MERLA MANAGER — INCLUSIVE AFRICA PROGRAM (IAP) & UNLOCKING OPPORTUNITIES (UO)

About inABLE

inABLE is a not-for-profit organization based in Nairobi, Kenya and Washington, D.C., with a mission to empower African youth with disabilities through assistive technology and digital accessibility. inABLE achieves its mission by establishing various programs and collaborating with local, regional, and international partners. Through these strategic partnerships, inABLE has achieved remarkable success in empowering African youth with disabilities to use technology as a tool for education, employment, and independence.

Program Background.

inABLE is scaling Africa’s inclusive digital economy by preparing youth with disabilities for quality employment and catalyzing systems change. Through the Inclusive Africa Program (IAP), we build both talent and demand by training Digital Accessibility Champions, mobilizing advocates and youth leaders, accelerating assistive technology (AT) entrepreneurs, and advancing digital accessibility standards through the Inclusive Africa Conference. Our Unlocking Opportunities program converts readiness into employment through employer sensitization, placements and internships, job-matching forums, and access to inclusive finance and assistive technology with a particular focus on retention of young women. We also operate Assistive Technology Labs and Inclusive Digital Hubs, mainstream digital accessibility standards across e-services, strengthen teacher and institutional capacity, and conduct research and evidence generation to inform government and industry practice.

 Job Purpose

Lead Monitoring, Evaluation, Research, Learning, and Accountability (MERLA) across inABLE programs including—the Inclusive Africa Program (IAP) and Unlocking Opportunities (UO). The role designs and oversees a robust, accessible MERLA system that generates high-quality evidence on results (outputs→outcomes→impact), drives adaptive management, and ensures accountability to participants, partners, donors, and regulators. The MERLA Manager owns the portfolio logframe/indicator architecture, evaluation agenda, learning cycles, and feedback/safeguarding mechanisms, ensuring that all data and products comply with data protection and accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG/KS 2952). The MERLA Manager is the designated Data Protection Officer for purposes of Data Protection Act.

 Key Responsibilities

MERLA Strategy, Frameworks & Governance

• Own and maintain integrated MERLA plans for inABLE, especially for IAP and UO (theories of change, results frameworks, indicator reference sheets, MEAL SOPs, evaluation calendar).
• Align MERLA with donor logframes and institutional KPIs; assure coherence across multi-partner/county delivery and continental activities.
• Convene MERLA governance routines (monthly/quarterly reviews, learning clinics) and feed decisions into annual replans and budget revisions.

 Design & Methods

• Develop mixed-methods designs (quantitative, qualitative, outcome harvesting, contribution analysis) fit for purpose and feasible for county and regional delivery.
• Design sampling strategies, questionnaires, and discussion guides; ensure tools are accessible (screen-reader friendly, captioned, plain language, braille/large print as needed).
• Lead power/precision considerations and bias mitigation; embed Do-No-Harm, ethics, and safeguarding in all studies.

Data Systems, Standards & Quality Assurance

• Administer the digital MERLA stack (e.g., ActivityInfo + secure cloud storage + visualization dashboards).
• Establish data quality assurance (DQA) protocols: completeness, validity, reliability, timeliness, integrity; run periodic DQAs and spot checks.
• Implement data governance: metadata, version control, access permissions/roles, audit trails, and secure backups.

Implementation & Field Oversight

• Plan and manage baselines, midline, and endline assessments; oversee data collection processes across counties and regional events.
• Ensure accessibility and reasonable accommodation is embedded in all data collection (sign language interpretation, captioning, assistive tech, travel/venue accessibility).
• Ensure ethical consent, data protection, and respondent safety; manage IRB or national ethics approvals where applicable.

 Indicators, Measurement & Performance Management

• Operationalize indicator reference sheets with clear definitions, disaggregation (sex, disability type, county, age), and calculation rules.
• Track priority KPIs: IAAP certifications, internships/placements, employment outcomes/retention, standards adoption and policy outputs, financial-inclusion pilots, employer practice shifts, OPD capacity changes, media/advocacy reach.
• Run monthly performance reviews with workstream leads; generate variance analyses and corrective action trackers.
• Lead annual assessment reviews and Pause & Reflect sessions on all inABLE projects 

Accountability to Affected People (AAP) & Safeguarding

• Design and manage feedback/grievance and safeguarding incident channels (hotline, WhatsApp/SMS, in-person boxes, email forms) with accessible options and SLAs.
• Ensure safe referral pathways and case management; produce anonymized trend analyses and remedial actions for leadership and donors.
• Publish participant-facing information on rights, complaint options, and data use in accessible formats.

 Learning, Knowledge Translation & Influence

 Partner Capacity Strengthening

• Assess partner MERLA capacity (OPDs, employers, training providers) and implement targeted TA plans—tools, coaching, joint reviews, and peer exchanges.
• Standardize partner reporting templates and calendars; run periodic clinics on indicator definitions, evidence files, and DQA preparedness.
• Embed MERLA requirements in MoUs/sub-awards and monitor compliance. 

 Research & Evaluation Management

• Commission and manage external evaluations and special studies (e.g., accessibility market studies, employer practice assessments, financial inclusion pilots).
• Negotiate evaluation questions, independence, and utilization plans; ensure ethical approvals and adherence to data privacy laws.
• Synthesize evidence across studies to inform strategy, fundraising, and policy influence.

Budgeting, VFM & Decision Support

• Develop and monitor MERLA budgets (studies, accessibility services, software licenses, enumerators, travel).
• Collaborate with Finance to link costs to outcomes (cost-per-participant, cost-per-certification/placement, cost to achieve standards adoption); inform value-for-money judgements.
• Provide decision support to Programs Director/CEO with scenario analyses and evidence-based recommendations.

 Success Metrics / KPIs (Illustrative)

• Approved MERLA plan, indicator reference sheets, and evaluation calendar in place within first 60 days; governance routines operational.
• ≥95% on-time, complete partner MERLA reports; ≥2 DQAs per year per major workstream with documented corrective actions.
• Baseline, midline, and endline delivered on schedule and to quality; evaluation utilization plans show concrete decisions taken.
• Accessible publishing compliance: 100% public MERLA products (dashboards/briefs/reports) meet WCAG/KS 2952 standards.
• Learning integration: quarterly clinics held; ≥80% of action items closed; evidence informs scope/budget/timeline adjustments.
• AAP: functional feedback/safeguarding system with logged cases, response within SLAs, and quarterly trend reports; zero unresolved critical incidents.
• Performance: core KPIs tracked with variance analyses and corrective actions (e.g., ≥80% employment for certified youth, standards adoption milestones, employer practice changes).

 Qualifications & Experience

• Master’s degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Statistics, Economics, Public Policy, Social Research, or related field; advanced training in evaluation methods preferred.
• 7–10 years’ MERLA/MEAL leadership in multi-partner, multi-location programs (INGO, donor, or government), including county-level operations in Kenya.
• Proven expertise in mixed-methods evaluation, results-based management (RBM), and adaptive management; strong grasp of sampling, survey design, and qualitative inquiry.
• Hands-on experience with data systems (e.g., ActivityInfo, Kobo/ODK, Power BI/Tableau) and data governance/compliance (GDPR-like principles).
• Demonstrated accessible research/publishing practice (WCAG) and familiarity with KS 2952; experience with disability-disaggregated data and inclusive methods.
• Track record of managing external evaluations, ethics/IRB processes, and translating evidence into policy/practice influence. 

 Core Competencies

• Analytical rigor with the ability to translate data into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences.
• Inclusive design mindset; strong facilitation and capacity-building skills with partners and teams.
• Excellent communication (written, visual, data storytelling) and stakeholder management across government, private sector, OPDs, and donors.
• High integrity, confidentiality, and risk awareness; disciplined project and time management.

Working Conditions

Nairobi-based with regular travel to county hubs (Embu, Kisumu, Nairobi, Kilifi, Turkana, Nakuru) and periodic regional travel for IAC/standards events and evaluations.

Safeguarding & inclusion

inABLE has zero tolerance for Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. All offers are subject to background checks and adherence to PSEA and Child/Adult Safeguarding policies. inABLE is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Women and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Instructions

inABLE makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and organizational needs. Submit a CV (max 4 pages) and a 1‑page cover letter indicating your expected salary, aligning your experience to the responsibilities and KPIs. Include 3 referees and your earliest availability to careers@inable.org  by 1^st January 2026.