Mekuria A Mengesha

Senior MEL & Evaluation Specialist · Private-Sector Development & Development Finance · EU ROM Expert

Melbourne, MelbourneMember since November 11, 2025

Performance Management PlansEU ROM methodologyfield verificationaudit-ready evidenceSPSSStataPower BIEU/EDFUNIDOWorld BankUSAIDregional bureausWASHTVETprivate-sector developmente-governanceMS ProjectStrategic ManagementResearch MethodologyQuality Management Systems

About

Senior monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) specialist with 15+ years leading MEL systems, evaluations and results-based management for EU-, UN-, World Bank- and USAID-funded programmes in Ethiopia and East Africa, within a 34-year professional career. Senior EU Results-Oriented Monitoring expert (five missions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Zambia — including Amref Health Africa's family-planning programme and an FAO food-safety and nutrition programme involving the Ministry of Health) and UNIDO independent-evaluation consultant (€7.75 million LISEC terminal evaluation, 2025). Designed the M&E framework for Austrian Development Cooperation's Ethiopia Country Strategy 2019–2025 and led performance verification of EU/EDF programmes exceeding €55 million with the Ministry of Finance.

Built and led teams of 58+ national and international experts; works fluently in Power BI, SPSS, Stata and KoboToolbox/ODK. Known for turning monitoring data into verified, audit-ready evidence and adaptive-management decisions for government counterparts and donors.

Experience

Local Implementation Lead — EvaWater Business Idea Development, Ethiopia - PARKS Co., Ltd. (prime contractor / technology provider) — UNIDO JABP project; executing partner via TACT Services PLC - Addis Ababa

(2026-09 - 2026-10)

Ethiopian executing partner for the business-idea development of EvaWater applications in healthcare institutions (Output 1): healthcare use cases, sanitation and disinfection requirements, site assessments, regulatory considerations and stakeholder consultations.

Mapped healthcare use cases and infection-prevention/sanitation requirements with health-facility managers; site assessments, regulatory review and stakeholder consultations; findings consolidated into a decision-ready assessment for the technology provider (completion 31 October 2026).

National Evaluation Consultant (team member) - UNIDO — Independent Evaluation Unit (EIO/IEU) - Ethiopia (home-based + field missions)

(2025-04 - 2025-08)

Independent terminal evaluation of the EU/UNIDO Leather Initiative for Sustainable Employment Creation (LISEC), €7.75 million, Modjo leather cluster — under an international team leader, per UNIDO Evaluation Policy and UNEG norms.

Co-designed evaluation questions, KII/FGD instruments and the stakeholder map; prepared output-achievement verification tables against the results framework before fieldwork.
Led field verification across 4 tanneries and 5 abattoirs; consultations with the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Agriculture and regional bureaus; presented preliminary findings to stakeholders.
Drafted evaluation-report sections on effectiveness, efficiency, gender mainstreaming (72% female youth participation), occupational safety and health institutionalisation, and sustainability; report accepted under UNIDO/EU quality standards.

Founder & Director - ZOE Safe (TACT Services spin-off social enterprise) - Addis Ababa

(2024)

Start-up producing medical-grade hypochlorous disinfectant for health facilities and institutions.

Led the bankable feasibility study, financial model and investment appraisal; set up ISO-based quality-management and production-monitoring systems for an infection-prevention product.

Senior ROM Expert & Portfolio Quality Reviewer - EU Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM), East & Southern Africa — Particip GmbH consortium - Ethiopia · Kenya · Somalia · Zambia

(2022-06 - 2024-10)

Independent monitoring of EU-funded programmes against the EU ROM methodology (relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability), reporting to EU Delegation operational managers; independent quality review of technical outputs from a rolling roster of 25+ international experts.

Ethiopia — Amref Health Africa, “Scaling Up Family Planning for Resilience” (2023): assessed gender-responsive service delivery, policy alignment, monitoring data quality and sustainability in drought-prone regions.
Ethiopia — FAO, “Strengthening Agri-Food Systems for Safe and Healthy Diets” (2023): reviewed results, governance and stakeholder coordination involving the Ministry of Health — food-safety regulation and access to nutrient-rich foods; verified reported results against monitoring indicators.
Kenya — National Drought Management Authority, “Dryland Climate Action for Community Drought Resilience” (2023): institutional arrangements, monitoring systems and resilience results.
Somalia — “Strengthening Education and Training (SETS II)” (2023) and Zambia — “Strengthening Rights and Access to Education (SRAE)” (2022): TVET–labour-market alignment, inclusion, WASH, coordination with ministries in fragile settings.
Each mission: document review, KIIs/FGDs, field verification and data-quality checks; ROM report with recommendations to the EU Delegation.

Deputy Executive Director - Mary Joy Ethiopia (national NGO; USAID-, World Bank- and EU/EDF-funded portfolio) - Addis Ababa & regions

(2022-08 - 2023-08)

Second-in-command of a national NGO: programme delivery, M&E, donor compliance and reporting; 12 regional programme managers/officers and a pool of 22 national and 8 international short-term consultants.

Oversaw programme monitoring, data verification and donor reporting across USAID, World Bank and EU/EDF grants; supervised consultant deliverables against contractual requirements.
Coordinated with GIZ, the EU Delegation, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry and regional bureaus; organised training and learning events.

General Manager & Lead M&E / Private-Sector Development Consultant - TACT Services PLC — research, training & consultancy firm - Addis Ababa

(2015-07)

Lead a firm of 8 core staff with a roster of 35+ national and 15+ international associates delivering evaluations, M&E systems, strategies, feasibility studies and capacity building under 12+ international contracts (EU/EDF, UNIDO, Austrian Development Cooperation, World Bank- and USAID-funded programmes).

Embassy of India, Addis Ababa, with the Ministry of Agriculture — Export Opportunities Study for oilseeds, pulses, cotton, gemstones and coffee from Ethiopia to India (2024): directed the TACT study (trade-data analysis; interviews with exporters, associations, MoA, Ministry of Trade and Customs); recommendations on trade facilitation, exporter capacity building and India's DFTP scheme; launched by the Minister of Agriculture and the Indian Ambassador, 19 Aug 2024.
Austrian Development Cooperation — Ethiopia Country Strategy 2019–2025: led formulation support and designed the M&E framework and indicator set for governance and food-security outcomes.
EU Support to Trade and Sectoral Associations (EU-Ethio-SAB, €33.5 M) — Senior Evaluation & Technical Systems Expert (2019–2021): assessed effectiveness, resource use and reporting quality of 19 advisors' technical assistance; coordinated with the MoF National Authorising Office and Ministry of Trade.
EU/EDF programmes: verified budget alignment and performance for donor programmes exceeding €55 million with the Ministry of Finance; SME-ecosystem and nutrition-sector studies.
Ministry of Innovation & Technology — Lead Institutional Assessment Expert for e-governance capacity and public-sector digitisation mapping (2018–2022); support to the national e-Government strategy (2017); UNIDO Integrated Agro-Industrial Parks strategic assessment (2021).
Other TACT assignments (see tactservices.org/projects): M&E training for ISAPSO (HIV/AIDS prevention and support NGO); strategic planning and management training for HIDA; feasibility studies for Desta for Africa, Friendship Agro Industry and Nassa Braille; LIDI/UNIDO leather-export market study. Firm-level: quality-assure every deliverable before donor submission; recruit and contract experts; EU/EDF- and GIZ-compliant financial reporting.

Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist II - TACT Services PLC - Addis Ababa

(2010-09 - 2015-05)

Prepared ToRs, methodologies and sampling for baseline, mid-term and end-line surveys and impact evaluations; managed field data collection, data management and analysis (SPSS/Stata); designed Performance Management Plans; supervised 7 professionals.
Clients included Save the Children USA (baseline survey on basic education, Ambo & Dendi woredas) and the Leather Industry Development Institute (export-market strategy study).

Business Development (Supply Chain) Specialist - TACT Services PLC - Addis Ababa

(2009-06 - 2010-09)