MERLA Manager

Job Description

The Partnerships for Social Protection (P4SP) program is recruiting a Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, Learning and Adaptive Management (MERLA) Manager for its next program phase (October 2025 – September 2029). This senior role will lead the program’s MERLA approach, ensuring high-quality performance data informs strategy, decision-making, and adaptive management across all levels. The MERLA Manager will oversee program-wide monitoring and reporting, support research and learning activities, and provide technical advice on MEL frameworks to both internal teams and partner governments.

Working closely with DFAT and other stakeholders, the role emphasises collaborative, flexible, and evidence-based approaches, with a strong focus on gender equality, disability equity, and inclusion. This is a unique opportunity to shape how data and learning drive real impact in social protection policy and practice across the Pacific region.

Purpose

The purpose of the MERLA Manager is to lead program-level management of monitoring, evaluation, reporting, learning and adaptive management for the P4SP program. The MERLA Manager will provide support across four broad categories of input:

• Supporting activity, country and regional level MERLA planning and implementation.
• Providing MERLA advice on program strategy, risks and issues.
• Leading whole of program MERLA.
• Supporting development of TORs and implementation of P4SP research activities.
• Developing MERLA products, including annual and 6 monthly reports and plans, and other forms of reporting required by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

Summary

The MERLA Manager will:

• Lead P4SP’s approach to monitoring, evaluation, reporting, learning and adaptation.
• Maintain a focus on building robust, credible and useful performance information that serves the overall goals of the P4SP program and supports the P4SP team to use this information to shape programming approaches and directions.
• Support design and implementation of P4SP research activities.
• Support P4SP partner governments with their MEL frameworks and activities, if requested.
• Emphasise collaborative and flexible approaches to support the P4SP Management Team and their emerging priorities.
• Facilitate and support effective coordination and information flow between P4SP, DFAT, and other relevant
  stakeholders.
• Provide independent and evidence-based advice that applies best-practice and innovative approaches to support delivery of the program.
• Ensure a strong focus on gender equality, disability equity and inclusion considerations throughout the MERLA cycle, including disaggregation of data for different excluded, marginalised or vulnerable groups.

Job Specification

The specific responsibilities of the MERLA Manager include:

• Overseeing implementation, regular review, and refinement of P4SP’s MERLA Strategy and P4SP MERLA Toolkit, ensuring they meet both DFAT M&E (monitoring & evaluation) Standards and P4SP needs.
• Developing and implementing P4SP’s annual MERLA plan.
• Providing expertise and guidance to the Deputy Team Leader and other members of the Senior Management Team, the P4SP Activity Leads, DFAT and other partners as required on MERLA related issues.
• Working collaboratively with P4SP team members to develop and operationalise a MERLA system, including reviewing and providing advice on activity-level M&E Plans, data collection, analysis, reporting, and dissemination approaches that are robust, fit-for-purpose and efficient.
• Leading the reporting and dissemination of MERLA results, ensuring regular, high-quality reporting to DFAT, and contributing to the development of communication and public diplomacy materials.
• Supporting P4SP activity evaluation and research design and implementation - including baselines, midlines, endlines, and other assessments - by drafting TORs, developing or reviewing data analysis plans, supporting analysis, translating results into actionable insights, and managing MEL subcontractors engaged for discrete inputs as required. Providing evidence and analysis of the program’s impact and contribution to social protection outcomes at a country and regional level, through Most Significant Change (MSC), outcomes harvesting, case studies, and other methods.
• Supporting P4SP programming team members to strengthen their MERLA capabilities by providing them with high quality advice, mentoring and support.
• Briefing new staff and providing refresher training for all staff on P4SP’s MERLA Strategy.
• Developing P4SP milestone reports, including progress reports, annual reports, annual plans.
• Supporting P4SP and DFAT with additional reporting as required. This includes Tier 2 reporting, Investment Monitoring Reporting (IMR), and ad hoc requests for information.
• Supporting partner governments to strengthen their MERLA systems, activities, and internal capacities upon request. This may include delivering MERLA training to government counterparts, reviewing MERLA plans and strategies, and providing ad hoc technical support as needed.
• Championing a culture and discipline for regular learning, adaption, and effective knowledge management across the Program.
• Designing and facilitating P4SP Reflect and Refocus sessions to promote cross-team learning, develop a shared understanding of progress, challenges, risks, and opportunities for strengthening program performance.
• Developing P4SP’s Annual Plan and updating it as part of P4SP’s 6-month reporting requirements. Continuously review, assess, and revise P4SP’s Program Logic and Theory of Change to ensure it is fit for purpose. Providing regular communications and updates to the Deputy Team Leader on the progress of assigned work activities.
• Participate and contribute to P4SP meetings.
• Other tasks as assigned by Deputy Team Leader and/or Team Leader.

To view the full Job Description, please visit the Partnerships for Social Protection website

Reporting to:

Deputy Team Leader

Location

This position may be based in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra or Adelaide. The position location is flexible for the right candidate.

Special Conditions

• Australian residency or current works permit is required. It is a responsibility of the applicant to provide
  evidence of a current work permit.
• The successful applicant is required to gain a National and/or International Police Clearance, prior to being employed and as determined by Development Pathways. The police clearance is required to be renewed periodically and as advised by Development Pathways.
• The successful applicant will be required to obtain a medical clearance as a condition of this employment, which is required to be renewed annually or as determined by Development Pathways.
• The successful candidate will be required to undertake mandatory trainings as advised by Development Pathways.
• Some out of hours and weekend work may be required.

How to Apply

We invite interested candidates to please apply for this position through this link and follow the a pplication instructions, submitting a CV and brief cover letter describing your skills and experience to the selection criteria (no more than 2 pages).

Enquiries

Queries on this position can be directed to Rachel Payne Deputy Team Leader at: admin@p4sp.org using the subject line: MERLA Manager enquiry via Devex.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and we retain the right to close this role without notice.

Due to the high number of applications expected, unfortunately, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Development Pathways is committed to providing equal opportunities and a work environment that values diversity and inclusion. We celebrate and support diversity and are committed to providing a work environment that is inclusive and free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on individual
qualifications and abilities without regard to race, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, family or parental status, or disability status. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,
female applicants, and people with a disability who meet the requirements of this position are strongly encouraged to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application.