Monitoring Evaluation Learning (MEL) Manager - SMART

Location: Zalingi, Central Dafur 

Position Status: Full time  

 Risk Level:  ☐ Level 3       ☐Level 2  ☐Level 1 

About Mercy Corps 

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. 

PROGRAMME/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY  

Mercy Corps Sudan is seeking for a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager for the EU-funded “Strengthen Markets, Agroecology, Resilience & employmenT (SMART)”. SMART is a 48-month programme implemented by Mercy Corps Netherlands with Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Germany (VSF Germany), funded by the European Union under its "Enhancing Food Security and Resilience of Rural Communities in Sudan" programme. Working in South Darfur and Central Darfur states, SMART aims to build sustainable and resilient livelihoods and food security among rural communities most affected by food insecurity, climate change and conflict. The programme is expected to directly benefit around 200,000 people, including 52,000 internally displaced persons, 102,000 women and 40,000 youth. SMART works towards three objectives: increasing the productivity and profitability of smallholder agriculture and livestock value chains through agroecological practices; creating decent jobs for youth and women, including from displaced and refugee populations; and improving equal, sustainable access to natural resources to support food security, reduce conflict and enable the voluntary return of displaced people. The programme applies a humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach and uses adaptive management; including a crisis modifier and regular reassessment - to respond to Sudan's volatile operating context.  

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY 

Mercy Corps Sudan is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager to provide leadership and technical support to the SMART Program MEL function. This position has been established to help the program address critical MEL gaps identified midway through implementation, strengthen overall MEL performance, and ensure that essential monitoring, evaluation, learning, reporting, and accountability processes are completed to a high standard and in line with Mercy Corps and donor requirements. The MEL Manager will provide strategic leadership and hands-on technical support to the program MEL team, leading a rapid review of existing MEL systems, tools, processes, and performance against program requirements. A key priority of the role is to lead the review, updating, and alignment of the programme MEL Plan, ensuring that indicators, data collection systems, reporting processes, learning priorities, and accountability mechanisms remain fit for purpose and aligned with programme objectives, implementation realities, and donor expectations. The role will undertake a rapid diagnostic of existing MEL systems, identify critical gaps and risks, develop a time bound MEL strengthening plan, and lead implementation of priority actions to ensure the programme is positioned to meet donor requirements and end-of-project evidence needs." This position is designed as a remote role with periodic travel to program locations in South and Central Darfur on an 8-week cycle as required to support MEL system strengthening, data quality assurance, capacity building, monitoring activities, assessments, and engagement with programm teams and partners. The MEL Manager will ensure that monitoring evidence, learning, and accountability information are systematically used to inform programme decision-making and improve the quality and impact of programme implementation. 

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES  

Strategic Leadership and MEL System Oversight  

• Ensure the programme's MEL system complies with relevant Mercy Corps and EU policies, regulations, and guidelines; adapt the system design creatively to measure impact and assess evidence in a complex, adaptive programme context.  

• Continuously review, refine, and maintain a fit-for-purpose MEL system focused on utility and programme quality, providing the programme team and implementing partners with timely, actionable evidence to steer implementation, inform donors, and guide strategic decisions.  

• Facilitate implementation of all MEL activities as outlined in the programme's MEL Plan.  

• Collaborate closely with internal and external partners and stakeholders to ensure operational success across the programme.  

• Collaborate with programme management in regular review meetings to ensure monitoring evidence informs decision-making, including through comparison and synthesis of quantitative data, qualitative findings, and broader research evidence relevant to SMART's context.  

• Work with programme management to proactively identify and address MEL shortfalls that may impact programme outcomes; oversee the conduct of routine internal Data Quality Assessments (DQAs) and ensure actionable insights are implemented.  

Results-Based Monitoring, Data Management, and Quality Assuarance  

• Design, plan, and lead all MEL monitoring activities; maintain and enforce standards for data collection in collaboration with implementing partners across the programme.  

• Coordinate and oversee implementing partners' MEL efforts and any programme evaluation teams involved in data collection; ensure compliance with high data quality standards through regular reviews, field verification visits, and constructive feedback on methodologies and practices.  

• Lead the collection, management, and analysis of all quantitative and qualitative data to assess programme performance and impact.  

• Maintain overall responsibility for data quality control, including conducting systematic data verification, source document reviews, spot-checks, and other quality assurance activities to ensure all reported data is accurate, complete, and a true reflection of programme activities and results.  

• Conduct regular site visits to programme locations to deepen understanding of activities, information needs, context, and emerging programme impact; triangulate monitoring data with field observations and partner reporting.  

Research and Evidence Generation  

• Support the design and application of qualitative research methodologies across the programme, while ensuring approaches are contextually sensitive and protection compliant.  

• Apply outcome mapping as a core framework for tracking behavioral and relational changes among the programme's partners.  

• Use contribution analysis and other theory-of-change-based approaches to assess plausible links between programme interventions and observed outcomes.  

• Triangulate qualitative and quantitative evidence to build a rich, multi-dimensional picture of programme performance and emerging impact; ensure qualitative findings are systematically documented and integrated into programme reporting and learning products.  

Evaluation and Assessments  

• Lead and coordinate all programme evaluations and assessments and ensure rigorous instrument design, sampling, methodology, enumerator coordination, data analysis and quality outputs.  

• Ensure gender, equity, and social inclusion (GESI) considerations are systematically integrated into evaluation design, data collection tools, analysis, and reporting.  

• Facilitate results discussions and sense-making workshops following evaluations and assessments, supporting the programme team in interpreting findings and developing evidence-based recommendations.  

Learning, Evidence Use And Knowledge Management  

• Lead the development and implementation of the programme's Learning Agenda.  

• Facilitate structured learning and reflection processes to enable the SMART programme to draw evidence based insights and translate them into adaptive management decisions in a timely manner.  

• Contribute to the development and implementation of a knowledge management system that captures, organises, and disseminates evidence and lessons learned throughout the project to both internal and external stakeholders through appropriate channels and formats.  

• Contribute to the development of high-quality learning products for internal programme use and for sharing with the external stakeholders.  

• Support the programme team in embedding adaptive management practices, enabling systematic and documented adjustments to programme design and implementation in response to monitoring evidence, learning, and changing contextual conditions.  

  Reporting  

• Support the programme team in timely and accurate reporting; hold overall responsibility for providing results data, evidence, and analysis for all project reports including monthly, annual, and final reports, in close coordination with the programme’s leadership.  

• Ensure all reported data is accurate, well-documented, and traceable to source documentation.  

• Coordinate results reporting across programme partners, ensuring adherence to required reporting formats and quality standards, and providing guidance and feedback to partner reporting teams.   

Data Systems  

• In collaboration with MEL SYSYEMS MANAGER and MEL team, serve as the programme's technical lead for management of data systems and real-time data flow, utilising appropriate software platforms for data collection (CommCare), storage and processing (MS-Azure), visualization (PowerBI) to enhance evidence utilisation and accessibility.  

• Ensure robust data security and participant data protection measures are embedded across all data collection, storage, transfer, and sharing systems, in compliance with applicable data protection regulations.  

• Train implementing partners on digital data collection platform use and use of dashboards and performance tracking tools.  

• Develop and optimise MEL workflows and data pipelines to ensure efficient data collection, management, analysis, and reporting, while facilitating clear communication and collaboration among team members and partners.  

Capacity Building & Team Development  

• Assess SMART MEL team capacity gaps (plus partners) and provide targeted training and coaching to build their ability to implement programme MEL tools, manage data accurately, and produce quality reports.  

• Provide implementing partners with MEL-related information, tools, and resources to enhance performance and achieve programme objectives.  

• Collaborate with partner MEL staff to strengthen partner-level MEL systems, ensuring they are capable of meeting programme data quality and reporting requirements.  

• Build the capacity and professional development of the MEL team through regular coaching, mentoring, structured feedback, and workload support, nurturing a high performing and learning-oriented team.  

Safeguarding Responsibilities  

• Actively integrate safeguarding principles and risk mitigation measures into all MEL.  

• Embed participant data protection standards across all data collection, storage, and sharing systems; ensure enumerators, field staff, and partners understand and adhere to data protection requirements.  

• Uphold the values of Mercy Corps, including respecting the dignity and well-being of all participants and team members.  

• Foster a culture of openness and accountability within the programme; encourage team members to report safeguarding or ethical concerns through appropriate mechanisms. 

Supervisory Responsibility 

MEL Officers and MEL Consultants  

Accountability  

Reports Directly To: SMART Program Director   

Works Directly With: Senior MEL Manager, MEL Manager, PaQ team, PaQ Director, Director of Programs, Area Manager, Program Manager, Humanitarian Response Director, CVA Manager, Program and support functions. 

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders 

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects. 

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills  

• Bachelor's degree in social sciences, monitoring and evaluation, statistics, international development, or a related field. A Master's degree in a relevant discipline is preferred.  

• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in programme monitoring, evaluation, learning, and adaptation, including designing and managing MEL systems, leading evaluations and assessments, managing MEL teams, and building staff and partner MEL capacity.  

• Proven experience leading MEL for development and early recovery programs preferable MSD.  

• Expertise in qualitative research methodologies, including outcome mapping, contribution analysis, participatory approaches.  

• Demonstrated experience in mixed-methods research and evaluation, including experimental and quasi experimental quantitative designs; ability to utilise statistical software for quantitative data analysis alongside qualitative analysis tools.  

• Proven experience designing and managing baseline, mid-term, and endline evaluations, household surveys, and primary data collection exercises, including sampling methodology design and survey instrument development.  

• High degree of digital literacy; demonstrated proficiency in at least one quantitative data analysis package and experience with mobile data collection platforms, preferably CommCare.  

• Strong understanding of responsible data practices, data protection, and data security requirements, with demonstrated experience integrating these into data collection tools and field protocols.  

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English; demonstrated ability to produce high-quality analytical reports and learning products, and to present complex findings to diverse audiences.  

• Strong interpersonal, organisational, and team management skills; demonstrated ability to build and lead high performing, multi-disciplinary teams.  

• Excellent creative and conceptual skills.  

• Track record of strong commitment to sharing knowledge, documenting experiences, supporting creative initiatives and working as a team.    

Success Factors  

The ideal candidate will combine intellectual rigour with a genuine curiosity about how change happens in complex, adaptive programmes. They will be a strong strategic thinker and excellent communicator, comfortable navigating ambiguity and working effectively in politically sensitive and logistically challenging environments. They will bring deep technical expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods, and will have a particular aptitude for drawing meaningful insights from data. They will be a good leader who builds the confidence and capability of their team and partners through coaching and mentorship, fostering a learning culture, and creating the conditions for honest, evidence-based conversations about programme performance. They will be resilient, adaptable, and committed to the dignity and safety of programme participants at every stage of data collection and analysis. 

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions 

The position is based in Zalingi, Central Dafur and it requires up to 40% travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.  Housing for this role is in individual housing and staff will have access to good medical services and the living situation is of a high standard.