Regional Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officers (3 Positions)

Job Description

Job Title: Regional Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer
Group: Operations
Dept/Project/Service: Leaders in Teaching (LiT)
Reports to: Regional Technical Lead (Education Specialist) with technical line management to MEAL Manager
Responsible for: N/A
Usual office base: Regional office (with regular field travel)
Grade: 6

Project Overview:

The Leaders in Training (LiT) Ethiopia is a national programme aiming to enhance quality of teaching and learning in secondary education. The overall objective of the programme is to improve the transition of secondary school students to either post-secondary education or training or directly into the world of work by equipping them with relevant skills, knowledge, and attitudes through enhanced implementation of the competency-based curriculum. EDT are implementing this programme in partnership with two other organisations, one of whom, the Lead Partner, will also host the Project Management Unit (PMU).

Job Purpose:

The Regional MEAL Officer acts as the primary focal point for MEAL activities within an assigned region. The role is responsible for coordinating and implementing day‑to‑day monitoring, data collection, accountability, and learning activities at regional and field level.

The role works closely with programme staff, partners, schools, and regional education stakeholders, ensuring that high‑quality, timely, and accurate data is collected and reported, and that findings are reported to the MEAL Manager to inform programme management, learning, and accountability.

Job Objectives:

Regional MEAL Coordination and Data Collection

• Serve as the main MEAL focal person for the assigned region, coordinating all routine monitoring and data collection activities.

• Organise and support data collection at school, community, and partner level, working closely with zonal education officers, facilitators and implementing partners.
• Ensure MEAL tools and methodologies developed at programme level are applied consistently and appropriately in the region.

Data Quality Assurance and Management

• Conduct routine data quality checks to ensure accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of regional data before submission.
• Support the use of digital and paper-based MEAL tools for data capture, storage, and retrieval in line with programme guidance.
• Maintain organised regional MEAL records and datasets and submit required data to the MEAL Manager in agreed formats and timelines.

Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Support

• Work closely with regional programme teams, schools, education offices, and local partners to support effective monitoring and reporting.
• Support orientation and on-the-job guidance for zonal education officers, facilitators and partners on MEAL tools, indicators, and data collection processes.
• Act as a point of contact for regional education stakeholders on routine MEAL-related matters.

Learning, Reporting, and Adaptive Management

• Compile and submit regular regional MEAL inputs, summaries, and contributions to programme reports.
• Support reflection and learning processes at regional level by sharing monitoring findings with programme teams and flagging emerging issues, risks, or good practices.
• Contribute regional data and insights to programme-wide evaluations, studies, and learning products as requested by the MEAL Manager.

Accountability and Safeguarding

• Support accountability mechanisms, including community feedback processes, in line with programme guidance.
• Ensure MEAL activities comply with safeguarding, data protection, and ethical standards.
• Comply fully with EDT safeguarding policies, procedures, and the Code of Conduct.

Person Specification:

Knowledge

Essential:

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Statistics, Mathematics or equivalent qualifications/experience
• Good working knowledge of Programme Cycle Management and development
• Excellent computer skills especially statistical analysis using SPSS, STATA, Access, Excel, among others.
• A good knowledge of and understanding of project monitoring tools and techniques

Desirable:

• Further qualification in development studies, education or related field will be an added
advantage.
• In depth knowledge of the education and/or TVET system in Ethiopia

Experience

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience of implementing monitoring and evaluation systems on large-scale national reform programmes, preferably in Ethiopia
• Experience of working with data platforms, databases and other technologies to capture, organise and analyse data
• Experience with statistical packages (e.g. SPSS, STATA Atlas.ti or NVivo) and familiarity with IT applications to support MEAL, visualization and information management
• Experience working with field-based teams, schools and local stakeholders
• Experience collecting, organising and reporting quantitative and/or qualitative data and using digital data collection or data management tools

Desirable:

• Experience training and mentoring staff in monitoring and evaluation
• Experience of M&E on programmes for Mastercard Foundation, ideally in education
• Experience of taking part in research related to M&E

Skills

Essential:

• Excellent written and oral English communication skills
• High degree of computer literacy and word processing and spreadsheet/Excel skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others to provide high quality service
• Strong organisational and time management skills, and ability to manage tasks with precise deadlines.
• Have a high degree of integrity, tact, diplomacy and corporate spirit.

Education Development Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who comes into contact with us. We operate a zero-tolerance policy to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH).

Applicants must be willing to undergo safeguarding screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and police checks. Successful candidates will be required to sign a safeguarding declaration to confirm that they will abide by edt’s safeguarding policies and procedures, including, but not limited to, Protection from SEAH, and the Safeguarding Code of Conduct.

Education Development Trust also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and we may request information from relevant job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual misconduct, including harassment, during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.