability to multi-task and process information into action. The successful candidate will have proven experience working with a cross-cultural team and possess strong capacity building and mentoring skills that promotes a culture of learning. They will demonstrate a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, and make effective communication a priority in all situations, and maintain a sense of humor.