Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Assistant at Mercy Corps

Program / Department Summary

• The Educating Nigerian Girls in New Enterprises (ENGINE) Programme is an initiative to improve learning outcomes and the economic status of marginalised adolescent girls aged 16-19 years old in the Northern Nigerian states of Kano and Kaduna, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the metropolis of Lagos.
• ENGINE through funding from the UK Department for International Development’s Girl’s Education Challenge, the Coca-Cola Company and other stakeholders supported over 18,000 marginalised girls to reduce education and financial barriers in its first implementation phase.
• In its second phase, ENGINE II will facilitate transition of these girls into functional literacy, numeracy and scale up their business opportunities and linkages.
• ENGINE II will further increase access of beneficiaries to (1) financial education and life skills; (2) peer to peer networks and mentoring; and (3) direct assets (materials and savings).
• Beneficiaries will be integrated into value chains as well as other market-driven employment opportunities. ENGINE II will also work with girls in formal and informal education to increase their learning opportunities and outcomes and prepare them for future economic activities and work in the policy environment to provide an enabling environment for girls to flourish in their chosen pathways.
• Mercy Corps Nigeria is leading the implementation of ENGINE II project with new and innovative solutions to scale up existing interventions and deliver quality education and skills to the hardest to reach girls. Mercy Corps will collaborate with other stakeholders for the implementation of the ENGINE II programme, including the Nigerian Ministry of Education, Central Bank, National Youth Service Corps and as well as private sector actors.

Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision:

• Recognise opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcome.
• Set direction by prioritising and organising actions and resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Support the development and organising of activities to secure resources for programmes and convince stakeholders to provide support. 

Monitoring, Evaluation And Learning (MEL):

• Support the development of data collection tools, analysis of secondary data, and, where appropriate, remote monitoring techniques.
• Support the collection, alignment, and reporting of relevant programme indicators as part of Mercy Corps’ global Mission Metrics initiative. 
• Participate and contribute to developing and preparing high-quality quarterly and annual reports.
• Ensure that the database for ENGINE II is updated in real-time as data is received from implementation states.
• Make performance results available to relevant programme teams so that they can be used for continuous improvement.

Management Information System:

• Ensure data quality through regular data quality assessment visits to states and project communities.
• Provide regular feedback to states on data quality and performance against project milestone.
• Support monthly data upload and engage with state teams to ensure data availability and completeness.
• Ensure that the MIS for ENGINE II is updated, operational and accessible.
• Provide regular feedback on performance indicators based on analysed data.

Research And Documentation:

• Support the coordination and administration of pre-and-post-tests and matching interest to work assessment for beneficiaries of ENGINE II.
• Coordinate data entry and archival of pre-and-post-tests questionnaire and matching interest to work assessment.
• Support the development and dissemination of monthly learning data and update of performance data table.
• Ensure proper storage of project evaluation data including pre-and-post-tests, matching Interest to Work Assessment and school performance records.
• Perform regular archival and retrieval of project documents, data, reports and email communications.

Communication And Capacity Building:

• Actively participate in meetings and processes to promote effective programme management (through strong MEL practices).
• Support the strengthening of staff capacity in the interpretation and use of both routine data collection and periodic evaluation/assessment tools through comprehensive training and coaching.
• Improve data quality through supportive supervisory visits to implementing partners and beneficiaries 
• Work with others in brainstorms and problem solving sessions to address shortfalls in monitoring, evaluation and information management that affect programme implementation. 
• Utilise internal Mercy Corps global online information-sharing resources to enhance organisational learning.
• Support the development of abstracts and success stories through provision of information and data.

Finance & Compliance Management:

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps’ regulations related to emergency programming.
• Support the drafting and/or reviewing of the scope of work designed for hiring and managing any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

Influence & Representatio:

• Support the identification, building and managing of collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

Security:

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organisational Learning:

• As part of our commitment to organisational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organisations 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 toward 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, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

• Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Development Studies, Social Sciences, or relevant field, with a strong foundation in monitoring and evaluation
• Minimum of 2 years of M&E work experience in the development sector required; ideal candidate will have both theoretical and practical background in M&E
• Knowledge of programme development, implementation, evaluation, and reporting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent computer skills, including experience with: Excel, PowerPoint, and at least one statistical data analysis software
• Familiarity and experience in large-scale secondary education or school to work projects and especially targeting programmes for marginalised girls or young women is preferred. 
• Experience working in Northern States of Nigeria.
• Fluency in written and verbal English required.

Success Factor

• The successful MEL Assistant will have the ability to multi-task, set priorities, and work under tight deadlines within a complex team. S/he will demonstrate strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills and be committed to the values and mission of Mercy Corps. S/he will take initiative and contribute to team efforts, as well as demonstrate ability to communicate.
• Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.