MERLA Manager (only for Female)

Job Description

Title: MERLA Manager (only for Female)

Company Name: Centre for Disability in Development (CDD)

Vacancy: 01

Age: 40 to 55 years

Job Location: Dhaka (Savar)

Salary: Tk. 100000 - 120000 (Monthly)

Experience:

• At least 8 years

• Minimum Master’s degree in any discipline, preferable in Statistics, Economics, Public Health, Social Science, Social Research, Development Studies, Environmental Science, Public Policy and Governance, Educational Evaluation and Research, from any reputed university.

• Professional M&E Certification, Data Analysis Tools Training, SPSS, STATA, Power BI, or Excel Advanced, Project Management, Result-Based Management (RBM), CHS (Core Humanitarian Standard), Digital Data Collection Tools, Kobo Toolbox and related certifications will be an advantage.

• At least 8 years

• Age 40 to 55 years
• Only Female

• In-depth knowledge of donor requirements, including those of INGOs, UN Agencies, government bodies, and financial institutions, regarding the monitoring matrix and framework.

• Strong understanding of Bangladesh’s NGO Affairs Bureau (NGOAB) regulations and reporting requirements, including annual report.

• Excellent verbal communication, report writing, and presentation skills in English.

• Strong team working skills and ability to develop and maintain effective working relations at all levels both within and outside the team.

• Cross-cultural experience, understanding and sensitivity.

*** Job Responsibilities:

1. Establishment and Strategic Leadership of the MERLA Function:

• Establish, institutionalize and continuously strengthen the MERLA Department of CDD.

• Lead and coordinate the MERLA team and ensure effective allocation of responsibilities, resources and technical support.

• Develop and implement an organizational MERLA strategy, annual work plan and budget aligned with CDD’s Strategic Plan.

• Establish organization-wide MERLA standards, systems, tools, protocols and quality assurance mechanisms.

• Support CDD management in developing strategies, performance tracking systems and mechanisms for measuring organizational progress.

• Promote a culture of evidence-based decision-making, learning, accountability, innovation and adaptive management across CDD.

2. Monitoring, Results Measurement and Programme Quality Assurance:

• Develop and maintain monitoring frameworks, matrices and systems for all CDD projects and programmes, including those implemented through partner Organizations.

• Develop project-specific M&E plans based on approved project goals, logical frameworks, theories of change, indicators, targets and donor requirements.

• Define and review Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for measuring outputs, outcomes and impact.

• Establish systems for regular monitoring of project indicators and organizational performance at monthly, quarterly and annual levels.

• Compare actual achievements against planned results and identify gaps, under performance, risks and emerging issues.

• Support programme teams to establish realistic, evidence-based targets during project design and proposal development.

• Develop an annual plan for spot checks, internal assessments and reviews of critical management controls and MIS systems.

• Conduct or coordinate field monitoring visits, spot checks, programme quality assessments and internal reviews of CDD field offices and partner Organizations.

• Review field and partner reports and provide technical guidance to improve programme quality and data reliability.

• Ensure that findings from monitoring, reviews and assessments are evidence-based and contribute to programme improvement and organizational value addition.

• Track findings and agreed actions from monitoring visits, data audits, internal assessments and investigations, and ensure timely follow-up and closure.

3. Data Management, MIS and Data Quality Assurance:

• Establish and strengthen systems for systematic collection, consolidation, analysis, storage and reporting of programme and organizational data.

• Ensure regular harvesting and consolidation of data from CDD projects, programmes, field offices and partner Organizations.

• Design and maintain appropriate data collection tools, including surveys, checklists, forms, databases and mobile data collection applications.

• Ensure that data collection tools and systems respond to CDD’s information needs, donor requirements and the changing development context.

• Establish data quality standards covering accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness, validity and integrity.

• Conduct regular data quality assessments, spot checks, data audits and verification exercises.

• Ensure that field staff and partner Organizations are trained in proper data collection, documentation, data management and ethical standards.

• Strengthen and promote the use of appropriate digital systems, including mobile data collection, GIS and real-time monitoring technologies.

• Ensure appropriate use of data analysis and visualization tools, including Excel, SPSS, STATA, Power BI and other relevant software.

• Ensure appropriate protection, confidentiality and responsible management of programme and participant data.

4. Evaluation, Research and Evidence Generation:

• Develop research and evaluation questions aligned with project objectives, outcomes, organizational priorities and identified evidence gaps.

• Design appropriate quantitative, qualitative or mixed-method research and evaluation methodologies.

• Lead or coordinate baseline, mid-term, end-line, outcome, impact, process and other relevant evaluations.

• Develop Terms of Reference for external researchers, evaluators and consultants, where required.

• Manage and provide technical oversight to external research and evaluation processes.

• Ensure that research and evaluation findings are analyzed rigorously and translated into actionable recommendations.

• Promote the generation and use of evidence to improve programme design, implementation, quality and impact.

• Provide evidence and data insights to support proposal development, project extensions, fundraising and strategic decision-making.

• Ensure that research and evaluation processes follow appropriate ethical standards, including informed consent, confidentiality and protection of participants.

• Ensure that required ethical approvals are obtained from the appropriate competent authorities of CDD or other relevant bodies.

5. Learning, Knowledge Management and Adaptive Management:

• Establish and continuously improve organizational systems for learning, knowledge management and evidence sharing.

• Facilitate quarterly, annual and other periodic learning, reflection and review processes across CDD.

• Promote regular reflection on programme performance, field realities, emerging challenges, successes, failures and unintended outcomes.

• Ensure systematic documentation of good practices, innovations, lessons learned, challenges and unintended results.

• Analyze lessons learned and facilitate the development and implementation of actions for programme quality improvement.

• Promote adaptive management by ensuring that programme strategies and implementation approaches are informed by evidence, monitoring findings and changing field realities.

• Support innovation through pilot testing, learning and scaling of successful approaches across CDD and partner Organizations.

• Develop and maintain a central knowledge management hub or repository containing reports, evaluations, research, case studies, learning products and other relevant knowledge resources.

• Ensure that knowledge products are appropriately organized, accessible and available to relevant CDD staff and partners.

• Facilitate knowledge sharing through workshops, webinars, newsletters, learning events and other appropriate communication platforms.

• Strengthen learning mechanisms among CDD and partner Organizations and promote a continuous learning culture.

6. Accountability and Feedback Mechanisms:

• Establish and strengthen accessible, inclusive and effective feedback and complaints mechanisms across CDD programmes and field operations.

• Support the establishment and effective functioning of appropriate channels, including suggestion boxes, hotlines, feedback forms, community meetings and other context-appropriate mechanisms.

• Ensure that communities, participants and stakeholders are informed about project plans, budgets, activities, progress and relevant decisions, as appropriate.

• Ensure that communities and stakeholders understand how they can participate, provide feedback, raise concerns or submit complaints.

• Establish systems for recording, analyzing, responding to and following up on complaints and feedback in a timely and appropriate manner.

• Ensure confidentiality and appropriate referral of sensitive complaints and safeguarding-related concerns in accordance with CDD policies and procedures.

• Align accountability systems with relevant standards and frameworks, including the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), where applicable.

• Establish accountability standards and indicators as part of programme performance monitoring.

• Analyze feedback and complaints data and use findings to improve programme quality, relevance and accountability.

7. Reporting, Dashboards and Communication of Evidence:

• Develop and maintain systems for regular consolidation and analysis of programme and organizational data.

• Prepare MERLA reports and analytical updates for CDD management and relevant governance and coordination platforms.

• Prepare and present consolidated MERLA findings for Executive Committee meetings, annual reviews, management meetings and other relevant forums.

• Ensure that donor reports are accurate, evidence-based, timely and aligned with project-specific requirements.

• Develop internal dashboards and regular performance updates for management decision-making.

• Prepare charts, maps, info graphics and other visual products to communicate data and evidence effectively to CDD staff, partners and relevant stakeholders.

• Ensure that CDD’s performance and results are appropriately linked, where relevant, to the CDD Strategic Plan, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), relevant national plans and other strategic frameworks.

8. Capacity Development of Staff and Partners:

• Assess MERLA capacity needs among CDD staff, field teams and partner Organizations.

• Develop and implement capacity-building plans on monitoring, evaluation, research, data management, data ethics, learning and accountability.

• Conduct workshops, coaching, mentoring and on-the-job training for HQ, field-level and partner staff.

• Strengthen the capacity of programme officers and partner Organizations to use MERLA data for programme improvement and decision-making.

• Provide technical support during field visits and assist teams in identifying practical solutions to monitoring, data quality and programme performance challenges.

• Promote consistent application of CDD MERLA systems, standards and tools across projects and partner Organizations.

9. Proposal Development, Strategy and Decision Support:

• Provide technical input into logical frameworks, theories of change, results frameworks, indicators and targets during proposal development.

• Ensure that project objectives, indicators and targets are realistic, measurable and supported by evidence.

• Provide MERLA data and analysis to support organizational strategy development and implementation.

• Use monitoring, research, evaluation and learning evidence to influence programme and strategic decisions.

• Support CDD management in tracking strategic priorities, organizational commitments and progress against agreed plans.

• Promote the use of evidence and learning in programme design, resource allocation and organizational decision-making.

10. Compliance, Due Diligence and External Coordination:

• Collaborate with relevant internal departments and external stakeholders on MERLA, data quality, programme quality and accountability matters.

• Coordinate, as required, with external agencies, auditors, NGO Affairs Bureau, government authorities, local administration and other relevant stakeholders.

• Track, report and support the timely implementation of committed actions arising from due diligence assessments, audits, reviews and other external assessments.

• Support the monitoring and follow-up of agreed actions related to organizational and programme compliance.

• Ensure that MERLA systems and evidence contribute to organizational accountability, transparency and continuous improvement.

11. Organizational Performance and Impact Measurement:

• T/A,Weekly 2 holidays,Mobile bill

• Prorata basis festival bonus;