Location: Dhangadhi, Nepal
Position Status: Full-time, Regular
Salary Level: O1

General Position Summary:

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer will work directly with the M&E Manager, S/MEO, Deputy Program Manager, Education coordinator, Thematic Leads, Country M&E team and Partner Institutions to help execute STEM II’s monitoring and evaluating system, reporting and coordination needs. 

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S/he is primarily responsible for data coordination, collection, cleaning and overview in close coordination with MEM. S/he will support the M&E team to ensure effective monitoring and learning from activities in line with project objectives and donor requirement. Under the technical supervision of M&E manager the incumbent will support the STEM II program team to follow the project M&E framework and will be the field focal for M&E component. 

As gender and social inclusion (GESI), governance and M&E are cross-cutting components of all Mercy Corps program(s), the M&E Officer is required to own these components and ensure GESI sensitivity and integration, governance practices and M&E systems are integrated into his/her work area. 

Essential Job Responsibilities

The specific duties and responsibilities of the M&E Officer include, but are not limited to, the following: 

Program Management

• Act as the key focal point in the field responsible for ensuring effective monitoring and reporting of program deliverables 
• Support the M&E team to facilitate the achievement of performance-based targets and outcomes and lead efforts to design effective, proactive and iterative M&E systems following DFID’s logical framework 
• Promote activity quality assurance through the following:

1. Activity timeline coordination with implementation team and inform Kathmandu M&E team
2. Ensure timely development of quality M&E tools by the M&E team that address the project objective
3. Once the supervisor communicates M&E tool requirement to the field team ensure proper orientation to the field team
4. Coordinate and oversee data collection during activity to ensure adherence to formats and requirements
5. Conduct activity level spot check
6. Compile monthly spot checks and unstructured interviews of overall programme staff
7. Ensure the collected data and designed tools capture the project’s data minimum standard – disaggregation, robustness, quality 

• Set deadline for data flow and follow up on that with partner (MEO, FMs, SMs) 
• Follow up with implementation team on activity reporting status 
• Design data summary of each activity in coordination with partner M&E 
• Provide feedback and recommendations around creating more efficient or purpose-fit programme M&E systems and tools 
• Help conduct output level qualitative and quantitative surveys when necessary 
• Compile activity report from the thematic lead in time for GEC’s quarterly, annual and milestone reporting 
• Ensure proper documentation of (soft and hard copies) of tools, reports, data, manuals, guidelines, media report, visibility items, agreements, MoUs and any other relevant documents 
• Ensure the data provided by the thematic leads are accurate – spot checks, triangulation and report to the team on any identified discrepancies 
• Ensure all the reports, data, manuals, guidelines, media reports/visibility items, agreements, MoUs, and any other relevant documentations are stored in soft and hard copies with proper backup 
• Provide necessary support to the implementation team to design tools for activity session 
• Coordinate closely with MC thematic lead and partner M&E team to ensure upwards and downwards communication of developments in M&E related thinking 
• Work with thematic lead to seek out and provide case studies on project beneficiaries 
• Attend local partner meetings and represent Mercy Corps to guide partners through the M&E process 

Others

• Ensure proper integration of GESI aspects into sector specific program planning and implementation working closely with GESI officers
• Mercy Corps as a humanitarian agency is expected to response as and when crisis and humanitarian situation engulfs. As an MC employee, all staff are expected to be part of humanitarian and emergency response in addition to their regular roles and responsibilities 
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission
• Work under the guidance of M&E Manager to provide feedback on planned activities to the implementation team to move towards achieving the targeted output, Intermediate Outcome and Outcome 
• Other duties as assigned by his/her supervisor and or Country Director

Team Management: 

• Ensure that the programme and partner staff are well oriented on qualitative and quantitative tools as per activity’s need 
• Make recommendations to the M&E Manager if need for extra human resource – interns are identified for the projects, especially during the key data collection, entry and cleaning periods 
• Mobilize data entry consultants when hired and ensure that they are meeting their agreed work plan 
• Identify skills gaps of the partner (FMs and SMs) and plan trainings with the M&E team 

Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to programming. 
• Develop accountability and transparency mechanisms for the program and orient MC-N and implementing partners on the same 
• 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

Accountability to Partners 

• 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. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect 

Supervisory Responsibility: N/A

Accountability:

• Reports Directly To: Senior M&E Officer 
• Works Directly With: M&E Manager, Senior M&E Officer, Deputy program Manager, Thematic lead and partner M&E staff 

Knowledge and Experience 

• BS or equivalent in education, economics, international development, social sciences or other relevant field 
• 2 years’ experience on M&E or data management preferred 
• Strong skills on Microsoft Office, XLS, ONA and Tablue 
• Strong understanding of DFID M&E principles, requirements and compliance 
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English required, including report development, writing and editing
• Experience working in Nepal, especially Kailali, is preferred 
• Attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members. 

Success Factors

The M&E Officer should be well versed with skills required for data collection, processing and production of data associated with project planning. S/he should possess necessary technical acumen for designing, collecting, cleaning, updating, maintaining and analyzing project data and development/management of data base and data flow to ensure effective monitoring and learning from activities in line with the outputs, intermediate outcomes and outcomes of the program. Ability to correspond well (written and verbal) in both English and Nepali is a must. S/he should possess the ability to work well as a member of a team, and to communicate effectively internally and externally. Ability to build good working relationships with community members, public and private sector actors and ability to think creatively and dynamically, providing logical solutions to challenges to support Programme Management in ensuring effective coordination with project stakeholders and efficient execution of programme logistics in line with DFID’s Value for Money (VfM) principles and Mercy Corps’ values is a requirement. 

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.