Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Research (MERL) Officer

Terms of Reference

Position Title:

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Research (MERL) Officer

Location:

Hanoi

Period of Assignment:

November  2021 – June 2022 (with a potential of an extension)

Reporting To:

Senior MERL Specialist

Background:

With more than 30 years of experience, Cowater International is Canada’s global leader in management consulting services specializing in international development. We have managed the implementation of over 800 projects in more than 80 countries around the globe for clients such as DFID, DFAT Australia, the World Bank and Global Affairs Canada. We work with governments, partner organizations, communities and civil society to design and implement sustainable solutions that generate lasting social, economic and environmental impacts. Our adaptive approach to management has led to our award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Cowater is recruiting a Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Research (MERL) Officer to support Aus4Equality/Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) Program in Vietnam.  The Program promotes women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in the ethnically diverse north-west region of Vietnam. The primary beneficiaries are women living in the provinces of Son La and Lao Cai with a focus on economic inclusion for of women from ethnic minority communities.  The objectives of the Aus4Equality|GREAT Program are:

• Objective 1 – Empowering local women: Women living in local communities have increased capacity, space and choices to beneficially engage with agriculture and tourism businesses.
• Objective 2 – Inclusive businesses partnerships: Selected private sector actors within the agriculture and tourism sectors innovate to profitably and sustainably trade with more women entrepreneurs and operate in gender sensitive ways.
• Objective 3 – Improving sector governance and policy: Government agencies reinforce policies, and enact plans, regulations and services that enable more inclusive socio-economic development.

Key approaches applied by the program include Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE), Market Systems Development (MSD), Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships, Adaptive Management, Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), and Innovation. Approximately 50 partners, including businesses, government agencies and NGOs, implement activities and deliver results, to strengthen markets for ethnic minority communities, particularly women, in two provinces in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam. 

Statement of Duty:

The MERL Officer will work under the supervision of the Senior MERL Specialist and will contribute along with the MERL team to effectively implement the MERL Framework. This includes conducting and coordinating MERL activities to support the development and implementation of a responsive and robust MERL system for the Program that generates evidence used for reporting, communications and knowledge dissemination. The MERL Officer will also contribute to carrying out quality checks of MERL products, conducting data analysis and data quality assessments and providing support and guidance to partners to implement MERL activities.

Specific Duties:

GREAT level activities:

• Carry out quality assurance of MERL related products for the projects in charge
• Conduct data analysis to generate evidence for the GREAT Program’s and projects learning, planning and decision making
• Training for partners on M&E and MIS as necessary
• Contribute to MIS development and operations
• Participate and/or coordinate project level baseline, midline, endline assessments
• Support the organisation of the longitudinal study’s activities in the field if required
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the knowledge management plan
• Participate and organise learning activities such as the Reflect and Refocus workshops and other learning activities
• Support coordination and organisation of Joint Monitoring Missions and conduct data quality assessment trips if required.
• Provide data and inputs to GREAT level reports and other documents when required
• Collect necessary local data as required
• Contribute to GREAT level workplan development for MERL

Partner level activities

• Contribute to development of project design, results chains and M&E plans for new projects
• Review project's results chains and develop a story of change for each project.
• Contribute to modification of project results chains and M&E plans for partnership agreement modification
• Encode revised results chains, indicators and updated work plan into the MIS
• Monitor progress, generate data on project progress and provide support to partners improve MERL and data related issues throughout the project management cycle
• Monitor and support partners to execute the partner level M&E plans
• Prepare progress data and templates for partner annual workplans
• Review and appraise partner annual workplans and provide support to partners to make improvements, particularly for setting relevant targets
• Synthesise partner workplans to generate GREAT level targets
• Collaborate with technical team and OPS team to update partners’ workplans and encode updated workplans into MIS
• Support partners to prepare quarterly reports and assess quarterly report ensuring good quality of quarterly reports; and synthesise information from quarterly reports  
• Support partners to plan for photovoice if required.
• Assess ongoing activities in MIS rapid reporting App..Carry out data quality assessment and measurements for data quality assurance
• Collect necessary local data as required

Required Qualifications:

The MERL Officer will have the following skills, knowledge and experience:

• At least 3 years of experience in the field of monitoring and evaluation or social research in the international development sector;
• Bachelor/tertiary qualification in a relevant area such as evaluation, economics, statistics, development studies, or any other relevant social science;
• Knowledge of M&E and aid effectiveness concepts;
• Sufficient experience and skills in data collection, analysis, and management;
• Sufficient monitoring and reporting skills and knowledge and experience in program/project management;
• Ability to manage multiple demands and prioritise tasks, work effectively, flexibly and collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, and support other team members as needed;
• Ability to understand the data needs of a broad range of users;
• Experience maintaining relationships with stakeholders at all levels (government, international and local NGOs, and at community level);
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of gender-related issues and women’s economic empowerment concepts (highly preferable);
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of M&E for market system or private sector development (highly preferable)
• Have a good level of critical thinking and systemic thinking;
• Willing to work in a high pace and highly adaptive environment; and
• Fluency in Vietnamese, and sufficient working knowledge of English.