Design, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (DMEL) Officer – Remote

The project

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) is a disaggregated data collection, analysis, and crisis mapping project. The ACLED team conducts analysis to describe, explore, and test conflict scenarios, and makes both data and analysis open for free use by the public. ACLED material is regularly used to inform journalism, academic research, and public discourse on conflict, and to support the work of practitioners and policymakers. ACLED is the highest quality and most widely used real-time data and analysis source on political violence and protest around the world.

The role

ACLED is recruiting a full-time Design, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (DMEL) Officer to oversee and assist with the monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) duties of various ACLED projects. This position is fully remote and can be done from any location with reliable internet service. This position is open to nationals of any country. For more information, please review the Applicant FAQs. Please submit your salary range for consideration.

The DMEL Officer will be supervised by the Program Coordinator and will work closely with the Associate Coordinator for Outreach and Development. They will be responsible for the following (primarily in relation to the projects they oversee):

Design and Manage Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Systems

• Develop and update proposals and MEAL plans, identifying appropriate indicators and adapting systems for data collection and reporting to measure target project objectives and demonstrate impact.
• Develop, adapt, implement, and maintain project-specific MEAL tools.
• Systematically track donor reporting requirements and deadlines.
• Develop and maintain file management systems to keep all the tools and other MEAL materials organized.
• Ensure that all MEAL activities are aligned with ACLED’s and donors’ safety and security procedures and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Guide testing of MEAL tools with ACLED staff and partners to ensure effective indicator measurement and compliance with donor requirements, and modify tools as necessary.
• Identify challenges and bottlenecks in the program MEAL systems, recommend appropriate solutions and ensure follow up.
• Orient and provide technical assistance to ACLED project staff and collaborating partners on tools, roles, and responsibilities related to MEAL plans.
• Process, analyze, and use information collected to assess progress toward project goals and suggest realignments as necessary.
• Monitor progress around the implementation of MEAL activities and procedures at the project level, in collaboration with Data Collection, Methodology, Communications, and Analysis teams.
• Support proposal design process using lessons learned from monitoring and evaluations of past projects.
• Using MEAL information gathered through MEAL plan, support the Program Coordinator and Programs team in preparation and dissemination of periodical and final donor reports.

Impact Monitoring

• Collaborate with the Outreach & Development team to create and implement tools and methods for impact monitoring, including surveys, focus group discussions, questionnaires, and interviews.
• Develop and implement a system to collect and analyze program performance data for evidence-based programming decisions.
• Lead process for developing lessons learned through baseline, midterm, and final project evaluations.
• Present project evaluation learnings to leadership teams for decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Lead drafting and dissemination of ACLED user surveys for the development of quarterly and annual impact reports (supported by the Communications, Programs, and Outreach & Development teams).

Skills and Competencies

ACLED is seeking applicants who have the following skills and experience:

• Experience and knowledge of current approaches to MEAL in conflict settings and humanitarian programming.
• 2-3 years’ MEAL experience in projects with tight timelines.
• Strong computer skills, including ability to operate Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, project and database management software, and statistical packages.
• Ability to assess needs, develop and write new project proposals.
• Demonstrable experience designing, collecting, and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data collection. methods, including survey development, conducting focus groups and interviews, and analyzing primary and secondary data.
• Proven experience in meeting donor reporting requirements and expectations.
• Capacity to work autonomously and in problems prevention/resolution.
• Proven organizational and information management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure, troubleshoot challenges, and meet short- and long-term deadlines.
• Experience with proposal writing.
• Ability to work remotely with limited supervision.
• Good judgment and extremely high attention to detail.
• Fluency in English (essential).

Candidates that can additionally demonstrate the skills below will be favored:

• Master’s Degree in Statistics, International Development, Peace & Conflict Studies, Research, or a related field;
• Proficiency in intercultural communications.
• Familiarity with leading team communication platforms (Slack, Asana) preferred.
• Proficiency with Tableau (preferred) or other data visualization software.
• Knowledge of project funding procedures and guidelines.
• Experience with data collection software, language, and statistical analysis (e.g. OKM, Kobo, STATA, SPSS, R).