MEL Associate (part-time consultant)

TITLE: MEL Associate (part-time consultant)

CONTRACT TERM: 8 months (with possibility of extension)

LOCATION: Bangkok, Thailand (preferred) 

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES

The Asia Foundation’s Thailand Office is seeking qualified applicants for the role of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Associate (MEL Associate) to support the USAID and Australia Mekong Safeguards Program (the Program) with Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) activities for programmatic areas in safeguarding the environmental and social development of infrastructure in the Mekong subregion. The MEL Associate must have experience in MEL processes, data collection and quality assurance, and quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The initial period of this role is 8 months, with the possibility of extension. 

The Program is a five-year, $10.6 million project that works with major banks, governments, and developers in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam on large energy and transportation infrastructure investments to strengthen environmental and social standards and adopt clean technologies in Southeast Asia’s Mekong subregion. The Program provides an exciting opportunity to support new and improved ways governments, financiers, developers, and civil society organizations can invest and build sustainable energy and transportation infrastructure. 

REPORTING & SUPERVISION

The MEL Associate will report directly to the MEL Specialist and/or Deputy Team Lead of Mekong Safeguards.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The MEL Associate serves a vital programmatic role, supporting the MEL Specialist in all MEL-related activities. Details of the scope of work include the following: 

Monitoring and Evaluation (40 percent)

• Coordinate with the technical staff and donors’ focal point for data collection, analysis, and evidence gathering to feed into the Program and project performance monitoring based on the donors’ requirements.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises and internal and external Program reviews to assess progress and to determine required interventions/approaches to achieve targets.
• Support MEL system establishment and data management plans; maintain the Program database, including the development of data-collection tools.
• Assist in ensuring the team has quality information to assess progress toward expected results established in annual work plans.
• Perform other MEL tasks in support of the MEL data management system, such as preparing quarterly/annual MEL reports.

Learnings, Reporting, and Documentation (60 percent)

• Review the existing qualitative data in the Program and collect additional relevant data with key stakeholders to understand the Program’s achievement.
• Document Program outcomes, including success stories and best practices in accordance with the MEL plan.
• Work closely with the MEL Specialist to design data-collection tool.
• Liaise with the communications team to collect qualitative data on the Program’s outcomes.
• Support preparation of quality documentation, information, reports, and evidence for external Data Quality Assessment (DQA).
• Coordinate dissemination of outcomes and recommendations to stakeholders. 

REQUIREMENTS

• At least two years of experience in implementing and/or overseeing monitoring and evaluation systems in general.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, science, or related analytic field.
• Experience in qualitative data-collection process, including tool development.
• Ability to execute data collection with stakeholders to obtain qualitative data relating to outcomes/best practices.
• Ability to work under pressure and against hard deadlines.
• Experience working with multilateral organizations or international agencies (experience with USAID and/or DFAT preferred).
• Women are highly encouraged to apply.

SKILLS

• Strong analytical and research skills.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint).
• Fluent English-language skills (writing, speaking, and understanding).
• Demonstrated documentation skills in both Thai and English.

HOW TO APPLY

Send CV/résumé and cover letter to Mekong.Safeguards@asiafoundation.org. Please write “Application for MEL Associate” in email subject title. The closing date for this solicitation is December 20, 2022.

This recruitment is open to both Thai citizens and foreign nationals, though work permit/visa restrictions may apply for non-Thai citizens.