Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning (MERL) Director

Position description

The MERL Director will be responsible for designing and overseeing the implementation of the project’s MERL system and Collaboration, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) processes in close coordination with technical and programmatic staff. As part of the program’s senior leadership team, the MERL Director will lead the program’s overall monitoring, research and learning agenda, working closely with partners and other internal and external stakeholders. In addition, they will be responsible for gathering, analyzing and reporting on data.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of the program’s MEL Plan and information systems to track delivery against program targets, outputs, outcomes, and impacts, including clearly defined objectives, indicators, learning mechanisms, and the implementation of appropriate M&E procedures;
• Contribute to annual work plans, quarterly and annual reports, and other project documents;
• Lead design and implementation of robust CLA approaches and processes; ensure use of existing evidence to promote improvements, collaboration, learning, and adaptation, and identify solutions to promote data-based decision-making among program and technical staff;
• Facilitate regular pause and reflect sessions with the project team, along with a formal quarterly program review meeting;
• Ensure compliance with the MEL Plan as approved by USAID;
• Ensure high-quality MEL activities and data collection of partners; facilitate partner capacity building as needed;
• Provide leadership and assist in capacity building around topics such as data collection, data for decision-making, and student learning assessments with government stakeholders; coordinate efforts with local government counterparts and education system officials;
• Work with partners and the World Learning Home Office to support the design and development of assessments to measure student learning outcomes and coordinate data collection Provide training on MEL subjects, including on-the-job training, mentoring, and coaching to staff to build their M&E capacity and skills and to improve their overall knowledge and ability to leverage M&E data for decision-making;
• Support the development of the project’s learning agenda in collaboration with World Learning Home Office and coordinate research components related to the project as needed;
• Supervise assigned MEL staff;
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, education, public policy, or relevant field required; Master’s strongly preferred;
• A minimum of 6 years of experience designing and implementing MEL and CLA systems for USAID-funded projects related to numeracy, literacy, and education systems strengthening, preferably in Tajikistan or the region;
• Prior experience with standard educational measurement approaches and other measurement approaches in numeracy, literacy, STEM, and soft skills development is highly desirable;
• Proven experience in designing and maintaining tools for program reporting, monitoring, and evaluation and learning;
• Experience working with local government partners to manage data collection in schools;
• Demonstrated knowledge and application of relevant USAID policies and strategies, including USAID’s Education Policy; Private Sector Engagement Policy; Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy; Positive Youth Development; Youth Policy; and Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting Framework;
• Significant experience in working with databases and various data management and analysis software;
• Experience with Excel for data analysis and visualization; experience with additional data visualization and dashboard tools a plus;
• Demonstrated expertise in qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis, and management methods;
• Prior experience leading, designing, managing, and/or commissioning program performance and outcome evaluations;
• Strong communication skills, ability to work across various teams with excellent interpersonal skills to maintain strong relationships, with demonstrated ability to build consensus and navigate complex operating environments;
• Strong facilitation skills for conducting pause and reflect sessions;
• Strong analytical and writing skills as demonstrated by the ability to produce high-quality reports;
• Professional level of verbal and written fluency in English required; Tajik and Russian preferred;
• Tajik nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application instructions

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