Job Description

LOCATION:  Jigjiga (With frequent travel to Gode, Dollo & Moyale )

GRADE:  2A

Vacant Position: 1

POST TYPE: National

Child Safeguarding:

Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.

ROLE PURPOSE: 

The Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager is responsible to assist Area Manager and Area Office MEAL Advisor in designing and implementing of a robust, quality, comprehensive, and integrated MEAL System for all programs that meet SCI standards, strategic and annual planning, internal reporting, as well as program development and MEAL resources.  S/he also oversees the quality, and standardization of MEAL tools and use and works closely with program implementation and program quality staff to ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation of each project.  

The MEAL manager role will provide essential support to Save the Children’s programmes by supporting leadership and management, roll-out of the MEAL system and building capacity at the field level to deliver against SCI’s Minimum Operating Standards in his/her respective area office. He/she will build systems and staff capacity to ensure that SCI programmes are of high quality to beneficiaries and donors and learning is institutionalized for program improvements. This position will be responsible for a specific geographic location/s under the east area Offices, as per the CO structure.

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

Dimensions: Save the Children East Area Office works in 3 regions in Somali, East Oromia, and Harari, has 17 active projects worth more than $15M in 2021 with field offices in Jigjiga, Gode and Dollo-Ado with a total staff of 421.

Reports to: East Area Manager (in line management) and Area Office MEAL Advisor (in dotted line management)  

Staff directly reporting to this post:  Field based MEAL Co/Officers with dotted line.

Budget responsibility: none 

Context: Development and/or Humanitarian

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

Management and Leadership

• Provide overall supervision and leadership on the MEAL functions and strategy delivery at East Area office level.
• Provide supervision, mentorship, and professional development to MEAL staff in East Area Office so that staff have the required capacity and enthusiasm to undertake their responsibilities.
• Provide oversight of MEAL budget and ensure effective and timely utilization for the appropriate MEAL activities.
• Be the key link among the MEAL team, East Area Office operations team and PDQ team at Addis
• Ensure MEAL evidence (IPTT, project performance/action trackers, etc) are used for management decision making and continuous performance improvement and be part of the area office level management team members/

MEAL System Development and Management 

• Provides strategic and technical guidance to address systemic weaknesses in MEAL systems in the area office. 
• Undertake responsibilities for the roll-out of the MEAL system in specified area offices/geographic locations.
• Ensure that MEAL Team, area operations and project staff understand the various steps and tools for the MEAL system and that this is used consistently across projects / areas.
• Ensure programmes/projects are using Quality Benchmarks as part of their day to day implementation and quality monitoring practices
• Support on the design and roll-out of standardised monitoring tools and methodologies as required by the field level teams.
• Ensure every project has at least 30% engagement (level of effort- LoE) by respective MEAL personnel. 
• Ensure functional accountability mechanisms are in place as the four pillars of accountability (Information sharing, participation, establishing and implementing Compliant and Feedback Mechanisms (CFM), and staff capacity building.
• Ensure that regular monitoring/MEAL reports are received and communicated effectively to Area Manager, MEAL Advisor, FoMs and other relevant bodies in the Area Office
• Ensure periodic reports are as per the standard quality, standard template, timeframe and communicated accordingly.
• Ensure communities and children know their rights and entitlements, have access to project information and participate in decisions that affect them.
• Ensure communities and children have access to safe and responsive mechanisms to handle their complaints and feedback.
• Champions the use of accountability data and community participation analysis to influence strategic decision-making and advocacy.

Learning and Knowledge Management 

• Lead the implementation of Evidence and Learning Management framework in the area office and support there is a functional ELM system and capacity in the Area Offices
• Support programmes in the identification of learning objectives and evidence gaps.
• In close collaboration with program team facilitate in generating, storing, and sharing knowledge (most significant change story, meta-analysis, research/evaluation summary reports, etc).
• Ensure utilization of learning and knowledge generated in decision making and programme improvement (maintain up to date Area Office action tracker and monitor the utilization and application)
• Champions the sharing and use of evidence and learning internally and externally.
• Leads on behaviour change and innovative approaches to improve the utilization of evidence and learning for decision making.

Technical Support and Capacity Building

• Undertake continuous staff capacity assessment and develop capacity building plans. 
• Provide trainings and capacity building for field-level staff as required.
• Ensure relevant staff received proper orientation, induction, training to help them deliver their MEAL responsibilities.
• Sets standard and agreed performance objectives for all direct reports.
• Conducts at least regular monitoring meeting in a quarter and have documents as evidence.
• Contribute to the performance evaluation of MEAL team at Area office as relevant.

Programme design, research, evaluations, assessments and other studies

• Ensure projects/programmes have SMART objectives & indicators, MEAL plan and are in consistency to each other.
• Ensure evaluations are undertaken as per the threshold and area offices maintain up-to-date evaluation trackers to monitor delivery and action planning.
• Lead/participate in project/ programme baseline, evaluations, researches and assessment activities in his/her areas of jurisdiction 
• Synthesises data and disseminates evidence for programme improvement, advocacy and campaign purposes.
• Innovates with technology to find different methods for presenting data to non-experts.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability: Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values. Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition: Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development, and encourages others to do the same. Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others and Future orientated, thinks strategically.

Collaboration: Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters. Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength and Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity: Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions and Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity: Honest, encourages openness and transparency

Experiences and Qualifications

• Minimum BA/BSc.; preferably a Master’s degree in relevant areas of social development or equivalent.

Essential

• Minimum of 6 years for BA/BSc holders or 4 years for MA holders of programming experience within the aid sector, working in MEAL roles including in coordination responsibilities, preferably linked to one of Save the Children’s priority technical sectors (Child Poverty, Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Education, Health & Nutrition, Livelihoods/resilience, and WASH), and with the majority of that time focused on overseeing comprehensive MEAL systems that ensure programme effectiveness and quality.
• Understanding of both emergency/humanitarian and development contexts, with a preference for experience in both contexts.
• Demonstrated commitment to creating a learning culture.
• Solid and relevant experience adhering to international quality standards (Red Cross Code of Conduct, Sphere, CHS) or equivalent.
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies or proposal development.
• Experience and knowledge of evidence generation and learning on what works (and doesn’t work) for children, including designing/commissioning, implementing, and applying: needs assessments, baseline studies, evaluations and research, learning workshops, and learning agendas.
• Direct experience of working with communities in participatory activities. Experience and knowledge of systems for accountability to children and communities, including information sharing, the participation of adults and children, and feedback and reporting mechanisms.
• Ability to prepare and facilitate technical MEAL training and workshops. 
• Direct experience working with communities in participatory activities.
• Proven success in building and managing a team and dedication to developing staff capacity through training, supervising, coaching, and mentoring.
• Experience in participating in/leading organizational improvement processes.
• Skilled at communicating and influencing across relevant teams and offices.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind-sets.
• Demonstrable analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in solving complex issues through analysis, defining, and planning a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in.
• Ability to present complex information clearly and concisely.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Ability and willingness to be flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure contexts, including flexibility to work with incoming emergency response teams.
• Proficiency in relevant data collection and analysis software; including both qualitative and quantitative data analysis software.
• Ability to work independently and as part of teams/groups.
• Strong remote-working abilities and self-motivated.
• Willingness to travel to field sites.
• Fluency in a national language required.
• Proficient in speaking and writing English.
• Commitment to Save the Children values.

Desirable

• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant region/context.
• Experience in promoting quality and impact through at least one cross-cutting area: gender equality and inclusion, adaptive and safer programming; child rights; disability; migration, and displacement.
• Experience and knowledge of Save the Children’s structure, mandate, and child focus.

KEY COMPETENCIES

Technical competencies:

• Ensures linkages across portfolio ensuring quality and coherence of MEAL systems and evidence gathering.
• Manages resources and capacities to develop and maintain quality MEAL systems.

Generic Competencies

• Child Rights: Promotes an enabling environment for participation, and accountability to children.
• Be the Innovator: Promotes innovation to find new and better approaches to driving progress for children.
• Deliver Results at Scale: Promotes a clear focus on impact in a project and programme design, management, and oversight.

Skills Required

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