MERL Consultant (SCALE Innovative Partnership)

The MERL Consultant will lead the design, operationalization, implementation, and continuous improvement of the SCALE Innovative Partnership programme's monitoring, evaluation, learning, and research systems. The role involves technical leadership in programme monitoring, evaluation, research, learning, political economy monitoring, and evidence utilization to support adaptive management and scale-up within government systems.

Responsibilities

• Review and refine the programme Theory of Change, results framework, indicators, assumptions, and learning agenda.
• Develop and operationalize the SCALE MERL framework aligned with programme objectives, TLA requirements, and government decision-making processes.
• Finalize indicator definitions, data collection tools, reporting templates, data quality assurance protocols, and evidence management systems.
• Develop implementation fidelity monitoring tools, including systems for tracking teacher practices, coaching quality, Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) implementation, and uptake of the Structured Pedagogy-Informed ECED Package.
• Develop detailed TLA frameworks, processes, and implementation protocols.
• Refine learning questions, adaptation pathways, scale-readiness milestones, and key decision points.
• Facilitate periodic TLA reviews, pause-and-reflect sessions, and learning workshops.
• Document adaptation decisions, lessons learned, and evidence generated throughout implementation.
• Design systems for routine monitoring of programme implementation, fidelity, reach, quality, affordability, and scale readiness.
• Develop and maintain programme dashboards, monitoring tools, and performance-tracking systems.
• Establish systems for data collection, management, validation, analysis, and reporting.
• Support regular monitoring of implementation progress against workplans, milestones, and results frameworks.
• Refine and operationalize the programme learning agenda.
• Maintain a learning register documenting assumptions, evidence generated, adaptations made, and decisions taken.
• Coordinate evidence generation to address priority learning questions.
• Ensure learning priorities are linked to implementation decisions, affordability assessments, scalability pathways, and government planning processes.
• Support synthesis of emerging lessons across implementation cohorts and TLA cycles.
• Design and coordinate baseline, midline, and endline assessments.
• Develop sampling approaches, data collection protocols, and research instruments.
• Support implementation research, learning studies, and evaluation activities.
• Collaborate with IPA/J-PAL and other partners on research design, evaluation planning, and evidence generation.
• Contribute to the development of impact evaluation approaches and feasibility assessments, as required.
• Develop decision-support products for programme management and government stakeholders.
• Synthesize implementation, research, and monitoring findings into actionable recommendations.
• Produce evidence summaries, adaptation memos, and management briefs arising from TLA cycles.
• Facilitate evidence-based discussions during review meetings and learning events.
• Support translation of evidence into operational, policy, financing, and scale-up decisions.
• Develop frameworks and tools for affordability, cost-effectiveness, and Value for Money analysis.
• Support collection, management, and analysis of programme cost data.
• Track implementation costs, cost drivers, and cost-efficiency measures.
• Produce evidence on affordability and financial sustainability of different delivery models.
• Develop and maintain a political economy monitoring framework.
• Track stakeholder incentives, coalition dynamics, policy developments, implementation bottlenecks, and opportunities for reform.
• Ensure political economy findings inform programme adaptation, government engagement, prioritization, financing approaches, and scaling decisions.
• Integrate political economy discussions into TLA reviews and learning processes.
• Produce periodic political economy briefs and decision notes.
• Develop scale readiness criteria, monitoring tools, and assessment frameworks.
• Track implementation of the Scaling Roadmap.
• Assess government ownership, financing commitments, implementation capacity, institutionalization progress, and adoption pathways.
• Generate evidence to inform decisions on expansion and integration through government systems.
• Conduct periodic scale readiness assessments and prepare recommendations for institutionalization and scale up.
• Support preparation and presentation of evidence for Budget Review Meetings (BRMs), Joint Review Missions (JRMs), SWAp forums, and government review processes.
• Develop evidence summaries and policy briefs for federal, provincial, and local governments.
• Support local governments to use programme evidence for planning, budgeting, financing, and implementation decisions.
• Track and document evidence uptake and use within government systems.
• Strengthen MERL capacity of implementing partners, government counterparts, PETCs, and local governments.
• Develop and deliver training packages on MERL systems, TLA processes, data collection, learning, and evidence utilization.
• Provide ongoing technical mentoring and support to programme stakeholders.
• Develop learning briefs, technical reports, evidence summaries, presentations, and knowledge products.
• Support dissemination of programme findings to policymakers, practitioners, and development partners.
• Contribute evidence products for communication, influencing, and scale up activities.
• Maintain a repository of key evidence, lessons learned, and programme documentation.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or higher) in Monitoring and Evaluation, Education, Economics, Statistics, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Policy, Research Methods, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience in monitoring, evaluation, learning, research, and evidence generation in the education or social sector.
• Proven experience in designing and managing MEL systems for FCDO or similarly funded large-scale education programmes or complex donor programmes.
• Demonstrated experience in adaptive MERL methodologies.
• Experience supporting government systems strengthening and institutionalization processes.
• Strong experience in managing log frame, theory of change, cost-effectiveness, Value for Money monitoring framework, and affordability analysis.
• Experience facilitating learning reviews and pause and reflect processes.
• Familiarity with political economy analysis.
• Experience working with large-scale government systems strengthening programmes.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Nepali.
• Strong knowledge of MEL frameworks, results based management, evaluation methods, and data systems.
• Familiarity with foundational learning, ECED, structured pedagogy, school readiness, and education system strengthening.
• Experience with affordability analysis, cost effectiveness analysis, and Value for Money approaches.
• Experience facilitating learning reviews, adaptive management, and TLA-style processes.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research skills.
• Experience supporting FCDO-funded or adaptive programming initiatives (desirable).
• Experience with Test-Learn-Adapt, adaptive management, or implementation science approaches (desirable).

Skills

• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Learning and Research
• MERL Systems Design
• Adaptive MERL Methodologies
• Government System Strengthening
• Institutionalization Processes
• Log Frame Management
• Theory of Change
• Cost-effectiveness Analysis
• Value for Money Monitoring
• Affordability Studies
• Learning Reviews Facilitation
• Pause and Reflect Processes
• Political economy understanding
• Result-Based Management
• Evaluation Methodologies
• Data Systems Administration
• Foundational Learning Strengthening
• Early Childhood Education and Development
• Structured Pedagogy
• School Readiness Programming
• Education Systems Strengthening
• Quantitative Research
• Qualitative Research
• Test-Learn-Adapt
• Adaptive Management
• Implementation Science

Languages

English, Nepali