Program Performance & Quality (PaQ) Reporting and Learning Officer – Iraq

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.

Mercy Corps works in places of transition, where conflict, disaster, political upheaval, or economic collapse present opportunities to build more secure, productive, and just communities. Providing emergency relief in times of crisis, we move quickly to help communities recover and build resilience to future shocks, and promote sustainable change by supporting community-led and market-driven initiatives. Recognizing both the great potential and the complex challenges faced by the Middle East, since 1989 Mercy Corps has been implementing a range of humanitarian assistance and development programs tailored to the specific needs of the region and of those communities where we work.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has worked across Iraq’s 18 governorates since 2003, providing support to more than 5 million people affected by war, violence, and displacement. Mercy Corps Iraq focuses on (1) a relief-to-resilience pathway to meet the needs of conflict-affected communities leveraging agency expertise in conflict management and civil society development (2) a humanitarian response that empowers conflict-affected populations to meet their own needs (3) partnering with conflict-affected adolescents to address their diverse needs, promoting leadership and linkages with civil society**,** as well as access to education, psychosocial support, and economic opportunities; and (4) promoting reconciliation and foster trust across community divisions by strengthening conflict management and prevention mechanisms and enhancing social cohesion.

The PaQ (Program Performance and Quality) Unit supports effective, efficient, and equitable program performance through a culture of quality management to achieve results for those that matter most —our program participants. PaQ is organized around three primary categories: (1) Standards—tools that support the implementation and quality assurance of the Program Management Policy; (2) Service—support for complex program management, leadership continuity, and Communities of Practice; and (3) Evidence. In Mercy Corps Iraq, the PaQ Unit includes teams dedicated to our Community Accountability Reporting Mechanism (CARM), to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), and to Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL).

General Position Summary

The PaQ Reporting and Learning Officer will play a key role in Mercy Corps Iraq’s PaQ Department. S/he provides technical expertise and drives capacity building initiatives to advance Mercy Corps’ principles, policies, and best practices in monitoring, evaluation, learning, community accountability, and inclusion through excellence in writing, reporting, and documentation.

S/he will provide critical, ongoing capacity building within the PaQ Team around English writing fundamentals, MEL technical reporting, narrative writing and presentation of evidence for various audiences (such as donors, partners, internal comms, etc.), and other key written deliverables related to PaQ. S/he will support PaQ Team members with report planning, outline development, review of draft reports and summaries, and provision of detailed feedback and ongoing coaching around written deliverables. Capacity development on PaQ-related programming may also extend to include local partner representatives if appropriate and relevant to particular programs.

Additionally, s/he will strengthen and systematize the team’s strategies for capturing and documenting lessons learned, both within and across programs and sectors in Mercy Corps Iraq, coaching MEL, CARM, and GESI team members on best practices and creative strategies. S/he will leverage the PaQ team’s unique position in working across all sectors and programs to facilitate inter-program, cross-sectoral learning initiatives both in collaborative spaces at critical program junctures (ex: mid-program lessons learned sessions, strategy meetings, proposal development, etc.). S/he will develop a means for archiving, indexing, cross referencing, and searching lessons learned reports/summaries for ease of reference during program design.

The PaQ Reporting and Learning Officer will also leverage their writing and learning expertise to support broader research initiatives at the program, sector, and country level. In collaboration with the MEL Manager, PaQ Director, and Program Leadership, s/he will leverage existing data and evidence to facilitate deeper understanding of cross-sector and country-level dynamics/impact and prepare relevant summaries/reports as requested. S/he may work with the GESI Advisor, Deputy Accountability Manager, and/or PaQ Director on gender analyses, inclusion metrics and reporting, summaries of accountability and feedback trends, and/or other written initiatives as needed.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PAQ TEAM CAPACITY BUILDING AND REPORTING

• Facilitate internal training sessions to build English writing skills as well as technical reporting skills (in MEL, CARM, etc.)
• Provide ongoing one-to-one and small group coaching to PaQ team members on reporting tailored to various audiences, including feedback on initial drafts, support with outline development, and review sessions to address common mistakes or opportunities for improvement
• Lead on drafting select cross-sectoral and/or country-level SOWs/TORs, reports, summaries, or learning pieces as requested by PaQ Director
• Develop guidance notes, standard reporting templates, and other tools to serve as reference for PaQ Team members working to expand their writing and reporting skills, ensuring the sustainability of learning
• Work with MEL Manager and PaQ Director to identify capacity building opportunities and build detailed capacity building plans for PaQ Team members on high quality writing, reporting, and lessons learned documentation
• Participate in design and implementation of studies, assessments, and learning in coordination and cooperation with programs’ staff and Consortium partners.
• Participate in PaQ team meetings to share experience and contribute to the knowledge of others in the team.

CROSS-SECTOR AND COUNTRY-LEVEL LEARNING

• Review diverse, existing strategies for capturing and sharing lessons learned to strengthen cross-sector / country-level learning and program adaptation.
• Contribute to the development of internal and external reports and presentation of findings/learning to relevant team members.
• With the support of the PaQ Director, work to seek opportunities for information sharing and learning exchanges with local actors/INGOs to promote coordination at local and national level.
• Support the design, organization, planning, and execution of various events, trainings, and workshops to promote learning and collaboration across Mercy Corps Iraq
• Support the PaQ team in creating an evidence-based cross sectoral learning strategy, in partnership with programs
• Support the PaQ team in facilitating inter-program, cross-sectoral learning initiatives both in collaborative spaces and at critical program junctures (ex: mid-program lessons learned sessions, strategy meetings, proposal development, etc.)
• Develop and maintain a means for archiving, indexing, cross referencing, and searching lessons learned reports/summaries for ease of reference during program design.
• Support and advise on targeting, taking account of cultural and socio-economic contexts as well as lessons learned in past programming.
• Remain aware of general MEL requirements and relevant reporting policies of major donors to guide capacity building initiatives.

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: PaQ Director

Works Directly With: MEL Manager, Deputy MEL Managers, Senior MEL Officers, MEL Officers, Data Team Members, GESI Advisor, Deputy Accountability Manager, Program Leads

Knowledge and Experience

• BA/S or equivalent in International Development or a related field required; coursework in research and evaluation methodologies and statistical analysis is an advantage; Masters preferred
• 1-2 years of active M&E work experience in humanitarian and transitional developmental programming strongly preferred, understanding of complex programs required; ideal candidate will have both theoretical and practical background in M&E and skilled in qualitative and quantitative M&E methodologies and techniques including rapid appraisal techniques and remote monitoring of projects in environments with limited to no access.
• Experience with a range of institutional donors such as AFD, EU/ECHO, GAC, GIZ, USAID/BHA, PRM, SIDA and FCDO is an advantage.
• Excellent English writing skills required; previous experience in developing donor assessments, research, and program reports is strongly preferred
• Computer skills (word processing) required; experience with other softwares (spreadsheets, presentation tools, etc.) an advantage
• Strong analytical, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills are required.
• Demonstrated attention to details, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines, prioritize activities and work independently and cooperatively with team members are required.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and overall communication skills are required,
• Advanced fluency in written and spoken English is required, Arabic and/or Kurdish are an asset
• Experience with staff and/or peer training, mentoring, and long-term capacity building (especially in writing skills) is desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to professionally and appropriately represent the organization and negotiate and defend Mercy Corps’ interests with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Candidate must be willing to travel and work in difficult conditions.

Success Factors

The successful PaQ Reporting and Learning Officer will show flexibility, and a willingness to test, adapt, and improve. S/he will seek to produce information and learning that is genuinely useful for the program staff in informing their strategic and operational decisions. S/he will see the value in quantitative data, but will also be enthusiastic about conducting qualitative research in order to attain greater meaning. S/he will have the ability to learn quickly, take initiative, and be accountable for results. S/he will have the ability to understand the larger picture while remaining focused on the details. S/he must be committed to working with vulnerable groups regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or ability.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Participants

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct eLearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.