MEAL Coordinator

ROLE PURPOSE:

Position: MEAL Coordinator

Overall Purpose of the Role: 

The MEAL coordinator 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 Field 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.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Responsibilities:

Management and Leadership

• Provide overall supervision and leadership on the MEAL functions and strategy delivery at Field office level
• Prove supervision, mentorship and professional development to MEAL staffs in the field office so that staffs 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 & Field office level operations team.
• Ensure MEAL evidences (IPTT, project performance/action trackers, etc) are used for management decision making and continuous performance improvement and be part of the field office level management team members

MEAL System Development and Management

• Undertake responsibilities for the roll-out of the MEAL system in specified field office.
• Ensure that MEAL Team, field 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 roll-out of standardised monitoring tools and methodologies as required by the MEAL and 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 pillar 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 MEAL coordinator, FOM and other relevant bodies in the national office.
• Ensure periodic report are as per the standard quality, standard template, time frame 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 feedbacks

Learning and Knowledge Management

• Lead the implementation of LKM framework in the field office and support there is a functional LKM system and capacity in the FO.
• 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 Field office action tracker and monitor the utilization and application)

Technical Support and Capacity Building

• Undertake continuous staff capacity assessment and develop capacity building plans
• Provide trainings and capacity building for staff as required
• Ensure relevant staffs received proper orientations, inductions, training to help them deliver their MEAL responsibilities
• Sets standard and agreed performance objectives for all direct reports
• Conducts at least 6 One-to-ones on monitoring meeting in a year and have documents as evidence
• Conducts midterm performance review at midyear for direct reports
• Conducts end line performance evaluation for direct reports, documents and submits to HR

Programme design, research, evaluations, assessments and other studies

• Follow up FO/Themes periodically assess and update changes in children needs (especially deprived children)
• Ensure evaluations are undertaken as per the threshold and FO 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

Data Quality Assurance

• Define the Project’s data quality standards and identifying and resolving data quality issues proactively as well as reactively;
• Monitor the quality of the data (completeness, integrity, reliability, timeliness, etc.) coming from field offices, analyse and visualize the data applying different data analysis and data visualization ICT applications;
• Support project staff to collect good quality monitoring data in a timely manner and collect / organize data received for reporting to the country office and area office

Other

• Additional tasks and duties as and when needed to support the overall project and field office level activities. 

Humanitarian response

• Support activities to improve Child Protection Organizational readiness to respond to emergencies in line with global SCI humanitarian goals and benchmarks
• Be familiar with, adhere to and implement the procedures and processes detailed in the Rules and Principles for humanitarian response.
• As needed, mount appropriate and timely response to emergencies, consistent with established benchmarks, plans and organizational policies and in close cooperation with incoming surge teams.

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
• 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
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

Experience and Technical Competencies:

• BSc or (Preferably MSc) degree, Monitoring and evaluation, Statistics, Economics, Demography and other social science field of study.
• At least 5 years’ experience of working in M&E with experience of Data base management, developing M&E plans, training staff, capacity building, quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis and reporting and/or other aspects of M&E in both emergency and development contexts, preferably with solid experience in one or more of the following sectors: Health, Nutrition, Food Security, Livelihood and migration in NGO setting;
• Strong knowledge of data quality assurance, analysis, and reporting;
• Knowledge and/or experience of working on accountability initiatives, such as child participation, information sharing and complaints response mechanisms and learning and knowledge management;
• Hands on experience on MS Office applications, Statistical Software (both qualitative and Quantitative), tools for data management (DHIS2, Kobo Toolbox…) is highly desirable

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability and willingness to travel to Woreda and Keble level.
• Experience in and proven ability to support, train and mentor staff and partners in monitoring and evaluation methodology
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind-sets
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies
• Fluency in English, and other national/local languages both verbal and written essential

Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children strategy, vision, mission, values and principles,

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Desirable

• NGOs Experience working in a complex multi-culture working contexts in any one of the Support Services Areas and Experience in staff management.

Additional job responsibilities

• The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

COMPETENCIES 

• SC Values are: Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity, and Integrity. To meet the value system, the post holder is expected to demonstrate the following competencies on an ongoing basis.
• Leading Delivering result: Takes personal responsibility and holds others to account to deliver our ambitious goals for children, continually improving own performance or that of the team/organisation.
• Thinking applying technical and professional expertise: Applies the required technical and professional expertise to the highest standards; promotes and shares best practices within and outside the organisation.
• Engaging
• Working effectively with others: Works collaboratively to achieve shared goals and thrives on diversity of people and perspectives; knows when to lead and when to follow and how to ensure effective cross-boundary working.
• Communicating with Impact: Communicates clearly and confidently with others to engage and influence; promotes dialogue and ensures timely and appropriate messages, building confidence and trust with others