MEL Associate, Poverty Embedded Evidence Lab

MEL Associate, Poverty Embedded Evidence Lab at Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA)

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Sep 28, 2026, 6:01 AM

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Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor.In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence on which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600leading academics to conduct over 830evaluations in 52countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: MEL Associate, Poverty Embedded Evidence Lab

Location: Nigeria

Reports to: Senior Director, Embedded Labs

Job Summary

The ideal candidate combines technical MEL knowledge with practical implementation experience, excellent training and mentoring abilities, and a passion for sustainable capacity development in government institutions.

The MEL Associate will collaborate closely with agency staff across multiple departments to co-create practical MEL systems, deliver training and technical assistance, support data analysis and visualization, and foster a culture of evidence-informed decision-making.

IPA Nigeria is seeking a MEL Associate to support an embedded evidence lab established within a partner government agency implementing social protection programmes for vulnerable populations.

The partner agency’s portfolio spans areas such as nutrition and education support, conditional cash transfers, and economic empowerment and livelihoods programmes.

The MEL Associate will work as part of an embedded team to strengthen the agency’s capacity to systematically generate, manage, analyze, and use data and evidence for programme improvement and policy decision-making.

This is an opportunity to apply MEL expertise in a high-impact setting at the intersection of social protection policy and practice, working directly within government to build the systems, skills, and organizational culture needed to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations.

The MEL Associate may also be called upon to support other IPA Nigeria embedded lab engagements as organizational needs evolve.

This position requires hands-on MEL expertise, strong capacity-building skills, and the ability to work effectively within government systems.

Key Accountabilities

• MEL Systems Development and Implementation:
• Implement data quality assurance mechanisms including verification protocols, spot-checks, data audits, and corrective action processes to ensure reliable and accurate programme data.
• Support the development and implementation of an agency-wide MEL framework, working collaboratively with agency staff to develop theories of change, results frameworks, and indicator frameworks aligned with strategic objectives and reporting requirements.
• Design programme-specific MEL plans for individual programme teams, including data collection instruments, monitoring protocols, and quality assurance mechanisms tailored to each programme’s context and decision-making needs.
• Develop standard operating procedures, guidelines, and protocols for data collection, management, quality assurance, reporting, and data use that are practical, user-friendly, and appropriate to staff capacity levels.
• Conduct data needs assessments across agency departments, mapping information requirements against existing data sources, identifying gaps, assessing data quality, and recommending solutions to strengthen data systems.
• Capacity Building and Technical Support:
• Build staff capacity to use data analysis and visualization tools including advanced Excel, statistical software (Stata, R, SPSS), database management tools, and visualization platforms (Power BI, Tableau).
• Facilitate learning events, data review meetings, and evidence-to-action workshops to promote peer learning, institutionalize data use practices, and foster an organizational culture of continuous learning and evidence-informed adaptation.
• Develop training materials, guidance notes, job aids, and tools to create institutional knowledge resources that support sustainable capacity strengthening.
• Design and deliver MEL training workshops and learning sessions for agency staff at various levels on theories of change, indicator design, data collection methods, data analysis, data visualization, and evidence-informed decision-making.
• Provide ongoing hands-on technical assistance and mentoring to M&E officers, programme managers, and field staff on practical MEL tasks including designing data collection instruments, conducting data quality checks, preparing reports and visualizations, and using evidence for programme decisions.
• Data Analysis, Visualization, and Reporting:
• Support the partner agency’s external reporting obligations to relevant government leadership, donors, and other stakeholders, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with reporting requirements.
• Analyze primary and secondary programme data using quantitative and qualitative methods to generate actionable insights, and prepare clear data summaries, analytical reports, dashboards, and visualizations for various audiences.
• Translate complex data findings into accessible, actionable insights for non-technical audiences through effective data visualization and clear written communication.
• Support the development and maintenance of real-time monitoring dashboards displaying key performance indicators to enable programme managers and leadership to track progress and make timely adjustments.
• Contribute to high-quality technical outputs including evaluation reports, policy briefs, evidence syntheses, and lessons learned documents that communicate programme achievements, challenges, and learning.
• Evidence Generation and Coordination:
• Collaborate with IPA researchers and the assigned Lab Manager to support programme evaluations and research studies embedded within agency programmes, ensuring alignment with agency priorities and contribution to organizational learning.
• Support administrative and logistical requirements for lab activities including planning workshops, managing procurement, coordinating field visits, maintaining documentation, and contributing to work planning and reporting.
• Support the design and implementation of primary data collection activities including surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and case studies aimed at answering learning questions and generating evidence for programme improvement.
• Coordinate with agency departments, the Lab Manager, IPA Nigeria team, and external partners to ensure alignment and maximize synergies across MEL activities.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience designing, strengthening, or implementing Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) systems, including data collection, management, and analysis frameworks.
• Cultural and political sensitivity and demonstrated ability to work successfully with diverse constituencies.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Economics, Demography, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Policy, International Development, or a related quantitative or social science field is required; a Master’s degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical analysis into clear, structured, and policy-relevant insights for non-technical audiences.
• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning, preferably in social protection, poverty reduction, livelihoods, or international development programmes.
• Proven ability to manage multiple programmes or workstreams simultaneously, including coordinating stakeholders, tracking progress, and managing deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to train, coach, or mentor others in MEL systems, including building institutional capacity for data use.
• Experience working with government institutions or regulatory agencies is highly desirable.
• Passion for making data-driven decision-making a reality in the development sector.
• Willingness to be a team player and identify connections between work streams.
• Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools, including advanced Microsoft Excel, at least one statistical software package (Stata, R, or SPSS), and data visualization platforms such as Power BI or Tableau.
• How to Apply
• Interested and qualified candidates should:
• Click here to apply online
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