Program Performance and Learning Director, Nawiri Program at Mercy Corps

Essential Job Responsibilities

Program Performance Management

•  In partnership with the CoP, oversee the development and roll out of, as well as compliance with, the program performance architecture, including systems and structures for coordination, decision-making, communication, learning and adaptive management,
•  Ensure all program meeting and coordination mechanisms are backed by terms of reference with clear roles and responsibilities and systems that support behavior nudges towards update.  Proactively raise and address challenges as necessary.
•  Guide the design, roll out and adherence to tools and processes that facilitate high quality implementation, learning and adaptive management, including standard operating procedures, workflow processes and design, technical quality standards, routine monitoring, and review and reflection.
•  Maintain program performance metrics in line with Mercy Corps and USAID expectations to track and improve performance and quality.
•  Lead and oversee all processes related to donor deliverables, including PREP, quarterly reports, Annual Results Report, review and reflection meetings, and key donor workshops coordinating across the leadership team as necessary.
•  Ensure that program team members are trained in Quality Improvement and Verification Checklist (QIVC), DQA, and the program’s quality assurance charter (QAC) process.
•  Develop and maintain online quality assurance charter (QAC) system, ensuring compliance with Mercy Corps’ deliverable quality assurance check process.
•  Maintain regular communication with the RFSA Complex Program Board, and country-level PaQ focal points to identify opportunities for innovative collaboration with other departments and programs and advise senior leadership on ways to drive forward quality programming and leverage cross-program learning. 

Partnerships and Representation

• Regularly liaise with  external stakeholders, including the donor to represent Nawiri’s program performance and systems. Deputize CoP when required.
• In partnership with the Director of Implementation and the P4 lead, provide program performance guidance for comprehensive partner support and engagement mechanisms linked to technical and operational performance.
• Facilitate the Nawiri Steering Committee meeting and representing the project in project coordination frameworks,
• Support the CoP in managing and organizing 4-corners calls, partnering with and including NLT members as necessary to set agenda and address key issues.
• Support DoI and P4 Lead with tools and processes to ensure local partners are adequately supported with organizational capacity strengthening assessments and capacity strengthening plan.
• Facilitate active management of partner agreements, with regular performance reviews
• Support the DoI, P4 lead and DCoP/TD in developing clear performance metrics and milestones, and adhere to all technical and operational program performance standards; put in place remedial action when required
• With the CoP, organize and facilitating partner coordination meetings
• Oversee programmatic monitoring of sub-awardees ensuring that monitoring and quality assurance is conducted across performance, quality and organizational aspects of implementation.
• Develop relationships and linkages with organizations implementing other donor-funded programs allocating grants in the Nawiri participants’ ecosystem.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptive Management

•  With direct oversight over the MEL Lead, ensure the implementation of program responsive tech-enabled, high performing MEL and SLL systems that support both donor deliverables and regular program learning and adaptive management
•  Guide and oversee the roll out of a learning agenda for the program; partner across units to ensure appropriate metrics of success and learning protocols are in place, including quantitative and qualitative monitoring tools and research.
•  Facilitate a culture of curiosity, learning and adaptive work planning and implementation with program teams
•  Organize and facilitate after-action reviews, regular learning meetings, or strategy workshops.
•  With the Communications and SLL Advisors, support knowledge-sharing, success stories capture , lessons learned and best practices documentation for the Nawiri program to build an understanding of results, impact, and contribution to outcomes. This includes production of learning, research and/or technical briefs, drawing on DCoP/TD and DoI as needed.
•  Oversees and guides the engagement of shared learning with the CRS Nawiri consortium and other partners.
•  Working closely with the MEL Team, the PPD will oversee adherence between interventions and the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan, while ensuring smooth and efficient sequencing, layering, and Integrating throughout the two Purposes and interventions.
•  Support and ensure the integrating cross-program learning and new insights in strategy design and implementation.
•  In collaboration with the MEL and Research team, identify and develop research and learning priorities that are connected to programmatic and country strategic objectives.
•  Ensure the quality of learning materials, methodologies, and delivery methods used in Strategic Learning meets the program's standards and objectives.
•  Partner with the MEL Lead to ensure activities are aligned with the broader program goals and objectives, collaborating to establish MEL frameworks that support the program's success.
•  Work with the MEL Lead to translate findings into actionable insights that inform program adjustments and improvements and allow programmatic decision-making.

Communications and Knowledge Management

•  Oversee the development of a knowledge management and communication strategy for the program, and ensure adherence to protocols
•  Ensure program compliance with Mercy Corps document retention and archiving practices (Program Record Management & Retention policy)
•  Guide and manage the roll out of key internal and external program communications, including regular flows of decisions and action points within and across offices, program coordination structures, and partners;
•  In partnership with the CoP, hold team members accountable to communication flow.
•  With the Nawiri Comms Advisor  ensure that external communications products are in line with Nawiri messaging and influence plan, are regularly developed and disseminated with relevant stakeholders in languages, formats and media that are appropriate for, accessible, and can be understood by the target population.
•  Support the Communications Advisor to implement the Nawiri Communication Work Plan in addition to delivering on donor communications and visibility requirements
•  Collect and share learnings and best practices from this program both internally and externally.
•  Communicate effectively to ensure overall program targets and donor obligations are met.

Influence, representation/internal and external coordination

• Contribute to program visibility and advocacy work by assisting in the dissemination of program data and learning and regularly reflecting program results.
• Represent Nawiri in donor meetings as required, and lead representation in areas related to MEL, SLL and program performance.
• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders towards improved program performance.
• Communicate effectively across teams and partners to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met. 

Team management

• Effectively oversee senior management team members for program performance, including MEL, SLL and Program Quality.
• Put in place effective management practice that build team coherence and trust, while ensuring accountability and performance.
• Provide continued capacity building to the Program Performance Team, and broader program team members and create a pleasant work environment that promotes learning, accountability and ownership.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations, and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Monitor team members’ performance, and take remedial action as required
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence. 

Supervisory Responsibility

• Will supervise the MEL Lead, SLL Lead, Senior Communication Officer, Program Quality Manager

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Chief of Party
• Works Directly With: DCoP/TD, Director of Implementation, Purpose Leads, Field Directors, Finance Manager 

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our projects.

Knowledge and Experience / Qualification and Transferable Skills

•  MA/S or equivalent experience in project/program management, social science, political science, international development, or another relevant field.
•  At least 7 years of experience in international development programming, preferably in Africa.
•  At least 5 years’ experience with managing USAID projects, including strengths in grant management, coordination and donor reporting.
•  Extensive experience in and understanding Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, including MEL Tech tools and how to apply them effectively.
•  Certified in program management and/or proven ability to apply and adapt program management systems and standards for team and program performance.
•  Proven ability to drive learning agendas and a culture of adaptive management across program teams.
•  Patient and committed to capacity building, training and coaching of a team with diverse skill sets.
•  Experience in implementing and managing programs including work-planning, food security, agricultural development, nutrition, governance and resource management.
•  Demonstrated practitioner level capability in time-based planning tools – such as Microsoft Project or similar – or an in-depth understanding in how to approach their use.
•  Demonstrable ability to produce high quality deliverables at speed and with minimal direction
•  Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, and the capacity to work at a strategic level with senior leaders (both internal and external) is essential
•  Ability to multi-task and juggle several tasks and relationships at one time, with little to no direction
•  Proven ability to work effectively in multicultural teams and with technical and administrative staff and consultants.
•  Fluent English required and fluent French desirable.
•  Ability to work in a hardship environment with moderate to high levels of insecurity and significant restrictions on personal movement.
•  Prior work experience in the DRC and demonstrable understanding of the context a significant advantage