Industry: Nonprofit/International Development/Social Entrepreneurship
Employer: Village Enterprise
Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL ) Associate
Department: Country Programs
Position Type: Full-time.
Reports to: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Officer.
Direct Reports: Enumerators.
Location: Busia, Isiolo, Kisumu, Kakuma (Assigned duty station; extensive travel to data collection sites)
About Village Enterprise
Village Enterprise Kenya is a leading economic inclusion organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty through entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and access to markets. Village Enterprise is implementing ASCEND - Advancing Scalable, Cost-Effective Entrepreneurship through Digital Innovation - a three-year, multi-country initiative across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia.
ASCEND will scale Village Enterprise's digitally enabled approach to poverty graduation, combining entrepreneurship and livelihood development with digital learning, savings, coaching, financial inclusion and market access. The project will use technology and data to increase the reach, quality and cost-effectiveness of delivery while maintaining strong participant engagement and programme quality.
The project will support 21,600 businesses and 64,800 households, reaching an estimated 388,800 lives across the four countries. At least 80% of direct participants will be women.
ASCEND is both a major delivery initiative and an important opportunity for Village Enterprise to demonstrate how digitally enabled Graduation programming can achieve quality, scale and cost-effectiveness across diverse operating contexts.
Project and Position Overview:
Village Enterprise is implementing ASCEND - Advancing Scalable, Cost-Effective Entrepreneurship through Digital Innovation - a three-year, multi-country initiative across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia.
ASCEND will scale Village Enterprise's digitally enabled approach to poverty graduation, combining entrepreneurship and livelihood development with digital learning, savings, coaching, financial inclusion and market access. The project will use technology and data to increase the reach, quality and cost-effectiveness of delivery while maintaining strong participant engagement and programme quality.
The project will support 21,600 businesses and 64,800 households, reaching an estimated 388,800 lives across the four countries. At least 80% of direct participants will be women.
ASCEND is both a major delivery initiative and an important opportunity for Village Enterprise to demonstrate how digitally enabled Graduation programming can achieve quality, scale and cost-effectiveness across diverse operating contexts.
Position Summary
The MEL Associate is the frontline lead for field data collection and quality assurance across one or more assigned Village Enterprise projects. Functioning as a MEL Associate, the role organizes and supervises part-time enumerators, coordinates field assignments, conducts verification and spot checks, and ensures accurate, ethical and timely submission of monitoring and survey data. Documents field observations and develops report for both field learnings and activity.
Reporting to the MEL Officer, the MEL Associate translates approved data collection plans into daily field activities, coaches enumerators, troubleshoots Taro Works data capture and synchronization, performs basic data checks and Stata-supported analysis, and promptly escalates quality, safeguarding, security and research-protocol concerns. The role does not independently change sampling, survey instruments, indicators or approved research protocols.
Responsibilities
1. Enumerator Supervision & Field Deployment (30%)
2. Data Collection, Verification & Quality Assurance (30%)
3. Digital Data Management, Stata & Reporting (15%)
4. Research, Monitoring & Learning Support (10%)
5. Enumerator Capacity, Coordination & Community Liaison (10%)
6. Safeguarding, Compliance & Resource Stewardship (5%)
Requirements
Required Qualifications & Experience
• Diploma or bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation, Economics, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Information Management or a related field.
• At least 1–3 years of relevant field data collection or monitoring experience, including demonstrated ability to lead or coach enumerators.
• Mandatory working proficiency in Stata for data cleaning, validation and basic descriptive analysis; candidates must demonstrate competence through a practical assessment.
• Practical experience with TaroWorks, Salesforce or comparable mobile data collection tools and information management systems; strong Excel and Android skills.
• Understanding of survey sampling, informed consent, respondent confidentiality, data quality assurance and basic qualitative research techniques.
• Strong communication and field coordination skills, proficiency in relevant local language(s), and willingness to travel extensively in assigned rural geographies.
To Apply:
Interested and qualified candidates who meet the set criteria are invited to send their Cover Letter and CV (Maximum 3 pages) including 3 referees, on the online platform. With the subject line: “Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Associate – Busia, Kisumu, Isiolo, Kakuma. please specify preferred job location.
Village Enterprise is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Village Enterprise provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and abilities. Village Enterprise does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Village Enterprise will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in undue hardship to daily operations. Village Enterprise is a corruption, solicitation, and bribery-free organization. Neither Village Enterprise nor any of its employees or associates’ charges money to job applicants before, during, or after the recruitment process. Please report any malpractice through our safeguarding toll-free hotline 0800724810
Safeguarding Statement:
Village Enterprise is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees, volunteers, Visitors, associates (consultants, service providers and suppliers) and partners to uphold this commitment and adhere to our safeguarding policies and code of conduct. Village Enterprise has zero tolerance for any form of abuse, exploitation, or harassment.
All appointments are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, which may include reference checks with previous employers, verification of qualifications, and criminal record or background screening where required by law
Benefits
To be communicated