Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Officer

Pact Inc. seeks candidates to fill the position of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Officer for the USAID/Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement (ENGAGE) activity in Ukraine.

Pact is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and is dedicated to the fair and equal treatment of all employees without regard to gender, race, color, religion, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, disability, or marital status. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine

Supervisor: Senior Program Manager

Job type: Full time

Effective Date: ASAP

Duration: one year with possibility of the extension

Pact Overview

At the heart of Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow. The promise of a healthy life. Of a decent livelihood. Of sustainable natural resources that benefit communities. Now more than ever in its 50-year history, Pact is helping millions of people who are poor and marginalized discover and build their own solutions and take ownership over their future.

Pact enables systemic solutions that allow those who are poor and marginalized to earn a dignified living, be healthy, and take part in the benefits that nature provides. Pact accomplishes this by strengthening local capacity, forging effective governance systems and transforming markets into a force for development.

About the ENGAGE activity

Pact, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington DC, is implementing the USAID-funded Enhance Non-Governmental Actors and Grassroots Engagement (ENGAGE) activity in Ukraine. The project is based in Kyiv, Ukraine with offices in Kharkiv, Kherson, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia regions.

The purpose of ENGAGE is to increase citizen awareness of and engagement in civic activities at the national, regional and local level. ENGAGE focuses efforts at both the grassroots level to educate and activate citizens to engage in civic initiatives as well as the national and regional (oblast and rayon) levels to improve organizational capacities, build coalitions, support advocacy and watchdog initiatives. The ENGAGE activity primarily focuses on key democratic reforms and cross-cutting themes, such as anti-corruption, decentralization, government transparency and accountability including electoral processes, inclusive development of persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, intersex and other vulnerable groups, youth and EU integration. To address citizen demands for anti-corruption reforms ENGAGE maintains anti-corruption focus on all its program components.

Position Purpose

The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer will lead all monitoring and evaluation related tasks, including: data collection, analysis, and learning. S/he ensures maintaining ENGAGE’s MEL system at various levels for tracking of the progress and the achievement of USAID/ENGAGE objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• In coordination with the Project Management Team, lead ENGAGE’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) efforts
• Oversee data collection, ensuring high quality of data of monitoring and evaluation reports
• Develop and adjust indicators and tools for measurement, review and revise related PIRS documentation
• Coordinate with Pact staff at Washington DC office to complete monitoring and evaluation related responsibilities
• Coordinate data quality management, analyses and reporting, including Routine Data Quality Assessments (RDQA) and implement corrective actions to improve data quality and accountability of staff and partners
• Design additional assessment and related tools for data collection
• Ensure participatory and empowerment evaluation approaches in ENGAGE MEL system
• Develop and draft for approval key monitoring and evaluation deliverables such as MEL reports, Pact’s Global Indicator reports, regular and ad hoc donor reporting requests
• Lead ENGAGE’s learning agenda in close collaboration with the program officers, analysts and communication specialists
• Ensure the lessons learned from the monitoring and evaluation results are in line with USAID’s Collaborating, Learning and Adaptation approach
• Coordinate mid-term and end-line evaluation of the USAID/ENGAGE activity.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in relevant field: social science, statistics, international development, evaluation, law or economics
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in designing, managing, and implementing results-based MERL activities preferably in democracy and governance sector
• Demonstrated proficiency in data collection methods, analysis and visualization, and the ability to use various commercially available statistical software programs (SPSS, “R”)
• Demonstrated relevant technical skills in analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, with excellent organizational skills
• Demonstrated commitment to data use and learning to improve program performance
• Experience with international donor-funded programs, particularly USAID-funded assistance programs
• Fluency in English and Ukrainian, both oral and in writing
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs, (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).

Preference for:

• Experience in utilizing gender and social inclusion sensitive indicators and analysis
• Working knowledge of DHIS2.

To Apply:

Please send your CV and motivation letter to [email protected] with “MERL Officer” in the subject line by COB June 26, 2021.

Please include at least three contacts of your former supervisors who can provide reference for you. Only short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.