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 partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future.

Program Summary

Mercy Corps’ Ukraine response meets the humanitarian needs of vulnerable Ukrainians and other conflict-affected people where they are: displaced inside Ukraine, refugees in Poland, and Moldova, or trapped behind frontlines. In 2022 and 2023, MC’s Ukraine response reached more than 2.5 million people with emergency cash, food, psychosocial support, and information campaigns. Notably, nearly all our programming has been delivered in partnership with Ukrainian, Polish, and Moldovan civil society organizations through a granting program that matches humanitarian action with capacity strengthening, and with peer international NGOs through a consortium in Ukraine. Building on a substantial program addressing needs through MPCA/Cash in the Eastern and Southern regions of Ukraine, the portfolio is currently piloting a Rapid Response Mechanism as well as a Resilience program focusing on supporting local value chains and SMEs.

Building on the successes and lessons learned of the original Locally led, Inclusive and Versatile Emergency Support to Conflict Affected Populations in Ukraine and Poland program (LIVES), under LIVES 2.0 Mercy Corps will continue to work with CSO partners to deliver a comprehensive package of emergency assistance to the most vulnerable conflict-affected individuals and communities in Ukraine. With a focus on reaching those most in need in frontline, recently de-occupied or hard-to-reach areas, Mercy Corps and our local partners aim to reach over 80,000 individuals with emergency cash and other humanitarian aid. Another principal objective of LIVES 2.0 is to support local partners with the resources they need to grow their knowledge of, leadership in, and capacity to deliver the humanitarian response. The overall outcome is “The most vulnerable conflict-affected Ukrainians are enabled to meet their basic needs through rapid, localized and appropriate humanitarian assistance, delivered in a gender, age, and ability responsive way.”

General Position Summary:

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Coordinator (FCDO/LIVES) will be a key part of the overall Program Performance and Quality (PaQ) Team and will work closely with their MEL managerial counterparts in Ukraine to coordinate on the development and execution of FCDO specific MEL work.

The MEL Coordinator will work to oversee the identification, development, and implementation of program data systems, and to promote effective MEL and analytics of FCDO programming in Ukraine. The FCDO MEL Coordinator will adapt existing response-wide tools to FCDO-specific activities and lead the development of new ones where required along with co-leading on the analysis and reporting for FCDO data. Further duties involve ensuring the development and use of data management platforms and standardization of data collection tools that fit the use case scenarios of FCDO programming. They will ensure the quality of MEL activities writ large, by setting adequate information management systems for all stages of data management, support on data quality audits and assessments, define and design processes and guidelines for data validation, verification and other quality standards as needed. The MEL Coordinator will be responsible for the capacity building and mentoring on themes related to monitoring, evaluation, and learning - working closely with other PaQ team leads and collaborating frequently with their counterparts: MEL Manager for Ukraine, MEL Manager for Neighbouring Countries, and the Data Engineer. Together these positions will initiate and oversee documentation of evidence and promote use of program data for decision making by management. Working closely with the PaQ and technical leads, the MEL Manager will be a change agent in promoting a culture of evidence-based decision-making. Central to this approach will be the analysis and use of program data within the program for learning and adaptation of program activities.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

1.     Technical Leadership

• •  Develop/update program MEL and data analysis strategy (adhering to Mercy Corps MEL policy standards and deliverables) for FCDO funded programming, identifying key technological platforms and systems to be used to support the response implementation.
• •  Co-manage data collection processes, including managing data collection teams, ensuring quality checks of data, and providing an overall strategy to ensure timely collection for analysis and reporting.
• •  Adapt existing response-wide tools to FCDO-specific activities and develop new ones where required, for instance in cases where FCDO activities would fall outside the scope of work of other projects.
• •  Support the MEL Manager by coordinating and overseeing the FCDO MEL Plan and Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) utilizing existing Mercy Corps resources and developing new ones, where needed, that include clear step-by-step guidance, processes, roles, and responsibilities on all relevant MEL activities.
• •  With MEL Manager, and Response MEL lead, oversee MEL budgeting for FCDO funded activities. 
• •  Conduct data needs assessments and implement solutions that address the identified data needs in a timely manner.
• •  Periodically initiate and conduct quality assessments and audits as necessary.
• •  Help ensure FCDO data is adequately updated in Mercy Corps’ central data platform for program indicators (TolaData). 

2.     Information Management

• •  Give inputs assist in adjustments to the MEL system for the Ukraine response in Ukraine, Poland, and Moldova. This may include review and development of M&E Plans, M&E tools, standardization of variables across tools, integration of tools within appropriate technological platforms, developing and setting data workflows, managing response level database development if necessary, and others.
• •  Provide guidance, recommendations, and leadership to ensure that the M&E systems meet the needs of the LIVES 2.0 program and wider Ukraine response and help address shortfalls in M&E and data management that affect response implementation.
• •  Identify opportunities to maximize data management efficiencies through automation, integration and linking of various platforms to ensure integrated workflows.
• •  Assist in the development of program and operational reporting templates for LIVES 2.0 that facilitate the acquisition, aggregation, and flow of information in programs.
• •  Maintain a comprehensive schedule and review program reports to ensure that reports contain accurate, clear, and high-quality data that is presented in the proper format.
• •  Oversee evaluation activities in relevant countries.

3.     Analysis & Learning Support

• •  Work closely with the Data Engineer to ensure that indicators and strategies are aligned to the Ukraine Response MEL framework and to facilitate automated data analysis.
• •  Provide support to response-wide analysis of information, data, and ongoing analyses to inform the learning agenda.
• •  Work closely with the technical leads, identify opportunities for in-depth analysis, documentation.
• •  Initiate opportunities for enhancing analytic capacity within the response teams promoting use of data.

4.      Documentation & Reporting

• •  Regularly document lessons learned, best practices, program data analysis summaries, and evaluations and provide evidence-based information, success stories, case studies and other high quality, results-based documentation.
• •  Produce reports based on feedback from debriefing sessions, triangulation of data with secondary sources and feedback from relevant stakeholders on data interpretation.
• •  Where possible, visit sites and partners to collect supplementary data, stories and conduct qualitative research both independently and in teams and support partner-organizations with proper documentation and report generation.

5.       Capacity Building & Mentoring

• •  As needed, support in the training and oversight of enumerators for data-collection.
• •  Build the capacity of all relevant team members (including partner staffs) to develop and maintain an excellent MEL system and facilitate periodic reflection and analysis of program monitoring information that feeds into programming and learning.

6.     Staff Management & Coordination

• •  Oversee priority-setting and task-management for FCDO budgeted team members across the response.
• •  Coordinate closely with Response MEL Lead, PaQ Lead, and MEL counterparts to priority set and plan workstreams based on deadlines and funding sources and to ensure strategic alignment.
•  •  Assist in harmonizing MEL schedules for the Ukraine Response, with focus on pooling resources for data collection and analysis.
• •  Liaising with Cash, NFI and Program Teams as needed for smooth program implementation.
• •  Coordinate with Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) on monitoring and evaluation activities and staff. 

7.     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.

Supervisory Responsibility Accountability

Reports Directly To: FCDO/Lives Program Manager, Response MEL Lead/Ukraine MEL Manager

Works Directly With: MEL Manager (Ukraine), RRM Team Lead, Response MEL and Technical Teams, coordinates work with the regional and HQ-level counterparts on data, MEL and automation. 

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge & Experience

• •  Academic background or equivalent experience in social science, statistics, international development, economic growth, or other related field.
• •  Academic or formal training on technologies and M&E will strongly enhance the candidate’s ability to succeed in this job.
• •  Three years of MEL management experience (or similar).
• •  Relevant experience in field survey/data collection techniques, data entry, data verification, analysis, and reporting.
• •  Good understanding and skills at data management.
• •  Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of MS Office applications; knowledge of data science and programming is plus but not required.
• •  Strong team coordination, listening, and consensus building skills.
• •  Should understand concepts and demonstrate skills in monitoring and evaluation, results frameworks/program logics, and participatory monitoring.
• •  Experience with both quantitative and qualitative data collection and reporting techniques.
• •  Should be able to design and implement surveys, have knowledge of commonly used sampling techniques.
• •  Experience with facilitation, capacity building, formal and informal knowledge transfer, partnership strengthening, and empowering staff through opportunities for growth and development.
• •  Experience leading learning extraction, development and sharing as part of the monitoring and evaluation feedback process.
• •  Familiarity with data visualization and data analytics.
• •  Knowledge of statistical analysis software such as Power BI, SPSS, and mobile data collection platforms preferable.
• •  Experience with market price monitoring and analysis, and cash distribution programming
• •  Experience with digital or technology platforms for program and MEL related activities.
• •  Strong ability to work across teams.
• •  Communicates well with remote collaborators.
• •  Manages multiple priorities and deadlines.
• •  Excellent oral and written English skills required.
• •  Language skills in Ukrainian or Russian required.
• •  Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our stakeholders and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. 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.

Benefits

Mercy Corps is offering competitive 25 Benefits Packages (10 law statutory and 15 market competitive), including but not limited to the relocation, transportation, phone allowances, remote and flexible working modality, duty of care, well-being support, 24/7 free resilience consultations in addition to a salary offer. Team positive working environment in a well-established and growing international humanitarian organization with career development opportunities through our global talent development platform.

PLEASE, APPLY: https://recruiting2.ultipro.com/MER1024MERCY/JobBoard/7a14d810-d41a-4542-9b9c-ba39a563b91a/OpportunityDetail?opportunityId=df5da96b-b4b1-4222-bc21-a69d1cfd828d