Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist

About Chemonics
Chemonics International is an international development company based in Washington, D.C. Our mission is to promote meaningful change around the world to help people live healthier, more productive and more independent lives. Since 1975 we have worked in 149 countries around the world, and currently implement 113 contracts in 68 countries. Our main partner is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), but we occasionally work with foreign donors as well. We have over 600 staff based in our Washington, DC office and over 3000 staff in our project offices around the world.

1.  Project Background

• The Lebanon Community Support Program (CSP) is a multi-year project funded by USAID to support municipalities and underserved and vulnerable communities in providing better services and enhanced economic opportunities to improve lives and reduce tensions that contribute to conflict and violence, primarily in Lebanon’s North, South, and Beqaa regions. Under Task Order No. 4 (TO 4), the project will provide technical assistance and other support to improve labor skills and job placement opportunities through partnerships with the private sector, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) organizations, municipalities, and other public sector entities.  The main objective of this 3-year task order is to improve skills and job placement opportunities for beneficiaries from vulnerable communities.

2.  Summary of Position

• The MEL Specialist will work under the leadership of the Workforce Development/Task Order 04 Director. He/She will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating progress towards achieving intermediary results under the TO 4 workforce development activity. The MEL Specialist will work closely with CSP’s MEL Director to implement CSP’s overall performance monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan (PMELP) with special attention to tracking progress against TO 4-specific indicators. Given the pilot nature of this task order, the Specialist will also collaborate closely with the TO 4 Director and Chief of Party to ensure that lessons learned are integrated into the design and implementation of new interventions and that ongoing adaptations take place to maximize project impact. 

3.  Specific Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversee the design and implementation of the TO 4 MEL Plan, including the approach for collecting, evaluating, and validating data to measure overall progress towards TO 4 indicators. 
• Refine performance indicators and establish baselines and targets for output, outcome, and impact level monitoring, as well as benchmarks for performance over the life of the task order
• Coordinate with the MEL Director and TO 4 Director to develop and finalize the TO4 MEL plan to ensure that it meets the needs of the CSP project for analysis, reporting, and learning
• Document challenges, lessons learned, results indicators, and other data unique to TO 4.
• Support the communication team in the use of data in the development of TO 4 activity highlights and success stories.
• Conduct regular follow-up with trainees and interns to support MEL data gathering and ensure internships and job placement prospects are proceeding in line with established plans.
• Work closely with the TO 4 Director, Grants Manager, Relationship Manger, and Scholarship Director to develop mechanisms for Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA) to incorporate lessons learned from activity implementation; modify current and future approaches as well as identify interventions worth scaling up.
• Organize information-sharing on results, findings, approaches, best practices, and lessons learned with CSP staff.
• Use the DevResults-enabled CSP platform and other information management tools to track and report on progress against performance indicators
• Create, organize, and submit (to the TO 4 Director and MEL Director) contractually required M&E reports
• Stay current with USAID’s evaluation policy, continually adapting to meet changing reporting requirements.
• Build capacity of staff in data collection and data quality assurance methods.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the TO 4 Director consistent with the overall nature of the position

4.  Qualifications Required

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field such as natural or social science research (Master’s preferred)

• 5+ years of experience with monitoring and evaluation functions
• Demonstrated experience with project evaluation, ideally impact evaluation that informs program learning
• Strong computer skills in Word, Excel, and other data collection programs
• Experience managing outcomes and outputs related to workforce development preferred
• Familiarity with data collection databases
• Experience with mobile data collection (i.e. tablet or phone-based applications)
• Ability to convey results to non-technical stakeholders, and to generate interest in the use of MEL results and help staff to make programmatic improvements
• Demonstrated work experience in the education sector is desirable
• Exposure to USAID’s managing for results approach
• Fluency in spoken and written Arabic and English. Advanced writing skills in English required.

5.  Location of the Assignment

• The MEL Specialist will be based in CSP’s main office space in Beirut and will be expected to travel to CSP’s areas of operation throughout the country as needed.

6.  Reporting

• The MEL Specialist will report directly to the TO 4 Director, or equivalent, and coordinate with CSP’s MEL Director.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants that can legally work in Lebanon will be considered for employment based on their qualifications without discrimination.