MERL Officer

Job Type: Full Time

Experience: 3 years plus

Location: Mandera, Kenya (with occasional travel to the Gedo region, Somalia, and the Somali region in Ethiopia)

Reports to: CBCRProject Lead

Contract Details: 10 months Fixed Term Contract

Job Summary:

Rural Agency for Community Development and Assistance (RACIDA) is a regional non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance self-reliance and prosperity amongst vulnerable communities living in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands through the promotion of better livelihood systems, sustainable use of natural resources and community empowerment. Since inception in 2005 RACIDA works with vulnerable communities in the arid lands and semi-arid land of Northern Kenya and Ethiopia (Somali and Oromia regions) and Somalia (Gedo region). We seek to consistently implement highly integrated, contextually appropriate, community-based programming. Our programs are part of a comprehensive strategy that sets local communities across the Mandera Triangle at the center of their own development trajectory. RACIDA in partnership with Chemonics and ACDI/VOCA is implementing the USAID Feed the Future supported Cross-Border Community Resilience (CBCR) activity in the Mandera Triangle. The CBCR activity is a regional program designed to enhance resilience and thus reduce the need for humanitarian assistance among communities in the cross-border areas of the Mandera Triangle (Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia). The CBCR activity aims to empower local entities, including communities, civil society, the private sector, and governments to chart their own pathways for addressing conflict, improving livelihoods, and/or reducing the risks of shocks and stresses.

In order to successfully implement the CBCR activity in the Mandera Triangle, RACIDA is looking for a Monitoring Evaluation Accountability Learning (MEAL) Specialist to join our team and lead the continuous assessment of the performance and quality of our program in the Mandera triangle. As a MEAL Specialist, you will be responsible for providing technical guidance and oversight in the areas of monitoring, reporting, evaluation, accountability and learning, with the goal of improving the current and future outputs, outcomes and impact of our program. The MEAL officer will be based in Mandera town, with travel to Ethiopia and Somalia project areas of Liben and Gedo regions.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Development of a comprehensive monitoring plan and monitoring tools in consultation with RACIDA technical and CBCR activity team.
2. Oversee the adequate capture of project information (ensuring data quality) to monitor the progress against set project indicators and complete the indicator tracking matrix.
3. Development of surveys to monitor the activity implementation as needed including the development of tools, data collection, analysis, and reporting.
4. Work closely with the rest of the project team to document case studies, lessons learned, and evaluation findings for sharing with the different stakeholders.
5. Represent the CBCR activity in different forums and build relations to promote the identity of the activity.
6. Work closely with the project team to identify areas for improvement, provide technical guidance and support, and oversee the implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities.
7. Provide technical guidance and oversight in the areas of monitoring, reporting, evaluation, accountability and learning, with the goal of improving the current and future outputs, outcomes and impact of CBRC project
8. Contribute to building and strengthening the capacities of local partners organizations to adopt appropriate M&E practices.
9. Any other duties as assigned by the project lead.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree from a reputable institution in statistics, economics, project management, monitoring and evaluation, or related fields is required.
• At least 3 years of experience in a similar role preferably in USAID-funded projects.
• An understanding of the context, and prior experience working and/or living in any of the target regions.
• Ability to conduct training for project and partner staff on M&E.
• Good understanding of cross-cutting issues – gender, climate, DRR, etc. in the region.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and report writing skills and ability to effectively work in a team.
• Proficient in office computer applications, database management, and data analysis skills.
• Fluent in both spoken and written English and Kiswahili**. Knowledge of and proficiency in the local language is strongly preferred.**