MEL Assistant - Beirut (Applications will only be accepted if submitted through the URL link provided below)

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

In 2019, Mercy Corps, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Oxfam in Lebanon and Al Majmoua established the Consortium “Linking Vulnerable Populations and Inclusive Market Networks to Advance Sustainable Economic Development in Lebanon” - or “LINKED” - to contribute to sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic development in Lebanon. DRC is the consortium lead.

With support from European Union’s Madad Trust Fund (MADAD), LINKED intends to deliver an integrated livelihoods package comprising a series of mutually reinforcing and sequenced activities. On the one side, it will aim to ensure vulnerable households have enhanced capacities to identify and pursue decent livelihood pathways and improve access to employment opportunities for vulnerable job seekers through enhanced marketable skills and linkages with employers. In parallel, it will seek to strengthen capacities of selected local businesses to provide decent, inclusive and sustainable income generation opportunities.

The €14.5 Million programme will be delivered in Bekaa, Tripoli and Mount Lebanon governorates most affected by displacement for a period of 32 months and will target Lebanese vulnerable populations and refugees. The action is designed so that each agency will serve as thematic lead for various elements of each output – DRC for employability, Mercy Corps for Business Support, Oxfam for Advocacy and Decent Work conditions, and Al Majmoua for financial inclusion – while DRC and Mercy Corps will be delivering the bulk of employability and business support activities in their own geographical area of implementation.

The Position

The MEL Assistant is expected to contribute to the quality assurance of program implementation. They will contribute to the monitoring and evaluation functions related to tracking project progress and quality, collecting useful, timely and actionable information for management, and contribute to the review, reflection, and key learning process to improve performance. The MEL Assistant will work closely with the MEL Officer to lead on the data collection of tools, and assessments to support the Monitoring and Evaluation of the program. They will assist in implementing review and learning processes (e.g., complaints mechanisms, feedback loops, lessons learned documentation and sharing, etc.). They will work closely with partners and other stakeholders involved in program implementation in order to ensure a coherent and comprehensive program is implemented, lessons are learned and experiences shared across the various sectors and program teams.

Essential Responsibilities

MONITORING, EVALUATION AND LEARNING

• Assist in the development and management of project databases to facilitate timely information updates, data quality assurance, sharing of information and learning, etc.;
• Assist in the development of appropriate monitoring, tracking and reporting systems, tools and templates (including a M&E plan) that enhance monitoring of project outputs and quality, generate quality evidence on project impact and promote and ensure use of data for decision-making processes;
• Work with the MEL team and Program team to integrate M&E into ongoing project planning and implementation systems and ensure adherence to Mercy Corps M&E minimum standards;
• Coordinate with partner organizations to ensure data is collected on time, reviewed and recorded in a timely manner;
• Support in data collection for assessments and evaluations;
• Support use of digital data collection for M&E needs wherever possible;
• Conduct regular monitoring visits and spot checks to the different project locations;
• Support documentation of project progress through tracking attendance sheets, photos, etc.
• Share regular written reports on monitoring findings and program participants stories;
• Participate in Lessons Learned sessions and disseminate results across the teams.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

• Lead on data collection for Socio-Economic Profiling Assessments
• Lead on the data collection of MEL tools such as Baselines, End lines, Post Distribution Monitoring Surveys Etc.
• Liaise with other project teams and M&E staff as required to ensure that the project databases complement and align with each other.  This will ensure that data on project outputs and project impacts are aligned and reported together;
• Contribute data and analysis to program reports;
• Review or edit data in reports as requested and required;
• Support in producing  analytical summaries: graphs, charts, tables, narratives and appealing visuals, as requested, to fulfill internal and external reporting requirements;
• Contribute to program achievement reporting on TOLA, Activity Info, and other relevant reporting mechanisms;
• Support in the intra-agency referral mechanism; and, other tasks as required.

COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY

• Ensure that Mercy Corps’ Community Feedback and Accountability Mechanism is clearly communicated to project beneficiaries, and that the hotline numbers are visible to end beneficiaries throughout the program;
• 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;
• Other assigned tasks, as necessary.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: MEL Officer

Works Directly With: LINKED program team, LINKED consortium MEL

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

• BA/S or equivalent, preferable in social sciences, business administration, public administration, international development or other relevant disciplines;
• 1-2 years M&E and/or other relevant experience;
• Fluent in both spoken and written Arabic with good knowledge of English;
• Previous experience working with international and/or local NGOs;
• Good computer skills and experience developing data management systems (including ONA/KoBo/ODK) is an asset;
• Relevant experience in field survey/data collection techniques, data entry, data verification, and analysis;
• Good data management understanding and skills;
• Strong team coordination, listening, and consensus building skills.

Success Factors

The successful MEL Assistant will be bright, energetic, hard-working and eager to learn.  They will take a deep personal interest in humanitarian and development assistance. They will be attentive to detail and able to carry out assigned tasks in a timely manner and according to a very high standard of quality.  They will be creative and flexible, contributing to developing and encouraging new and innovative solutions, but at the same time will not have any difficulty in adhering to systems and procedures. They will strictly follow all protocols related to safety and security, and hold themselves accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Mercy Corps’ values.

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 e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.