About Mercy Corps
Since 1979, we have helped people grappling
with the toughest hardships survive – and then thrive. That’s the heart
of our approach: We help communities turn crisis into opportunity.
Throughout our history, Mercy Corps has demonstrated innovation,
timeliness and the ability to adapt quickly to changing realities.
Recommended:
Programme / Department
Funded
by the UK Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), the anticipated
Building Resilience against Violent Extremism programme in the
Tanzania-Mozambique borderlands, will work with communities, national
and sub-national government representatives and international partners
to counter violence extremism. The Programme will:
- Strengthen understanding of drivers and dynamics of violent extremism in the region;
- Strengthen community resilience against violent extremist influence and narratives;
- Promote dialogue within communities and between public authorities and citizens in order to increase trust and reduce tensions;
- Work with security and justice actors on community-centred and human rights compliant approaches; and
- Support mechanisms for conflict management and improved coordination with international partners.
Position Description
Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Position Status Full-time, Regular
Salary Level: 6
General Position Summary
The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager is responsible for leading the overall integration of monitoring, evaluation & learning for the program. S/he is responsible for facilitating a participatory process in order to develop Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning strategies and frameworks tailored to the program.
The MEL Manager shall work closely with the program’s Research and Learning team, ensuring that the program has a robust system in place to measure program results, has a rigorous monitoring system that is regularly collecting performance data, that partners have the skills to collect and report relevant data, and that monitoring and evaluation data is being used to inform research priorities and programmatic decision-making.
Essential Job Responsibilities
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
- Contribute to program-level M&E planning and system development at program start-up.
- Facilitate indicator planning, design and negotiation with CSSF on the M&E system development.
- Work with the programme team to define program indicators and targets for all programme years, based on CSSF guidance of standard required and applicable indicators; where applicable and desirable, include Mercy Corps Alpha Indicators or other innovative indicators to measure program impact.
- Lead the program in the design of the detailed M&E plan, including design of data collection tools and methodologies, M&E workflow, data flow, data integrity, data quality assurance, database design and protocols, secondary research to inform baseline assessments and measurement frameworks, and ensuring alignment with Mercy Corps and Industry standards.
- Coordinate assessments, evaluations and monitoring surveys in areas of operation. This will entail development of Scopes of Work, development of survey tools, trainings and management of data collectors, report write and facilitating results discussion.
- Champion the inclusion of qualitative data collection and analysis for both direct and supplemental measurements of program performance. Train teams in appropriate methods for focus group discussion and key informant interviews and lead field-based qualitative data collection as needed.
- Work with partners to develop individualized M&E plans that feed into the program’s overarching M&E plan, and train and coach partners on data collection, reporting and using M&E tools.
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- Build a collaborative network of relationships with implementing partners and other stakeholders to encourage learning networks that promote shared learning, aligned approaches, and mutual accountability to quality data collection and programming.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of knowledge management to further stimulate use of evidence for learning, strategic adaptive management, and high-impact programming.
- Work closely with the program’s research partners to define and execute a research strategy, and ensure that M&E data is available to feed into research activities.
- Contribute to program visibility and advocacy work by assisting in dissemination of program results and learning information.
- Coordinate closely with implementing partners to ensure our activities and data are shared and synced up together and tell one cohesive story.
- Connect best practices and learning from within the program and across Mercy Corps countries to ensure an evolving and effective learning system for improving program implementation.
- Work with country program team to capture lessons learned during program implementation, and feed this information into thought leadership and research opportunities and into ongoing program management and program design.
- Collect and compile impact stories and evidence from the program on a regular basis.
- In coordination with program team, drive the capacity building of program staff on design and M&E concepts through trainings and new hire orientation, including designing and delivering formal trainings. Design comprehensive orientation for all new staff.
- Serve as technical advisor for technology for data management systems and real-time data flow, utilizing appropriate software platforms for cloud aggregation, data processing and manipulation, and data visualization and utilization. This includes learning and testing new software platforms, as well as working with tech partners to develop both project and country level information management systems.
- Assist teams in setting up appropriate summary statistics and relational calculations in program databases and link them to tracking dashboards. Help develop the appropriate workflow.
- Understand, maintain and innovate the technical components (including hardware, software, database, etc.) of the MEL information and data management system that improves MC’s ability to implement quality programs through better collection, management, analysis and presentation of data, and represent impact to donor, government bodies, peer organizations and communities using standard technologies.
Manage M&E staff within the field offices.
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit mercy corps as well as themselves.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Supervisory Responsibility
Program M&E team
Accountability Reports Directly To: Team Lead
Works Directly With: Team Lead, Deputy Team Lead, Research Team, Policy Team, Program Team, Implementing Partners.
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Knowledge and Experience
- MA/S or equivalent experience in international development, economics, statistics, peace and conflict studies, or other relevant subject with strong quantitative background, and at least four years of experience in progressively increasing M&E responsibility in international development projects. The candidate must have experience in leading the M&E of a large project. Previous experience working on Conflict or Peacebuilding program is an added advantage.
- Strong conceptual knowledge about theories of change, logic model, peace and security indicators, M&E plan, data quality assurance, data utilization, and gender integration into M&E.
- Demonstrated experience and expertise in developing and operationalizing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan.
- Demonstrated expertise and experience in developing and operationalizing routine monitoring system designed to track both output and outcome indicators.
- Strong quantitative background and demonstrated expertise in designing annual monitoring surveys including probabilistic sampling strategy and estimating sample size, developing appropriate weights, and analyze quantitative data.
- Demonstrated expertise in designing qualitative studies, in-depth knowledge about qualitative sampling, and experienced in using interview and interactive tools to generate qualitative information and analysis.
- Experience in developing data quality assurance strategies, data management, and data visualization.
- Demonstrated expertise and experience in data utilization strategies and can creatively think about active data sharing techniques.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and other language(s), as required.
- Portuguese language skills – oral and written of added value
Success Factors
The successful candidate will have a meticulous eye for data rigor, a commitment to program learning and adaptation, and a curiosity to drive for deeper understanding of the dynamics driving VE recruitment in East Africa. S/he will be a team player and able to work comfortably in a matrix management structure, where flexibility and collaboration across partners will be essential. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated ability to think critically across sectors and to understand how complex systems work to drive vulnerabilities. S/he will have strong written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to distill complex ideas into tangible and understandable data points and narratives to effectively tell the story of program impact. Above all, the ideal candidate will demonstrate an exceptional commitment to programmatic excellence, thrive in a team setting and have a good sense of humor to contribute to a dynamic working environment.
Gender, Equality And Social Inclusion Advisor
Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Position Status Full-time, Regular
Salary Level: 6
This Programme will most likely begin in early 2023 and will be implemented for up to three years.
General Position Summary
The Gender, Equality and Social Inclusion Advisor will provide technical support and direction in programme design, implementation, quality assurance and strategy development. The Advisor will support the programme to integrate gender and inclusion outcomes, best practices and gender-sensitive approaches across a variety of interventions. The Advisor will design and implement a strategy to ensure the programme appropriately addresses the varied needs of women, men, girls, and boys, and that programme staff are sensitive to gender, age, religion, ability, and other social markers. The Advisor will ensure that the programme improves the meaningful inclusion of marginalised groups into formal and informal mechanisms to be more resilient to preventing violent extremism and that GESI evidence informs policy and planning. S/he/they will work closely with the Team Lead, Deputy Team Lead, MEL, Research & Learning team members to fulfil the gender, youth and social inclusion goals of the programme.
Essential Job Responsibilities
GENDER, EQUALITY & INCLUSION TECHNICAL SUPPORT, STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT
- Support the technical design for a gender and social inclusion analysis, manage data collection, lead participatory data analysis and co-create recommendations with the programme team based on findings. Work closely with the programme team to integrate the findings from the gender and social inclusion analysis into the project’s workplan and milestones.
- Lead participatory processes to develop Gender, Equality and Social Inclusion programme strategy to guide gender, equality and social inclusion integration and priorities across the life of the programme, based on the formative research.
- Support the programme team, including partners, on gender, equality and social inclusion integration including conducting capacity building and training.
- Conduct regular community consultations to ensure programming remains gender, age, and socially sensitive and on track.
- Represent the programme’s gender and social inclusion strategy, analysis, and research with external stakeholders including at workshops, conferences and annual learning events.
- Work with programme teams to ensure a do no harm approach to gender-focused and inclusive programming is implemented and that appropriate protections are in place for participants.
- Coach new and ongoing programme staff on gender and social inclusion engagement best practices
- Conduct frequent supervisory visits to the programme locations to monitor project implementation and ensure project quality and support staff to reflect and iterate based on ongoing feedback.
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- Coach program staff to better design, implement and monitor programs in a manner that meets each sector’s best practices and industry standards in GESI.
- Ensure the effective design and integration of gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation systems (including SADD) and protection monitoring methodologies into all stages of the project; that output and impact data are captured, and data is used to optimize program quality.
- Assist teams in using vulnerability frameworks and targeting that enable inclusiveness and help teams to identify individuals and households with specific needs.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders working in GESI in the Kenya country team to enhance cooperation and coordination.
- Attend relevant GESI coordination meetings and/or represent Mercy Corps in other relevant forums and ensure that information is shared internally and with other sectors, as appropriate; contribute to thought leadership in this area of expertise.
- Identify and nurture strategic GESI partnerships with other organisations/institutions in the country.
- Liaise with MC’s Regional GESI Advisor on agency wide gender policies and cross-learning.
- Support management to ensure that the Mercy Corps Gender Minimum Standards are implemented.
- Ensure the team complies with CSSF GESI Requirements.
- Ensure activities promote gender equality, conflict sensitivity, and environmental awareness by applying Do No Harm and Mercy Corps’ Gender Equality policy.
- Participate in internal office coordination and planning meetings and workshops.
- Participate in relevant coordination meetings and working groups.
- Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not to jeopardise its humanitarian mission.
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
- Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
- Other assigned tasks, as necessary.
ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING
As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Supervisory Responsibility
N/A
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Deputy Team Lead
Knowledge and Experience
- A university degree in International Development, Gender Studies, Social Works, Business Management or other related field. Master’s degree preferred.
- Previous GESI experience related to conflict or peacebuilding.
- Five years of experience in international development work, with a minimum of three years directly in GESI.
- Substantial background in GESI and development work including experience conducting training, doing analysis and program integration and engaging in advocacy.
- Experience in girl programming, gender-transformative interventions.
- Comprehensive knowledge of GESI norms and standards as well as holistic and practical methods towards implementing protection mainstreaming and integrated protection outcomes.
- Fluent in English, fluency in Swahili and Portuguese preferred.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate (verbally and written) and negotiate clearly and effectively. Tact, diplomacy and cultural awareness are essential.
- Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Excel and Word
Success Factors
The
individual must have strong writing skills and the ability to
multitask, set priorities, pay attention to detail, and work under tight
deadlines within complex team environments. The position holder must
take an active role in building and maintaining external relationships
as well as demonstrating the drive and initiative to contribute to
internal team efforts. The individual must learn quickly how to provide
technical data and support in the most efficient and effective form
possible for each unique field team and environment. This position
requires strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills,
and a level of emotional intelligence proficiency that quickly builds
and maintains productive relationships across teams. Being aware and
sensitive to international development issues and diverse cultures is
critical.
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Contract Director at Mercy Corps January, 2023
Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Position Status Full-time, Regular
Salary Level: 10
The Position Summary
The Contract Director will provide overall leadership and oversight for the finance and grants management team under the CSSF BRAVE programme, while working with Mercy Corps Commercial Contracts team in HQ to ensure overall contract compliance. S/he will empower the team ensuring that staff are familiar with policies and procedures related to finance and grants management, while providing quality control to ensure robust, flexible, and adaptive support to programme activities. The Contract Director must be fluent in compliance matters and help the senior management team to ensure the contract is implemented in accordance with contractual requirements, Mercy Corps policies, CSSF regulations, and local law, across 3 countries.
The Contract Director will work closely with the Deputy Team Leader who oversees technical programmes while reporting to the Team Leader. Three Major functions that support programme delivery will fall directly and indirectly under the Contracts Director
- Grants and Sub-Contract Management
- Financial Management;
- Programme Compliance and Administration.
Essential Responsibilities
GRANTS AND SUB-CONTRACT MANAGEMENT
The Contracts Director will oversee the grants team, ensuring grants and sub-contracts are issued and managed in line with Mercy Corps and CSSF policies, and to provide quality control and risk management of the grant management function. Specially the Contracts Director will:
- Review all RFAs and liaise with Team Leader, Deputy Team Leader and MCE for approval.
- Oversee the grant management function, ensuring timely submission and approval of reports and advances to partners.
- Draft all Requests for Grant Approval from the donor, as required by the contract.
- Oversee the development of sub-partner grants and contracts, advising on the most suitable grant/contract mechanism for each partner.
- Ensure activity or milestone budgets are developed and implemented accurately, providing support to the Senior Finance and Subgrants Manager in cooperation with technical teams, maintaining a master collation of partner budgets.
- Provide leadership during grants close out and partner’s asset disposition.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
In collaboration with the Finance and Compliance Director and the Senior Finance and Subgrants Manager, the Contract Director will be responsible for the financial management of the CSSF BRAVE programme, including quality controls, cost reporting, forecasting and tracking. S/he will provide recommendations on the overall financial management and performance of the programme and work in close collaboration with Mercy Corps
Europe team to monitor costs. Detailed duties include:
- Regularly participate in calls with the MCE and with CSSF and support the maintenance and updating of the programme Activity-based budget and forecast.
- Conduct monthly ABB forecast review.
- Oversee responses to internal and external financial/compliance audits.
- Mitigate project risks and protect the programme against fraudulent practices through adherence to the programme’s schedule of authorities.
- Ensure strict implementation of a sound internal control system and take appropriate actions against any violation of the system.
- Review Mercy Corps, and sub-contractor invoices prior to submission to CSSF for accuracy.
- Approve payment requests, and review and approve financial vouchers.
- Release bank payments and hold bank signatory authority for the programme; provide quality control and risk management for finance functions.
PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATION AND COMPLIANCE
The Contract Director will work with Mercy Corps Tanzania and Mozamque Operation team, providing oversight and quality control for the administrative operations of the programme, including procurement, inventory management, and reporting. S/he will work with this team to ensure the CSSF and Mercy Corps standards.
Detailed duties include:
- Ensure programme asset management and disposition plans are in line with the CSSF contract.
- Review the programme’s Exit Plan, and ensure actions are initiated in line with plan and CSSF BRAVE’s contract, ensuring timely close out partners, disposition of assets, finalization of financial responsibilities and reporting.
- Review/draft all requests to CSSF for procurement approvals.
- Ensure programme procurement process are completed in a timely manner. Support in contract reviews.
- Work with MCE to draft/review CSSF contract deliverables – including Quarterly Financial Report, Inventory and Asset Report.
- Provide leadership during donor spot checks and in addressing any identified issues.
TEAM MANAGEMENT
- Supervise the day-to-day performance of direct reports, ensuring that they understand their roles, coaching them to succeed and providing them with feedback and technical and administrative support that they require in meeting their performance objectives.
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES
- Respond to urgent client requests, including budget scenarios, inventory disposition, scope of work development, and other tasks as needed.
- Perform other tasks as requested by the Team Leader
- Finance and Sub-grants Manager and the Senior Finance and Grants Officer.
Accountability Reports Directly To: Team Leader
Works Directly With: Deputy Team Leader, Programme Partners, Mercy Corps Kenya Operations and Finance Directors, Tanzania Country Coordinator, Mercy Corps Europe Commercial Contracts Team.
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 finance, business administration, public administration, economics or other relevant field; advanced degree preferred;
- Minimum of ten years of experience implementing donor-funded development projects, to include project administration, operations and procurement;
- Detailed knowledge of donor rules and regulations, preferably with experience implementing a UK government-funded contract;
- Minimum of five years of supervisory experience and proven ability to manage teams of professionals to produce key results;
- Demonstrated record of results-driven project management and an ability to creatively solve complex organisational issues and foster ownership within teams; and
- Strong writing skills and experience in developing budgets, reports and workplans.
- Portuguese written and verbal skills – advantage
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A successful Contract Director will possess an exemplary professional standard of ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures and external regulations. S/he will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills to interact effectively with internal and external stakeholders on sensitive and confidential matters is necessary along with the ability to navigate difficult circumstances with a calm demeanor, in an analytical and methodical manner. A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary. A broad understanding of humanitarian and development programs coupled with the ability to analyze financial operational data and clearly present conclusions and recommendations is essential.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
The position is based in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)..
Ongoing Learning
In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.
We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.
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Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.
How to Apply:
All Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience should submit a cover letter, detailed curriculum vitae (CV) listing three professional referees (including a recent supervisor) to tz-recruitment@mercycorps.org on or before Monday the 23rd January, 2023 by 6.00pm.
The email subject line must clearly show the job title. Please do not attach any certificates.
(Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We will only get in touch with shortlisted candidates)
NB: Mercy Corps does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process
WE ENCOURAGE QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO APPLY.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
