Monitoring Evaluation Learning (MEL) Manager - SMART

## Monitoring Evaluation Learning (MEL) Manager - SMART Programs and Technical Specialities Zalangei,Sudan ### Description Location:Zalingi, CentralDafur Position Status:Full time Risk Level:?Level 3?Level 2?Level 1 (Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/orhigh levelof accountability. Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children. Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data) About Mercy Corps Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. PROGRAMME/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY Mercy Corps Sudan isseekingfor a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager for the EU-funded “Strengthen Markets, Agroecology, Resilience &employmenT(SMART)”.SMART is a 48-monthprogrammeimplemented by Mercy Corps Netherlands withVétérinairesSans Frontières Germany (VSF Germany), funded by the European Union under its "Enhancing Food Security and Resilience of Rural Communities in Sudan"programme. Working in South Darfur and Central Darfur states, SMART aims to build sustainable and resilient livelihoods and food security among rural communities most affected by food insecurity, climatechangeand conflict. Theprogrammeis expected to directly benefit around 200,000 people, including 52,000 internally displaced persons, 102,000 women and 40,000 youth. SMART works towards three objectives: increasing the productivity and profitability of smallholder agriculture and livestock value chains through agroecological practices; creating decent jobs for youth and women, including from displaced and refugee populations; and improving equal, sustainable access to natural resources to support food security, reduce conflict and enable the voluntary return of displaced people. Theprogrammeapplies a humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach and uses adaptive management; including a crisis modifier and regular reassessment - to respond to Sudan's volatile operating context. GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY Mercy Corps Sudan is seeking a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager to provide leadership and technical support to the SMART Program MEL function. This position has been established to help the program address critical MEL gaps identified midway through implementation, strengthen overall MEL performance, and ensure that essential monitoring, evaluation, learning, reporting, and accountability processes are completed to a high standard and in line with Mercy Corps and donor requirements. The MEL Manager will provide strategic leadership and hands-on technical support to theprogramMEL team, leading a rapid review of existing MEL systems, tools, processes, and performance against program requirements. A key priority of the role is to lead the review, updating, and alignment of theprogrammeMEL Plan, ensuring that indicators, data collection systems, reporting processes, learning priorities, and accountability mechanisms remain fit for purpose and aligned withprogrammeobjectives, implementation realities, and donor expectations. The role will undertake a rapid diagnostic of existing MEL systems, identify critical gaps and risks, develop a time bound MEL strengthening plan, and leadimplementation of priority actions to ensure theprogrammeis positioned to meet donor requirements and end-of-project evidence needs." This position is designed as a remote role with periodic travel to program locations in South and Central Darfur on an 8-week cycle as required to support MEL system strengthening, data quality assurance, capacity building, monitoring activities, assessments, and engagement withprogrammteams and partners. The MEL Manager will ensure that monitoring evidence, learning, and accountability information are systematically used to informprogrammedecision-making and improve the quality and impact ofprogrammeimplementation. ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES Strategic Leadership and MEL System Oversight - Ensure the programme's MEL systemcomplies withrelevant Mercy Corps and EU policies, regulations, and guidelines; adapt the system design creatively to measure impact and assess evidence in a complex, adaptive programme context. - Continuously review, refine, andmaintaina fit-for-purpose MEL system focused on utility and programme quality, providing the programme team and implementing partners withtimely, actionable evidence to steer implementation, inform donors, and guide strategic decisions. - Facilitate implementation of all MEL activities as outlined in the programme's MEL Plan. - Collaborate closely with internal and external partners and stakeholders to ensure operational success across the programme. - Collaborate with programme management in regular review meetings to ensure monitoring evidence informs decision-making, including through comparison and synthesis of quantitative data, qualitative findings, and broader research evidence relevant to SMART's context. - Work with programme management to proactivelyidentifyand address MEL shortfalls that mayimpactprogramme outcomes; oversee the conduct of routine internal Data Quality Assessments (DQAs) and ensure actionable insights are implemented. Results-Based Monitoring, Data Management, and Quality Assuarance - Design, plan, and lead all MEL monitoring activities;maintainand enforce standards for data collection in collaboration with implementing partners across the programme. - Coordinate and oversee implementing partners' MEL efforts and any programme evaluation teams involved in data collection; ensure compliance with high data quality standards through regular reviews, field verification visits, and constructive feedback on methodologies and practices. - Lead the collection, management, and analysis of all quantitative and qualitative data to assess programme performance and impact. - Maintain overall responsibility for data quality control, including conducting systematic data verification, source document reviews, spot-checks, and other quality assurance activities to ensure all reported data isaccurate, complete, and a true reflection of programme activities and results. - Conduct regular site visits to programme locations to deepen understanding of activities, information needs, context, and emerging programme impact; triangulate monitoring data with field observations and partner reporting. Research and Evidence Generation - Support the design and application of qualitative research methodologies across the programme, while ensuring approaches are contextually sensitive and protection compliant. - Apply outcome mapping as a core framework for trackingbehavioraland relational changes among the programme's partners. - Use contribution analysis and other theory-of-change-based approaches to assess plausible links between programme interventions andobservedoutcomes. - Triangulate qualitative and quantitative evidence to build a rich, multi-dimensional picture of programme performance and emerging impact; ensure qualitative findings are systematically documented and integrated into programme reporting and learning products. Evaluation and Assessments - Lead and coordinate all programme evaluations and assessments and ensure rigorous instrument design, sampling,methodology, enumerator coordination, dataanalysisand quality outputs. - Ensure gender, equity, and social inclusion (GESI) considerations are systematically integrated into evaluation design, data collection tools, analysis, and reporting. - Facilitate results discussions and sense-making workshops following evaluations and assessments, supporting the programme team in interpretingfindingsand developing evidence-based recommendations. Learning, Eviden