Liberia Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Coordinator

Responsible To: Country Director, with technical line management from the Country Health Director Works With: Operations Manager, Programme Managers, Project Coordinators, Health Coordinators, and Other Key project staffs Location: Monrovia Liberia with frequent travel to project sites Contract Duration: 12 months
Salary: £25,950 - £26,700 per annum (dependant on relevant experience) inclusive of additional Cost of Living Allowance Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, return flights and annual leave entitlement of 24 days per annum rising to 30 days at the completion of 12 months of continuous employment with Merlin.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date.

Please note that this is an unaccompanied position.

Merlin International Profile Merlin specialises in health, saving lives in times of crisis and helping to rebuild shattered health services. Each year, Merlin helps more than 15 million people in up to 20 countries.

Context and Background Merlin has been operational in various counties throughout Liberia since 1997 and has developed a good reputation as a key partner of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoH&SW) in Liberia. The main focus of Merlin’s programme in Liberia at present it supporting the MoH&SW) with the provision of quality primary and secondary level health care services and influencing policy at the national level. In the course of implementing its activities in Liberia, Merlin supports over 800 MoH&SW workers through incentives payments. Merlin actively collaborates with the MoH&SW, UN Agencies, local partner NGOs, and other INGOs and NGOs.

Merlin’s activities include technical, capacity building and logistical support to the County Health and Social Welfare Teams (CH&SWTs) as well as capacity building health facility staff through training, mentoring and/or supervision to ensure improved quality of care in the supported facilities. In 2011 Merlin is supporting 76 primary health care facilities in Montserrado, Maryland, Grand Bassa, Sinoe, Grand Kru and Grand Gedeh counties, and 5 hospitals in Buchanan, Zwedru, Greenville, Harper and Grandcess. Merlin also has a Reproductive Health/Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) team to mainstream maternal health promotion and HIV/AIDS prevention into all Merlin projects as a cross-cutting theme. Merlin is also working with local partners on various health issues in different counties in the country.

Merlin Liberia is working with the MoH&SW and CH&SWTs is each supported county to create a more coordinated strategy in line with the MoH&SW lead partner approach to implement Basic Package for Health Services. As a fist step towards this Merlin developed Counterpart Strategy geared towards a closer, more efficient and effective collaboration with the CH&SWTs in the delivery of health services and the development of their managerial capacity.

Main purpose of the role To Coordinate and lead the development and implementation of standardised M&E systems which bring epidemiological information together with a number of different sectors and sites from across the Liberia Programme. The MERC will help to review current system and design, effectively monitor project outputs to assist in project management, and also identify and monitor quality indicators to determine the impact of the projects on the livelihoods of the targeted populations in Liberia as they move into a transition and development context. To train, supervise field health staff in the adopting appropriate indicators and support on designing M&E plans, oversee database monitoring health coordinators. The MERC will provide assistance to field staff (PCs and HCs) in preparation of reports to donors. As an independent M&E role, MERC will provide independent expert opinion on M&E activities in various counties and provide necessary recommendations to CMT.

Overall Objectives Under the umbrella of Merlin’s global strategy, Merlin Liberia’s country strategies and counterpart approach, the main objective of the MERC will be to:

• Design and implement standard M&E systems in coordination with Merlin’s Programme teams and stakeholders in the programme districts • Provide guidance on approaches and methods for monitoring and evaluation of outcome and impacts of services delivered by Merlin • Support programme teams in effective analysis of the evidence emerging from programme monitoring and evaluation • Strengthen the quality and efficacy of the Merlin health programmes by carrying out regular reviews of current Merlin Health Strategy, documenting the impacts of the programmes on the quality of health care provided in government health centres and effects on morbidity and mortality of beneficiaries in the target areas. • Review and strengthen existing health data collection tools and systems analysis in the timely manner for internal and donor reports • Support to field staff in preparation of project reports to donors • Supervise staff and build their capacity on M&E function

Specific Responsibilities Programme • Support regular assessments including baseline surveys of new projects being developed within the country programme • Ensure the consistency on program design including designing logical frameworks and balance of funds for M&E activities. • Integrate epidemiological monitoring activities from field health morbidity and mortality data (HMIS), utilization of data, drug consumption, reproductive health into a national database of Merlin Health activities in various stages of operation in emergency response, transition and development phases. • Give feedback to the Country Management Team on the assessment findings and make recommendations to the team including workplans for quality improvement • Hold workshops for all staff in all sites to give feedback on findings and make recommendations for program improvement • Identify, strengthen the use or develop a monitoring and ongoing evaluation tool specific for Liberian field sites, in collaboration with field staff and Merlin HQ • Train all expatriate and senior national staff on the Monitoring and Evaluation tools to be used for Liberia • Develop a regular review process with field sites to evaluate the utilization and impact of the ongoing monitoring tools in order to measure the improvements in programme quality, giving feedback to field sites, CMT, and Merlin HO. • Provide regular support to the field staff (PCs’ and HCs’) during the preparation of project report to donors • Strengthen, harmonize and standardise the existing health data collection, analysis and reporting system from a number of different projects, in line with HMIS indicator work • Train medical administrators, health coordinators on the health information management system • Work with field staff to collate and analyse all monthly and sentinel site data for donors and the CMT • Establish the system for data validation • Conduct analyses and provide additional information from available data sets • Supervise staff and build their capacity to undertake monitoring and evaluation activities in various sites.

Others • Undertake any other assignment as required by CD and CHD within the scope of organizational priority

Person Specification Essential Qualifications, experience and competences • Masters’ Degree in Public Health or Health Sciences with experience of public health programme preferably in monitoring and evaluation • Knowledge and experience of using qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods, including knowledge of statistical packages • Extensive experience in development, design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems (guidelines, methodologies including tools) at organizational and field settings • Consistent experience of collating and writing reports to donors • Proven leadership, coordination and collaborative skills • Strong strategic planning and organizational skills, ability of think and operate innovatively and strategically • Excellent interpretational, influencing and diplomatic skills including awareness of constraints while working in a complex and challenging environment • Willingness to conduct frequent travel and live in remote rural sites • Self starting attitudes, dynamic and full of initiative • Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English • Confident and proficient in the use of MS office and data management • Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures • Experience of a flexible approach to managing and prioritizing high workload and multiple tasks in a least paced environment with tight deadlines • Experience of proactively identifying and addressing issues • An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values

Desirable Qualifications, experience and competences

• Understanding of health programming and issues of organizational accountability to wards various stakeholders • Excellent facilitation skills and experience in the use of participatory methodologies • Excellent skills in information management, including recording, analysis, reporting and review methods, gained in an international organisation • Proven ability to contribute to and develop organizational learning objectives • Experience of team working and demonstrate experience of working collaboratively • Knowledge and work experience in West Africa will be an added advantage

Data Protection In accordance with the 1998 Data Protection Act Merlin will hold and use personal information that you have given for the purposes of recruitment and employment should an offer of employment be made. This information will be stored in manual and/or computer form. This information may also be disclosed to third parties in accordance with the Data Protection Act. In cases where a job offer is conditional on ensuring that potential employees’ names do not appear on counter terrorism lists generated by the United Nations, European Union or the United States due to donor funding requirements, Merlin will use the information that you have given for checking that your name does not appear on these lists.

How to apply:

To apply for this position To apply for this job, please go to www.merlin.org.uk/jobs and apply using our online recruitment system. In order to apply for a job with Merlin online you will need to complete a short registration process and create an account – the online recruitment system explains how to do this. Once your account has been created, you will be able to save the information that you have entered in your application and re-visit it at any time before you submit it.

If you are unable to apply online please download and complete an application form and email it to: applications@merlin.org.uk.

Please note that we do not accept CVs and any application must therefore be made online or by completing our application form. Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.