Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Manager

Job Description

Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Manager

Reports to: Senior MEL Manager

Staff reporting:None (management of volunteers, interns, consultants or research partners may be required)

Based at:3rd Floor, Ibex House, 42-47 Minories, London, EC3N 1DY

Salary grade: 5

Date updated:January 2017

The Fairtrade Foundation is a passionate and ambitious development organisation committed to tackling poverty and injustice through trade. We are best known as the independent, not-for-profit body behind the FAIRTRADE Mark, a product label assuring consumers that their purchase helps disadvantaged farmers and workers in developing countries secure a better deal. The FAIRTRADE Mark is the best known and most trusted ethical mark amongst UK consumers.

We undertake our certification and product labelling work as the UK member of Fairtrade International, a global network of organisations working to common standards and verification systems. The global Fairtrade movement also includes Producer Networks in Africa, Asia and Latin America/Caribbean, as co-owners alongside the market organisations that are known as National Fairtrade Organisation (NFO). The Fairtrade Foundation, as the most successful NFO, plays a leading role in the global Fairtrade movement.

The Foundation is also responsible for building public support for Fairtrade and for bringing together producers and consumers in a citizens’ movement for change. The growing number of Fairtrade towns and cities, faith communities and schools and universities are a testament to the efforts of our grass-roots supporter networks.

It’s an exciting time to join the Fairtrade Foundation as we look towards our new five-year strategy for 2016-2020. We’re a passionate and ambitious development organisation committed to tackling poverty and injustice through trade. We are best known as the independent, not-for-profit body behind the FAIRTRADE Mark.

Background

Policy & Research Team

The Policy and Research team is responsible for the development of research, impact assessment as part of Fairtrade’s UK and global policy, learning and advocacy priorities, and in support of the MEL needs of teams working with commercial and public audiences; for managing relationships with key decision makers and opinion formers including government, parliamentarians, NGOs and research and policy making institutions; developing and leading political influencing strategies in pursuit of the Foundation’s public policy goals. The Policy and Research Team is part of the Impact Directorate.

Job purpose

To work closely with the Foundation programme, supply chainandcommercial teamsto design, develop and manage systems, processes and projects supporting the delivery of robust and consistent MEL approaches and frameworks,and meet the specific needs of our emerging offer of programmes, producer support and business services.

To manage key relationships with and lead MEL-relatedwork-streamsinvolvingkey stakeholders from the Fairtrade International System, our commercial partners, funders, research partners, members of the academic community, andkey actors operating in Fairtrade countries of origin.

To ensure with their work that the MEL activitiescontribute to the Foundation beingan accountable, adaptive and sustainable organisation and are clearly understood and communicatedto support,demonstrate and disseminate the impact of Fairtrade for producers, their families and communities.

Team work

The postholder will work in a flexible, team approach with the Senior MEL Manager and Head of Policy and Research, taking a lead role in some areas and a support role in others. Areas of lead and support responsibility will be agreed with theSenior Manager and Head of Team and updated as necessary.

Key tasks

1. Work alongside the Senior MEL Manager to implement, champion and regularly review the organisational MEL strategy and ensure alignment with the Fairtrade International MEL team, Regional Producer Networks and independent auditing body FLOCERT.
2. Support the Foundation partnerships teams working in collaboration with programme and commodity specialists to prepare major funding proposals for institutional donors and our commercial partners, ensuring MEL activities and requirements are fully integrated into project and programme plans and budgets.
3. Work closely with our innovation and commercial teams to design and deliver MEL and research services translating in core business solutions offered to our commercial partners.
4. Work closely with our product, programme and commercial specialists to develop and oversee the delivery of commodity level MEL frameworks, systems and tools to ensure that accountability, adaptation and evidence-based planning are central to our producer support, programme and commercial approaches and feed into broader Foundation and Fairtrade International strategies.
5. Facilitate iterative exercises with key internal, external and local stakeholders – including representatives of farmers and producer organisations in countries of origin – resulting in the development of relevant theories of change and MEL frameworks for our programmatic initiatives and commercial partnerships.
6. Undertake directly or commission and project manage mixed methods programme impact evaluations and socioeconomic research of strategic relevance for our supply chains, commodities and origins.
7. For agreed workstreams, liaise closely and managerelationships with key stakeholders from Fairtrade International’s MEL team, our regional Producer Networks, other National Fairtrade Organisations and FLOCERT to ensure that proposed MEL systems will integrate efficiently with core Fairtrade MEL approaches, contribute to strengthening MEL capabilities for the Fairtrade Movement and are viable in practice.
8. Scope, design and deliver tailored and replicable MEL capacity development, learning exercises, technical support approaches and sensitisation activities targeting the Foundation and the Fairtrade Movement, both through formal/informal capacity building approaches.
9. Work closely with colleagues in the Public Engagement Directorate and Policy & Research team to ensure transparent, effective and accurate evidence-based communication of Fairtrade impact and learning, and feed into the organisation’s overall impact communications planning processes – including our campaigns, public affairs, marketing activities and annual social impact reporting processes.
10. Represent the Fairtrade Foundation and disseminate our insights and approaches in relevant professional networks, the sustainability corporate responsibility arena, academia and other public networks.
11. Play an active role in the wider work of the team and directorate as required and agreed with line manager.

Review Arrangements

The details contained in the Job Description particularly the principal accountabilities, reflect the content of the job at the date the job description was prepared. It should be remembered, however, that it is inevitable that over time the nature of individual jobs will change; existing duties may be lost and other duties may be gained without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed. Consequently, the Fairtrade Foundation will expect to revise this job description from time to time and will consult with the post holder at the appropriate time.

Person Specification

Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Manager

Education/ Training

/ A solid educational background, at least to degree level in a relevant discipline or equivalent work experience (E)
Graduate or post-graduate academic and professional qualifications in agricultural or development economics / studies, business, or research methods and other MEL related discipline (D)

Experience

/ A clear track record of professional MEL or research experience on international development, agriculture, business sustainability or a related discipline (E)
Experience working with theories of change (ToC) and / or comparable programme development tools anddesigning robust MEL frameworks for performance measurement and impact assessment, for example using impact chains, M&E plans and logframes (E)
Experience working and communicating with diverse internal and external stakeholder, such as commercial account managers, technical and programme specialists, representatives of local implementing organisations and commercial partners (E)
Experience writing and communicating technical briefings, impact & research reports or comparable documents and liaising with key stakeholders to inform and validate them (E)
Experience designing and / or carrying out mixed methods evaluation and academic research projects or being part of teams delivering them to high research and ethical standards (D)
Experience developing MEL and / or research training and mentoring approaches and designing and facilitating participatory capacity development activities targeted to non-expert audiences (D)
Experience working with communication, marketing, policy and public campaign professionals in the development of high quality and evidence-based business to business, policy and public facing materials (D)
Experience working and managing the relationships with relevant MEL and research counterparts within the NGO sector, large clients, commercial partners and MEL and research contractors (D)
Previous experience of working on Small Producer Organisations or Hired labour supply chains relevant to Fairtrade – such as tea, coffee, flowers, cocoa, bananas and gold (D)
Awareness of fair trade issues, in relation to international development and poverty reduction, or standard and certification systems, also gained through working and living in low and middle income settings in a rural context. (D)

Knowledge/ Technical Skills

/ Thoroughunderstanding ofthe technical elements ofrobust and effectiveMEL systems for large social programmes and market-orientedinterventions implemented in the Global South (E)
Working knowledge of mixed-methods programme evaluation and research methodologies in social science(E)
Ability to work collaboratively with key internal and external stakeholders, including those not having a MEL and research technical background (E)
Excellent oral and written communication skills, and proven ability to communicate to a variety of audiences (E)
Advanced project management skills and ability to soundly and rigorously manage budgets and resources (E)
An organised, methodical approach to work and ability to juggle competing priorities (E)
Ability to work on own initiative, and adapt to a rapidly changing environment (E)
A flexible and enthusiastic approach to work and operate as part of a team (E)
Familiarity with MS Office programmes (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint) (E)
Full proficiency in either quantitative or qualitative research and evaluation methodologies (D)
Knowledge of certification schemes and standards e.g. ISO, ISEAL , Fairtrade, UTZ, Rainforest Alliance, etc. (D)
Knowledge of MEL and research sector trends that are relevant to Fairtrade and the broader ethical trade and trade for development sector (D)

Competencies

/ Passionate Commitment - This competency is about having passion, dedication and proactively showing support for the work of the Foundation. Contributing to a positive internal atmosphere and external perception of the Foundation.
Embracing Change - This competency is about flexibility and responsiveness to changing needs. It is about innovating, doing something new or differently. It also involves welcoming creative ideas and solutions.
Working with Integrity - This competency is about using a principled approach for every decision and action. Choosing to do the right thing even when it is difficult.
Leadership - This competency is about taking a leadership role regardless of your rank within the hierarchy. It involves acting with the Foundation’s vision in mind, being decisive and working for the good of the entire organisation and its mission.
Teamwork - This competency is about working in a way which acknowledges the interdependence of people in your team and other teams. It is also about effective cross-team project working.
Positive relationships - This competency is about fostering and maintaining constructive and professional relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders.
Delivering results - This competency is about achieving a high quantity of measurable results whilst maintaining, or even raising, quality of work.
Managing resources responsibly - This competency is about managing the Foundation’s resources well. It involves negotiating best value for the Foundation and ensuring the longevity of the organisation.
Information and Knowledge management - This competency is about working in a way that values the gathering, management and sharing of information (facts and data) and knowledge (understanding gained through experience) of benefit to the Foundation.

Special Circumstances

/ Knowledge of and commitment to Fairtrade and development issues (E)
Commitment to our values: Action, Integrity, Respect, Challenge and Optimism (E)
Travel to Fairtrade International offices in Bonn (D)
Travel to our countries of origin in Africa, Asia and the Latin American & Caribbean region (D)

* E = Essential D = Desirable