Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer – Garowe 58 views

Note: The position is subject to securing fund.

Job Title: Method, Evaluation & Learning Officer (MEL) Officer
Department / division / team: International Department/Eastern Africa Division/Nairobi office – Somalia program.
NCA Line Manager’s name and job title: Project Coordinator
Functional / Technical relationship MEAL Advisor

ROLE PURPOSE:
This position exists to support the delivery of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) function in the ECHO funded Multi Sectoral Emergency Response to Drought Affected Vulnerable Populations project by ensuring and putting in place project monitoring systems, build the capacity of ECHO project MEL Assistants in the analysis and dissemination of data, handling complaint/feedback, improving project information sharing and community participation, update NCA Project Information Management Systems (PIMs). The MEL Officer will ensure effective implementation of NCA MEAL strategy in the assigned field offices (Eyl, Burtinle, Dangorayo and Galdogob) and other assigned field offices. He/she will support in the delivery of an effective MEAL function playing a key role in the expansion of NCA in the assigned areas to increase impact and enable positive change for drought affected communities.

KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Field based assessment, context monitoring, new project designs and Studies Evaluations
   1. Spearhead context monitoring and assessments to inform project implementation and new program development.
   2. Support proposal development processes by providing inputs to the Results Frame, M&E work plans and targets.
   3. Participate in the development of tools and guidelines for data collection, collation analysis and reporting for internally conducted studies and needs assessment.
   4. Provide support to internal/external reviews, evaluations, and lessons learned exercises.
   5. Build the capacity of the fieldworkers, enumerators and other project staffs on digital data collection and management.
   6. Ensure Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) for any distribution e.g Multipurpose Cash Assistance and hygiene kits and other supply.
2. Planning – ensure efficient & effective project monitoring, evaluation, accountability and reporting processes are in place and functional.
   1. Develop responsive and appropriate MEAL plans, systems and databases which integrate the cross-cutting targets and results across all project components.
   2. Ensure that the cross-cutting themes such as gender, disability, conflict, environment, are integrated in the project MEAL plans and systems.
   3. Ensure efficient and effective methods and tools for data collection such as Kobo collect are operationalized.
   4. Plan for outcome monitoring and generate real time data for project reporting.
   5. Ensure the M&E and reporting calendar for the project is developed, updated regularly and key M&E events shared with all staff.
   6. Support the on-boarding and logistical processes for external consultants doing project evaluations on behalf of NCA
   7. Identify project staff M&E gaps and needs and provide relevant MEAL trainings to project staff to enable them run and maintaining functional MEAL system for the project.
3. Program Quality Monitoring
   1. Develop a monitoring framework/plan to report activities according to framework.
   2. On monthly basis update the emergency project Indicator Tracking Table (ITT) in coordination with the project coordinator, MELL Advisor and project staff.
   3. Systemically check the ITT data for quality, accuracy, and consistency and undertake data quality checks field visits and provide feedback to project staffs as necessary.
   4. Maintain a tracking spreadsheet/schedule for field monitoring and undertake monthly field visits accordingly to monitor whether activities are implemented in line with the quality benchmarks.
   5. Produce quality field monitoring reports on quality-of-service provision using NCA monitoring reporting templates.
   6. Assist in designing and implementing qualitative and quantitative assessments as appropriate.
4. Evidence, Learning and reflection –
   1. Plan for and facilitate evidence, learning and reflection events at community level, with partners and NCA staff for the project in the assigned districts and regions.
   2. Identify, document, disseminate change stories, case studies, lessons learned, and best practices from the project.
   3. Plan staff and stakeholders quarterly review meetings on project monitoring and learning updates, achievements, challenges.
5. Digitization and data quality
   1. As PIMS focal point in the field, ensure all project documents are captured in the PIMS throughout the project cycle.
   2. Support the planning and scale up of digitization and innovation in the field.
   3. Collect data on project indicators and maintain an updated database on project progress.
   4. Conduct periodic data quality checks and ensure the accuracy of all data presented in reports to stakeholders including to local government units, partners, community beneficiaries, among others.
6. Accountability and Learning
   1. Act as a focal point for Community Response and feedback Mechanism (CRM) and ensure proper documentation. The Officer will manage key field-level accountability mechanisms, routinely analyse community feedback, generate trend reports, and capture lessons learnt and best practice for internal and external learning as well as use in future designs.
   2. Spearhead the implementation of strategies to achieve improvement in community engagement, information-sharing, community participation, complaints and feedback mechanisms by supporting the project teams to develop contextualized complaint and response mechanism to improve accountability to affected populations (AAP), as well as current project implementation and future programming conform to common humanitarian quality standards (CHS).
   3. Monitor adherence of NCA and project team to Common Humanitarian Standards (CHS).
   4. Ensure that accountability to beneficiaries and transparency become integral part of the emergency interventions under the project.
   5. Receive and register complaints and their responses in complaint database in the assigned area and make sure that complaints are logged in a professional and timely manner.
   6. Respond and communicate with the beneficiaries in a dignified manner regarding their complaints/feedback.
   7. Keep regular follow up of complaints, update complaint database on daily basis, handle them as per the accountability guidelines and shares the information with the relevant staff members.
   8. Provide support in ensuring that NCA hotline number is disseminated to the beneficiaries for all the project activities.
   9. Maintain an action plan tracker and keep a regular follow up on actions and resolutions agreed and undertake verification visits.

7. Any other duty assigned to you by your line manager(s)

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED
Essential

• Education qualification; Bachelor’s degree in Social Science, Statistics, Economics, Development studies, Monitoring and Evaluation and any relevant field.
• Minimum three (3) years of practical experience in MEAL system implementation in an international non-governmental organization or other international relief/development body or agency at the officer level.
• Background of implementing effective M&E systems and/or accountability mechanisms in emergency responses.
• Demonstrable track record in data tracking and evaluation, with the ability to support staff on M&E methodology and analyze and disseminate information to a range of stakeholder audiences.
• Computer literacy, particularly in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.  Knowledge and application of at least one statistical analysis software packages such as STATA, EXCEL, SPSS, R, SAS, is required.

•  Experience implementing Cash Based Programming is required.
• Demonstrated experience in building staff and partners capacity and mentoring a multi-sector team.
• Experience in working in both humanitarian and development context and in transition from emergency to recovery.
• Knowledge of humanitarian industry including Do No Harm (DNH), Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere standards, NGO code of conduct, PSHEA and Child safeguarding policies, and humanitarian charter is required.

Personal qualities

• Strong inter-personal skills, and proven team-player.
• Able to work in a cross-cultural environment with a multi-national staff with varied skill sets.
• Cross cultural sensitivity, balanced worldview, emotional maturity, and the ability to cope with stressful work conditions.
• Fluent in Somali and English
• Excellent analytical, communication and report writing skills.
• Experience in proposal development and fundraising
• Strong personal integrity and commitment to accountability.
• Able to work independently, able to prioritize and be self-motivated.

We Offer
Contract period: 1 year with possibility of renewal subject to availability of funding and performance review.
Salary: According to NCA salary scale.
Duty Station: Garowe.
Travel: Frequent travels

NB: Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as applications may be screened. Email application will not be accepted.
NCA is an equal opportunity employer and women, people with disabilities, and those from marginalized backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply.