Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Center is inviting applications for the role of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist to be part of our global mission.

This is a regionally recruited position; therefore, individuals with experience in the MENA region and relevant abilities from diverse locations around the world are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate can be based in Egypt or Sri Lanka.

The MEL Specialist - will lead the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning components of the Water Resilience Tracker, Al Murunah and other selected and recently approved FCDO projects. The primary focus of the incumbent’s work will be associated MEL delivery on specific assigned projects under FCDO portfolio (currently secured and incoming). Over time, they contribute to other projects with themes related to water resilience, nature-based solutions, climate change adaptation, agricultural water management, gender transformational change, and fragile, conflict-affected, and human migration settings.

The MEL Specialist will support the relevant teams by leading the development and implementation of MEL systems in line with donor requirements and will contribute to project impact evaluation objectives. The person will manage relevant partner relationships and address MEL questions from the IWMI team as well as implementing agencies and partners. The MEL Specialist is expected to be a strong team player who can carry out daily MEL tasks and communicate with local partners and project stakeholders in line with relevant cultural contexts and at the same time also ensure quality delivery of various knowledge products in a timely manner.

• In collaboration with the project team (IWMI and partners as relevant), develop, implement, and revise as required comprehensive MEL systems including the incorporation of indicators in consultation with the projects’ donor, FCDO. In more detail, this includes:

• • Design of project Theory of Change (ToC) and associated key performance indicators covering both donor compliance and important project indicators to understand program quality and performance,

• • Design of baseline/midline/endline tools and methodology and periodic measurement tools covering both qualitative and quantitative progress tracking systems highlighting program quality, program outcomes and impact measurement (where relevant).

• • Support development of program minimum standards and monitoring systems.
  • Support development of project and portfolio knowledge management systems to capture progress and achievements (linked to clear communications /advocacy and influence strategies)
  • Developing indicators, tools and systems for assessing sustainability and scalability of project approaches.
• Lead FCDO-mandated quarterly, bi-annual, and annual MEL reporting requirements, including aspects related to Value for Money assessments.
• Guide, oversee, and undertake quality assurance for project partners’ implementation of the established MEL systems and upskill as necessary.
  • Ensure partners have aligned MEL systems and processes to enable appropriate and timely reporting against progress on project indicators.
• Set up an indicator tracker that is updated regularly in order to provide status updates to management to support decision-making and adaptive management
• Coordinate uniform (and country-specific) monitoring activities across project countries in order to be able to provide adequate reporting on outputs, outcomes, and impacts achieved, as well as identification of lessons learned to support project effectiveness as well as contribute to project outcomes
• Provide regular training for staff, and as needed partners, on the use of tools, trackers and additional updates from donors
• Support monitoring of project environmental and social impact mitigation measures and project safeguarding compliance.
• Produce project-derived impact stories, implementation guidance, and comparable knowledge outputs. 
• Provide sound and pragmatic judgment and assistance to project leads and coordinators on appropriate documents, organize and capture project progress, measure achievements against targets
• Work closely with staff on developing case studies, blogs, lessons learned documents, as well as relevant 'pause and reflect' activities which support shifts in focus and attention.