Job Summary

Every employee of IRI is responsible for carrying out the Mission of IRI and demonstrating the Core Values in their day-to-day operations. The Core Values, which are IRI’s foundational building blocks include: 

Excellence- We believe in quality results delivered by investing in people. Freedom- We believe in exploration and experimentation to be agile and responsive. Respect- We believe in trust, empathy, and empowering people. Teamwork- We believe in diversity, inclusion, and the power of global collaboration. Transparency- We believe in open communication and clear decision-making. Accountability- We believe in personal responsibility as the foundation of success.

The Design, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (DMEL) Specialist will serve two main roles at IRI. First, the DMEL Specialist will provide hands-on technical support to IRI staff and partners in program design and proposal development, especially by helping staff craft evidence-based theories of change, logical and contextually appropriate results frameworks, and realistic and ambitious measurement strategies. This includes supporting staff to draft and refine MEL components of proposal packages. In this role, under supervision of IRI’s Sr. DMEL Manager, the DMEL Specialist will also support efforts to identity and apply learning, primarily from IRI’s experience, to proposals and projects. Second, the DMEL Specialist will help manage the MEL workflow as it relates to business development (BD) and proposal design at IRI. This will necessitate close coordination and communication with the BD team and will include supporting and managing the development, revisions and distribution of MEL templates, tools and trainings as they relate to BD activities.

Position Requirements

• Undergraduate/graduate degree in political/social science, international relations or related field.
• Minimum three years of professional experience in the international development sector or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in proposal and program design, including leading design sessions and leading or contributing to drafting M&E-related sections of proposals such as theories of change, logic models and results measurement strategies, including indicator design.
• Demonstrated understanding of the program theory-based approach to program design, monitoring and evaluation.
• Familiarity with common MEL elements of proposals, including but not limited to: logical frameworks, performance monitoring plans and indicator matrices.
• Strong facilitation skills, experience leading group discussions, brainstorming sessions and learning events, both in-person and virtually.
• Strong organizational skills, execution of tasks, and attention to detail required.
• Ability to manage diverse activities and meet deadlines required.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team, coordinate and effectively meet program goals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis is a plus, but not required.
• Experience with evaluation design, especially of projects aimed at social change, is a plus, but not required.
• Experience with democracy, governance, and human rights programming is a plus, but not required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities

Project Design Support (MEL-specific) – 50%

• Lead and participate in proposal design sessions to help proposal teams clearly identify problems a program seeks to address, design logical project interventions and approaches based on the internal and external DRG evidence base, craft relevant theories of change, and leverage and apply lessons from past IRI projects into proposal designs.
• Support staff to identify monitoring and evaluation needs of a proposed project and co-develop the monitoring, evaluation and learning approaches and strategies needed.
• Review design and MEL components of proposal packages to ensure their logic, rigor, quality, use of evidence and applicability to the proposed approach.
• For selected competitive proposals, serve as technical lead/writer for MEL-specific components (i.e., annexes such as the MEL Narrative, Logic Model, Performance Monitoring Plan, Performance Indicator Table, etc.) of proposal packages according to requirements outlined in funding notifications as well as based on the latest guidance from IRI’s Evidence and Learning Practice (ELP) and best practices in the broader MEL and DRG communities
• Incorporate programmatic and organizational learning into programming approaches and proposal processes. This includes learning and evidence from IRI’s own programmatic experience as well as learning and evidence from the broader MEL and DRG communities.
• In coordination with BD team and ELP, design and provide training to program staff on how to write proposals, including the MEL components of proposals.

Management of MEL Processes and Products for Proposal Design/Coordination of BD processes (50%)

• Support development of new and periodically update existing MEL proposal templates and guidance, including MEL Narratives Performance Indicator Tables, Performance Indicator Reference Sheets, logic models and supporting tools such as worksheets, etc.
• In collaboration with other ELP members, develop overall MEL approaches, frameworks and guidance to help IRI staff meet MEL requirements and commitments outlined in IRI’s overarching funding mechanisms.
• Engage closely with BD team to lead or contribute to assignment, coordination and tracking of design and MEL support for proposals.
• In collaboration with other ELP members, collate information about new or changing MEL funder requirements for proposals, including standard indicators, preferred metrics, methods, and approaches.
• Periodically review and collate funder feedback and comments on MEL elements and components of proposals and share the trends and takeaways with ELP and program staff to further improve these elements of the proposal package.
• Track and analyze information about use of MEL methods and tools in IRI proposals and support MEL, BD and program staff to act on that analysis.
• Backstop other members of the Business Development team and Evidence and Learning Practice, as needed.