Consortium MEAL Lead – FCDO Transforming Education in Ethiopia

Job Description

About the role: This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the field of education in Ethiopia as a key member of a consortium that is putting together a compelling and innovative bid for the forthcoming five-year “Transforming Education Programme in Ethiopia (TREE)”. As MEAL Lead, you will be based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with frequent visits to specific regions to be covered by the programme and other locations as necessary.

You will report to the Consortium Team Leader. Regular day to day liaison and coordination will be with the Education Programme Coordinator and Concern Worldwide’s Technical Advisers, operations functions in Ethiopia and at head office. You will work closely with consortium members, the Core Programme Management Team, the Ministry of Education, the donor, and other key education stakeholders in Ethiopia.

This role is contingent on funding being secured.

Job Title:                          MEAL Lead, FCDO Transforming Education in Ethiopia (TREE).

Reports to:                       Team Lead, FCDO Transforming Education in Ethiopia (TREE).

Terms:Fixed Term, Unaccompanied. Can be national or international posting.

Salary:                               TBC

Requirements:                Regular travel within Ethiopia

About Concern:               Established in 1968, Concern is a non-profit, non-governmental humanitarian organisation, dedicated to the reduction of suffering and the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Concern’s vision, our mission and our work are all defined by one goal – ending extreme poverty, whatever it takes. Concern strives for a world free from poverty, fear and oppression.

Our culture is values driven and we believe that our people are central to all that we do and are key to delivering on our goal of Reaching the Furthest Behind First. We are committed to ensuring a workplace where everybody feels valued and are enabled to succeed in their work and contribute to delivering on our mission.

Concern believes that education is at the heart of development and is key to breaking the poverty cycle, and improving health, nutrition, income, and opportunities for all children. Our education programming aims to improve the lives of extremely poor and vulnerable children in a sustainable way by increasing access to high quality primary education and supporting wellbeing.

Background of the FCDO Transforming Education in Ethiopia Project:

In Ethiopia, many children are out of school or at risk of dropping out, in particular girls and other marginalised groups. Progress has been made in expanding education access for children across the country, however, since 2019 progress stalled due to conflict and instability, climate-induced shocks, and the impact of Covid-19 and wider macroeconomic challenges around inflation which exacerbated existing inequalities.

In response, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) aims to improve teaching quality and learning outcomes and increase access to education for girls and marginalised children through the ‘Transforming Education in Ethiopia’ project (2024-2028). The project will focus on three key components below:

• Teacher and school leader development: Improved quality of teaching and learning with a focus on continuous teacher professional development in targeted schools.
• English Language Teaching and Learning: Selected schools provide better teaching and learning in English Language as a subject, and improved use of English across the curriculum.
• Equity, Inclusion and Girls’ Education: Improved access and retention of the most marginalised children, particularly girls.

Role Purpose:

The MEAL Lead will be responsible for developing and implementing the project’s Monitoring, Evaluation, Adaptation and Learning Strategy and monitoring plan in accordance with Concern & consortium, FCDO, and international best practices. The MEAL Lead will work closely with MEAL advisors and technical staff across the consortium to ensure that relevant data is collected, analysed, and used to inform management and design decisions and to provide project updates, as required.

Responsibilities:

• Design, manage, and implement a comprehensive MEAL system across all project components, integrating qualitative and quantitative methods from diverse data sources to monitor progress, assess impact, and support collaboration, implementation science, learning, and adaptation.
• Lead collection of periodic data reports and compilation of narrative reports, submitting them to the Team Lead, as necessary.
• Effectively communicate M&E findings to the Team Lead, programme staff and external stakeholders, including the FCDO, to facilitate informed decision-making.
• Develop and enforce procedures for the accurate collection and reporting of programme performance data to ensure data quality and timeliness.
• Evaluate and refine data collection procedures, conduct data quality assessments, and implement necessary adjustments.
• Conduct regular site visits to provide technical assistance and ensure effective monitoring of programme activities.
• Offer training, guidance, and consultation on interpreting and utilising performance benchmarks, indicators, and reports as needed.
• Oversee the planning and execution of baseline, midline, and endline surveys, and programme evaluations as well as the day-to-day management of the MEL system.
• Lead the programme’s learning agenda and support the integration of learning and evidence into practice.
• Contribute to the refinement of the programme strategy, including proposing necessary adjustments to the work plan.
• Promote and ensure adherence/compliance with Concern Worldwide’s Code of Conduct & Associated Policies (including Programme Participant Protection, Child & vulnerable adult Safeguarding, Anti-Trafficking policies), Conflict of Interest Policy, Anti-Fraud Policy, and Modern Slavery Transparency Statement.
• Promote and ensure accountability to programme participants and wider communities in line with Concern Worldwide’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and Do No Harm principles and ensure high ethical standards throughout programme implementation.

Role Holder Requirements:

Required:

• Advanced degree (master’s or equivalent experience) in social science, evaluation research, international development, statistics or related field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years’ experience in MEAL for similar education programmes.
• Significant experience in carrying out MEAL activities in hard-to-reach areas.
• Experience of understanding and interacting with research and adaptive learning processes.
• Experience and ability to provide leadership and strategic direction.
• Experience and ability to work with and build effective partnerships between a broad range of stakeholders, including consortium partners.
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written, with the ability to articulate complex information backed with evidence to advocate to and persuade influential stakeholders.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.

Desirable:

• Experience working in East Africa, preferably Ethiopia.
• Prior experience in commercial contracts.
• Experience ensuring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and deliverables are measurable and achievable within commercial contract payments by results methodologies.
• Fluency in one or more Ethiopian languages.

We encourage all eligible candidates, irrespective of gender, ethnicity or origin, disability, political beliefs, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status to apply to become a part of the organization. Concern is against all forms of discrimination and unequal power relations and is committed to promoting equality.

If this role sounds right for you, please apply with your CV and cover letter. We will respond to every applicant. Please be aware we may offer positions before the closing date. Concern reserves the right to interview and select the chosen candidate before closing date for receipt of applications, so early application is strongly recommended.

If you have any concerns about our recruitment process and need particular assistance – for example if you have a disability e.g. a hearing impairment – please let us know and we will do our best to respond to your needs.

Recruitment for this role is contingent upon the successful award of the project, and the final applicant’s selection is subject to FCDO approval.