Meal Manager: Remote response Tigray team – Save the Children

Level 3 – the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people

Save the Children (SC) is responding to urgent health, nutrition, protection, WASH, education, and food security needs in the Tigray region. This MEAL Manager position will be responsible for remotely managing, communicating with, and advocating for all monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning staff on the Tigray response (currently 6 staff). This position will also be the primary focal point for MEAL requests and responsible for providing MEAL inputs on response strategies, proposals, donor deliverables, country office requests, and external-facing communications. The position will oversee the quality and standardization of MEAL tools and work closely with program implementation and program quality staff to ensure appropriate monitoring and evaluation of each project. 

The role will require close collaboration with the response senior leadership, sector-specific technical staff, proposal managers, operations, and administrative colleagues. It will also require dedicated attention and commitment to training needs and institutional knowledge management given high levels of staff rotation.

Due to the rapidly changing context, the post holder will often be expected to work outside the normal role profile and will need to vary working hours and days accordingly. The post holder will be based in Addis.

Reports to: Deputy Team Leader Programmes (Tigray response)

Staff directly reporting to this post: None. Dotted line management for up to 6 MEAL staff based in Tigray including MEAL Officers and MEAL Coordinators

Budget responsibility: None

Context: Humanitarian

Management and Leadership

• This role will provide supportive supervision by remotely managing at least 6 MEAL staff across three field office locations in Tigray: Mekelle, Adigrat, and Axum.
• Provide necessary oversight, mentorship, and capacity building to ensure the MEAL team are able to work effectively and produce quality data, reports, and other required deliverables in accordance with needs and requirements of the response team, Ethiopia Country Office, and donors.
• Lead or support on MEAL staff recruitments for the response team, and work with Human Resources staff to problem solve as needed.
• Provide MEAL onboarding for all new response staff across all sectors when they arrive in Addis, specifically training them on accountability and feedback response mechanisms and the output tracker.
• Ensure MEAL products (IPTT, project performance/action trackers, etc) are used for management decision making and continuous performance improvement by working with the response team and Tigray office.

MEAL System Development and Management

• Ensure minimum standards of Tigray-response projects are maintained in accordance with SCI MEAL in emergency procedure and Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct
• Support the Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader Programme on the analysis and reporting of progress on response strategic objectives.
• Ensure that all MEAL system documents and tools are kept updated on the response shared folder, in close coordination with the Tigray MEAL team. This includes but is not limited to the master response logframe, the output tracker, the MEAL workplan, MEAL staff organogram, response MEAL quality benchmarks, accountability/feedback response mechanism handouts, needs assessments, etc.
• Work closely with the response senior leadership, sector-specific technical advisors, and other response staff to ensure that everyone knows and fulfils their roles and responsibilities as it pertains to MEAL and reach data
• Conduct regular audits for data quality assurance on a regular basis and work with the MEAL staff in Tigray to troubleshoot any issues as feasible
• Ensure programmes/projects are using SCI Quality Benchmarks as part of their day to day implementation and quality monitoring practices
• 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).

Learning and Knowledge Management

• 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 application of learning and knowledge generated in decision making and programme improvement (maintain up to date Area Office action tracker and monitor the utilization and application)
• Champions the sharing and use of evidence and learning internally and externally

Reporting and proposals

• Accountable for the submission of MEAL updates and reach figures as part of the response situation update (sitrep) every month
• Accountable for submitting the monthly response output tracker to the Country Office, through coordination with the MEAL team in Tigray
• Review all major MEAL related donor reports (baseline, endline, annual reports, multi-agency needs assessments, etc.) prior to submission and ensure that they are publication-ready
• Lead on the MEAL components of proposals, and ensure that any inputs into the proposal narrative, budget, indicator table, and annexes are good quality and submission-ready

MEAL budgeting and procurement

• Responsible for tracking the MEAL budget across donors/programs and ensuring that all necessary staff and equipment are appropriately budgeted, in collaboration with Finance
• Ensure that approved budgets are then used to hire additional staff or procure budgeted equipment as needed
• Ensure that procurement requests and paperwork is submitted for any necessary MEAL equipment, and track these requests and follow up until fulfilment

Technical Support and Capacity Building

• Promote an organisational culture that promotes MEAL and understands its link to quality and accountable programming
• Provide support and leadership on Real Time Reviews (RTRs) and other internal evaluations
• Where feasible, ensure technology is efficiently used for data collection and analysis (e.g. through KoBo Toolbox), as well as for data management, supporting the design and development of databases while ensuring it is appropriate for the difficult context and limited internet/phone connectivity
• As feasible, provide routine trainings and capacity building for staff on MEAL requirements
• Ensure all areas are progressing against the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) on accountability including through mainstreaming information sharing in all projects and piloting complaints response mechanisms.

Programme design, research, evaluations, assessments and other studies

• Participate in programme design process and ensure MEAL components (monitoring, evaluation, assessment/baseline, accountability and learning) are appropriately planned for and adequately budgeted in the programme design.
• Ensure projects/programmes have SMART objectives & indicators, MEAL plan and are in consistency to each other
• Support the Tigray team in project/ programme baseline, evaluations, researches and assessment activities
• Synthesises data and disseminates evidence for programme improvement, advocacy and

Collaborative working with Ethiopia Country Office PDQ team  

• Establish strong relationships with the Ethiopia CO MEAL team to ensure good collaboration and communication
• Leverage existing CO MEAL tools and processes when appropriate, including the Feedback and Response Mechanism (FRM) online database; developing complementary offline tools as needed
• When appropriate, support on the design and roll-out of standardised CO monitoring tools and methodologies. Provide technical assistance and capacity building for staff in how to use and maximize use of tools and methodologies
• Ensure that response reach data and major reports are shared with the CO MEAL team
• Collaborate with CO colleagues as appropriate to conduct data quality assurance in project sites

Engagement with SC regional office, members, partners, and donors

• Communicate regularly with the SC Regional MEAL Manager, Response MEAL backstop, and member MEAL TAs to share any support needs or challenges
• Lead MEAL sections of presentations or webinars for members or donors
• Ensure that SC’s work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children. This will involve participation in coordination groups such as the Communicating with Communities Working Group.

Technical and Primary Competencies:

• Design and roll out of robust, adaptive and effective MEAL System and tools
• Understanding and applications of result based and highly participatory and empowering M&E system
• Ability to produce strong and high quality documents such as proposals, reports, technical papers
• Advance adaptive and innovative MEAL initiates/activities
• Strong data analytic and presentation
• Introduce and roll out digital solutions in MEAL
• Prepare training materials and undertake various capacity building trainings to staff and partners
• Problem solving including on communication and delegate responsibilities as needed given very limited communications with staff in Tigray.

Generic Competencies

• Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities. Promote innovation to find new and better approaches to driving progress for children.
• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalised children
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery and with strategic partners for sustained impact on child rights

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

• Minimum BA/BSc, and preferably a Master’s degree in relevant areas of social development or equivalent.

Essential

• Fluency in English, both verbal and written and able to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
• Minimum of 5 years M&E management experience in both emergency and development contexts, preferably with solid experience in more than one of the Save the Children priority sectors: education, protection, child rights governance, HIV/AIDs, health and nutrition, or food security
• Demonstrated ability to design and establish MEAL systems for emergencies
• Strong skills in collecting, analysing, interpreting and encouraging the use of both qualitative and quantitative data.
• Direct experience of working with communities in participatory activities. Experience and knowledge of systems for accountability to children and communities, including information sharing, the participation of adults and children, and feedback and reporting mechanisms.
• Proven capacity to supervise, train and coach/mentor staff
• 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
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies
• Commitment to Save the Children values

Desirable

• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant region/context
• Experience in promoting quality and impact through at least one cross-cutting area: gender equality and inclusion, adaptive and safer programming; child rights; disability; migration, and displacement.
• Experience and knowledge of Save the Children’s structure, mandate, and child focus

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.

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant procedures.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

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