Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant (MAIDA) at Mercy Corps

Program / Department Summary

• The MAIDA programme will directly support the recovery of at least 70,000 women, men, girls and boys who are returnees, IDPs and members of host communities affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in southern and central Borno State. The objective of MAIDA is to increase the social cohesion and resilience to economic, social and climate related shocks in Borno State in an environmentally-conscious way.
• Four interrelated and mutually reinforcing intermediate outcomes will contribute to achieving this objective. First, MAIDA will restore and improve rural livelihoods in an ecologically sustainable manner by enabling households to take advantage of existing and new agricultural market opportunities.
• In parallel, adolescents and youth will be empowered as economic actors in their communities through access to employment, diversified livelihood opportunities, vocational training and business development initiatives.
• These outcomes will be reinforced by improved access to social protection and community-based services for women, youth, adolescent breadwinners and other at-risk groups.
• Finally, overall social cohesion will be strengthened within and between conflict-affected communities and environmental resource management will be improved in areas of displacement and return.
• Sectors of intervention will include market-led and climate-smart livelihood and employment opportunities, vocational training for youth, social and economic protection and community reintegration and peacebuilding.
• Economic recovery activities will build resilience through Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) market systems-based models, reducing poverty by enhancing the ways that poor and vulnerable households interact with markets.

General Position Summary

• The Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant will work with the Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer as part of a team to operationalize the MAIDA M&E system.
• The M&E Assistant is responsible for supporting Mercy Corps staff and partners to regularly collect, enter, verify and analyze data and make timely database adjustments to measure the impact of the MAIDA programme.
• The M&E Assistant will work directly with the Senior M&E Officer and will closely coordinate with other programme staff to help ensure monitoring and evaluation data is accurately incorporated into all reports and information products.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Understand and maintain an M&E system database that improves Mercy Corps’ ability to inform program implementation, analyze data and represent impact to donors, government, partner organizations and communities.
• Ensure all relevant programme staff are able to utilize the database to analyse program information and results.
• Regularly review data entered into the M&E system to locate and fix problems with data entry or integrity.
• Manage regular synchronizations and backups of field data to cloud-based data management system.
• Troubleshoot front and back end issues with the database, including any synchronisation issues of field-level data.
• Work as part of a team to facilitate and support M&E operations including baseline, annual and endline surveys, regular monitoring, data collection, analysis and reporting according to the M&E work plan.
• Generate data (tables/graphs/reports) from the M&E database at regular intervals, ensuring reports/information are available for programme implementation staff when required. Facilitate data analysis with programme implementation team as requested.
• Conduct regular field visits to ensure all elements of the M&E system and database are utilized effectively by all stakeholders, assessing and identifying breakdowns and areas that require clarifications and improvements.
• Ensure field teams always have the most recent version of all M&E tools and documents.
• Assist the team in improving the MAIDA’s M&E systems by identifying good practices, field tested lessons learned and creative recommendations; share with and encourage staff to incorporate these in their daily work.
• Work closely with the Senior M&E Officer to develop and deliver staff/partner trainings, improving capacities in monitoring, evaluation and database management.
• Review or edit data in reports as requested and required.
• Carry out any other duties as assigned or required.

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.
• Work closely with Mercy Corps Nigeria country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that ensure the safety and security of the team in all aspects of its implementation process.

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 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

• Three or more years of experience working in the NGO sector in M&E, ideally in conflict management, peacebuilding, community development or economic and market development.
• A university degree in social sciences or a related field is required.
• Prior experience carrying out surveys or conducting qualitative and quantitative data collection.
• Prior experience with computerized data management systems.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel and Access.
• Strong analytical skills coupled with a solid understanding of quantitative indicators and data collection strategies.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, Hausa and Kanuri is required.

Success Factors

• The ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel is required.
• A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary.
• The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority in all situations.
• 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.