iDE is an international nonprofit dedicated to combating poverty in the developing world not through handouts, but by helping rural households access the tools and knowledge they need to increase their income and improve their health and well-being. iDE has 40 years of experience and programs in 12 countries in Africa, South Asia, South East Asia, and Central America.
iDE's vision, to catalyze the power of entrepreneurship to allow millions of people to lift themselves out of poverty, is ambitious and bold. We need a person who is, first and foremost, passionate about this vision.
iDE uses an integrated monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) approach to measure our progress on delivering programs that center client needs and offer clear value for donors and stakeholders. With an emphasis on not only rigor but inclusive and ethical measurement, we are committed to incorporating participatory approaches in our MERL work and to converting our quantitative and qualitative evidence into actionable learnings. We generate monitoring and impact data to guide program decisions, aiming to leverage the best systems and tools to deliver the right information to the right people at the right time.
The Director of Evidence and Learning is responsible for the “L” in MERL. The MERL team formally incorporated learning in our department in early 2023 as part of our efforts to ensure our measurement is participatory and ethical, and we have been met with a lot of early successes and strong internal demand for learning activities and external interest in learning outputs. We are seeking a candidate who has already established their expertise in evidence-based learning skills, and will take the lead to build up iDE’s learning program from the initial foundation we have established. This position will work to expand iDE’s ability to learn and adapt from monitoring, evaluation, research, and other sources of knowledge we identify, which will help iDE continuously improve its work, broaden its evidence base, and share more powerful stories and thought leadership on its work. Reporting to the Global Director of MERL or their designee and as a member of iDE’s Headquarters team, the Director of Evidence and Learning will support efforts across these key areas:
- Manage project-level learning activities and strategies across iDE’s portfolio, and serve as the team’s point of contact to coordinate all HQ MERL needs for a portion of iDE countries.
- Work collaboratively to establish organizational processes, guidance, and training around evidence and learning at both the project level and for strategic initiatives at the organizational level while enhancing iDE’s organizational culture of learning.
- Facilitate the creation, testing, and exploration of project and organizational theories of change to help systematize and promote the use of iDE’s empirical evidence base.
- Ensuring iDE’s work in generating evidence through MERL activities is conducted in an ethical manner across the whole portfolio.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
MANAGE MERL STRATEGY, PROCESSES/PLAN AND IMPLEMENTATION - 40%
- Country MERL Strategy
- Collaborate with and advise country leadership teams in this position’s portfolio to ensure the MERL function is prioritized and adequately resourced and that country teams are using MERL-related data in their decision making.
- Lead and advise on relevant training and capacity sharing activities for MERL activities and for MERL staff around the world.
- Promote the use of digital technology tools and systems to collect and manage MERL data.
- Ensure adequate resourcing is available in project budgets to enable right-sized MERL activities, systems, and in-country personnel.
- Project Level Support
- Guide project and country teams - or lead when needed by country teams - in the design and implementation of learning activities in MEL plans and/or learning agendas that create learning products, enable effective adaptive management approaches such as Pause & Reflect workshops, disseminate knowledge across different communication channels with internal and external stakeholders, and meet or exceed donor requirements. This includes working with all MERL team members to ensure learning activities are well-integrated with all monitoring, evaluation, and research activities in projects.
- Explore, coach and assist project/country teams on how to incorporate various sources of evidence for learning - including monitoring and evaluation data, research, informal assessments, stories, experience, and reflection - to promote effective adaptive management techniques.
- Support on-going MERL-related learning activities across project contexts through headquarters and project site assignments; provide learning-related technical knowledge and solutions to meet project needs while facilitating sharing of capacity for country office MERL staff.
ESTABLISH ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING PROCESSES AND EVIDENCE SYSTEMS - 20%
- Devize ways to capture, store, share and apply critical knowledge generated by MERL systems, processes, and institutional knowledge to share best practices and learn between country programs.
- As assigned, work with the CEO and the Executive Team to design the technical content of iDE’s annual SLAM meeting as a means to also best curate, capture, and disseminate learnings from this organizational-level event. Additionally, support the technical design and implementation of other similar organizational events with strong learning objectives to help different business units and country programs turn evidence into action to achieve organizational mandates.
- Create a set of principles, guides, templates, training materials, and practices for the MERL Support Package using MERL frameworks that enable staff to independently create knowledge, and to share, translate and apply what they know using tools and approaches such as learning agenda, after-action reviews, generating evidence, etc. Then use these tools to coach and build the capacity of other business units to champion learning activities for their own strategic needs.
- Promote the capture and sharing of MERL-related expertise, good practices, and lessons learned across different country offices through various mediums, including leading on the Global MERL newsletter, the Inclusive MERL Community of Practice, and the team’s point of contact for MERL-related conferences to help amplify iDE as a thought leader.
- Lead - in consult with the Director of MERL Systems and country teams - on making more efficient and effective use of country program and project data/KPIs by creating learning processes that take the evidence generated by country-level feedback loops built into our MERL systems into action.
- Research, strategize and promote organizational norms and incentives that take evidence - of success, no effects, and failure - into action, embrace curiosity, engagement, collaboration, exploration, and the principles behind “failing fast” in ways that are in alignment with iDE’s working values.
- Apply our project and organizational-level learning processes to lead the design and implementation of organizational-level learning activities to reach our goals.
- Nurture a global identity, common mission and morale for Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, & Learning program staff.
LEAD ON THEORY OF CHANGE (ToC) MANAGEMENT AND EVIDENCE - 15%
- Support the Global Director of MERL with the development and maintenance of an organizational level ToC, including leading on implementing maintenance activities, coordinating collaboration efforts with other teams, and on supporting country teams with their country-level ToCs.
- Support country MERL staff to facilitate the creation, testing and exploration of project-level theories of change (ToCs) to enable future adaptive management through learning workshops or other activities that consider evidence, context, and alignment with organizational level ToCs.
- Lead on MERL collaborations with BD/FD to develop and maintain a org-level ToC-driven proposal process, and in aligning ToCs in proposals with empirical evidence from past and present MERL activities, to foster an evidence-based approach to program design and management.
- Help systematize and promote the continued expansion, upkeep, and use of iDE’s technical evidence base for organizational-level ToCs and for proposals, program design, and implementation.
LEAD ON ETHICAL MERL PRACTICES - 15%
- Develop processes that support participatory, ethical, and inclusive MERL methods to center local voice and expertise in iDE’s MERL activities.
- Further develop MERL guidance in collaboration with global MERL team members on generating new sources of qualitative evidence at iDE - such as stories, staff experiences, reflection - that will enable teams to better generate, curate, synthesize, and apply learnings based on findings.
- Develop processes to make iDE-generated evidence and learnings appropriately accessible to the communities where data has been collected, and for other critical stakeholders.
FUND DEVELOPMENT & NEW BUSINESS EFFORTS - 5%
- Support the Fund Development team and country offices by conducting technical reviews of select proposals to ensure that MERL learning activities and level of effort for HQ and country MERL staff is realistic and sufficient to maintain iDE’s integrity in delivery impact as outlined in our proposals.
- Review and ensure that our MERL approach is considering the measurement priorities of the clients, iDE and the donor for the particular project to enable mutual benefit.
- Contribute written technical content to proposals.
- Be the point of contact for the Fund Development and Business Development team on key elements or countries related to the duties of this position, including interacting with donors.
- Identify, and where appropriate, lead on proposals that will fund the improvement of MERL initiatives related to the duties of this position to better serve our end clients.
LEARNING - 5%
- Actively engage in professional development activities by attending relevant conferences, online courses and webinars, workshops and seminars, seeking mentorship opportunities, reading curated materials, brown bag sessions, engaging in peer coaching, joining learning collaboratives, participating in communities of practice—both internal and external to iDE— or any other learning activity that aligns with role and professional growth objectives.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Directly supervise a future MERL Coordinator and/or other positions as designated by the Global Director of MERL
- Recruit and/or manage interns as needed and as available.
- Provide soft-management and mentorship to country-office MERL staff so that they may achieve their objectives, professional development goals, and feel fulfilled in their roles at iDE.
Requirements
Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience and leadership potential in organizational learning, knowledge management, qualitative research, and business development efforts;
- Strong familiarity with learning agendas and project learning frameworks like Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA);
- Bachelor's Degree required in a related field, Master’s preferred
- 5-8 years of experience in the MERL field, or closely related role
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and take initiative on projects;
- Familiarity with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.);
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively across language and culture barriers;
- Overseas work experience preferred;
- Proficiency in one of the following languages preferred: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Khmer, Nepali, Vietnamese, Bengali, Malagasy
- Willing and able to travel in areas with minimal infrastructure or services;
- Strong knowledge of issues and opportunities in relevant sector and discipline areas to iDE;
- Alignment with iDE’s mission, values and approaches;
- Ability to multitask and pivot to respond to time-sensitive requests and needs when required;
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and take initiative on projects;
Behaviors and Values
- Demonstrates empathy, humility, authenticity, and respect in the workplace
- Willingness to ask questions and seek feedback
- Excellent problem-solving and creative thinking abilities
- Ability to work independently and prioritize effectively
- Desire to work in fast-paced environment and across multiple time zones and languages
- Excellent verbal, intercultural and interpersonal communication skills
- Enthusiastic with a sincere interest in the mission of the organization
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those the employee encounters while performing the functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Work is performed primarily in an office environment
- Occasional domestic and international travel may be required
- Normally required to see at far and close range, and communicate verbally through listening and speaking
- Frequently required to sit, use hands and fingers to handle and operate objects, devices and controls. Occasionally required to walk, reach with arms, lift and/or move up to 25 pounds
- Regularly operates telephone, computer, software and printer, copy machine, and similar office machines.
POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK
This is a full-time, exempt position. Variable work hours are required as job duties demand.
TRAVEL
Travel both international and domestic, to areas with minimum physical comforts may be required, up to 20% as appropriate to carry out duties. A valid passport is required at all times.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Other:
- Equipment used: all office equipment
- Access stairs, elevator
- International Travel
- Variable Work Hours/Shifts
Benefits
DIVERSITY STATEMENT
iDE takes pride in our talented and diverse workforce. Minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Hiring, promotion, and compensation of employees are conducted without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age.
OTHER DUTIES
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
LOCATION
Any of the following locations with existing right to work: United States (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, Washington D.C), Ghana, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Zambia, Honduras, United Kingdom
Please note that the listed salary range is applicable to US-based employees only. Compensation for employees in other countries will be determined based on iDE's compensation structure specific to the individual country where iDE has an established entity.
United States
