Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning Officer - Response & Impact

The Humanitarian and Stabilisation Operations Team (HSOT) is contracted by Palladium to deliver the Humanitarian Emergency Response Operations and Stabilisation Programme (HEROS), working with FCDO’s Humanitarian Response Department (HCRD) and the Migration and Conflict Directorate (MCD), as well as multiple UK Government teams and partners globally. The Response and Impact Pillar enables HSOT and HCRD to learn from their work and clearly demonstrate the impact of the HEROS programme. The team puts in place practical systems and processes to turn business‑as‑usual and crisis response activity into usable learning and reliable evidence of impact. It also supports response readiness by coordinating monitoring, staffing, and EWAR’s role during crises.

This role forms an integral part of the Response and Impact Pillar reporting into the Team Leader – Response and Impact and works across teams to ensure that HSOT and FCDO systematically capture, analyse, and use learning and evidence of impact from across the HEROS programme. The role focuses on turning activity delivered through the contract, including preparedness, readiness, and crisis response, into structured learning and credible evidence of impact. In doing so, it supports adaptive management, strengthens accountability, and underpins high‑quality contractual reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• Learning and Knowledge Management: The MEL Officer supports learning and knowledge management across HSOT to strengthen evidence‑based decision‑making and ensure learning from HEROS activity is captured, shared, and used. This may include, but is not limited to:
• Lead the collection, documentation, and synthesis of lessons learned across HSOT.
• Support the dissemination of humanitarian‑relevant learning (operational, policy level, etc.) across HSOT and FCDO’s humanitarian team.
• Track follow‑up actions arising from lessons learned processes and support visibility of progress for the Senior Leadership Teams of HSOT and HCRD.
• Ensure learning is accessible and usable through the Central Lessons Log and other knowledge products.
• Support internal preparedness initiatives by helping ensure that learning from previous responses informs future planning and readiness.
• Impact Evidence and MEL Systems: The MEL Officer supports the development and application of MEL approaches that help HSOT and HCRD demonstrate the impact of the HEROS contract. This may include, but is not limited to:
• Support the implementation of contract‑wide approaches to track and explain HEROS impact across response activity, readiness, preparedness, and deployed expertise, including but not limited to response indicators and outcome harvesting.
• Contribute to evidence quality assurance by helping ensure that data and narrative reporting are consistent, credible, and clear.
• Support the integration of value‑for‑money considerations into evidence gathering and reporting.
• Contractual Reporting Support: The MEL Officer supports contractual reporting and related reporting products within the Response and Impact Pillar. This may include, but is not limited to:
• Coordinate MEL inputs into the drafting and coordination of contractual reporting, including quarterly reports, annual review inputs, and logframe/KPI submissions.
• Assist as needed with the consolidation of evidence and narrative content to clearly demonstrate programme results and impact.
• Advise and quality‑assure the monitoring and evaluation processes linked to contractual reporting, including organising response indicator data and supporting lessons learned inputs where relevant.
• Support the development of reporting and communications products by compiling information on programme delivery, learning, and impact.
• Duty Officer: HSOT provides a 24‑hour, 7‑day‑a‑week monitoring and alerting function for FCDO. The MEL Officer will be required to contribute to this function during office hours and, on occasion, out of hours. While acting as Duty Officer, the post‑holder may be expected to:
• Undertake routine monitoring of humanitarian developments and relevant media and information sources.
• Produce and circulate daily or regular monitoring updates, as required.
• Monitor for emerging humanitarian crises and escalate issues in line with agreed procedures.
• Contribute to alerts and situation reports during periods of enhanced monitoring.
• Undertake out‑of‑hours Duty Officer shifts on a rotational basis, where required.
• Crisis Response and Surge Support: During a humanitarian response, the MEL Officer will support the team as needed to maintain business‑as‑usual activity, contribute to priority response tasks, and undertake specific MEL activities.
• Provide flexible support to the Response and Impact Pillar and wider EWAR during crises, helping maintain business‑as‑usual activity and contribute to priority response tasks as needed.
• Undertake specific MEL activities in support of the response, including evidence gathering, reporting, and learning, as requested and subject to agreed priorities and available capacity.
• Ensure a clear lessons process is in place for each response, from sharing relevant prior learning to capturing lessons during and after the response, with continuity arrangements in place if needed.
• Support the collection and lead on the consolidation of response indicators from relevant teams.
• Support the Humanitarian Reporting Officer and Communications Advisor within the Pillar, as needed, to help manage workloads and maintain delivery during crises.
• Maintain readiness to provide remote or in‑person surge support, including deployment where required.
• Risk Management: Be aware of potential risks to effective and responsible programme management and contribute to mitigation measures according to job role. Be familiar with and actively participate in established risk management procedures, including reporting issues against identified risks and failures of mitigation measures. Contribute to risk assessment activities and suggest improvements.
• Other Duties: Participate in HEST training and work to mitigate safety and security threats for self and others. Undertake any other duties as appropriate to the position, as requested. Fulfil role of Duty Officer on rotation, providing week‑long out‑of‑hours surveillance of emergencies. Contribute to HEROS contract monthly, quarterly, annual contractual reporting on specialist portfolio, and provide support as requested in support of results‑based reporting. Support business Transition and Exit Planning: Play a pivotal role in adapting to system upgrades and organisational changes, ensuring the workforce is aligned with future business needs. Lead on providing data inputs during the transition phase. As appropriate, engage with Palladium EMEA regional team forums and initiatives. Work constructively with colleagues to achieve shared goals. Share knowledge, support others, and contribute to a positive team culture. Be open to feedback and willing to adapt to meet team needs. Collaborate constructively with colleagues to achieve shared goals and deliver impactful outcomes. Share knowledge and expertise to support team members and contribute to a positive, inclusive team culture. Remain open to feedback and demonstrate adaptability to meet evolving team and project needs.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

Essential:

• Experience in MEL, reporting, programme support, or a related role, ideally in humanitarian, development, or consultancy settings.
• Experience collecting, organising, and analysing qualitative and quantitative information for reporting, learning, and programme improvement.
• Strong drafting skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise outputs to tight deadlines.
• Experience supporting lessons learned, reviews, or other learning processes.
• Good understanding of core MEL concepts, including indicators, results frameworks, and evidence collection.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage information accurately and prioritise competing tasks.
• Ability to work effectively across teams and build strong working relationships.
• Attention to detail and commitment to producing high‑quality, accurate work.
• Adaptable and able to work effectively in fast‑paced, changing environments.
• Proficient in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, including data handling, basic analysis, and report preparation.
• Experience using knowledge management systems such as SharePoint.
• Comfortable using AI tools to support analysis, drafting, and reporting.
• Willingness and ability to undertake Duty Officer responsibilities and deploy at short notice, including to challenging environments.
• Fluency in English.

Desirable:

• Experience in humanitarian response, preparedness, or resilience programming.
• Experience supporting donor reporting, including logframes, KPIs, and quarterly or annual reports.
• Familiarity with MEL approaches such as outcome harvesting, after‑action reviews, lessons learned, or value‑for‑money analysis.
• Experience producing case studies, learning products, or evidence‑based communications materials.
• Experience working with international donors, UN agencies, INGOs, or local NGOs.
• Fluency in a second UN language.

As an employee of the Palladium Group working for FCDO, all staff is required to comply with the values and behaviours set out in Palladium’s Code of Conduct and the Civil Service Code and is under obligation to report any safeguarding concerns through the available reporting lines. In addition, the MEL Officer should follow HSOT safeguarding guidelines applying to their specific area of work and always look at reducing safeguarding risks by identifying the risks existing in their area of work and by implementing measures to mitigate these risks. This is a permanent role based in London. Candidates must have the right to work in the UK and a minimum of 2 years residency in the UK out of the last 5 years to be eligible for this post.