• As the MEL Officer you will focus on supporting external and internal evaluations by assisting with coordination of the evaluation process, from beginning to end. You will also support initiatives for learning and help to facilitate the uptake of learning and recommendations from evaluations and reviews into programme design and delivery.
• Working and collaborating with other members of the global MEL Team, you will contribute to a culture of continuous learning and improvement. National and international travel will be required for this role for up to eight weeks a year.

Further duties include: 

• Supporting the co-ordination of externally commissioned evaluations
• Support MEL Advisors with planning and implementation of internal evaluative activities.
• Support the planning and facilitation of workshops (remote and face-to-face), particularly in the Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) region.
• Co-ordinate and maintain evaluation planning schedules, ensuring plans are regularly captured in an appropriate format. Liaising with Sightsavers’ project, fundraising and donor liaison teams to co-ordinate evaluation planning.
• Support the MEL Operations Officer in the upkeep of evaluation resources on the MEL portal page.
• Collect, analyse and present project performance data for inclusion in disseminated material including internally produced evaluation reports, presentations and synthesis reports.
• Support the effective dissemination of learning and integration of evidence from evaluative activities into programme design and delivery.
• Support the promotion and dissemination of the team’s work by identifying opportunities for contributing to conferences, journals, articles, news bulletins, blogs etc.
• Develop and maintain mechanisms for ensuring that externally contracted consultants and members of the MEL Team comply with ethical, safeguarding and data protection procedures.
• Support the MEL Team to pursue strategic objectives for strengthening evaluative activities.
• Support implementation of organisational initiatives to help achieve MEL Team objectives.

Skills and Experience

• As the ideal candidate you will possess experience or a degree in a relevant social science subject (international development, public health, sociology, education), have a background in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (preferably in the international development context), and hold knowledge and understanding of evaluation and learning approaches and methodologies, including relevant ethical considerations.

Further requirements include: 

• Essential
• Experience of liaising with, and managing relationships with external organisations, teams and individuals.
• Experience of drafting Terms of Reference as well as commissioning and contracting evaluators or consultants.
• Experience of planning, delivering and facilitating learning focussed workshops (remote and in-person).
• Proficient in using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to meet internal and external deadlines.
• Willing to travel locally and internationally, up to eight weeks per year.
• Understanding of and commitment to equity and inclusion principles, such as gender equity and disability inclusion.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.