Monitoring And Evaluation Coordinator

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. With funding from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Mercy Corps is expanding an eight-month pilot project to a two-year program aiming at improving the stability and resiliency in target communities in the North of Lebanon and the Beqaa through reduced unemployment and increased income for businesses. INTAJ (Improved Networks, Training and Jobs) is focused on three main components: skills development, small and medium enterprise (SME) development, and solid waste and recycling management (SWM/R). GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY: The M&E Coordinator will work with the INTAJ M&E team to manage the quality of data captured, establish and maintain database systems across programs, and analyze data for reporting purposes. The M&E Coordinator is responsible for supporting Mercy Corps staff to regularly collect, enter, verify, and analyze data and work with the MEL team to make timely database adjustments to measure the impact of Mercy Corps’ programs and to ensure M&E data is accurately incorporated into all organizational reports and information products. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: DATABASE MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION ● Understand and maintain a database that improves Mercy Corps’ ability to inform program implementation, analyze data, and represent impact to key stakeholders; ● Ensure all relevant program staff are able to utilize the database to analyze program information and results; ● Design, adapt and maintain the database in conjunction with the MEL team to match strategic program or implementation changes; ● Review data being collected in order to locate and fix problems with data entry or integrity; ● Document database contents, protocols and update manuals for smooth functioning of the data management system; ● Manage regular synchronizations of data; ● Troubleshoot front and back end issues with the database, including any synchronization issues with field-level data entry; MONITORING AND EVALUATION ● Work with Project teams and M&E Assistants to integrate M&E into ongoing project planning and implementation systems and ensure adherence to Mercy Corps M&E minimum standards; ● Assist with the development of appropriate monitoring, tracking and reporting systems, tools and templates 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; ● Assist MEL Officers and Assistants to develop and promote the use of standard indicators, tools and forms (as appropriate) and M&E practices across the project and coordinate the collection of information required for country-level management; ● Coordinate assessments and evaluations; ● Ensure that monitoring plans are developed for projects and ensure that regular monitoring visits are conducted by MEL staff to the different project locations and that reports are shared with the program teams; IMPLEMENT SYSTEM AND TOOLS ● Work as part of a broader team to design, facilitate and support data collection and analysis systems including baseline, annual, and end line surveys, regular monitoring, data collection and analysis, feedback and reporting; ● Generate data reports (tables/graphs/reports) from the database at regular intervals, ensuring reports/information are available for program implementation staff as required. Facilitate data analysis with program implementation team as requested; ● Conduct regular field visits to ensure all elements of the data system is being utilized effectively, assessing and identifying breakdowns and areas that require clarifications and improvements; ● Coordinate with field-based Project Managers to implement system corrections and adjustments, solving operational issues and documenting actions taken and next steps; ANALYZE DATA AND REPORTING ● Review or edit data in reports as requested and required; ● 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; ● Other duties as assigned. 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; • Contribute to monthly reports and other ad hoc reports to meet donor and internal requirements; • Participate in internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops; • Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not jeopardize its humanitarian mission; • Other assigned tasks, as necessary. 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: Economic Market Development (EMD) Monitoring and Evaluation Learning (MEL) Manager SUPERVISES: Monitoring and Evaluation Officers, Monitoring and Evaluation Assistants WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Program and Project Managers, Technical Advisors KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE • Up to four years of experience in Monitoring and Evaluation within the non-profit sector; • Computer and data management skills; • Experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methodologies required; • Ability to synthesize information and draft narrative reports that reflects on the data; • Team player who takes initiative, is a problem-solver and able to multi-task; • Effective verbal and written communication skills; • Written and oral communication skills in Arabic and English; • Detail-oriented and highly organized. 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.