Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Lead At Options Consultancy Services

About WISH 2 Programme

The UK aid funded Women’s Integrated Sexual Health 2 (WISH 2) programme will support women and adolescents, including the poor and most marginalised, to have greater voice, choice and control over their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

The programme is divided into two Lots, with WISH 2 Lot 1 covering Western and Central Africa and WISH 2 Lot 2 covering Eastern and Southern Africa. Options is a sub-partner in both consortia.

The WISH programme has two primary outcomes:

• Outcome 1: Women and adolescents, including the poor and most marginalised, have greater voice, choice and control over their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• Outcome 2: An improved enabling environment for SRHR and gender equality as part of an accelerated, African-led inclusive demographic transition.

Options will support implementation of Output 3: SRHR policy and systems environment. This output will support countries to adopt and implement improved frameworks for more comprehensive SRHR and gender equality, effective government financing, commodity security and SRHR service capacity.

A specific focus will be placed on supporting civil society organisations, including OPDs, youth led and WROs to advocate, improve accountability and support improvement in SRHR.

Position

The MERL Lead will work closely with the programme team to:

• Design and implement the programme’s monitoring, evaluation, adaptation and learning framework and plan.
• Lead thinking and discussions around projected programme impact and contribution, advising on appropriate methodologies to calculate and analyse this.
• Steward the tracking and assessment of programme activities, reporting on outputs and outcomes together with country teams.
• Lead development of and timely reporting against the programme results framework for the primes and the donor.
• Lead the design, and support the delivery of a strong learning agenda, to build evidence of what works in strengthening the SRHR policy and systems environment.

Requirements

• Minimum of ten years’ experience in MERL, in a large scale, multi-country development programme that includes a significant technical assistance component.
• Deep and up-to-date understanding of programme evaluation and learning cycles, data analysis and presentation of results.
• Experience using major evaluation methodologies (qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods), and data collection and analysis methodologies.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and French.
• Experience working with consortia and with a dispersed team and network of consultants.
• Previous experience in MERL for programmes funded by UK aid or other major donors.

Benefits

Options offers a comprehensive benefits package including generous annual leave allowance, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and a performance related bonus scheme.

Other Information

• Options is dedicated to equal opportunity for all and recognises that every individual is unique. Whilst we always seek to embrace individual differences and celebrate the diversity of our workforce, we also want to ensure that every team member is suited to their role and that they are given the best opportunity to succeed*.*
• Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and post holders to share this commitment.
• We seek people who are pro-choice, promote diversity and inclusion, are energetic and enthusiastic about Options’ vision.
• Applicants must have the right to work in Kenya or UK.