MEL Consultant / Senior Consultant

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions businesses need to navigate today’s changing world.

Our clients are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy - and the owners and management teams that lead them.

We’ll broaden your horizons

Our Advisory team provide a wide variety of services that deliver value-led advice and outcomes. They have an in-depth knowledge of business, industry sectors and markets and understand the constantly changing risks and opportunities at the heart of our clients’ affairs. The team work across strategy, operations and improvement as well as at a transactional and defined project level. From technology to risk advisory, they’re experts in following through on top-level instructions and resolving the finer details – all in one straight-forward package. When you join them, you’ll work on some of the world's most exciting financial operations and business deals, building your experience and expertise alongside the brightest minds in the industry.

International Institutions and Donor Assurance (IIDA) works closely with global clients such as the World Bank, FCDO, UN agencies, the European Commission, Foundations and other Development Agencies, particularly those involved in international development. IIDA provides MEL services, particularly third-party monitoring (TPM) and Value for Money (VfM) analyses, in addition to assurance services, including financial and systems audits, certifications, internal control assessments, technical assistance, and consultancy services to international institutions. Our team’s work makes a difference, helping international organisations to perform better and to improve economic, social and political conditions in countries all around the world.

This Monitoring Evaluation Learning (MEL) Consultant will join the International Projects Group (IPG) sub-team. The focus will be assignments in developing nations and emerging markets, working principally for bi- and multi-lateral agencies such as the World Bank and FCDO. Our current projects cover areas such as TPM, aid oversight, public financial management and governance, and economic development. We are currently working in contexts such as East Africa, Middle East and Balkans, and are expecting to expand this list further – this means that in your role, you will get the opportunity to broaden your horizon by working in multi-cultural teams on projects that span the globe.

You will join as a MEL Consultant / Senior MEL Consultant in the Consulting area of our IIDA department. You will work with a diverse team to design, deliver and manage MEL assignments as well as contribute to research studies, VfM analyses, and other consultancy assignments.

This is an exciting role for an entrepreneurial individual with an interest in helping us grow our MEL portfolio. In addition to technical delivery and project management, the role will involve working flexibly across the team to spearhead business development for MEL contracts, support refinement of BDO’s existing TPM offer, and lead in developing our MEL proposition further.

You’ll be expected to engage in:

Business development (50%)

• Coordinate and manage submission of expressions of interests and proposals to support winning new work
• Lead the design of innovative and adaptive MEL approaches for bids, especially for international clients such as FCDO and the World Bank
• Engage with and identify appropriate contractors and external consultants for bids
• Network with stakeholders to gather market intelligence, seek referrals, and look for opportunities to cross-sell

Technical design and delivery (20%)

• Understand client needs and support translating these into useful deliverables
• Provide technical MEL advice and input, including for example on Theory of Change development, MEL framework design, sampling strategies, data analysis plans, data collection approaches, use and influence plans, and data visualisation and reporting
• Contribute to or lead the production of detailed, precise and clear assignment reports, based on robust and evidence-based findings
• Design, manage and report on VfM analyses
• Review and quality-assure working papers and outputs

Project, team and client management (30%)

• Manage project teams consisting of internal staff and external contractors/consultants
• Lead key meetings and establish strong relationships with clients and other stakeholders
• Plan and coordinate workflow for assignment teams working remotely and in-country to ensure timely, high-quality delivery within budget
• Manage project finances and ensure adherence to company processes
• Work with the IPG team to build in-house capacity on MEL including by mentoring staff and by developing standardised guidance, templates, and tools

You’ll Be Someone Who Has

• Several years’ experience working within international development, international affairs, public policy, or the consultancy sector
• Successful track record of delivering research studies, evaluations, TPM reports, VfM analyses, or Theory of Change support in a developing country context
• Solid understanding of quantitative or qualitative research methods, and of commonly used theory-based or participatory evaluation approaches
• Experience of developing winning technical and commercial proposals for donors such as FCDO, UN bodies or the World Bank
• Strong analytical skills with ability to condense, refine, and tailor large amounts of qualitative and quantitative data for external audiences
• Exceptional written and spoken English skills, and an ability to communicate in a clear, professional, and constructive manner
• Proficiency in MS Word and MS Excel
• Willingness to travel and work abroad for brief periods including in fragile and conflict-affected environments

It will be desirable if:

• You have experience working with FCDO Logframes and in designing metrics for measuring outcomes, intermediate outcomes, and outputs
• You have had exposure to adaptive, complexity-sensitive, and systems-based approaches especially in fragile and conflict affected settings
• You have experience working with analysis software such as NVivo or SPSS, or with data visualisation software such as Power BI

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to the business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer everyone the opportunity to work in ways that suit them, their teams, and the task in hand.

At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

We’re in it together

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

We can provide the best support for our clients and people when we’re working side by side. Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value for our clients and satisfying experiences at work, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

We’re looking forward to the future

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy.

Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in them. Across 17 UK locations, we are 6,500 unique minds coming together to help our clients reach their ambitions.

We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.