Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Officer

Background on CAWEE:

The Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE) was established in 2004, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as a Non-Profit, Trade Promotion, Membership organization of women in export registered under the Chambers Law, Ministry of Trade. CAWEE provides different support services to women involved in Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with a focus to women in export.

CAWEE closely works with different development partners and funding organizations, like: Governments (USA, Canada, Japan, India, Netherlands and Germany), UNDP, UNIDO, UN Women, Mastercard Foundation (MCF) and others. Currently, CAWEE has started aggressively working on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, starting being operational beyond Ethiopia, with the ultimate proposes of expanding the export bases within the African Continent and beyond.

In providing technical skills/marketable skills to disadvantaged women (returnees, refugees, out casted community members, internally displaced women, women with disabilities), in the past years, CAWEE has provided trainings in basic technical skills, where following the skills training, employment opportunities were created to women. Currently, CAWEE is involved in projects funded by MCF as well as GIZ Sustainable Initiative (SI) Jobs projects targeting skills provisions and facilitating decent & fulfilling job opportunities to female youth.

Program Background:

CAWEE is implementing a 5-year consortium project jointly with PETCO Ethiopia and Ethiopia Enterprise Development (EED). The program is funded by the Mastercard Foundation contract to Enable Young Women and Men to Find Dignified and Fulfilling Work in Manufacturing in Ethiopia by capacitating existing SMEs. The program aims to:

• Build SMEs capacities to sustainably create new jobs and improve existing ones through offering tailored business capacity building and mentorship services; enhancing access to markets and raw materials flow; and improving SMEs’ human resources capacity to create safe and inclusive working conditions for young women and men.
• Improve Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) offerings to better prepare women and youth to enter the workforce (facilitate school-to-work transition).
• Facilitate a Robust Financial Ecosystem to help SMEs access tailored financial services that allow them to grow and increase employment opportunities for young women in particular, and to invest in infrastructure that can improve young women’s and men’s working conditions.
• Strengthen the Enablers (Ecosystem) to foster private sector engagement, stakeholder coordination synergy, and policy development for sustainable and scalable job growth.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Officer will support the MEL Specialist in the design, implementation, and management of the MEL system to track project performance, measure outcomes, and support learning for CAWEE’s 5-year consortium project. The MEL Officer will assist in data collection, analysis, and reporting, working closely with project teams to ensure data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement of project activities.

Working Relationships:

This role will work closely with MEL team (MEL Specialist). He/she will also collaborate with partners and stakeholders as needed.

Reporting and Supervision:

The MEL Officer will report to the MEL Specialist

Key Competencies Required: 

1. Assist in the development and implementation of the MEL framework in alignment with project goals and objectives.
2. Help develop indicators, data collection tools, and methodologies to measure project outputs, outcomes, and impacts.
3. Conduct regular data collection and entry, ensuring data quality, accuracy, and integrity
4. Maintain and update the project’s MEL database.
5. Support field visits to monitor the implementation of MEL activities and verify data.
6. Assist in analyzing quantitative and qualitative data to assess project performance and impact.
7. Contribute to the preparation of timely MEL reports, including progress reports, evaluation reports, and learning briefs.
8. Implement mechanisms to gather stakeholder feedback and incorporate it into program improvements.
9. Assist in training and supporting project staff and partners on MEL concepts, tools, and processes.
10. Promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement within the project team.
11. Help facilitate learning sessions, workshops, and reflection meetings to share findings and lessons learned.
12. Assist in documenting and disseminating best practices, success stories, and key learnings to internal and external stakeholders.
13. Collaborate with project partners, government agencies, donors, and other stakeholders to ensure effective MEL practices.
14. Represent EYWM-CAWEE in MEL-related meetings, workshops, and forums as needed.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

Achieving CAWEE’s mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our team and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

CAWEE is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics:

CAWEE is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment by or of our team members.

As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs and to adhere to CAWEE’s Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

• Achieving CAWEE’s mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our team and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.
• We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Location: Addis Ababa (1)

Category: Program management

Report to: Program Director

Salary: Competitive Salary and a Range of Additional Benefits

Employment Term: Annual Contract, Renewable Based on Performance & Fund Availability