Global Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning (MERL) Coordinator Joining Forces

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 80 countries.

The Opportunity

The Joining Forces Alliance applied for a €16 million grant from the German Foreign Federal Office (GFFO) to address major child protection in emergency issues in various conflict settings across the world. The project “Joining Forces for Child Protection in Emergencies (JF-CPiE)” will be implemented in 6 countries (Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Colombia, South Sudan, Ethiopia,) across two years/24 months with an expecting starting date in July 2022. All six agencies that are part of the Joining Forces Alliance have a role in the consortium that has been brought together to implement this project, with 2 agencies having an implementation role in each of the six targeted countries. Plan International Germany is the consortium lead and will contract the overall Project Manager and MERL Coordinator as well as Controlling and Compliance Coordinator.

The MERL Coordinator is responsible for technical leadership and guidance of monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning in the context of project implementation. She/he will oversee and ensure that information from implementing partners is fed into the overall project framework to allow results-based monitoring, and will maintain a coherent monitoring approach across the six implementing countries – together with the country-based MERL specialists of the different consortium members. The MERL coordinator will also be responsible for overall knowledge management and documentation of best practices and lessons learnt from the project. She/he will also strengthen the projects teams and will provide technical support to the MERL staff of implementing partners. She/he will co-ordinate closely with the Project Manager, the country coordinators and the MERL staff in the implementing partners.

You bring;

• Significant experience in monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning in programmes and projects
• Experience working in complex, multi-country and/ or multi-agency programmes or projects
• Solid experience in setting up M&E systems and processes for large projects
• Experience in managing base-line, mid-term and end-line evaluations
• Experience in Child Protection program MERL
• Knowledge of ethical principles and safeguarding standards for involving children in MERL activities
• Practical and relevant experience in interventions in emergency contexts
• Good knowledge and understanding of humanitarian principles and established international child protection and safeguarding standards; SPHERE standards and the Red Cross/ NGO Code of Conduct
• Fluency in French and English essential
• Skills in participatory assessment, particularly with children
• Strong planning, organizational and analytical skills
• Skills in managing qualitative and quantitative data collections
• Skills for data base management (design, entry, analysis)
• Ability to deliver to tight deadlines
• Demonstrated facilitation and active listening skills
• Good presentation skills
• Solid writing skills (report writing, concept paper writing etc.)
• Requires general finance, administration, information management and telecommunication skills and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SPSS and other statistical analysis software, data base software);
• People Skills: Ability to work independently and as a team player who demonstrates leadership and is able to support and train local staff and also able to work with displaced persons and communities in a sensitive and participatory manner.
• Communication Skills: Well developed written and oral communication skills. Able to communicate clearly and sensitively with internal and external stakeholders as a representative of Plan. This includes effective negotiation and representation skills.
• Commitment to and skills in training – together with the ability to assess and coach others.

Location: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal or Togo

Type of Role: Fixed term contract on national terms and conditions

Reports to: Team Leader, West and Central Africa, Plan International Germany

Grade: E

Closing Date: Monday 17th April

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.