Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning (MEL) and Knowledge Management Lead, Lusaka, Zambia (Nationals only)

Description

Monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL) and knowledge management lead

Location: Lusaka, Zambia

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.

Mercy Corps is a recognized global leader in Market Systems Development (MSD) where we apply a systemic, inclusive approach to catalyse sustainable improvements in markets that benefit vulnerable groups—particularly women and youth. Resilience building is an agency priority and involves using a systems-based approach that builds on proven solutions, accesses new ideas and information, and integrates multiple sectors and partnerships to strengthen food and water security, economic opportunities, and climate change adaptation. Southern Africa continues to experience recurrent environmental, economic and social shocks affecting the wellbeing of its communities and undermining development investments. Mercy Corps will continue to contribute to the well-being of rural and urban communities by building household capacities and strengthening systems and institutions.

The Program / Department / Team

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)-funded Building Enterprise Development and Employment Creation program (BEDEC) aims to increase the productivity and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agricultural sector, thereby driving income growth and productive employment in the Zambian economy. BEDEC will target over 100,000 SMEs, women and youth in key selected agricultural value chains. The program promotes SME growth to enhance productive employment opportunities and strengthens enabling environments and institutional capacity for SMEs within Zambia’s economy. BEDEC employs a strong and rigorous Market Systems Development approach, playing a key facilitation role to drive scale, sustainability, and impact.

General Position Summary

The Monitoring, Evaluation, learning and Knowledge Management lead is a key role with the BEDEC program. The MEL and Knowledge Management lead will work across component teams and with partners to build a robust system that meets DCED requirements and drive learning and adaptation within the program. In coordination with program teams, she/he will be responsible for developing, coordinating, maintaining, and constantly improving the program wide M&E and learning/adaptive management systems using relevant knowledge and evidence to guide program strategy, support adaptive management and continuous improvement, and advance learning. In the first year of programming, the MEL and Knowledge Management lead is expected to develop a measurement system and plan.

Essential Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Provide leadership in the development of a knowledge management strategy and operational plan and oversee the implementation of the learning and knowledge management plan.
• Establish and strengthen systems and team capacity to achieve knowledge management and learning objectives
• Foster a culture of learning and adaptation, focused on documenting, sharing, and improving program analysis and implementation
• Effectively identify and use evidence to represent programme learning in strategic communications, and work with MEL staff to identify and address evidence needs
• Manage MEL staff and provide guidance on MEL systems, in line with the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development’s (DCED) standard for results management, including but not limited to the development and use of results chains, measurement methods, knowledge management systems to ensure use of data in decision-making, and processes that support program reflection and adaptation
• Strengthen collaboration and cross-learning within the programme team, private sector, government counterparts, and other investments to contribute to regional and global knowledge sharing and community practice.
• Lead the development of and author programme reports and updates including overseeing quarterly donor reports.
• Proactively identify stories and communications to share results with various audiences,
• Lead or actively contribute to the organization of external events and fora focused on enhancing programme visibility, cross-partner collaboration, and peer learning
• Play a central role in learning and facilitating a culture of collaboration, learning, and adaptation through documenting and sharing learning
• Manage internal document storage, adhering to Mercy Corps’ policies and data security standards
• Train, mentor, and build the capacity of others the programme team in communications and knowledge management practices

Technical Support

• Implement and develop DCED compliant M&E systems with utility and program quality in mind for the BEDEC program, providing program team real time information that can steer program implementation as well as informing regional level stakeholders and strategic program direction and that helps strategize future program interventions.
• Build the capacity of all relevant team members to develop and maintain an excellent M&E system, including training on TolaData (digital tool developed by MC) and CommCare (ODK-based mobile data collection tool) and the periodic reflection and analysis of program monitoring data to disseminate learning
• Update and implement the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (A-MELP) inclusive of IPTT with indicators, pivot log, measurement details and annual targets.
• Update indicator performance tracking in Mercy Corps’ TolaData platform and submitting annual indicator data for annual performance review and learning
• Facilitating learning events and bilateral sessions with key program stakeholders (particularly at provincial level) using evidence to draw insights on and estimate individual contribution to collective outcomes of the BEDEC program
• Manage BEDEC’s Learning and Research Plan to track and document evidence around critical learning questions and coordinate learning activities toward answering them.
• Work with program team Leads to track learning questions emerging from assessments, implementation and other learning activities
• Support with quality documentation through comprehensive quality writing, and synthesizing evidence to generate knowledge and learning products
• Lead all aspects of MEL reporting

Supervisory Responsibility

MEL Specialist and Learning and Communications Officer

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Team Lead

Works Directly With: All programme team, partners, regional and global technical teams

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• 7 years of active work experience in development programming required with the proven use of program MEL with meeting DCED standards specifically in Agricultural markets to SMEs.
• Experience with theoretical and practical background in M&E and skilled in participatory qualitative and quantitative M&E methodologies and techniques preferred.
• Experience with data management including the ability to structure and collate data sets for ease of analysis preferred.
• Proven experience with systems thinking or systems approaches to programming, especially in developing systems programming measurement systems.
• Proven experience developing iterative learning systems or ‘feedback loops’ within development programs or organizational learning contexts.
• Knowledge and experience of resilience in development programs is a plus.
• Excellent computer skills (especially Microsoft office applications) and ability to use information technology as a tool and resource.
• Demonstrated experience in training and capacity building across diverse teams and partners.
• Excellent project management (Program DPro, PRINCE 2), time management, and organizational skills. Multi-tasking skills and the ability to work under pressure.
• Strong writing, editing, public speaking skills and good leadership skills.
• Ability to summarize and simplify complex information and communicate it to the targeted groups.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills.
• Experience of working on key donors and specifically SIDA a plus
• Demonstrated experience using Stata, R, SPSS and/or MaxQDA, NVIVO, Atlas-TI for data analysis and reporting. Others plus would include good experience and use on qualitative and quantitative study instruments in large surveys and research
• Demonstrated experience using mobile data collection technologies including Commcare and an ODK-based platform such as Ona.
• Demonstrated experience using PowerBI, Tableau, or similar visualization software.
• Prior MEL in systems programming working in the Zambian context.
• Fluent oral and written English and local languages in Zambia is desirable

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.

Success Factors

A successful candidate should have experience and expertise in developing and leading measurements systems and learning elements of a market systems programming that meet DCED requirements. S/he is very familiar with complex programming and has the ability to easily analyse data, produce information and communicate it effectively to a range of audiences. S/he should also have a demonstrated ability to lead and communicate effectively with team members of varied work styles and cultures with ability to influence and contribute significantly work various work streams, follow procedures, and meet deadlines with flexibility and creativity in planning and problem solving. S/he should have a proven ability to learn quickly, multi-task, prioritize, take initiative, and be accountable for results, understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details, problem solving, work within a complex and sensitive setting and to follow laws and security protocols. The most successful Mercy Corps team 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

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Lusaka, Zambia and requires up to 40% travel by road and air to field offices in often insecure environments.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

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

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. 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 is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

SDG Impact