Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Reporting Officer at Palladium Group

Project Overview and Role
Purpose of Position:

• The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Reporting Officer will support the development and communication of findings from ECPs Learning and Adaptive Management platform to delivery teams, ECP management, DFID and other audiences.
• The MEL Reporting Officer is part of the Monitoring , Evaluation and Learning (MEL) support team and will work closely with MEL Officers to collect findings from frontline teams, quality assure these and package and present these into suitable formats for use by delivery teams, ECP management and DFID.
• This will be in line with quarterly and annual review and reporting cycles as well as in line with the production of specific knowledge products.
• The MEL Reporting Officer will report to the Head of MEL Support.

Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities:

• Development of MEL Support strategy, processes and systems
• Actively work to familiarise him/herself with PERLs and ECPs MEL architecture, including its theory of change, results framework, Learning and Adaptive Management Platform, MEL Plan and performance assessment tools
• Contribute to the development of the above as directed by the Head of MEL
• Collect feedback on the above systems and contribute to on-going refinements of them ? especially from the MEL Officers, MEL Data Analyst and the whole Technical Support Team.
• Contribute to the development of communications, information management and reporting systems drawing on MEL information, including MEL data analysis and feedback to state teams.
• Support state teams to develop state and work stream specific MEL processes and systems in line with the national strategy, processes and systems.

Provide MEL Support systems:

• Contribute to the development of ECPs information management systems for MEL (i.e. Learning and Adaptive Management Platforms (LAMPs), ECPs email systems, electronic and hard-copy filing and retrieval systems, intranet/extranet and other ICT solutions appropriate to ECPs needs in the context of PERLs overall MEL, reporting and results communications frameworks all in line with ECPs overall technical approach/philosophy.
• Manage and maintain the reporting systems derived from ECPs information management systems for MEL.
• Consult with ECP teams to ensure systems developed are user-friendly and appropriate to ECP staff capacity at each level.

Support to the development of reporting systems:

• Work with MEL Officers to refine systems for programme, state and federal level reporting as a whole and around specific outputs and workstreams in line with the Learning and Adaptive Management Platform
• Build the capacity of state teams in using activity, quarterly and annual reporting templates
• Support state teams to assess the reporting needs and requirements of partners, advise them on building partners capacity to report progress and provide direct support to them as needed.
• Continually refine reporting systems and frameworks in line with feedback and new learning
• Habitually monitor and promote value for money analysis and diminishing financial dependency of partners on ECP
• Oversight, packaging and quality assurance of reporting
• Quality assure reporting on progress against outputs and workstreams from state, federal and national teams
• Synthesising and appropriately packaging these reports based on the needs of different audiences, including those of delivery teams, ECP management, DFID and an external audience
• Improving the narrative quality, messaging and presentation of reports, including developing infographics
• Identify and build working relationships with external individuals and organisations that could provide further support on niche areas of reporting, including formatting, infographics and template development

Building relationships with key programme partners:

• Establish a good working relationship with other ECPMEL Officers. Work as a team under the technical guidance and supervision of the Head of M&E as your line manager.
• Establish a good working relationship with selected State Team and keep the State Team Leader informed of planned support to their state team and provide feedback. Liaise directly with all members of staff in the state on their use of ECP information management systems.
• Liaise directly with State Team, Partnership Facilitators to carry out your principal duties on reporting and communications
• Liaise directly with CS, Media, SHoA and other development partners in selected States to facilitate quality assurance and validation of reported progress

Relationships
Teamwork & Mentoring:

• The Reporting Officer should familiarise themselves with the ToRs of all their team members as well as key programme management frameworks: technical, financial and administrative policies and guidelines.
• Actively contribute to Team-Building within the ECP team ? use of shared mission, vision, values, identity/public profile, use of staff meetings, staff welfare, social events, formal and informal opportunities, etc., to reinforce teamwork.
• Actively contribute to a positive office culture within the joint PERL office and collaborate with other programmes to ensure operational synergies.
• Mentor other colleagues, partners and contractors (within and outside of ECP, and across states) ? direct provision of guidance and support, consistent with ECPs vision, mission and values/principles.
• Look out for, highlight and support resolution of internal challenges impacting on team performance.

Compliance:

• Ensure that familiarity with all DFID and Palladium Policies and procedures and check SharePoint regularly to ensure that any updates are also being implemented in a timely manner.
• Ensure cost of all activities completed falls within that forecasted to ensure monthly variances of reimbursable income to DFID are kept below 2%.
• Work to place the programme?s approach, ethos and priorities above private interests while delivering to this role

Authority levels:

• No line management responsibilities
• Line Management by the Head of MEL Support
• The Reporting Officer is responsible for working under the direction provided by the Head of MEL Support, regularly reporting to them and ensuring his/her activities fall within agreed frameworks and operating principles, as well as building an effective working relationship more broadly.

Requirements
Minimum education and experience required:

• Educated to university Degree level or above
• At least 8 years experience working on Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning with strong writing, reporting and stakeholder coordination responsibilities
• Experience working in a donor (preferably DFID) funded programme
• Good results communications skills

Key competencies and professional expertise required:

• Very strong information presentation skills, including infographics and formatting
• Expertise in providing technical support and capacity building to complex teams, in particular mentoring based approaches
• Ability to work as part of a complex team and maintain remote relationships
• Understanding of state and civil society dynamics in Nigeria.