MERL Associate

Organization

iMMAP Inc. is an international nongovernmental organisation that provides information management services to humanitarian and development organizations. Through information management, we help our partners target assistance to the world’s most vulnerable populations. Our core philosophy is that better data leads to better decisions and that better decisions lead to better outcomes. iMMAP Inc.’s critical support to information value chains helps to solve operational and strategic challenges of our partners in both emergency and development contexts by enabling evidence-based decision-making for better outcomes.

Background

iMMAP Inc.’s present project is designed to strengthen the information management capacities of the Somalia Explosive Management Authority (SEMA) in the coming years. Earlier in late 2023, iMMAP Inc. introduced the Humanitarian Information Support Team (HIST) in Somalia. This demand-driven and centralised Information Management request system simplifies the support provided to local and international humanitarian actors involved in the Somalia Response. The initiative centred on the establishment of an Information Management Unit that supports and collaborates with humanitarian actors, including UN Agencies, NGOs and INGOs working across various clusters and sectors, including UNOCHA, Food Security and Livelihood, Nutrition and WASH clusters, to enhance data collection, validation, analysis, and reporting. This initiative included the capacity building of the partners, development of interactive dashboards, spatial analysis, and mapping to support processes like the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Needs Plan (HRNP). In the first half of 2024, the project has facilitated the increased involvement of stakeholders, including the Operational Cell (OC), Area Based Coordination structures (ABCs), Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA), and Somalia NGO Consortium (SNC). This expansion has enhanced efforts to meet the urgent needs of Somalia’s vulnerable populations amidst the ongoing crisis.

Objective

The MERL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, and Learning) Associate will play a pivotal role in advancing institutional research, capacity development, knowledge management, and monitoring & evaluation across public sector institutions and humanitarian-development programs in Somalia. This position involves conducting systems research to assess institutional performance, designing and implementing capacity-building frameworks, and supporting strategic learning processes across partner organisations. The Associate will also contribute to needs assessments, proposal development, and impact analyses, particularly examining the intersection of conflict, climate change, and vulnerability in Somali communities. The role requires a strong analytical mindset, familiarity with development and humanitarian contexts, and the ability to work collaboratively with government, civil society, and international actors.

Important Notice

Kindly note that this position is subject to Fund Availability. iMMAP Inc. reserves the right to cancel or postpone the recruitment process at any stage if funds are not secured.

Description of Duties

• Conduct system-level research on public institutions, focusing on governance, capacity gaps, and service delivery.
• Design, implement, and evaluate capacity-building frameworks for institutional strengthening.
• Develop and support integrated Knowledge Management (KM) systems tailored to public sector and programmatic needs.
• Develop Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) frameworks and tools aligned with project objectives, donor requirements, and national strategies.
• Support the design and implementation of needs assessments for humanitarian programming and public service gaps.
• Analyse the impact of climate change and conflict on vulnerable populations and existing development or humanitarian programs.
• Produce technical reports, research briefs, and learning products to inform adaptive programming.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including government counterparts, INGOs, donors, and UN agencies.
• Provide inputs for proposal development, including theories of change, logical frameworks, and evidence-based justifications.
• Contribute to internal learning and adaptive management processes within the mission.

Requirements

Qualifications & Skills:

• Master’s degree in Economics, Development Studies, M&E, Public Policy, and or Social Sciences.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in research, monitoring and evaluation, and knowledge management within development or humanitarian sectors.
• Proven experience in conducting institutional assessments, needs analyses, or capacity gap studies in fragile or post-conflict contexts.
• Strong understanding of M&E principles, logframes, theories of change, and qualitative/quantitative research methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse complex data sets and translate findings into practical recommendations and strategies.
• Familiarity with climate change, conflict dynamics, and their effects on livelihoods and governance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop high-quality reports and presentations.
• Experience in proposal development, particularly with donor-funded or institutional strengthening projects.
• Proficiency with assessment and data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, SPSS, Stata), Power BI, SurveyToGo, Kobo, R, and digital KM platforms such as SharePoint, etc.
• Fluency in English is mandatory.