MERL Coordinator at Plan International Rwanda : Deadline: 22-02-2021

Career Opportunities: MERL Coordinator (39673)

Requisition ID 39673 – Posted 15/02/2021 – Country (1) – Monitoring and Evaluation

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

ROLE PROFILE

Role PURPOSE

The MERL Coordinator will be in-charge of all MERL related tasks for “Skilled Development and Employment Promotion among Youth in Rwanda” project in Bugesera, Nyaruguru and Gatsibo PUs and will directly report to SDPAY project manager with dotted line to MERL Manager. S/he will be responsible for all project’s monitoring, researches and evaluations and works closely and in collaboration with all the project team including partners, the project beneficiaries, stakeholders, and consultants where necessary. The MERL Coordinator will be responsible for the design, implementation, reporting, monitoring, researches and evaluation of all SDPAY project activities in the districts of project implementation in Rwanda. In that line, he/she will provide all MERL guidance for the SDPAY project and play a coordination role with the project team and work in close collaboration with other MERL staff in other PU’s as well as in Kigali.

Dimensions of the Role

The MERL Coordinator will be responsible for implementation of project design and M&E Framework. She/he will support work planning for project baselines, on-going monitoring of implementation mid-term reviews and final evaluation S/he will also be responsible for documentation, data management and learning in the project. S/he will support the production of quality reports for wider use and accountability.

Accountabilities

• Coordinate implementation of monitoring, evaluation & research initiatives for the project
• Provide data quality control/assurance and best practices on data collected and used
• Lead the review of Project indicators, monitoring frameworks, tools and any other MER related guidelines to foster effective project implementation.
• Work closely with the project manager/coordinator, technical specialists, and MER manager in the design of all studies relating to the project.
• Conduct routine project progress monitoring and reporting
• Ensure that there is compliance in generating and documenting and managing credible data for the project
• Take lead in the design and delivery of major MERL project initiatives.
• Advise the project staff on monitoring, evaluation, research and learning.
• Facilitate training, coaching and mentorship to relevant staff in monitoring, evaluation & research as well as report writing.
• Facilitate organisational learning by developing, collecting analysing, and disseminating relevant internal and external project information.
• Work closely with the project manager/coordinator to prepare quarterly and annual progress reports for the Project for internal and external use.
• Support management in all monitoring and documentation related project activities.
• Works closely with the CO MER Specialist to ensure that project data is captured and entered into the national level database periodically.
• Ensure Plans’ Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and guidelines as well as evaluation standards and research protocols are adhered to during project implementation and execution of MER initiatives.
• Ensure that baseline values are generated and used to update the indicator table after baseline survey is conducted.
• Ensure that management responses are generated and integrated in annual and quarterly plans after the baseline and mid-term evaluation is conducted
• Give technical support to the project team on data use to guide implementation and effective project delivery
• Ensure that Plan International Rwanda visitors, partners, and associates that come into contact with children are taken through the CP and Youth Safeguarding; and ac Assist to identify, document and disseminate lessons learned challenges, and success stories;
• Acknowledgment and informed consent/ascent forms are signed and filed out.

Human Resource Development

• Contribute to the development of a monitoring and evaluation system of the project to ensure that the project team is able to capture, store, analyse and report on our progress in a consistent and coherent way.
• Coordinate monitoring, evaluation and research initiatives and provides technical assistance and training of project staff in planning, design and implementation of MER activities to support organizational learning.
• Support design and review of all MER initiatives (terms of references, proposals, reports) in compliance with the evaluation policies and standards at national level
• Ensure Data Collation, documentation and management and support data retrieval, report generation and management of the database
• Ensure that implementation adheres to the project design and framework, and the anticipated project goal, objectives and expected outcomes are realized during the lifespan of the project. It fosters learning and accountability through the evidence generated, and produces quality reports for wider sharing.

Dealing with Problems

• S/he ensures quality of monitoring and evaluation of projects to inform design
• Developing the capabilities of Project and partner staff on aspects relating to MERL, data processing and management, and report writing

1. Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

1. Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
2. Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
3. Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
4. Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
5. Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

1. Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
2. Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
3. Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
4. Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

1. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

1. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
2. We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
3. We support children, girls, and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

Key relationships

The MERL Coordinator monitor’s and evaluates all project work conducted by consultants working directly with children and giving of feedback on their behaviours and conduct towards children. He ensures that appropriate actions are taken against any issues that may arise.

Technical expertise, skills, and knowledge

• At least 3 years in design and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, and research initiatives
• Hands on skills in the design of M&E frameworks
• Training, Coaching and mentorship skills in MER issues.

• Strong skills in strategic and analytical thinking
• Monitoring and evaluation of rights-based programmes/Projects

• Design and coordination of research projects
• Advanced computers skills in Excel, MS Access, SPSS and other statistical packages

• Knowledge of environment and current effective practices/approaches in monitoring, evaluation and research.
• Demonstrable abilities in planning and coordination
• Excellent communication skills, both in written English and in face-to-face presentations
• Demonstrated skills in the use of participatory approaches for MER, case studies and rights-based programming.
• Report writing and project documentation
• Experience in using data management systems

• Excellent interpersonal, analytical and communication (verbal and written) skills
• At least 3 years’ experience in monitoring and evaluation of projects/programs
• Communication skills, appropriate to the audience
• Ability to work with people from diverse cultures, ability to lead and motivate teamwork.
• Committed to children and young people safeguarding
• Open to feedback and willing to try new approaches on monitoring, evaluation and research
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical and communication (verbal and written) skills
• At least 3 years’ experience in monitoring and evaluation of projects/programs
• Communication skills, appropriate to the audience
• Ability to work with people from diverse cultures, ability to lead and motivate team work.
• Committed to children and young people safeguarding
• Open to feedback and willing to try new approaches on monitoring, evaluation and research

Physical Environment

Office environment with 50% of the time travelling throughout the project areas

Level of contact with children

High contact:

Location: Kigali

Reports to: MERL Manager

Grade: D1

Closing Date: 22nd February 2021

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

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