MERL Officer
Date: 3 Apr 2025
Location: Bougainville, Guinea
Company: Plan International
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting & Learing Officer - PNG
THE ORGANIZATION
Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organisation working for better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation. Our purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries. Our global strategy has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalised and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 100 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive.
This is our contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals, and in particular the goals on gender equality. Our organisation is transforming itself to meet this enormous challenge everywhere we work. Plan International Pacific is composed of three countries namely: Fiji, Bougainville Islands and PNG. Suva, Fiji is its Pacific Hub.
ROLE PURPOSE
Monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL) are all vital to the ambition of our Global Strategy to support 100 million girls to be able to learn, lead, decide and thrive. MERL underpins Plan International's delivery of effective and accountable gender-transformative programmes and influencing. It is a critical part of our commitments under the Programme and Influence Quality Policy (PIQP) and the Programme and Influence Approach (PIA). The role will support Project Manager at Country level, and MERL Specialists at CO in developing data collection tools, conduct data analysis and drafting reports as and when needed.
The main purpose of the Monitoring, Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL) Officer is to collect, review and share high quality, timely, accurate and complete programme/project-based monitoring information, research and evaluation data to support and inform overall project/programme being implemented at the regional as well as country level. The MERL Officer will focus on supporting partner organisations to improve their projects’ monitoring and evaluation system. S/He will also implement Plan International Bougainville’s Accountability Mechanism.
DIMENSION OF THE ROLE
The position will oversee the designing and implementation of the M & E activities of the project, assisting the Project Coordinator in preparing the quarterly/annual reports on project progress and will monitor the project activities on regular basis.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
Functional Competencies
Ensure effective project monitoring
• Use of periodic/routine monitoring data collection templates and processes.
• Periodic/routine monitoring data collected, reviewed, consolidated and shared with Regional MERL, project manager and team.
• Inputs/Feedbacks received are incorporated
• Case stories are collected from each project at least once in three months with quality photographs.
• Regular field (project site) visits and interactions with project stakeholders of concerned programme team to assess progress of project activities/interventions are organised; feedback (observations and recommendations) of the field visits is documented; concerned Programme Coordinators are provided with necessary support to identify and monitor actions to response feedback on a regular basis. Reporting
• Coordinate the production of high-quality project reports, including progress reports, annual reports, and donor reports
• Consolidate and analyze data from various sources to provide accurate and timely reporting on project achievements and challenges.
• Ensure that reports are aligned with project objectives and adhere to the reporting formats and guidelines provided by the PIPNG and donors
• Collaborate with project teams to document and disseminate project success stories, lessons learned, and best practices. Learning and Knowledge Management:
• Facilitate the documentation and sharing of project lessons learned, best practices, and innovations.
• Support the development and implementation of knowledge management systems to capture and disseminate project knowledge
• Promote a culture of learning within the project team and encourage the use of data and evidence for decision-making.
• Organize and facilitate learning events, workshops, and trainings to strengthen the capacity of project staff in monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Stakeholder Engagement:
• Collaborate with project teams, partners, and stakeholders to ensure their active participation in monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities.
• Coordinate and facilitate stakeholder consultations, feedback sessions, and learning exchanges to gather inputs and perspectives.
• Establish and maintain effective communication channels with project stakeholders to promote transparency and accountability. Capacity Building:
• Identify capacity-building needs in monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning among project staff and partners.
• Develop and deliver training programs and workshops to enhance the skills and knowledge of project stakeholders in MERL.
• Provide technical guidance and support to project teams in the implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities. Implement Plan’s accountability mechanism
• Participation of community people especially deprived communities in project cycle is ensured. Project stakeholders including community people are oriented on project scope before project start-up and after any changes made in project scope.
• Project stakeholders are provided contact details (toll-free number, SMS, email address and contact person) for any feedback/grievances on staff behaviour and quality of project activities.
• Feedback received from projects stakeholders and community people are processed as per Plan International Bougainville’s feedback mechanism.
• Review and reflection with government agencies, partner organisations, and community people including children, youth and girls is carried out at least twice in a year and agreed actions are documented and followed up.
• Partner organisations are provided necessary support to conduct regular social audit at project/community level.
• Necessary support provided to the MERL Coordinator/Specialists for sharing findings, learning and recommendations from research and evaluation with community and partners as appropriate.
• Support Project Manager in joint monitoring visits with government offices Project progress data compiled and shared with MERL Officer Support in evaluation and research activities
• Participated with necessary technical support in baseline studies, research and evaluation as and when needed.
• Study teams are provided with necessary support to coordinate field data collection.
• Programme team are provided with necessary support to implement management responses to recommendations of evaluation and research.
• Good practises are documented and disseminated. Maintain external information at Province and Municipality level required for programme design and implementation
• Programme information (demographic, geographical, natural resources, government services/facilities, institutions (groups, CBOs and NGOs) and Plan support project information at provincial and municipality level maintained, shared with programme staff
• Support RO level periodic MER report for sharing within organisations and external stakeholders prepared. Maintain MERL and Programme/Project Module of ERP systems in field office
• Update of programme/project data in the system in time is ensured.
• Necessary support is provided to Project Manager/team for the quality and timely process of project documents and use of gender marker and safeguarding review checklist.
• Monthly update of outputs and activities, people reach, milestones are ensured and followed up with the concerned for timely update
• Update of visit reports and outcome of review/reflections meetings in the system is ensured.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Country Program Manager, Pacific Business Development Manager, Pacific Program Director, Pacific People and Culture manager, Project managers and Pacific Finance Manager, Finance Coordinator/Officer
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as monitoring and evaluation, international development, social sciences, Rural Development or a related discipline with 3 years of experience in the relevant sector or development sector
• Clear understanding of the development sector, its operating and regulatory environment (in Bougainville) Clear understanding of the socio/political economic and cultural issues of Bougainville, specifically post located districts of the country.
• Clear in-depth technical and practical knowledge and understanding of the relevant job domain.
• Knowledge in use of analytical system (database system, spreadsheet and/or statistical software) and use of mobile/digital data collection tools
• Strong knowledge of monitoring and evaluation principles, frameworks, and tools.
• Experience in developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation plans, including the design of indicators and data collection methods.
• Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative data analysis, using software such as Excel, any database.
• Excellent report writing and communication skills, with the ability to present complex data in a clear and concise manner.
• Knowledge of project cycle management and results-based management approaches.
• Familiarity with development issues and challenges in Bougainville or similar contexts is an advantage.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of local languages spoken in Bougainville is a plus.
PLAN INTERNATIONAL'S VALUES IN PRACTICE
We are open and accountable
We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organization by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.
We strive for lasting impact
We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.
We work well together
We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organization, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.
We are inclusive and empowering
We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
Office Based- Plan International Bougainville Islands)
LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN
No contact or very low frequency of interaction
Location: PNG
Type of Role: Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning Officer - PNG
Reports to: PNG Country Programme Manager
Grade: C1
Closing Date: 23 April 2025
Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.
We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.
We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.
Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.
A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.