The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 80 countries.

ROLE PURPOSE AND DIMENSIONS;

The MERL Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring comprehensive and effective performance monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning plans are in place. leading the design and implementation of effective and coordinated MERL systems at strategy and programme level, and support on the creation and standardization of assessments, research studies and reporting tools. Conduct frequent quality monitoring visits against Quality Benchmarks randomly and capacitate the program team for regular MERL template/format/form of data collection and reporting as well as reviewing Indicator Performance Tracking Tables (IPTTs) of all existing projects in the designated area. Make sure the complaint & feedback mechanisms are well functional in the designated area. Keep good coordination and collaboration with all program team and partner staffs as well. Maintain regular report preparation and share with proper channel.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Support Programme Design and Planning

• Lead on the development or revision of quality log-frames, theories of change and M&E frameworks and plans for new and existing programs and projects;
• Conduct desk reviews and provide M&E inputs into new proposals and concept notes;
• Design systems and processes to track project performance;
• Collaborate with the Project team to develop and finalize project implementation plans that align with best practices, contextual appropriateness, and beneficiary needs. Develop age and gender- appropriate M&E tools and templates in coordination with program staff and technical advisors, and ensure standardization across programs.
• Provide M&E support for the influencing strategies.
• Work closely with project and support staff to ensure adequate resources, staffing, and budget allocation for monitoring activities.
• Technical support in Total Reach, Global indicators reporting of PIL

Coordinate Research, Assessments, and Learning

• Lead the design and implementation of studies, research and evaluations, working closely with program staff;
• Maintain knowledge management systems to allow for easy access and sharing of MERL resources and data;
• Ensure the development of systems and processes to generate program data and research that will facilitate evidence-based learning, and informed decision making;
• Ensure lessons learnt, successful practices and recommendations, are analysed, documented and disseminated for all projects.

Support Programme Monitoring and Reporting

• Support the implementation of M&E activities throughout the programme cycle;
• Track, analyse, and update objectives, outputs, activities, indicators, and results efficiently over the life of the project;
• Visit partners on a regular basis to assess adherence to minimum standards and provide feedback to the relevant Programme Managers;
• Contribute with high quality data and analysis to external and internal reports that clearly articulate results and lessons learned;
• Contribute in the internal reporting process of the Country Office to the Headquarters.
• Review & reflect whether the DIP is followed as per the plan or not during all staff meeting.

PMERL System Support and Training

• Contribute to the Project Management, Evaluation, Reporting, and Learning (PMERL) system as a trainer when needed, providing guidance and support to staff and partners.
• Serve as a key support to the Project Manager in creating projects within the system, with a specific focus on the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) section.
• Ensure accurate and comprehensive inclusion of M&E components in the PMERL system, aligning with project requirements and organizational standards.

Accountability

• Define and/or adapt age- and gender- appropriate tools for accountability;
• Lead the effective management of the Complaint Response Mechanism (CRM) to ensure protection of programme participants and the efficient and transparent use of resources;
• Ensure programme and field staff to ensure that projects are designed and carried out with participation from all targeted communities.
• Support in developing regular trend analysis of complaints at organizational level and share it with program team as per protocols.
• Make sure that the action agreed plans and FCM action plans are followed in timely manner or not by program team.

Human Resources

• Manage the M&E team and support them through appropriate coaching, mentoring, training and development;
• Support in identifying staffing needs for programmes and recruiting qualified staff as needed.

Capacity Building

• Build M&E capacity at various levels, including Plan staff and partners, emphasizing participatory monitoring and evaluation tools.
• Ensure standardization of M&E tools and methodologies across partners.
• Foster a supportive network of M&E staff to facilitate learning, development, and innovation in M&E practice.
• Review partners’ data collection and M&E tools to ensure that they are age- and gender appropriate, and in line with Plan International’s standards and donor requirements.

Other
• Implement the new Plan Global M&E System with support from the Regional M&E Specialist;
• Participate in programme coordination meetings and planning sessions;
• Other duties as requested by the Supervisor.

1. Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS
• Internal: Programmes Team

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of:
• Experience in programming related to Child Protection, Gender-Based Violence and/or Education;

Qualifications and Experience
• Minimum 3 years of establishing and maintaining effective MERL systems in development and humanitarian contexts, including qualitative and quantitative approaches to baselines, monitoring, and evaluations.
• Good knowledge of research methodologies, principles, statistical definitions, scientific tools, and techniques
• Strong conceptual and analytical skills for planning, monitoring, evaluation, learning, and accountability
• Degree in Statistics, Development Studies, Social Studies, or a related field.
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Very good knowledge of statistical packages (Excel, ODK, SPSS)
• Experience in programming related to Child Protection, Gender-Based Violence, and/or Education;
• Excellent knowledge of Arabic and English mandatory.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and coordination abilities.
• Attention to detail and commitment to data quality.

Skills
• Good facilitation skills and ability to deliver training
• Excellent report writing and information dissemination skills
• Organization, planning, and time management skills
• Flexible work attitude and ability to work independently within a small team
• Adherence to Plan International’s Child Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct/Prevention of Sexual Abuse & Exploitation (PSEA), and other relevant humanitarian standards and policies.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE

We are open and accountable
1. Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
2. Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
3. Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
4. Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
5. Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact
1. Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
2. Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
3. Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
4. Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together
1. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

1. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
2. We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
3. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN:
Low contact: No contact or very low frequency of interaction

TRAVEL
• In-country travel is estimated at 50%.
• Occasional international travel may be required.

Location: Beirut

Type of Role: MERL/ Emergency Response

Reports to: Emergency Response Programme Manager

Grade: D1

Closing Date: August 23, 2023

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.