Monitoring And Evaluation Assistant Bekaa

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 has offices in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Libya. 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 launching a rapid eight month pilot programme to identify successful economic development strategies that are potentially scalable and transferrable. The program, Improved Networks, Training and Jobs (INTAJ) in Lebanon, aims to support vulnerable Lebanese communities and Syrian refugees in Bekaa Valley and North governorates to address their economic needs through reduced unemployment and increased income for small businesses.  GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY Working under the direction of the Knowledge Management and External Relations Manager, the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Assistant is expected to contribute to the quality assurance of program implementation in Lebanon and ensure that Mercy Corps project brings a significant contribution to reducing poverty, building secure productive and just communities, and plays a leading role in transforming Mercy Corps programs in Lebanon. S/he will contribute to the monitoring and evaluation functions related to tracking project progress and quality, collecting useful, timely and actionable information for manager and decision-makers, and contribute to the frequent review, reflection and key learning process to improve performance. The M&E Assistant will work closely with the INTAJ Project Manager and the INTAJ Data Analyst to develop and document M&E plans and develops the data management systems.  He/She will assist in developing review and learning processes (eg. complaints mechanisms, feedback loops, lessons learned documentation and sharing, etc.) ensure that systems and people are in place to ensure proper management of these functions and responsibilities. S/he will work closely with Program/Sector Manager, Project Officers, MEL Assistants, the Data Analyst, and project assistants and partners involved in project implementation in order to ensure a coherent and comprehensive project is implemented, lessons are learned and experiences shared across the various sectors and program teams.   ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES Monitoring and Evaluation Conduct timely data collection, entry, analysis, quality assurance, sharing of information and learning, etc.; Work with the INTAJ Data Analyst and the INTAJ Project Manager in implementing project M&E plan and updating indicators; Coordinate with INTAJ Data Analyst to use the appropriate monitoring, tracking and reporting systems, tools and templates that enhance monitoring of project outputs and quality; Update and maintain the project database and indicator tracker; Generate quality evidence on project impact and promote and ensure use of data for decision-making processes; Coordinate with partner organizations to ensure data is collected on time and entered in a timely manner; Assist in conducting assessments and evaluations; Contribute to understanding of and support for mobile data collection hardware and software; Conduct regular monitoring visits to the different project locations; Write up beneficiary stories from the field; Document project progress through tracking attendance sheets, photos, etc. Analysis of data and Reporting Support project team in data collection and data analysis; Liaise with other project teams and M&E staff as required to ensure that the project databases complement and align with each other; Coordinate with the INTAJ Data Analyst to review indicator updates on a monthly basis.; Generate data reports (tables/graphs/reports) from the project databases at regular intervals; Review or edit data in reports as requested and required; Produce analytical summaries: graphs, charts, tables, narratives and appealing visuals, as requested, to fulfill internal and external reporting requirements; Other tasks as required. Accountability Coordinate with the team in the office to build systems that promote beneficiary accountability by ensuring that communities participate in initial assessments and project design; Coordinate with project team to ensure that communities are informed about our project and what we do, are aware of their entitlements, are comfortable to give feedback and that feedback is used to improve the quality of our projects; 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 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; Participate in internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops.  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.  SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None Reports directly to:  Knowledge Management and External Relations Manager Works directly with:  Operations, Finance, Program, and M&E Teams   KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE At least 1-2 years of experience in Monitoring and Evaluation; Computer and data management skills; Experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methodologies required; 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 Conscientious, with excellent judgment; Multi-tasking, prioritizing and simultaneous attention to detail are essential; S/he must have the confidence, and humility, to work effectively with a large variety of people who will be diverse culturally, economically and in social status; S/he must be sensitive to political and cultural nuance and able to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and fast-changing situations; Ability to foster solid working relationships with teammates, local partners and others. Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently; S/he will have the ability to comfortably adapt to a quickly changing environment with a sense of urgency, humor, and curiosity; Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills; Excellent writing skills – ability to write in a variety of styles for multiple audiences; Able to work remotely with a geographically dispersed team; Able to work under pressure of deadlines.