Requisition ID: req51682

Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Director

Sector: Program Administration

Employment Category: Proposal

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Work Arrangement:In-person

Job Description

The IRC has been working in Bangladesh for over 5 years implementing direct programming in the areas of WASH, education, livelihoods, reproductive ri, gender-based violence, and child and youth protection and development. With an annual operating budget of over $ 1 billion (2021), IRC successfully runs a global portfolio of both humanitarian as well as development interventions and has significant experience implementing large-scale programs requiring substantial and sustained collaboration with multiple actors.

Position Summary:

The IRC is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Director for the five-year, $20 million USAID-funded Responsive Local Governance (RLG) Activity Bangladesh. This project will encompass a set of innovative interventions, with an overall goal of improving the capacity of the local elected officials and institutions to become more inclusive and responsive.

The MERL Director provides strategic guidance, vision, and management for successful monitoring and evaluation of the program. The MERL Director oversees all MEL activities, provides technical direction and support, ensures the accurate reporting of results for program activities and that MEL data is contributing to improved learning and program quality, and ensures the program aligns with IRC’s quality standards for MEL in close coordination with the country office’s MEL team.

This position will report to the Technical Director/DCOP and is contingent on the IRC being awarded funding. It is anticipated to begin in December 2024.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee the design and implementation of all components of the project’s MEL system (including client feedback mechanisms) in coordination with IRC’s MEAL team to develop key performance indicators, targets, tools, and appropriate MEL responsibilities across the project.

• Develop and operationalize MEAL plans, data collection tools, processes for data management, client feedback approaches, quality checks and audits, and data visualization. Coordinate any external evaluation processes, including drafting evaluation ToR and selection of firm, in alignment with award.

• Strengthen staff and partners’ capacity in qualitative and quantitative monitoring and evaluation techniques through comprehensive staff training, mentoring, and/or coaching.

• Work closely with partners to establish their internal MEL systems and design and conduct trainings to support capacity for MEL among partners.

• Oversee the development and maintenance of comprehensive project databases using standard mobile data technologies and online dashboards to enhance timeliness and quality of data collection, analysis and visualization.

• Produce high-quality data, analysis, reports, presentations and dashboards of key findings that foster learning and decision-making. Share them in key meetings such as project cycle meetings and strategic senior management team meetings for the project and ensure timely submissions for reporting.

• Produce learning products and thought leadership pieces relevant to the project intervention, and present in conferences/webinars regarding project’s MEL successes as required.

• Other tasks as assigned.

  Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in any of the following or related fields: social science, international development, evaluation, statistics, or economics.

• At least 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in designing, managing, and implementing results-based MEL activities.

• At least 5 years of supervisory experience.

• Demonstrated relevant technical skills in analyzing and interpreting quantitative and qualitative data and packaging the findings.

• Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through training, mentoring, and other formal and non-formal methods together with strong presentation and reporting skills.

• Excellent organizational as well as English oral and written communication skills. Fluency in Bengali is strongly preferred.

• Progressively responsible experience in monitoring and evaluation of building capacity for civil society organizations and networks/coalition strengthening, program beneficiaries, and program staff.

• Experience in utilizing gender and social inclusion sensitive indicators and measures.

• Extensive knowledge of reporting procedures, including USAID, best practices, guidelines, and tools for monitoring, evaluation and learning, including impact evaluation.

• Ability to work well on team and with various partner organizations.

• Proficiency and experience with mobile data collection such as KoBo, CommCare, ODK Collect are crucial as well as proficiency with Microsoft Excel; SPSS, STATA or other similar software.

  • Knowledge of Tableau or Power BI are additional assets.

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