Strategic Learning Manager at Mercy Corps

Location: Abuja - Nigeria

Position Status: Full time and Regular

Reference Number: ABV/PRO/2021/001

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.  In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we collaborate to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. 

Mercy Corps has been present in Nigeria since 2012, focusing its interventions on humanitarian assistance, economic development and conflict mitigation. With the ongoing insurgency in Northeast Nigeria causing the displacement of millions of individuals, Mercy Corps started its humanitarian response in 2014 to address the rising humanitarian needs. As the crisis has persisted, Mercy Corps’ strategy has also expanded to address the root causes of the conflict and seek to build the long term resilience of communities with integrated programs focusing on governance, the recovery of markets and livelihoods, social cohesion and social protection, youth empowerment, and local conflict management. All Mercy Corps interventions in Nigeria are implemented in a conflict, protection and gender sensitive manner. The Nigeria team is headquartered in Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with offices throughout Nigeria. With a strong and growing team of over 300 staff, Mercy Corps is currently serving over 600k beneficiaries across the country. With the vision of a Nigeria in which all people are empowered, engaged, resilient and secure, Mercy Corps Nigeria’s country strategy focuses on the root causes of conflict, governance, humanitarian needs, and market systems development.

General Position Summary

The Strategic Learning Manager is a key member of the Program and Quality (PaQ) team and will be responsible for supporting and facilitating key quality objectives and learning outcomes for the country portfolio. S/he will be responsible for working with country leadership and program teams to ensure program management minimum standards including gender minimum standards are resourced, prioritized and upheld. The role will work in close collaboration with the Country MEL Manager and broader MEL team to support data uptake and buy-in from program staff to interact with assessment findings and learnings in a meaningful way. This collaboration is meant to translate in to increased impact and integration. Additionally, the role will be the key focal point for mapping, articulating and developing a centralized resource that tracks MCN research objectives and priorities across the country portfolio. In focusing on lessons learned, s/he will identify key priorities for program adaptation and support teams in strategizing to support the change process. Moreover, the role will consider information generated from the country CARM and act as a liaison between program teams and PaQ team to consider how feedback correlates with needs related to program standards. S/he will also work closely with grant focal points to ensure quality initiatives and messaging aligns.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM QUALITY

• Coordinate PM@MC learning, training, and facilitation across Mercy Corps’ programs and teams in Nigeria. Oversee internal program management training and skill building.
• Work closely with country programs to embed Mercy Corps minimum standards and record retention policy within our standard program management tools and practices throughout the program cycle.
• Support Country Programs to conduct Quarterly Review and reflection meetings in close collaboration with grant focal points.
• Conduct frequent field visits to project sites for monitoring, quality control and program staff mentoring and coaching.
• Provide support in ensuring that PM@MC guidelines are closely followed in the portfolio and beyond.
• Lead the roll-out of Shared Drives for proper program document retention.
• Support the development and articulation of strategic approaches, partnerships, management/staffing plans, MEL, budgets and project designs for upcoming proposals
• Contribute to a culture of learning and adaptive management.

Research and learning

• Develop a mapping and consolidated database of ongoing research initiatives across country portfolio.
• Support PaQ Director to discuss and track new research opportunities.
• Support Country MEL Manager to ensure the quality, timeliness, and utility of all research processes and products.
• Identify key internal and external audiences, and country / regional fora, key events, conferences and speaking events to support uptake, visibility and dissemination of research findings.
• Collaborate closely with communications team to showcase MCN research and contribute to increased visibility in relation to research and impact.
• Coordinate with program MEL team to ensure integration of research fieldwork into program MEL activities and timelines.   
• Act as PaQ focal point to maintain a response-wide M&E and learning strategy, with standard approaches and shared practices and systems.
• As needed, act as liaison between HQ research teams and MCN program teams to coordinate in country research activities.

Community accountability response mechanism

• Help to integrate CARM into discussions around program management and standards.
• Support to ensure CARM sensitization activities are included in program activity planning.
• Support teams’ ability to engage with CARM feedback and adapt programming as required.
• Work closely with CARM Senior Officer to develop CARM sensitization plan for feedback channels, ensuring harmonization of messaging
• Help to ensure SOPs for program activities capture CARM actions.
• Monitor functionality of CARM channels in programs and across field sites.
• Maintain CARM as a regular agenda item with PMs/CoPs

 Team Building and Integration

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Support in recruitment, hiring and orienting new team members as necessary.
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes.

Influence & Representation

• Represent Mercy Corps at national and state level coordination forums as required.
• Develop agenda and talking points for contribution at national and state level coordination forums as needed.
• Represent Mercy Corps with local stakeholders and authorities as required.
• Represent Mercy Corps at internal coordination forums as 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.

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.

Supervisory Responsibility

none

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Program Quality & Development Director

Works Directly With: Country MEL Manager, Grant focal points, All program team members, CoPs & PMs, support departments

Knowledge and Experience

• 4 to 6 years of field experience in international relief or development programs, including demonstrable success in implementing programs in transitional environments.
• Strong ability to work with diverse teams across locations
• Communicates well with remote collaborators
• Ability to clearly articulate complex ideas to diverse audiences
• Both quantitative and qualitative analytic skills as well as understanding of data quality standards.
• Knowledge of research methodologies and approaches preferred.
• Experience collecting data in field sites
• Manages multiple priorities and deadlines
• Successful and proven negotiation, communication and organization skills
• Excellent oral and written English skills
• Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment
• Knowledge of SPHERE and other humanitarian programming standards
• Knowledge of resilience, livelihoods, conflict, and/or protection programming a plus
• Demonstrated success working effectively and respectfully with host country governments, private sector, INGO, NGO partners and other stakeholders in complex environments

Success Factors

S/he will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive communication skills and proven experience with capacity building. S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in (Abuja, Nigeria) and it requires up to (40 %) travel.

Briefly list security information, housing options, access to medical care, specific medical risks (such as epidemics), transportation options, and access to telecommunication as well as accompanied status and whether the position is eligible for hardship and/or R&R benefits. Also, be sure to include exceptional work schedules (e.g., evenings and weekends required; 6-day workweek; etc.).

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. 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.