Population Council Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Consultant 2026–2027 | Remote Consultancy in Kenya

The Population Council Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Consultant 2026–2027 opportunity is open to qualified monitoring and evaluation professionals with experience in impact evaluation, programme performance measurement, data quality, and learning systems. The consultancy will support Population Council Kenya and its consortium partners in strengthening monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) systems for programmes supported by the Mastercard Foundation across Africa.

The Population Council MEL Consultant position offers an opportunity for an experienced MEL specialist to contribute to evidence-based decision-making, programme improvement, impact measurement, and institutional capacity development. The consultancy is based in Nairobi, Kenya, with remote work arrangements indicated in the vacancy announcement.

Applications are due 21 October 2026. Interested candidates should submit their applications to the official recruitment email address provided below.

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Population Council MEL Consultant 2026–2027: Job Overview

• Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Consultant
• Organization: Population Council – Kenya
• Job Category: Professional Consultant
• Career Field: Monitoring, Evaluation and Impact Measurement
• Location: Nairobi, Kenya / Remote
• Contract Period: 26 October 2026 – 30 June 2027
• Maximum Level of Effort: 30 working days
• Application Deadline: 21 October 2026
• Minimum Experience: 5 years
• Education Requirement: Advanced degree in a relevant field
• Compensation: Based on existing consultancy rates for IPO-supported activities
• Payment Terms: Output-based, subject to approval of deliverables
• Application Email: jobs-nairobi@popcouncil.org
• Required Email Subject: Consultancy – Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Expert
• Official Vacancy Source: ReliefWeb / Population Council

Important: This is a professional consultancy rather than a conventional full-time employment position. Although the contract period spans several months, the maximum level of effort is 30 working days distributed across the approved workplan.

About Population Council Kenya

Population Council Kenya is a nonprofit organization working to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable and marginalized populations in East Africa and other countries in the region.

The organization supports the design, testing, and scaling of interventions addressing sexual and reproductive health and rights, girls’ education, HIV prevention, sexual and gender-based violence, and evidence-based programme development.

Through research, technical assistance, and partnerships, Population Council contributes to programmes designed to improve social, economic, educational, and health outcomes.

For this consultancy, Population Council Kenya will lead technical support within an inter-regional consortium of Function-Oriented Impact Partner Organizations. The consortium includes ThinkPlace Kenya, Le Barometre, and the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA).

The consortium supports the Mastercard Foundation’s Impact Strategy by helping measure programme impact, strengthen programme design, improve learning, and support implementation partners across multiple African countries.

What Is the Population Council MEL Consultant Opportunity About?

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Consultant will help establish and deliver a structured MEL accompaniment programme for the Foundation’s implementing partners.

The primary objective is to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation systems, data infrastructure, governance arrangements, technical capabilities, and evidence-use practices of participating organizations.

The consultant will work with Population Council Kenya, the consortium, the Mastercard Foundation’s relevant teams, and implementing partners to improve how programmes define results, collect data, assess performance, report achievements, and use evidence to make decisions.

The assignment will cover programmes operating across the Foundation’s supported platforms, including:

• Pan-Africa Program (PANA)
• Scholars
• Secondary Education and Transition (SET)
• Higher Education Collaboratives and Strategic Initiatives (HECSI)
• Strategic Partnerships and Innovations (SP&I)

The programmes supported by the Foundation span 35 countries in Africa, creating a regional context for evidence-based programme improvement.

For professionals searching for MEL consultant jobs in Africa, monitoring and evaluation consultancy opportunities, or international development consulting jobs, this assignment offers an opportunity to apply technical expertise to multi-country programmes.

Key Responsibilities of the MEL Consultant

The Population Council Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Consultant will undertake six main workstreams.

1. Inception, Partner Mapping and Prioritisation

The consultant will begin by reviewing existing programme documentation, MEL guidance, reporting requirements, partner portfolios, and relevant evaluation findings.

Responsibilities will include:

• Reviewing programme frameworks, partner documentation, and existing MEL plans.
• Confirming which partners and programmes will be covered by the assignment.
• Establishing a partner-level MEL support register.
• Developing a methodology for prioritising partner support.
• Preparing a detailed workplan with activities, timelines, responsibilities, expected results, and dependencies.

The inception phase will provide a structured foundation for the consultancy and help ensure that technical support responds to documented partner needs.

2. Partner MEL Capability and System Diagnostics

The consultant will assess the monitoring, evaluation and learning capacity of participating organizations.

This will involve reviewing theories of change, results chains, MEL plans, indicators, targets, learning questions, data collection tools, participant-management systems, reporting arrangements, and evidence-use practices.

The consultant will also incorporate relevant programme reviews, data quality assessments, and programme outcomes assessment findings.

Based on the findings, the consultant will develop improvement plans for individual partners or suitable groups of partners.

These assessments will help identify weaknesses in existing systems and determine which improvements are necessary to strengthen programme monitoring and reporting.

3. MEL Framework and Infrastructure Strengthening

Another major responsibility is to improve the technical foundations of partner monitoring and evaluation systems.

The consultant will support implementing partners to refine and operationalise:

• Theories of change and results frameworks.
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning plans.
• Performance indicators and learning questions.
• Data collection tools and reporting templates.
• Data dictionaries and indicator reference sheets.
• Participant-level record systems.
• Data storage, access controls, cleaning, validation, and documentation.
• Data quality assurance and correction procedures.

The consultant will also clarify how data and reporting responsibilities are distributed among lead partners, sub-partners, programme teams, the consortium, and the Foundation.

The objective is to establish practical and sustainable MEL systems that improve the reliability and usefulness of programme evidence.

4. Measurement Alignment and Reporting

The MEL Consultant will help align partner-level measurement systems with the Foundation’s applicable measurement standards and reporting requirements.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting alignment with Shared Measures 2.0.
• Reviewing relevant Work-Enabling Outreach (WEO) and Youth-in-Work (YiW) measures.
• Checking indicator applicability, targets, and disaggregation requirements.
• Confirming data sources, collection frequency, aggregation methods, and reporting responsibilities.
• Identifying gaps between partner records, programme designs, and Fluxx/Daraja reporting requirements.
• Addressing potential double counting and clarifying collaborative contributions.

This workstream will help partners produce more consistent, traceable, and decision-ready programme data.

5. Learning, Coaching and Adaptive Management

The consultant will support organizations to use monitoring and evaluation findings to improve programme implementation.

Activities will include:

• Strengthening partner learning agendas.
• Facilitating technical working sessions and coaching.
• Supporting communities of practice and knowledge sharing.
• Helping partners reflect on evidence and programme performance.
• Establishing decision logs that connect evidence to programme adaptations.
• Preparing cross-partner learning summaries and decision-ready briefs.

The consultant will help ensure that MEL activities go beyond collecting information and producing reports. The emphasis will also be on helping programme teams interpret evidence and use it to improve results.

6. Monitoring, Reporting and Handover

The final workstream will focus on documenting progress, tracking improvements, reporting risks, and supporting continuity after the consultancy ends.

The consultant will maintain the partner support register and evidence repository, prepare monthly dashboards and quarterly analytical reports, and document outstanding issues requiring further attention.

The assignment will conclude with a synthesis report, partner handover notes, and recommendations for sustaining improved MEL systems.

Population Council MEL Consultant Deliverables and Deadlines

The consultancy includes specific deliverables with projected completion dates.

Activity	Expected deliverable	Projected due date
Inception and prioritisation	Inception note, delivery methodology, and quality assurance plan	30 October 2026
Partner diagnostics	Live partner MEL support register	15 November 2026
MEL framework strengthening	Partner diagnostic and improvement plans	15 December 2026
Measurement alignment	Strengthened theories of change, MEL plans, learning agendas, tools, and reporting templates	31 March 2027
Learning and adaptive management	Coaching records, technical session documentation, adapted materials, and evidence of partner application	31 May 2027
Monitoring, reporting and handover	Monthly dashboards, quarterly analytical reports, final synthesis, and handover documentation	Monthly and quarterly, with final handover by 30 June 2027

The consultant must document progress and adaptations without replacing partner MEL staff or assuming the Foundation’s programme-management responsibilities.

All deliverables will be subject to documented technical and quality assurance reviews before submission.

Qualifications for the Population Council MEL Consultant Job

Candidates interested in the Population Council MEL Consultant 2026–2027 opportunity should meet the stated minimum education and professional experience requirements.

Educational Qualifications

Applicants must hold an advanced degree in one of the following or a closely related discipline:

• Programme monitoring and evaluation.
• Statistics.
• Economics.
• Development studies.
• Social sciences.

An advanced degree in a relevant field will provide the academic foundation required to assess programme performance, interpret evidence, and strengthen evaluation systems.

Professional Experience

The vacancy requires a minimum of five years of previous experience in monitoring and evaluation, impact evaluation, or strategic planning.

Relevant experience should include:

• Designing and tracking theories of change.
• Developing and strengthening MEL frameworks.
• Establishing performance indicators and monitoring systems.
• Supporting adaptive management and evidence-based decision-making.
• Mentoring or training teams and partner organizations.
• Working with international organizations, NGOs, or development programmes in Africa.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate practical experience in improving organizational MEL capabilities, rather than relying exclusively on academic knowledge.

Technical and Interpersonal Skills

The successful consultant should demonstrate:

• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and management skills.
• Excellent report writing and presentation abilities.
• Attention to detail and commitment to quality assurance.
• Strong interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams across Africa.
• Experience communicating technical findings to different stakeholders.

The assignment requires a professional who can combine technical MEL expertise with effective communication, partner engagement, and practical problem-solving.

Work Location, Contract Duration and Compensation

Location and Work Arrangements

The vacancy lists Nairobi, Kenya, and remote work as the location arrangements. Applicants should review the official recruitment information and confirm any practical expectations regarding availability and partner engagement.

The consultant may also be required to travel. Where travel is necessary for the assignment, travel costs will be covered directly by Population Council Kenya.

Contract Duration

The contract period will run from 26 October 2026 to 30 June 2027.

However, the maximum consultant level of effort is 30 working days across this period. The actual distribution of working days will follow the approved workplan and agreed deliverables.

This arrangement may suit experienced professionals who can provide specialised technical input across defined phases of a longer-term programme.

Consultancy Fees and Payment Terms

The vacancy states that compensation will be based on existing consultancy rates for the consortium-supported activities.

A specific total contract value, daily rate, or fixed consultancy fee is not disclosed in the supplied announcement.

Payments will be output-based. Payment is expected within 30 calendar days after receipt of a valid invoice and written approval of the corresponding deliverable by Population Council Kenya.

Deliverables that are not approved as satisfactory will not qualify for payment under the stated terms.

Candidates should therefore ensure that they understand the expected outputs, review process, and agreed consultancy rate before finalising contractual arrangements.

Who Should Apply for This Monitoring and Evaluation Consultancy?

This opportunity is particularly relevant to professionals with established experience in programme performance measurement, impact assessment, and organizational learning.

Potentially suitable applicants include:

• Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists.
• MEL Consultants.
• Impact Evaluation Experts.
• Programme Quality and Learning Specialists.
• Development Research Professionals.
• Results Measurement Advisors.
• Strategic Planning Consultants.
• Data Quality and Reporting Specialists.
• International Development Consultants.

Professionals with experience supporting NGOs, international development organizations, education initiatives, youth employment programmes, and multi-country African programmes may find the assignment particularly relevant.

Applicants should be prepared to provide evidence of their experience in developing MEL systems, coaching partner organizations, improving data quality, and translating findings into programme decisions.

Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee selection. Candidates should demonstrate how their experience matches the specific technical requirements of the assignment.

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How to Prepare a Strong Application for the Population Council MEL Consultant Job

Because the consultancy requires both technical expertise and practical implementation experience, applicants should tailor their application to the advertised responsibilities.

1. Highlight Relevant MEL Experience

Your CV should clearly demonstrate at least five years of relevant experience in monitoring and evaluation, impact assessment, or strategic planning.

Where possible, include examples of programmes you have supported, the responsibilities you held, and the improvements you helped deliver.

2. Demonstrate Experience with Theories of Change

Highlight previous work involving theories of change, results chains, performance indicators, MEL frameworks, and learning agendas.

Explain how you helped organizations clarify programme outcomes, identify suitable indicators, and strengthen their monitoring processes.

3. Showcase Data Quality and Reporting Expertise

Include examples of work involving data quality assessments, data validation, reporting systems, indicator reference sheets, dashboards, or evidence repositories.

Experience aligning data collection and reporting systems with programme requirements will be especially relevant.

4. Include Coaching and Capacity-Building Experience

The assignment involves accompanying partner organizations as they improve their MEL systems.

Highlight experience delivering training, facilitating technical sessions, mentoring teams, and supporting organizations to apply MEL tools in practice.

5. Demonstrate Regional and International Experience

If applicable, explain your experience working with NGOs, international organizations, donors, or development partners across Africa.

Emphasise collaboration with diverse stakeholders and your ability to communicate complex technical information clearly.

6. Follow the Application Instructions Carefully

Use the required email subject line, submit your documents before the deadline, and ensure that your application is complete.

The announcement states that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and that shortlisted applicants will be required to present a valid Police Clearance Certificate.

Important Ethical and Professional Requirements

The successful consultant will be expected to follow the Foundation’s approved ethical, responsible-data, safeguarding, and data-protection requirements.

The consultant must not request, receive, retain, or transfer personally identifiable information unless specifically authorised and supported by approved arrangements.

Any data-governance, consent, or safeguarding concerns must be documented and escalated through the agreed procedures.

The consultant must also avoid making unsupported claims about data quality or partner readiness. For example, attendance at training or socialisation sessions alone will not be treated as proof that a partner has operationally implemented an MEL system.

These requirements highlight the importance of responsible research practices, documented evidence, and accountability throughout the consultancy.

Career Benefits of the Population Council MEL Consultancy

Although the announcement does not specify a fixed salary or total consultancy value, the assignment offers several potential professional benefits.

1. International development experience: The consultant will contribute to programme measurement and learning activities involving organizations operating across Africa.

2. Advanced MEL practice: The work covers theories of change, data architecture, data quality, measurement alignment, reporting, and adaptive management.

3. Partner capacity development: The consultant will support organizations to improve their systems, capabilities, and evidence-use practices.

4. Cross-organizational collaboration: The assignment involves coordination with Population Council Kenya, consortium partners, Foundation teams, and implementing organizations.

5. Professional portfolio development: Deliverables such as diagnostic assessments, MEL frameworks, dashboards, analytical reports, and learning briefs can provide valuable professional experience, subject to confidentiality and contractual restrictions.

These are potential career-development benefits of the assignment, not guaranteed financial or employment benefits.

Common Application Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid the following mistakes when applying for the Population Council MEL Consultant position:

• Submitting a generic CV that does not demonstrate relevant MEL experience.
• Failing to show the required minimum five years of professional experience.
• Overlooking the advanced-degree requirement.
• Listing responsibilities without demonstrating practical achievements.
• Ignoring experience in theories of change, indicators, and data quality.
• Using an incorrect email subject line.
• Submitting an incomplete application.
• Assuming that the consultancy offers a disclosed fixed salary when no specific amount is provided.
• Missing the 21 October 2026 application deadline.
• Making unsupported claims about technical skills or previous results.

A focused, evidence-based application will help demonstrate how the candidate can contribute to the consultancy’s defined objectives.

Career Opportunities After a MEL Consultancy

Experience gained through monitoring, evaluation and learning assignments can be relevant to several professional pathways in international development.

Depending on a candidate’s qualifications and future experience, these pathways may include:

• Monitoring and Evaluation Manager.
• Director of Programme Quality and Learning.
• Impact Measurement Specialist.
• Evaluation Consultant.
• Research and Evidence Advisor.
• Results-Based Management Specialist.
• Development Programme Manager.
• Strategic Learning and Adaptation Advisor.
• Data Quality and Performance Measurement Specialist.

The consultancy itself does not guarantee future employment or promotion. However, experience in building partner systems, strengthening data governance, and supporting evidence-based programme decisions may be useful for future MEL and development-sector roles.

How to Apply for the Population Council MEL Consultant 2026–2027

Qualified candidates interested in the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Consultant opportunity should submit their applications by email.

Application details:

• Organization: Population Council Kenya
• Position: Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Consultant
• Application Email: jobs-nairobi@popcouncil.org
• Required Email Subject: Consultancy – Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Expert
• Deadline: 21 October 2026

Applicants should prepare their CV and relevant application documents according to the official instructions. The supplied announcement does not specify a complete list of required attachments, so candidates should confirm any additional requirements through the official vacancy information.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted applicants must present a valid Police Clearance Certificate.

Official vacancy announcement: https://reliefweb.int/job/4234085/monitoring-evaluation-and-learning-mel-consultant

Application email: jobs-nairobi@popcouncil.org

Final Thoughts

The Population Council Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Consultant 2026–2027 opportunity is relevant to experienced professionals seeking consultancy work in monitoring and evaluation, impact measurement, programme learning, and international development.

The assignment combines technical MEL framework development, partner capacity strengthening, data quality improvement, measurement alignment, and evidence-based decision-making across programmes supported by the Mastercard Foundation.

Candidates with an advanced degree, at least five years of relevant experience, strong analytical and communication skills, and practical experience strengthening MEL systems should review the requirements and submit their applications before the deadline.

Application deadline: 21 October 2026.