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.

The Program / Department / Team

USAID Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaa) is a five-year USAID-funded program that aims to put Jordan’s home-based businesses (HBBs) and Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) on a path to recovery, help them access the safety net measures in Jordan, and, most importantly, regain productivity and growth.

Mercy Corps approach to Iqlaa integrates direct assistance with market systems development (MSD) interventions to support MSEs along the full journey from recovery to growth and resilience. Grounded in evidence-based, adaptive, and inclusive support, Jordan’s MSEs can emerge stronger and more resilient, transformed through new ways of doing business and improved access to finance, markets, and services. The program encourages and supports the participation of all MSE-owner segments.

Mercy Corps approach is committed to supporting MSEs build back, formalize, and grow, emphasizing systems-level change, equitable opportunities, and a dignified work environment for all.

Mercy Corps leads on the implementation of Iqlaa, and weaves together technical expertise from a robust set of national, regional, and international partners.

The Position

The MEL Senior Officer will support the implementation of MEL activities under the Iqlaa program, focusing on managing 10 interventions, coordinating with consortium partners, conducting field visits, and ensuring timely reporting. S/He will lead routine data collection and facilitate periodic review meetings to ensure alignment with program objectives. S/He will lead the operationalization and revision of the interventions MEL Plans in compliance with donor requirements. Collaborating with technical leads, other PQL team, and the sub-grantees, the Senior MEL Officer will develop and amend the result chains, indicators, and MEL plans to track and report on activity and indicators of interventions.

The Senior MEL Officer will ensure timely and quality maintenance and implementation of MEL plans and data collection tools, to ensure high-quality reporting to the donor and Mercy Corps. S/He will develop data collection tools for the Iqlaa team, partners, and subgrantees as assigned, with the goal of collecting high-quality data for reporting, adaptive management, and program decision-making processes. S/He will work closely with partners and subgrantees to develop and undertake their M&E activities.

The Senior MEL Officer will be responsible for drafting data collection tools and instruments, ensuring that Iqlaa MEL activities meet all applicable policies or guidance notes. The Senior MEL Officer will ensure that all data collection tools are well-designed and that program teams, including partners, have the capacity to collect accurate data in line with Iqlaa’s MEL frameworks, systems, and automated tools.

The Senior MEL Officer will be responsible for drafting and revising MEL plans and tools for Iqlaa’s partners and sub-grantees. Therefore, to analyze and report qualitative data to track progress, and demonstrate the impact of Iqlaa interventions.

Overall, the Senior MEL Officer will be responsible for providing technical leadership and assistance, ensuring high-quality monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities, and promoting a culture of data use for adaptive management and improved program outcomes.

Essential Responsibilities

Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

• Contribute to the maintenance and implementation of the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan (AMELP) in alignment with donor requirements..
• Design and implementation of comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plans for all assigned interventions, including the development of monitoring tools and reports for donors and stakeholders.
• Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation activities to align with donor and MC Jordan and global MEL requirements.
• Ensure the timely and quality implementation of MEL activities and data collection tools, using Iqlaa’s PQL automated systems and with a focus on qualitative data analysis and reporting.
• Establish data collection tools and instruments in coordination with all relevant stakeholders, including partners and all implementing partners, and ensure timely and quality development, testing, and management of data.
• Develop data collection tools to monitor project progress against set milestones and evaluate the impact of project activities in targeted communities.
• Ensure the monitoring and evaluation part is included in any Iqlaa RFAs and RFPS, including those for partners and subgrantees.
• Collaborate with the Information Management team to design data collection tools teams utilizing and in line with Iqlaa’s PQL Automated systems, including partners, can collect accurate data.
• Ensure proper MEL documentation, including MEL folders for indicators with all raw and analytic datasets/evidence, data collection tools, analysis workbooks, and related documentation.
• Ensure data protection in accordance with Responsible Data Policy and evaluation requirements.
• Ensure monitoring and evaluation plans and tools, data collection, entry, cleaning, and storage are appropriately implemented by the subordinates.
• Analyze monitoring and evaluation qualitative data to an appropriate standard and use analysis results to inform project decision-making.
• Coordinate the implementation of surveys, focus group discussions, interviews, and follow-up on monitoring and evaluation exercises for various initiatives in targeted communities.
• Ensure compliance with relevant Mercy Corps MEL policy and donor MEL policies and regulations.
• Complete any other duties assigned.

Data Collection & Monitoring

• Establish data collection tools and instruments that will be used by the Iqlaa team, including partners and all implementing partners, and ensure timely and quality development, testing, and management of MEL data as well as monitor project progress against set milestones and evaluate the impact of project activities in targeted communities
• Develop data collection tools and instruments – including digitized data collection methods
• i.e. ODK collection built on XLS forms.
• Ensure a comprehensive and updated database for the project is maintained and reflected on Iqlaa information management system.
• Coordinate with all partners, sub-grantees, and technical leads to ensure adherence with Iqlaa MEL plans and data collection requirements.

Evaluation

• Development of evaluation questions and methodology for measuring the impact of assigned interventions.
• Coordinate the implementation of surveys, focus group discussions, interviews, and follow-up on evaluation exercises for the assigned interventions.
• Supports the Senior MEL and IM Coordinator in the annual surveys. Mid-line evaluation, and final internal performance review and evaluation.
• Work with Senior MEL and IM Coordinator in the development of TORs and SoWs for planned MEL-related studies, evaluations, and assessments.

Capacity Building and Mentoring

• Train field staff and partners on basic MEL tools and ethical data practices.
• Supervise and provide technical guidance to the subordinate, ensuring they effectively carry out their duties and responsibilities.
• Develop individual work plans and provide regular feedback.