MEL Coordinator

Job Posting Organization:
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organization that assists people forced to flee. Established in 1946, NRC has grown to employ around 15,000 staff working in 40 countries, providing vital and long-term assistance to millions of people affected by crises. NRC has been operational in the Central African Republic since 2014, employing 15 international staff and approximately 165 national staff. The organization operates across a wide geographical area with activities in strategic districts throughout the country, including Mambere Kadei, Sangha Mbaere, Nana Mambere, and Ouham Pendé in the West, Nana Gribizi, Kemo, and Ouham Fafa in the Center, Basse-Kotto in the South, and Lobaye and Ombella Mpoko in the Southwest. NRC has three field offices in Bouar, Kaga Bandoro, and Alindao, and a country office in Bangui, the capital. The program portfolio includes six core competencies: ICLA (Information, Counseling, and Legal Assistance), livelihoods and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security, WASH, shelter, education, and protection against violence.

Job Overview:
The MEL Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) strategy and standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the Central African Republic. This role involves capacity building and the production of necessary tools and systems for operationalizing MEL. The MEL Coordinator will ensure regular data collection and reporting according to deadlines, coordinate the development of MEL plans by project, and create tools for needs assessments, baseline and end-line data collection, and post-distribution monitoring. The role also requires integrating NRC's Safe and Inclusive Protection (SIP) standards into MEL activities, tools, and methodologies. The MEL Coordinator will produce regular analyses of project performance and implementation quality, promote learning sessions for MEL and program staff, and support analysis and reflection on program needs, performance, and relevance. Additionally, the MEL Coordinator will contribute to project proposal writing and reporting for MEL and accountability aspects, manage performance, and capacity building of MEL and Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) staff, and contribute to country strategy and key competency/program processes.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The MEL Coordinator's duties include ensuring adherence to the MEL strategy and SOPs, conducting regular data collection and reporting, coordinating the development of MEL plans and tools, integrating SIP standards into MEL activities, producing performance analyses, promoting learning sessions, supporting program analysis, contributing to project proposals and reporting, managing MEL and CFM staff performance, contributing to country strategy processes, overseeing field mission planning and reporting, maintaining accountability mechanisms, and providing technical advice on database management and MEL innovations.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must have 3 to 5 years of proven experience in managing, designing, implementing, and supervising monitoring, evaluation, and research for large and medium-scale international projects or programs. A postgraduate degree in economics, research methods, social sciences, or a related discipline is required. Candidates should possess technical skills and prior experience in implementing various program evaluation methodologies and approaches. Excellent analytical, communication, interpersonal, writing, collaboration, problem-solving, planning/organization, and facilitation skills are essential. Advanced experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis tools is also required.

Educational Background:
A postgraduate degree in economics, research methods, social sciences, or a related field is necessary for this position. This educational background will provide the theoretical foundation and analytical skills required for effective monitoring and evaluation in humanitarian contexts.

Experience:
Candidates should have 3 to 5 years of relevant experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning within international humanitarian or development contexts. This experience should include managing and supervising MEL activities, designing evaluation frameworks, and conducting data analysis for program improvement.

Languages:
Fluency in French is mandatory, while a good command of English is considered an asset. Proficiency in both languages will facilitate effective communication and reporting within the organization and with stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position is a national contract for 12 months, renewable based on performance and funding availability. The position is based in Bangui, Central African Republic. NRC encourages applications from Central African nationals only. The organization offers a supportive work culture that allows employees to share ideas and take on responsibilities. The role provides an opportunity to contribute to a vital cause and work alongside skilled professionals in the humanitarian field.