MERL Manager at AgriFood Digital Library and Resource Center

Background

• An international development company is recruiting a MERL Manager for a proposed multi-year agricultural development programme aimed at strengthening the ginger and sesame value chains through improved productivity, climate-smart agriculture, market systems development, and last-mile service delivery across selected states in Nigeria.
• To ensure operational readiness, we are identifying qualified professionals for potential deployment, subject to project award and funding approval.

Position Summary 

• The State MERL manager will lead monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting activities within the assigned state.
• The role will ensure that programme performance is systematically tracked, evidence is generated to support decision-making, lessons learned are documented and shared, and programme achievements are effectively communicated to internal and external stakeholders.
• Working closely with the State Team Lead, technical teams, programme management, and the central MERL team, the Officer will strengthen accountability, improve programme performance, and support evidence-based implementation across all programme activities.

Key Responsibilities
Monitoring:

• Work with the programme team to establish and operationalise the state-level monitoring and performance tracking system.
• Adapt and implement the programme’s corporate MERL framework within the assigned state, ensuring consistency in data collection and reporting.
• Develop and maintain a state monitoring plan, including performance indicators, data sources, collection methods, reporting schedules, and assigned responsibilities.
• Coordinate routine monitoring visits to programme activities and ensure timely collection, verification, and validation of programme data.
• Maintain and regularly update indicator trackers, activity databases, and performance dashboards.
• Track programme performance, including participation levels, enterprise development, sales, productivity improvements, and other agreed outcome indicators.
• Ensure data quality by conducting routine data verification and supporting compliance with programme standards and donor requirements.

Evaluation:

• Support the planning and implementation of baseline studies, surveys, assessments, and programme evaluations.
• Work closely with programme management, consultants, and external evaluation teams to implement evaluation activities.
• Coordinate field logistics, data collection, and quality assurance during surveys and evaluation exercises.
• Compile and organise evaluation findings to support programme reviews and strategic decision-making.
• Monitor implementation of evaluation recommendations and support follow-up actions where required.

Learning and Reporting:

• Analyse monitoring data, field observations, survey findings, and implementation reports to identify trends, challenges, and emerging opportunities.
• Prepare timely monitoring reports, analytical summaries, and performance updates for programme management and donor reporting.
• Document lessons learned, good practices, implementation challenges, and programme innovations.
• Develop learning briefs, case studies, and knowledge products that support continuous improvement across programme implementation.
• Facilitate learning sessions with programme teams and stakeholders to share evidence and promote adaptive management.
• Track the implementation of agreed recommendations and assess how lessons learned are being applied to improve programme delivery.

Qualifications and Experience
Essential:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Agriculture, Development Studies, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of five (5) years of practical experience in monitoring and evaluation, programme performance management, or donor-funded development programmes.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing monitoring plans, indicator tracking systems, and data collection processes.
• Experience supporting surveys, assessments, evaluations, and programme reporting.
• Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative data analysis and interpretation.
• Experience using digital data collection platforms, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI or similar reporting tools, and standard Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent report writing, analytical, presentation, and communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple reporting deadlines.
• Experience working collaboratively with programme teams, government institutions, and development partners.

Preferred:

• Experience supporting agricultural development, market systems, enterprise development, or rural livelihoods programmes.
• Familiarity with donor reporting requirements and results-based management approaches.

Remuneration
Competitive consultancy package