Job Description

Title: Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Specialist

Location: Dolo Ado Field Office

Employment Category:  G2

Salary Range: As per the organization salary scale

Reporting To:  Area Manager

Posting date: November 11, 2024

Required Employee: 1       

INTRODUCTION

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. DRC Ethiopia began operations in 2009 and has been responding to the needs of refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and vulnerable host communities ever since.  DRC Ethiopia currently has programs implemented through five area offices (AO) in Gambella, Tigray, Somali (Jijiga & Dollo Ado) and Afar regions, as well as its country office (CO) in Addis Ababa.

OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

Under the direct supervision and management of the Dollo Area Manager, the MEAL Specialist will provide technical support to all projects and ensure all the required MEAL activities are implemented in Dollo area office. The specialist will ensure that the area office’s MEAL activities are in line with the country office MEAL framework as well as DRC global MEAL model. The specialist will work closely with Addis Ababa-based MEAL Manager, MEAL Coordinator and program team to ensure compliance with DRC’s MEAL requirements and best practices.

Responsibilities and tasks

• Ensure full compliance with DRC’s Global MEAL model and DRC Ethiopia MEAL framework in Dollo area office
• Maintain DRC MEAL systems and tools used to track project implementation progress and analyze the information to measure project results and progress and used for decision making purposes. 
• Participate in program design and proposal discussions, including support on MEAL components of project proposals including log frame design and budgeting for M&E.
• Develop and operationalize MEAL plans and matrix for all projects in Dollo area office based on project documents and existing MEAL systems.
• Provide technical guidance in the design and implementation of M&E activities for all sectors in the area office
• In close collaboration with the Addis Ababa-based MEAL Manager/coordinator and the program team, develop sector-specific data collection tools and ensure their proper use at Dollo field office. The position will ensure the timeliness and quality of data collection, and ensure all captured data is managed according to protection information management standards and best practices.
• Regularly update project management tools including project Indicator Performance tracker sheets and analyses them
• Produce monthly analysis reports with updates on the implementation status of all assigned projects. This will entail flagging areas of concern, developing recommendations for corrective actions to share with the Area Manager, implementing teams and MEAL Manager, and documenting lessons learned.
• Perform validation analysis of programmatic reports and facilitating improvements of record keeping and programmatic data reporting
• Take the lead in coordinating field-level assessments (e.g. baseline, midline, endline, PDMs), including leading and/or overseeing field data collection, training of data collectors, and the provision of support towards data analysis and reporting.
• Ensure timely submission of monitoring data through approved tools and mechanisms on a monthly basis including indicator tracking tools and analyses them
• Organize and facilitate field-level learning events on regular basis to capture, document and disseminate lessons learned for internal and external purposes and incorporate them in project designs
• Maintain a database of MEAL tools, reports and lesson learned at field office level
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to all projects at field offices including to the neighboring countries to ensure projects are on the right track and implemented based on desired way and provide timely feedback to inform decision making on progress, results (outcomes) and program quality improvement
• Engage in program team in DIP development and actively participate in organizing kick off meetings, review meetings and close-out meetings
• Assume responsibility for the implementation of functional and confidential complaint and feedback mechanisms in compliance with DRC Ethiopia’s Beneficiary Feedback and Response Mechanism, and all associated tools and SOPs, in the Dollo area office.
• Identify and conduct MEAL-related capacity building needs and opportunities for DRC’s program and partner staff on MEAL technical an conceptual areas in Dollo field office including on Core Humanitarian Standards and beneficiary feedback mechanisms and support program teams are well equipped and apply into their work
• Coordinate with regional technical lines bureaus and the Refugees and Returnee Services (RRS) for reporting purposes and during project monitoring exercises and terminal evaluations
• Engage in internal project data quality assessments and audits
• Provide support in preparing and reviewing reports and verifying consistency between collected data, means of verification, the IPTT and donor reports.
• Provide technical assistance and advise to Dollo team in the design and implementation of MEAL activities as well producing inductions to the field office staffs.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master

DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.  
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.  
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.  
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.  

Experiences and Qualifications

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• A minimum of 3 years of MEAL experience within the humanitarian or NGO field.
• Demonstrated experience translating log frames and results frameworks into monitoring plans, developing data collection tools and protocols, leading data collection and management process, designing and managing databases, and analyzing and reporting data.
• Sound technical skills in CHS, accountability, and establishing functional CFM systems
• Proven technical skills in monitoring and evaluation and experience with both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Excellent analytical, presentation, and report writing skills.
• Experience using software applications such as Excel, or statistics software such as SPSS, STATA.
• Previous experience with electronic or mobile data collection.
• Experience in facilitating MEAL trainings and capturing and disseminating lessons
• Ability in managing several activities effectively with desired quality and detail as well meeting deadlines

EDUCATION: (include certificates, licenses, etc.)

• At least university degree in Economics, Statistics, social sciences, development studies or relevant discipline

LANGUAGE: (indicate fluency level)

• English proficiency required.
• Fluency in Amharic required.
• Local language Somali is an additional asset

Skills Required

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