MEAL Officer -Bale, Ethiopia

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

The role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

The position holder will be the main focal point and the go-to person for GPE/ school feeding program and other emergency projects’ data processing and related information.  Based in Robe, s/he will maintain the data base backups, produce reports, share information to central team, project team and follow guidance for data coders/sources. S/he will be responsible for the overall data quality assessment and provide regular feedback to hub MEAL manager and field staff.

The Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) officer is responsible to provide essential contaction at Save the Children program in Bale field offices for the program activities. She/he will be in charge of the planning, implementing, documenting, analysing and reporting MEAL activities and events of the project. The MEAL  Coordinator is responsible for donor requirement, SC MEAL Framework and specific programmatic approaches. S/he will ensure & strengthen that strong MEAL system is in place so that the implementation of the programs is of high quality to accountable to beneficiaries, partners and donors.

The position holder will be responsible for coordinating the MEAL activities of integrated health and nutrition projects in Woredas of Bale zone, Oromia region. S/He will ensure all data related to the projects are entered and analysed to inform and guide project implementation.

The position holder will be responsible for coordinating the MEAL activities by preparing ToR for qualitative and quantitative studies, utilises different tools, software and approaches for effective data and knowledge management, adapts design methodologies to meet specific objectives and context to be fit for purpose, uses available standards and processes to ensure appropriate ethical practice and data quality during data collection and interprets findings from data and draws appropriate conclusions for decision-making. Additionally, the position holder shows an understanding of accountability standards and guidance in own work, Demonstrates an understanding of the principles of safe Feedback and Reporting Mechanisms, database management and quality assurance, acts to close the feedback loop with communities to promote transparency and accountability.

Reports to:   MEAL coordinator

Dimensions: Save the Children works in Ethiopia with a current staff complement of approximately 2500 staff and current expenditure of approximately $100+ million each year.

Staff directly reporting to this post:  none

• Develop and implement a work plan for rolling out the MEAL system at program and Area office level.
• Ensures all program data entered in to MEAL Automation system, retrieves data from computer for appropriate data user.
• Undertakes data analysis and provides descriptive statistical information to appropriate data user
• In collaboration with MEAL Co ensures program data are well secured through electronic backup system and hard copy filing
• Assist and give a technical support to MEAL Co on developing and implementing M&E plans.
• Support project staff to collect good quality monitoring data in a timely manner and collate / organize data received for reporting to the country office and area office.
• Closely work with the MEAL manager and Addis team and other field level MEAL staff on the design and rollout of standardised monitoring tools and methodologies.
• Provide technical assistance and capacity building for project staff and partners’ staff on development and use of MEAL tools and methodologies.
• Participate in the regular report preparations, generating and analysing data from monitoring data and communicate findings effectively to appropriate persons and units.
• Conduct qualitative M&E (against international standards through participatory methodologies (including child-friendly methodologies).
• Provide technical support and participate as required in all other aspects of MEAL, for example surveys, baselines, evaluations, joint projects monitoring and reviews / lessons learning workshops/events.
• Support MEAL CO  on accountability activities, including the development and use of information materials and the establishment of a pilot complaints response mechanism,  ensure that complaints are logged and addressed in a professional and timely manner and that serious complaints relating to abuse, exploitation and corruption and referred appropriately.
•   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.
•  Update Indicator Performance Tracking Table(IPTT) on monthly basis to monitor progress towards achieving project outcomes and outputs;
•  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
•    Prepare data reports (tables, charts, narratives, visuals) at regular intervals and ad hoc as needed to respond to requests for information, inputs to project work plans and internal monthly and quarterly reports, program review meetings/learning events and other internal and external data analysis and reporting requirements;
• In collaboration with MEAL CO , organize and facilitate regular meetings with project staffs including partners to review data collection activities, accuracy, and completeness of the data; Support on Monitoring and Evaluation
• Work with all staff in the organisation to increase capacity in Accountability through training and direct support.
• Promote learning throughout the area office, particularly on issues of programme quality.
• Regularly produce and report on best practices and case studies; ensure new analysis and information is available, including for the forthcoming communications strategy
• Ensure that children, women and other vulnerable community members are included in all MEAL activities

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

• BSc/BA/ MSc/MA degree in an area of public health, Nutrition, statistics, social development or equivalent.
• Recommended a minimum of five years, among these three years NGO experience in a MEA role in both emergency and development contexts, preferably with solid experience in more than one of the following priority sectors: health and nutrition, WASH and emergencies
• Good leadership, coordination and management experience.
• Knowledge of latest health related technical guidelines and standards in emergency nutrition, health and WASH.
• Experience in community based management of malnutrition (CMAM) and primary health care (PHC).
• Good knowledge on indicator performance tracking (IPTT) and output tracker (OT)
• Monitor quality implementation program based on woreda quality bench mark tools
• Demonstrated ability for leadership and independent decision making
• Strong interpersonal skills & excellent team player.
• Willingness and ability to work in hardship environment and meet tight deadlines.
• Cultural and gender sensitivity
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Afan Oromo (Mandatory)