Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Coordinator - Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands

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Program / Department SummaryMercy Corps’ Caribbean Resilience Initiative (CRI) is a subregional portfolio that works across the Caribbean, leading economic strategies to support local communities. Based across five jurisdictions (Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands), the team leads programming aimed at strengthening this region’s Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and territories. Since 2019, MC CRI has spearheaded innovative projects engaging local communities, governments, and businesses to foster an economically oriented approach.

General Position SummaryThe Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Coordinator will work with the Mercy Corps program team as well as our local partner organizations to oversee and ensure the collection of quality M&E data for the Caribbean United Program. Through the Caribbean United program, Mercy Corps (MC) will combine its economic and job development strategies with a capacity building approach targeting community-based organizations to help women, men and girls and boys aged 16 and older, in 12 identified countries in the Caribbean to achieve economic stability and security, contributing towards greater regional influence and emerging market opportunities for the United States. This focused work on women’s economic development initiatives through a two-fold approach: 1) working with women to meet their immediate needs and skills building, and 2) remove limits on women’s and men’s economic participation and achieving economic prosperity. The M&E Officer will be responsible for supporting the MEL Program Manager to oversee the monitoring and data collection of the project, analyze data to provide insight to project team, and contribute to report writing. S/he will ensure that performance monitoring and results reporting tools and processes across the entire program are in place, effectively implemented and well synchronized between the program sites. The MEL officer will be an integral member of the project team learning and reflection processes, leading discussion on beneficiary feedback.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Develop and implement M&E Plan(s) and frameworks for programs and proposals.
• Develop a system for reporting and validating program data (Excel, Tola, ONA Data, PowerBI, etc.)
• Work closely with the program teams and local partners, to ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting of program activities and results.
• Coordinate reporting with local partners, specifically tracking deadlines, ensuring adherence to monitoring formats and requirements, ensuring reporting quality and accuracy, and periodic report writing, editing, and submission.
• Compile progress against indicators and report back to the team according to the monitoring plan.
• Develop Data Quality Assessment Plan to support the program in identifying data defects, measuring data impacts, and reporting the findings to key stakeholders.
• Perform spot checks on the team’s data collected and reports each month.
• Actively participate in any additional evaluation M&E activities including but not limited to baseline surveys, mid-term, endline surveys, evaluations, households surveys

  Program Management

  • Contribute to learning/research agenda.
  • Build the capacity of all relevant team members to implement program monitoring tools, accurately enter program data into relevant databases, and enable them to develop excellent reports and other documents.
  • Build the capacity of our local partner organizations through ongoing training and support on: monitoring tools, entering program data into databases, the development of reports and other documents.
  • Document lessons learned and success stories on the project.
  • Ensure adherence to program management minimum standards in carrying out his/her duties, advising and supporting other staff in the same as required.
  • Other duties as assigned.

    Organizational Learning

    • As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

      Accountability to Beneficiaries

      • Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

        Supervisory ResponsibilityNone.

        AccountabilityReports Directly To: Fonda Sanchez, MEL Program ManagerWorks Directly With: Deborah Gordon, Caribbean United Program Manager

        Knowledge and Experience

        • BA/S or equivalent, preferable in business administration, public administration or international development.
        • 2-4 years M&E experience
        • Good working knowledge of both written and spoken English.
        • Previous experience working on US Government funded programs preferred
        • Relevant experience in field survey/data collection techniques, data entry, data verification, and analysis
        • Good understanding and skills in data management.
        • Strong computer literacy with a full knowledge of MS Office applications.
        • Strong team coordination, listening, and consensus building skills.

          Success FactorsA strong team member will be conscientious, with excellent judgement, capable of multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem-solving and attention to detail with strategic vision. S/he must have the confidence, and humility, to work effectively with a large variety of people who will be diverse culturally, economically and in social status. S/he must be sensitive to political and cultural nuance and able to consistently apply excellent judgment to a variety of demanding and fast-changing situations, as well as the ability to foster solid working relationships with Mercy Corps staff, LNGOs and CBOs. Working as part of a team and coordinating with project personnel, as well as strong organizational skills, are essential to this position.

          Living Conditions / Environmental ConditionsThe position is based in one of our registered countries and it requires up to 40% travel.Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.Ongoing LearningIn support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and developmentTeam Engagement and Effectiveness Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work. We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together. Equal Employment OpportunityMercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work. Safeguarding & EthicsMercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.