Monitoring and Evaluation Manager

About the Role

Based in Lagos, Nigeria, this hybrid role reports directly to the Senior Manager of Projects and Programs. The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Manager spearheads the design, deployment, and oversight of systems used to monitor program effectiveness, learning outcomes, and overall impact within Slum2School Africa's education, youth development, and community projects. The incumbent ensures all collected data is reliable, timely, and actionable for decision-making, reporting, and ongoing program refinement.

Driving a culture of rigorous evidence, accountability, and learning throughout the organization, this position collaborates with program teams, volunteers, and partners to uphold the organization's commitment to results-based management.

We seek a dynamic, self-driven professional comfortable managing complex data and learning processes across diverse, multicultural program teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and oversee MEL systems to track program outcomes and support continual advancement of Slum2School's mission.
• Lead thorough needs assessments—including PESTLE, SWOT, gap, stakeholder, and risk analyses—to guide MEL frameworks, indicator setting, baselines, and multi-year targets consistent with program goals.
• Ensure all active initiatives have formalized and approved M&E frameworks, indicators, and tools.
• Develop and maintain accurate data collection instruments and databases (e.g., KoboToolbox, ODK), updating tools quarterly to reflect program modifications.
• Conduct mixed-method evaluations of program data to measure performance, identify trends, and derive insights on effectiveness.
• Prepare rigorous MEL reports for donors and stakeholders adhering to high standards; ensure all monthly reports are submitted punctually with quarterly dashboards disseminated to management and program leads.
• Implement strict data quality assessments to achieve a minimum of 95% data completeness and accuracy; uphold consent protocols for beneficiary data.
• Facilitate periodic project reviews and present evidence-based findings to leadership for adaptive management.
• Maintain secure, organized, audit-ready M&E documentation, ensuring zero critical breaches in data safety or safeguarding.
• Document lessons learned and program adaptations to foster continuous improvement; coordinate at least one structured learning session quarterly.
• Conduct internal trainings on data protocols, safeguarding, results-based management, and analytical tools for program staff and volunteers, ensuring full participation of education-facing personnel in MEL training.
• Ensure baseline and endline assessments are completed for all time-bound programs and lessons or outcomes documented per program cycle.
• Provide verified data for donor reports, proposals, and impact narratives while remaining updated on MEL sector best practices and compliance requirements.

Team Leadership Duties

• Manage MEL team's daily operations and develop annual MEL plans and procedures.
• Lead, mentor, and build capacity within the MEL team, field data officers, and enumerators to foster a culture focused on evidence and performance.
• Establish timelines for achieving MEL goals; delegate tasks effectively and evaluate team performance through regular reviews.
• Conduct team training to boost data collection and analytical skills; identify opportunities to enhance confidence and communication among members.
• Create a collaborative environment that motivates team members and supports program partners; oversee efficient team growth and smooth onboarding/offboarding processes.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Education, Project Management or related field required; Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Statistics, International Development or equivalent is advantageous.
• At least 3 to 5 years’ experience managing programs or projects in nonprofit, development, or social impact sectors, with exposure to a diverse range of projects.
• Strong background designing M&E frameworks, theories of change, results chains, and conducting various systematic needs assessments.
• Proficiency in creating surveys, digital data collection tools, and managing databases; proven track record with donor-funded MEL compliance and reporting.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets; familiarity with statistical software (SPSS, R, Stata) and data visualization tools (Power BI, Tableau) is a plus.
• Experience working within the Nigerian NGO sector, coordinating with government and community partners; knowledge of child protection or education programs in Nigeria is preferred.
• Dedicated to Slum2School Africa’s mission and values.

Skills and Competencies

• Exceptional analytical and critical thinking abilities.
• Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy in data handling.
• Thrives at translating complex data into compelling insights and narratives.
• Strong written communication and report generation skills.
• Effective facilitation and interpersonal communication.
• Strong ethical standards concerning data privacy and integrity.
• Leadership qualities with aptitude to mentor and motivate diverse teams.
• Capable of managing multiple projects in fast-paced environments and meeting deadlines.
• Self-motivated with high independence and assertiveness; able to take ownership with minimal supervision.
• Excellent time management and organizational capabilities.
• Professional demeanor fitting team environments and cross-cultural interactions.

Performance Metrics

• Achieve 100% coverage of active programs with approved MEL frameworks and tools.
• Review and update data collection instruments quarterly.
• Ensure 100% of monthly performance reports and quarterly dashboards are submitted punctually.
• Maintain data completeness and accuracy above 95% per monthly datasets.
• Guarantee 100% compliance with beneficiary consent protocols.
• Maintain zero critical data protection or safeguarding incidents.
• Facilitate at least one structured learning session each quarter.
• Train 100% of education-facing staff and volunteers on MEL practices and reporting.
• Complete baseline and endline assessments for all time-sensitive programs at 100% rate.
• Document learning insights for all major program cycles and maintain audit-ready documentation through regular reviews.