Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, Chisinau-Moldova

Background

In response to the large-scale displacement of refugees fleeing Ukraine, NRC has set up humanitarian operations for refugees arriving in Poland, Romania, and the Republic of Moldova. NRC responds by focusing on an integrated approach that combines our sectoral areas of expertise – education, protection, urban displacement outside camps (UDOC), legal aid (ICLA), WASH, and shelter – working to a great extent with local partners. NRC’s Country Office in the Republic of Moldova and Moldova has one of the largest and most complex portfolios of local partners within NRC.

Role and responsibilities

The role of the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager is to lead the strategic direction and quality assurance of monitoring and evaluation in the country office. The M&E Manager should design and implement a strategy, SOPs, and budget for M&E which ensures the Counry Office (CO) is meeting and exceeding M&E minimum standards. Plan for and generates the evidence and learning required to feed into programme and strategic decision-making. In addition to expanding the country office’s research portfolio and overseeing evaluations, the M&E Manager will also be responsible for establishing an information management strategy, SOP and overseeing the development of digital solutions for programme beneficiary databases and the use of business intelligence tools for programme and project monitoring.

Generic responsibilities

1. Responsible to develop the CO monitoring, evaluation and learning strategy, responding to contextual challenges but also ensuring alignment with the regional strategy and global M&E framework, policy and strategy.
2. Technical input to programme monitoring and evaluation plans, including methodological guidance and resource planning
3. Ensuring the roll out and use of global and regional M&E developments at the CO level. Also leading new technical developments to respond to M&E needs in the context.
4. Line manage CO M&E staff and IM staff and technical line manager of area office M&E staff
5. Ensuring learning moments are institutionalised in the CO, with systems in place for analysing and using M&E data and supporting programme and Country Management Group (CMG) to interpret and use learning for strategic and programme decision making. This includes contributing to the development, learning and adaptation of a multi-year programme strategies.
6. Ensure planning and quality control of all monitoring and evaluation activities throughout the PCM cycle, including technical support for Theory of Change, M&E plans, indicator reference sheets, data quality assessments and evaluation processes.
7. Oversee and be responsible of mainstreaming protection guidelines in the NRC’s related activities as per NRC’s Protection mainstreaming guidelines and ensure that all breaches/concerns reported are properly resolved.

Specific responsibilities

• Design, lead, and manage Country Office and programme level monitoring and evaluation systems ensuring the learning is integrated, accurate and relevant. Ensure the findings and M&E systems are institutionalized.
• Provide leadership and support to Area Managers and M&E Officers in planning and standardizing M&E systems across area offices.
• Participate in programme design and proposal discussions, including through theory of change development, log frame design, and budgeting for M&E
• Support Head of Programmes (HOP) in setting up and implementing systems for tracking management responses
• Lead on evaluations and manage the capture and dissemination of lessons learned from monitoring data, grants meetings, CO evaluations, programme studies, and NRC annual learning review (global).
• Participate in Country Strategy Process to ensure M&E is a high priority in the country programme
• Develop and maintain strategic learning partnership with key relevant academic and research institutions to enhance internal learning and advocacy efforts of NRC Moldova/Romania
• Represent NRC in consortia M&E technical reference groups and ensure alignment of consortia M&E activities with NRC M&E policies, systems and procedures
• Lead and manage the work of the Information Management (IM) unit which is responsible for developing programme beneficiary databases
• Lead the drafting of IM SOPs and ensure budget for IM activities is secured
• Oversee the development and roll-out of dashboards for project and programme monitoring

Specific skills, knowledge and experience:

• 5-7 years of demonstrated management experience in design, implementation, and oversight of monitoring, evaluation, and research for large to mid-scale international projects or programmes
• Advanced degree in economics, research methods, social sciences or a related field
• Technical competency and prior experience implementing various programme evaluation methodologies and approaches
• Excellent analytic, communication, interpersonal, writing, collaboration, problem-solving, planning/organizing, and facilitation skills;
• Advanced experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis and tools
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Experience within supporting M&E for one of NRC’s core competencies is an asset