Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer at Danish Refugee Council

Overall purpose of the role: 

• The overall purpose of the role: Monitoring Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Officer will conduct field level M&E activities and provide technical support to MEL Lead in ensuring timely and quality learning as well as implementation reporting with a specific focus on peacebuilding, enhancing stability as well as gender and social inclusion engagements. 
• Assist project teams in collecting data against indicators, lead data collection based on data-collection tools and methodologies designed by the MEL team. The MEL Officer will also lead project assessments and project compliance audits in all cross border locations covering the Mandera Triangle region and down to Kiunga/Raskamboni in Lamu. 
• The MEL Officer will collaborate closely with the MEL Lead, Field Research Officer and wider Borderlands Research team and field programme team to ensure compliance with the projects MEL requirements and best practices. The role will also ensure programme data and other protected data is accurately and ethically collected, stored, analysed and shared in strict adherence to the projects data protection policy and MEL Plan.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Support MEL Lead in ensuring that MEL approaches adhere to project Conflict Sensitivity, Do No Harm, and GESI strategies; 
• Work closely with project field team, local organisations, and other actors to conduct MEL activities, including monitoring visits, project assessments, and targeted research;
• Support the establishment of Borderlands/Deris Wanaag MEL systems and reporting structures, including user-friendly templates, to contribute to quarterly reporting and learning products/events;
• Conduct MEL training for downstream partners in response to capacity assessments, including research methods, reporting needs, and other data collection requirements; 
• Review and translate data collection tools into Swahili and Somali, in addition to training enumerators and piloting tools in relevant field locations;
• Develop and manage data collection work plans in coordination with MEL Lead and Field Research Manager;
• Develop plans for GESI self-assessment for all partners together with the field GESI advisor and Senior GESI advisor;
• Develop sector-specific data and support timely and appropriate deployment by implementation teams, in alignment with ethical research and data security policies;
• Conduct field-level assessments, including baseline, mid-term, end-line and other monitoring surveys, including the cleaning, translation, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data;
• Contribute to monthly implementation updates, to share with Area Leads, flagging key achievements, areas of concern, lessons learned, and recommendations for corrective actions;
• Facilitate field-level learning events, collaboratively with the MEL Lead, to capture, document and disseminate lessons learned for internal and external purposes;
• Conducted internal data quality assessments to ensure that all reported observations and indicators are supported by verified data sources, including activity-level monitoring forms, participant lists, and geo-tagged photos;
• Gather, analyse, and report community and stakeholder feedback through the design and management of feedback mechanisms, including complaints hotlines, community forums, and other sources.

Experience and technical competencies:  

• A minimum of 4 years of MEL experience within the peacebuilding, stabilization or development field.  
• Demonstrated field experience in working on conflict resolution, peacebuilding and stability programmes.
• Demonstrated experience in leading GESI related M&E and capacity building.
• Experience in training and supporting local partners to conduct comprehensive M&E.
• Proven technical skills in monitoring, evaluation and experience with both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. 
• Strong background in the use of computers including the use of software applications such as Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and software such as SPSS and STATA.
• Previous experience with electronic or mobile data collection such as Kobo is a requirement.
• Experience in working in cross border and conflict prone areas. 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work under pressure to tight deadlines.

Education

• A bachelor’s degree in the Social Sciences, Economics, Statistics or Information Management Sciences.

Language: 

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Swahili is essential  
• Fluency in Somali is a great advantage

Key stakeholders: 
Internal 

• Programme implementation teams in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia and MEL staff in Nairobi. 
• Enumerators in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

External

• National and county government authorities
• Implementing partners