West Africa Regional Measurement Advisor

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC is present in West Africa (WA) since the 1990s and is currently operating in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The IRC in WA implements programs through the arc of crisis, emergency, humanitarian, and development contexts.

Job Overview

IRC has developed a Measurement strategy to support our country programs to generate and use the data to improve our program quality and delivery. The strategy focuses on four pillars:

• Ensure programs measure and collect the right data

• Enable IRC to manage data

• Build the capacity, processes and resources to conduct measurement activities

• Ensure data is used to inform decisions across IRC

The Regional Measurement Advisor (RMA) for West Africa is responsible for informing the long-term direction of Measurement at the IRC in West Africa and supporting the alignment and success of Country, Regional and Global measurement initiatives – keeping country programs and IRC’s clients at the center of our work. Positioned in the WA regional team, the RMA performs a critical role in defining and driving key strategic opportunities and needs, alongside building and growing strong Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) teams to support the delivery of MEAL technical excellence.

This role leads Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning for the WA team. Reporting to the Deputy Regional Director with a technical report (management in partnership) to the Director – Regional Team in the Measurement Unit. The role line manages the Regional Senior Specialist for M&E Technology and the Regional Roving Measurement Coordinator and works in close collaboration with Technical Unit MEAL staff, including client responsiveness colleagues.

Key Responsibilities

Provide technical oversight and coordination of MEAL delivery and quality assurance in the region:

• Oversee activities to ensure continuous improvement in data quality.

• Support IRC’s country leadership teams in their efforts to use measurement data for decision making and achievement of their strategic ambition (Strategy 100).

• Provide support in the review of strategic proposals, with a focus on ensuring sound log frame, targets, MEAL plans and budget. Ensuring use of the consistent standard indicators within and across countries in the region, leading to meaningful aggregations and potential benchmarking opportunities.

• Lead MEAL planning on multi-country proposals and other large/complex proposals, as designated by the Deputy Regional Director.

• Provide support for routine and ad-hoc measurement activities throughout the program cycle in accordance with the relevant IRC MEAL Handbook and Project Cycle Meeting guidelines.

• Support countries with delivery of complex MEAL products where needed, such as assessments, baseline, midline and endline surveys, evaluations, and learning activities.

• Support in-country colleagues, specifically Deputy Director of Programs (DDPs) and senior measurement and learning staff in the hiring, onboarding and continuous mentoring, capacity building and professional development of measurement staff; as well as advising Country Offices on recommended staff structure, software and hardware for effective measurement.

• Coordinate the MEAL of multi-country programs in the region, ensuring consistency of approach is used that enables cross-cutting consolidation, analysis, learning and reporting to all stakeholders involved.

• Support the success of IRC Country, Regional and Global measurement initiatives; foster collaboration with country program teams and channel the countries’ perspectives to the Measurement Unit.

• Support the establishment of Client Responsiveness (CR) systems, including client need assessments, baseline, satisfaction surveys and the collection and use of routine feedback data in Countries together with technical advisors.

Provide leadership at regional and global level through actively contributing to the development of a sound measurement strategy and ensuring alignment of Measurement goals and priorities at country, regional and HQ levels:

• Contribute to the development of Measurement Unit strategic plans.

• In collaboration with peer RMAs, foster MEAL excellence within and across IRC regions, supporting the Measurement Community of Practice (CoP), and supporting staff development to identify and cultivate MEAL leaders at country, regional and global levels.

• Support the success of IRC Country, Regional and Global measurement initiative; channel the countries experience, interests, aspirations and concerns to the Measurement Unit.

• Stay abreast of new measurement developments in and outside IRC; Partner with relevant technical units to assure products are fit for purpose and according to best practice standards for methods and use of data.

• Involve country programs in the delivery and iteration of existing MEAL technology products and innovation and development of new initiatives to help the IRC develop and maintain effective and relevant data collection and analysis tools.

• Contribute to strategic initiatives at the regional level and risk management approaches.

Position reports to: Deputy Regional Director West Africa

Technically report to: Director – Regional Team, Measurement Unit

Position directly supervises: Senior Specialist M&E Technology, in partnership with the Senior Advisor, M&E Technology and the Regional Roving MEAL Coordinator

Technically supervises: Country MEAL focal points

Other Internal and/or external contacts: Country Directors, Deputy Directors of Programs, other Regional Measurement Advisors and Technical Advisors, Measurement Unit, Awards Management Unit, Global Partnerships and Philanthropy, Research, Evaluation and Learning team.

Job Requirements

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Advanced degree in relevant field such as economics, statistics, international development, public policy, or other social sciences, or relevant work experience

• Minimum seven years of progressing experience designing, implementing, and supporting MEAL frameworks and results including supporting field-based MEAL design and reporting, as well as working with major international donors on MEAL related aspects.

• Strength in developing baseline research, logic models, data collection and analysis of data sets, mid-term evaluations, outcome evaluations, and in mentoring and teaching-by-doing other MEAL staff.

• Experience with the challenges of effective monitoring in the field, including cultural, gender, and access considerations with the aim of enhancing project learning, quality, and data-driven decision making.

• Good understanding of basic ICT principles and the logic of data collection and management systems.

• Strong computer skills, especially MS Excel, Power BI (or similar) and CommCare (or similar). Knowledge of other software used in qualitative and quantitative MEAL would be solid assets.

• Excellent communication skills, including solid writing skills and the ability to plan for and prepare strategic communications.

• Proficient in English and French

Highly desirable

• Experience with direct program implementation in emergency and early recovery contexts, notably in West Africa.

• Experience rolling out organizational initiatives, particularly related to monitoring and evaluation

• Team player able to work with multi-cultural teams and under tight deadlines

• Familiarity with languages commonly used in the West Africa region.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. IRC is an equal opportunity employer.