Merla Manager — Inclusive Africa Program (LAP) & Unlocking Opportunities (UO) at inABLE

Lead Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and Accountability (MERLA) across inABLE programs including—the Inclusive Africa Program (IAP) and Unlocking Opportunities (UO). The role designs and oversees a robust, accessible MERLA system that generates high-quality evidence on results (outputs→outcomes→impact), drives adaptive management, and ensures accountability to participants, partners, donors, and regulators. The MERLA Manager owns the portfolio logframe/indicator architecture, evaluation agenda, learning cycles, and feedback/safeguarding mechanisms, ensuring that all data and products comply with data protection and accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG/KS 2952). The MERLA Manager is the designated Data Protection Officer for purposes of Data Protection Act.

Key Responsibilities

MERLA Strategy, Frameworks & Governance

• Own and maintain integrated MERLA plans for inABLE, especially for IAP and UO (theories of change, results frameworks, indicator reference sheets, MEAL SOPs, evaluation calendar).
• Align MERLA with donor logframes and institutional KPIs; assure coherence across multi-partner/county delivery and continental activities.
• Convene MERLA governance routines (monthly/quarterly reviews, learning clinics) and feed decisions into annual replans and budget revisions.

Design & Methods

• Develop mixed-methods designs (quantitative, qualitative, outcome harvesting, contribution analysis) fit for purpose and feasible for county and regional delivery.
• Design sampling strategies, questionnaires, and discussion guides; ensure tools are accessible (screen-reader friendly, captioned, plain language, braille/large print as needed).
• Lead power/precision considerations and bias mitigation; embed Do-No-Harm, ethics, and safeguarding in all studies.

Data Systems, Standards & Quality Assurance

• Administer the digital MERLA stack (e.g., ActivityInfo + secure cloud storage + visualization dashboards).
• Establish data quality assurance (DQA) protocols: completeness, validity, reliability, timeliness, integrity; run periodic DQAs and spot checks.
• Implement data governance: metadata, version control, access permissions/roles, audit trails, and secure backups.

Implementation & Field Oversight

• Plan and manage baselines, midline, and endline assessments; oversee data collection processes across counties and regional events.
• Ensure accessibility and reasonable accommodation is embedded in all data collection (sign language interpretation, captioning, assistive tech, travel/venue accessibility).
• Ensure ethical consent, data protection, and respondent safety; manage IRB or national ethics approvals where applicable.

 Indicators, Measurement & Performance Management

• Operationalize indicator reference sheets with clear definitions, disaggregation (sex, disability type, county, age), and calculation rules.
• Track priority KPIs: IAAP certifications, internships/placements, employment outcomes/retention, standards adoption and policy outputs, financial-inclusion pilots, employer practice shifts, OPD capacity changes, media/advocacy reach.
• Run monthly performance reviews with workstream leads; generate variance analyses and corrective action trackers.
• Lead annual assessment reviews and Pause & Reflect sessions on all inABLE projects 

Accountability to Affected People (AAP) & Safeguarding

• Design and manage feedback/grievance and safeguarding incident channels (hotline, WhatsApp/SMS, in-person boxes, email forms) with accessible options and SLAs.
• Ensure safe referral pathways and case management; produce anonymized trend analyses and remedial actions for leadership and donors.
• Publish participant-facing information on rights, complaint options, and data use in accessible formats.

Learning, Knowledge Translation & Influence

Partner Capacity Strengthening

• Assess partner MERLA capacity (OPDs, employers, training providers) and implement targeted TA plans—tools, coaching, joint reviews, and peer exchanges.
• Standardize partner reporting templates and calendars; run periodic clinics on indicator definitions, evidence files, and DQA preparedness.
• Embed MERLA requirements in MoUs/sub-awards and monitor compliance. 

Research & Evaluation Management

• Commission and manage external evaluations and special studies (e.g., accessibility market studies, employer practice assessments, financial inclusion pilots).
• Negotiate evaluation questions, independence, and utilization plans; ensure ethical approvals and adherence to data privacy laws.
• Synthesize evidence across studies to inform strategy, fundraising, and policy influence.

Budgeting, VFM & Decision Support

• Develop and monitor MERLA budgets (studies, accessibility services, software licenses, enumerators, travel).
• Collaborate with Finance to link costs to outcomes (cost-per-participant, cost-per-certification/placement, cost to achieve standards adoption); inform value-for-money judgements.
• Provide decision support to Programs Director/CEO with scenario analyses and evidence-based recommendations.

Success Metrics / KPIs (Illustrative)

• Approved MERLA plan, indicator reference sheets, and evaluation calendar in place within first 60 days; governance routines operational.
• ≥95% on-time, complete partner MERLA reports; ≥2 DQAs per year per major workstream with documented corrective actions.
• Baseline, midline, and endline delivered on schedule and to quality; evaluation utilization plans show concrete decisions taken.
• Accessible publishing compliance: 100% public MERLA products (dashboards/briefs/reports) meet WCAG/KS 2952 standards.
• Learning integration: quarterly clinics held; ≥80% of action items closed; evidence informs scope/budget/timeline adjustments.
• AAP: functional feedback/safeguarding system with logged cases, response within SLAs, and quarterly trend reports; zero unresolved critical incidents.
• Performance: core KPIs tracked with variance analyses and corrective actions (e.g., ≥80% employment for certified youth, standards adoption milestones, employer practice changes).

Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Statistics, Economics, Public Policy, Social Research, or related field; advanced training in evaluation methods preferred.
• 7–10 years’ MERLA/MEAL leadership in multi-partner, multi-location programs (INGO, donor, or government), including county-level operations in Kenya.
• Proven expertise in mixed-methods evaluation, results-based management (RBM), and adaptive management; strong grasp of sampling, survey design, and qualitative inquiry.
• Hands-on experience with data systems (e.g., ActivityInfo, Kobo/ODK, Power BI/Tableau) and data governance/compliance (GDPR-like principles).
• Demonstrated accessible research/publishing practice (WCAG) and familiarity with KS 2952; experience with disability-disaggregated data and inclusive methods.
• Track record of managing external evaluations, ethics/IRB processes, and translating evidence into policy/practice influence.