Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) Consulting Firm

Job Title : Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) Consulting Firm
Project : NiWEMA Scale-Up Programme
Organisation : Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Pan-Atlantic University
Work Location : Nigeria (remote and field-based; travel to programme locations as required)
Contract Type : Five (5) years, retainer basis, renewable annually subject to satisfactory performance and continued project funding

BACKGROUND & RATIONALE
The NiWE-MA Scale-Up Programme is a five-year initiative targeting 750,000 female-led micro and small enterprise participants across Nigeria, delivered through an LMS-based online cohort model (40%) and physical training via EDC and implementing partners (60%), with participants engaged as individuals and through sector-based clusters in fashion, food, agriculture, and other industries. The scale, complexity, and dual-modality architecture of the programme demand robust, independently managed monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning function to ensure accountability to the funder, continuous programme improvement, and credible evidence of impact.
EDC has an in-house MERL team embedded within the NiWE-MA project team. The external MERL firm is engaged to provide three complementary and distinct functions: the design and technical oversight of the programme-wide MERL system; evaluation at baseline, midline, and endline; and ongoing monthly quality assurance of the in-house MERL team’s data collection, analysis, and reporting activities. The external firm’s activities will be a collaborative effort, maintaining independence from programme delivery with EDC providing the lead and overall direction.

SCOPE OF WORK
Workstream 1 — MERL System Design & Framework Development (Months 1–3)
● Working with the in-house MERL team, design the NiWE-MA programme-wide MERL framework, including the results framework, indicator matrix, and data collection and reporting protocols, covering both the online and physical delivery streams and both individual and cluster participation models. The MERL system will be aligned with the Mastercard Foundation Measures Mapping Tool and MEL plan.
● Undertake a comprehensive review of the existing MEL system, identify gaps and opportunities for improvement, and design and implement an automated end-to-end MEL system that enables efficient data capture, management, analysis, reporting, learning, and decision-making.
● Develop gender-disaggregated and sector-disaggregated indicators that capture the distinct outcomes of individual and cluster participation pathways across the programme’s five-year life.
● Design data collection instruments, surveys, interview guides, focus group discussion protocols, observation tools, and LMS-linked data extraction frameworks, appropriate for use across both delivery modalities and all programme geographies.
● Develop a MERL operational manual for the in-house team, defining roles, responsibilities, data flows, quality control procedures, and reporting timelines.
● Provide technical induction and capacity building for all MERL team on the approved frameworks, tools, and protocols.

Workstream 2 — Monthly Oversight & Quality Assurance (Years 1–5, ongoing)
● Review and verify the in-house MERL team’s monthly data submissions including participant enrolment, engagement, and completion data from the LMS, and attendance, assessment, and outcome data from physical training sessions, assessing accuracy, completeness, and compliance with the approved MERL framework. 
● Assess data quality against agreed standards, including accuracy, completeness, consistency, validity, timeliness, traceability, and verification of participant-level records. Produce a monthly MERL oversight report for the Project Director, summarising data quality findings, progress against programme targets, emerging trends, and recommended actions for the in-house team and programme management.
● Conduct periodic spot-checks and data verification exercises across both delivery streams including remote review of LMS analytics and field-based verification of physical training data in selected locations.
● Provide ongoing technical advisory and mentoring support to the in-house MERL team, building their capacity over the project life while maintaining the external oversight function.
● Flag data quality risks, reporting gaps, or indicator performance concerns, to the Project Director on a real-time basis as they arise but not limited to monthly reporting cycles.
Workstream 3 — Independent Evaluation (Baseline, Midline & Endline)
● Develop a robust evaluation methodology, including defensible sampling strategies, mixed methods approach, appropriate comparison logic where feasible, and disaggregation by delivery modality, geography, sector, age, and participation pathway.
● Design and implement a standardised baseline data collection process that captures comprehensive participant-level information at registration, establishing a reliable baseline against which participant progress, outcomes, and changes can be systematically tracked throughout the programme lifecycle.
● Conduct a midline evaluation at Year 2.5, assessing progress against programme targets, comparing outcomes between delivery modalities and participation models, and identifying programme adaptations required for the second half of the project.
● Conduct a final end-point evaluation at programme close, providing a comprehensive independent assessment of the programme’s achievement against its stated outcomes, the comparative effectiveness of the two delivery modalities, and recommendations for future programming.
● All three evaluations must be conducted while maintaining methodological rigour and freedom from conflicts of interest. 

Workstream 4 — Research, Learning & Adaptation (Ongoing)
● Develop a programme-wide Research and Learning Agenda and periodically review and refresh the agenda based on programme performance, emerging issues, stakeholder priorities, contextual changes and findings from MEL activities.
● Design and implement participatory mechanisms that ensures that the voices, experiences and perspectives of young women are at the centre of programme monitoring, learning and adaptation.
● Identify and prioritise key research and learning questions and undertake focused research studies, assessments, learning inquiries and thematic investigations.
● Facilitate quarterly learning reviews with the project team, synthesising data from both delivery streams to identify what is working, what is not, and what programme adaptations are indicated.
● Produce annual learning/knowledge products that translate MERL findings into accessible programme insights for EDC leadership, the funder, and external stakeholders.
● Contribute to the development of knowledge products including case studies, evidence briefs, and conference papers, that position NiWE-MA as a learning resource for women’s enterprise development at scale in Nigeria.
● Support the annual MERL framework review, updating indicators, tools, and protocols as the programme evolves and funder requirements change.

Workstream 5 – Routine Performance Tracking
● Establish and maintain a routine KPI tracking mechanism aligned with the programme results framework and theory of change.
● Develop mechanisms for routinely capturing and documenting changes experienced by programme participants and their households.
● Capture qualitative evidence, including participant stories, case studies and significant changes, to complement quantitative KPI data.
● Establish indicators and mechanisms for tracking changes in institutional practices, policies, partnerships, market systems, service delivery models and other relevant ecosystem-level outcomes.
● Monitor unintended outcomes, emerging risks and contextual changes that may affect programme performance and sustainability.
● Generate evidence and learning on the pathways through which programme-supported enterprises contribute to secondary work creation, drawing on experiences and lessons from Phase 1 and identifying opportunities that may have been underexplored or missed.
Workstream 6 — MERL Governance, Ethics, Data Protection & Independence (Ongoing)
● Establish and maintain clear MERL governance arrangements with EDC, including reporting lines, review and approval processes, coordination with the in-house MERL team, and escalation of material risks or data quality concerns.
● Develop and apply ethical data collection protocols, including informed consent, participant confidentiality, safeguarding considerations, secure data storage, anonymisation where required, and responsible use of participant-level data.
● Ensure all data collection, management, analysis, and reporting processes comply with applicable data protection requirements and agreed programme data governance standards.
● Maintain independence in the design and implementation of baseline, midline, and endline evaluations, including disclosure and management of any actual or potential conflict of interest.
● Document key methodological decisions, assumptions, limitations, and quality assurance measures to ensure transparency, credibility, and auditability of MERL outputs.

KEY DELIVERABLES
● NiWE-MA MERL Framework (results framework, indicator matrix)
● Centralized cloud-based MERL platform  ● Data collection instruments for both online and physical delivery streams  ● MERL Operational Manual for the in-house team  ● Monthly MERL oversight reports (60 reports over 5 years)  ● Baseline evaluation report  ● Midline evaluation report (Year 2.5)  ● Endline evaluation report (Year 5)  ● Quarterly learning review reports (20 over 5 years)  ● Annual learning briefs (5 over project life)  ● Annual MERL framework review reports (5 over project life)
 REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
● Registered consulting firm with demonstrable institutional capacity to manage a five-year national MERL engagement including a named team lead, a multidisciplinary MERL team, and sufficient resource depth to deliver monthly oversight alongside periodic evaluations.  ● Minimum of 10 years’ institutional experience in MERL for large-scale development programmes in Nigeria, including at least two programmes with national or multi-state reach.  ● Demonstrated experience designing and managing MERL systems for programmes with both digital/online and physical field delivery components.  ● Proven experience conducting independent evaluations (baseline, midline, endline) for donor-funded programmes, including mixed-method approaches with gender-disaggregated analysis.  ● Experience providing MERL oversight and quality assurance for in-house monitoring teams, including capacity building and mentoring functions.  ● Prior experience of women’s economic empowerment, enterprise development, or livelihoods programmes is strongly preferred.  ● Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative data analysis software (e.g. SPSS, Stata, NVivo, or equivalent) and experience with LMS-based data extraction and analysis is an advantage.
● Availability of strong safeguarding and ethical research policy and system respectively.

 EVALUATION CRITERIA
● Institutional MERL capacity and track record for large-scale national programmes in Nigeria (30%)
● Experience with dual-modality (online and physical) MERL system design and oversight (20%)
● Quality and relevance of proposed technical approach across all four workstreams (25%)
● Proposed team composition and relevant expertise of named team members (15%)
● Value for money of financial proposal (10%)


SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
● Interested firms should submit the following:
● Technical proposal of no more than 8 pages with detailed approach and methodology.
● Financial proposal.
● CVs of at least four key team members proposed for this engagement, including the lead evaluator. The lead evaluator must hold at least a postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline.
● Covering Letter.
● Company Profile.
● Evidence of similar work done (E.g. Job Completion Certificates, Job Completion Reports, etc.) or three relevant client references of similar work done.
Submission InstructionsAll proposals must be submitted electronically to gn.ude.uap%40tcejorpamewin with the subject line: “Proposal Submission – MERL Consultancy – [Bidder/Consulting Firm Name]”.
The deadline for submission is 21 September 2026. Proposals received after the deadline may not be considered.
Bidders should note that consultants/consulting firms that successfully scale through the evaluation stage will be required to submit additional documentation including audited financial statements, valid tax clearance certificates etc. for due diligence and verification.

The Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) handles all applicant data in strict compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023, processing submitted credentials solely for evaluation, due diligence, and contract execution. Access is restricted to authorized evaluation personnel using secure systems, and data is never shared for commercial purposes. Unsuccessful applicant records are safely archived or destroyed after mandatory audit retention periods, and applicants retain all statutory rights under the NDPA 2023—including data access, correction, and erasure—by contacting EDC’s Data Protection Officer.