Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Research (MERL) Specialist

Terms of Reference

Cowater is recruiting a Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Research (MERL) Specialist to cov?support Aus4Equality/Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) Program in Vietnam.  The Program seeks to promote 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.

The MERL Officer will work under the supervision of the MERL Specialist. The MERL Officer 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. communication and knowledge dissemination. Like other team members, the MERL Officer will contribute to carrying out quality check of MERL products, conducting data analysis and data quality assessments and providing support and guidance to partners to implement MERL 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 activites in the field
• 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 organization of Joint Monitoring Missions and conduct data quality assessment trips
• 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

• 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
• Contribute to development of project design, results chains and M&E plans for new projects
• 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
• 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 partnerworkplans 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  
• Carry out data quality assessment and measurements for data quality assurance
• Collect necessary local data as required

• 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 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.