MERL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning) – Senior Specialist

Lead  Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) function from an operational and governance perspective, ensuring that impact measurement frameworks are embedded into systems, processes, and decision-making. Translate strategic impact objectives into measurable indicators, learning cycles, and evidence-based insights that strengthen program effectiveness and institutional accountability. Act as the business owner of impact metrics, ensuring alignment between program logic, operational data capture, and analytics outputs.

Key Responsibilities 

• Design and maintain MERL frameworks, theories of change, indicator libraries, and learning agendas aligned with the strategy. 

• Define and govern impact KPIs, ensuring clear definitions, calculation logic, and ownership. 

• Work with Operational Processes to embed measurement requirements into workflows and beneficiary lifecycle processes. 

• Partner with Data Analyst and Data Scientist to translate impact questions into dashboards, analyses, and predictive insights. 

• Lead periodic evaluation and learning cycles, synthesizing findings into actionable recommendations. 

• Support donor, grants, and institutional reporting by ensuring evidence quality and consistency.  Governance Responsibilities 

• Establish governance standards for impact measurement and KPI definitions. 

• Maintain documentation for indicators, methodologies, and evaluation approaches. 

• Ensure consistency of impact measurement across programs and initiatives. 

• Chair or support governance reviews related to KPI changes or evaluation methodology updates.  

Compliance Responsibilities 

• Ensure monitoring and evaluation activities align with data protection and ethical research principles. 

• Coordinate with Legal, Grants & Awards to ensure reporting requirements and grant obligations are met. 

• Ensure beneficiary data used for evaluation is handled in compliance with PDP requirements. 

• Support audit readiness by maintaining traceable methodologies and evidence sources.  Data Accountability 

• Act as business owner for impact-related data and KPI definitions. 

• Validate that data captured through systems supports measurement needs. 

• Work with Data Engineer to ensure required data fields and structures exist. 

• Validate analytical outputs related to impact before executive reporting.  Systems Accountability 

• Ensure CRM/ERP and related platforms capture data required for impact measurement. 

• Collaborate with Systems Integration and Operational Processes to align workflows with MERL requirements. 

• Define reporting requirements for dashboards and impact reporting outputs. 

• Support testing and validation of measurement-related system changes.  

Skills:

 Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Public Policy, International Development, or a related field. 

7 years experience in MERL, impact measurement, program evaluation, or performance management roles. 

• Strong knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodologies, theories of change, and impact measurement frameworks.

• Experience defining KPIs and indicator frameworks for complex programs. 

• Familiarity with data-driven evaluation and quantitative/qualitative analysis methods. 

• Working understanding of BI dashboards (Power BI preferred) and data reporting concepts. 

• Ability to translate program logic into measurable data requirements. 

• Comfort working with CRM/ERP data structures and analytics teams.