Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, & Reporting (PMER) Coordinator – India

Job Synopsis

The PMER Coordinator is responsible for mentoring and building capacity of local partners towards greater independence and sustainability alongside MCC India’s Sectors Coordinators and MCC India Representatives, will assist in all planning, monitoring, and evaluating activities for various projects related to conservation agriculture, peace building, education, health, and emergency assistance.

MCC is a global, non-profit organization that strives to share God’s love and compassion through relief, development and peacebuilding. This is not a salary position. MCC cover all basic needs: travel expenses to and from assignment, local transportation related to assignment, food & household allowance, housing, personal allowance, vacation allowance, education for children, retirement plan, life insurance and death benefits, student loan reimbursement, and resettlement allowance.

Location Description

The PMER Coordinator will live in Kolkata. The MCC India office is located near Entally Market in central Kolkata, a short walk from the ‘Sisters of Charity’ (Mother Teresa) Mother House. Kolkata is a large (around 14 million population), vibrant, energetic, colorful, and cultural city. The office is in a neighborhood with many people who are homeless, typical of many parts of Kolkata. Public transportation and inexpensive taxis, including Ubers, provide transportation access to other parts of the city. A barber works on the sidewalk in front of the office to provide men’s haircuts and shaves as needed. Just down the street is a large market with fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, grocery items, and household goods. There are Indian style fast food places close by with hot tea, puris, chicken rolls, etc. as well as a Domino’s Pizza. Lots of activity is always going on very close to the office. There is a cacophony of noise at most hours of the day or night. At night the street is brightly lit, and activities abound until midnight or later, depending on the season. Having said that, the MCC office itself is considered an oasis of quiet in a sea of confusion.

India is often depicted as the land of extremes living in proximity – extreme poverty to extreme affluence, extreme beauty to extreme ugliness, extreme generosity to extreme greed, extreme fatalism to extreme optimism, extreme reverence to extreme irreverence, extreme cleanliness to extreme griminess, and extreme cold to extreme heat. Such extremes in experience can become draining if not monitored carefully and proper rest and reflection is not taken.

Kolkata has medium levels of pollution, particularly the small particulate matter which can cause respiratory problems. As with much of India, population density is very high, so the city can feel very crowded. Traffic is often heavy, so it can be time consuming to get around the city. MCC India does not own any vehicles, so the staff depend on public transportation (taxis, Ubers, trains, etc.). The weather in Kolkata can be challenging. From March to June, prior to the monsoon, temperatures can exceed 100F/38C degrees. During the monsoon (June to September), there is both high temperatures and high humidity. After another hot season in October, the weather from November to February is delightful with cooler temperatures and mostly clear skies.

People in Kolkata mostly speak Bengali and Hindi. Most people understand English and some fluent in speaking and writing too.

Challenges include: Limited contact outside local community; Limited mental health services available; Occasional evening and weekend work; Occasional long days; Local area not supportive to LGTBQ+ persons

Qualifications

All MCC workers are expected to exhibit a commitment to a personal Christian faith and discipleship; active participation in a Christian church or Christian community; and nonviolent peacemaking. MCC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to employment equity. MCC values diversity and invites all qualified candidates to apply.

1. Proficient in oral and written English
2. University degree in Development Studies, Project Management, Agriculture, Peace, Health, or related fields (graduate degree preferred, undergraduate degree required)
3. At least one year of experience in development program coordination, management or in a planning, monitoring and evaluation position.
4. Training and/or experience in results-based management principles, tools, and techniques.
5. Ability to understand and communicate across cultural and linguistic boundaries.
6. Excellent relational skills that allow him/her to engage with all sectors of society.
7. Strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.
8. Good competency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.
9. Ability and willingness to travel to rural areas using public transportation (train, bus, or cabs).

​Invitations to serve with MCC are contingent on the successful outcome of criminal background check(s).

Key Responsibilities

1. Assist partner organizations with all management aspects of a project including proposals, implementation, planning, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (PMER)
2. Visit partner organizations and their projects on a regular basis to better understand their work.
3. Review and make recommendations on submitted project proposals.
4. Work with MCC India Representatives and external donors to evaluate and strengthen partner projects.
5. Monitor deadlines to ensure that all reporting requirements are met.
6. Review all partner reports for quality and ensure that reports and other project documents capture progress, effectiveness, and impact of projects.
7. Compile and monitor all projects and document in the MCC database, PlanWin.
8. Assess current capacity of local partners and offer planning, monitoring, evaluation & reporting (PMER) support.
9. Develop contacts and relationships with relevant external agencies (local government, community-based and NGO entities) to enhance program implementation and sustainability.
10. Represent MCC at relevant functions to promote the identity of the MCC India program.
11. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of PMER principles and practices.
12. Model non-violent peacemaking in the workplace and community through respectful interactions with others.
13. Attend MCC meetings and events as appropriate, including devotional and prayer time led by staff.
14. Other duties as requested.