Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager

Role Purpose

The MEAL Manager provides strategic leadership and oversight of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning activities across the TRAIL III and the Rural Connectivity for Improved Food Security Program ( RCFSP) projects in all project offices. In project locations without a dedicated MEAL Officer, the Manager acts as the MEAL lead, ensuring that MEAL systems are effectively designed and implemented for both programs. The role focuses on coordinating MEAL tasks across multiple project offices, strengthening project level learning, and ensuring accountability to stakeholders. Additionally, the Manager ensures that evidence and insights from TRAIL and RCFSP inform adaptive management, advocacy, and resource mobilization strategies.

Key Responsibilities

Design and Planning:

• Provides MEAL-related inputs during the revision and development of the project results framework and indicators performance tracking system.
• Coordinate with the programmatic staff in drafting the theory of change, impact hypothesis, and different levels of results and activities; drafting respective indicators for these results; and calculating and estimating the targets.
• During fund acquisition efforts, collaborate with the resource mobilization and partnership expert in drafting the MEAL-related chapters, sections and annexes of concept notes and proposals.
• Oversee development and implementation of the project MEAL system across regions.
• Ensure harmonization of MEAL plans and tools across the projects.
• Ensure the MEAL system follows the Helvetas Gender and Social-Equity standard
• Ensure MEAL activities for MEAL and non-MEAL staff are planned clearly and coordinated
• Responsible for leading the process of needs assessments and surveys (e.g., baseline, rapid assessment for emergency,) informing the project design and planning.

Monitoring and Reporting:

• Lead MEAL activities in regional offices without assigned MEAL Officers.
• Coordinate and supervise MEAL Officers, ensuring timely and quality data collection.
• Aggregate regional data and update project-level IPTT and dashboards for project as well as program level steering, management and reporting purpose.
• Ensure real-time monitoring using digital tools.
• Provide an input for the preparation of and providing feedback on periodic project reports for donors, government, and HELVETAS’ Swiss and Addis office.

Evaluation:

• Coordinate project-level evaluations and surveys (baseline, Annual Outcome survey, mid-term, final).
• Ensure consistency in methodologies and quality of evaluation reports.

Accountability:

• Oversee project accountability mechanisms across regions.
• Lead, and maintain the Feedback Handling Mechanism for the project in collaboration and coordination with concerned staff and partners.
• Develop and diversify feedback collection tools (e.g., post-distribution surveys, complaint systems) that are practical for stakeholders.

Learning:

• Lead and support the implementation/mainstreaming of learning efforts of the project.
• Ensure proper reflection, sharing and dissemination of findings and recommendations that results from MEAL activities, including leading reflection or feedback sessions/workshops (e.g., annual learning and planning workshops).
• Organize and maintain documents (e.g., proposals, agreements, MEAL documents, and periodic reports) at the designated space on the SharePoint of HELVETAS Ethiopia.
• Document lessons learned, best practices and case studies of the project and present or share through different channels such as reports, learning and exchange events.
• Promote the use of digital tools for internal and external knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Other Tasks:

• Liaise with donors and government on TRAIL project MEAL matters.
• Represent the project in MEAL-related forums and networks.
• Build capacity of MEAL teams and partners.
• Assists the supervisor in developing/reviewing the program level MEAL system including guidelines, procedures, tools, etc.
• Carry out other reasonable duties as assigned by her/his supervisor.

Education and Training:

• Masters Degree in Statistics, Development Studies, Social Science and related fields.

Professional Experience:

• Minimum of seven(7) years of experience in MEAL, with at least three(3) years in a managerial or supervisory role.
• Sound knowledge and experience in the concepts and application of theory of change, results measurement and monitoring systems.
• Experience and ability in analyzing and presenting qualitative and quantitative data, but also reflective thinking, and being able to understand the stories behind the data.
• Experience with donor reporting requirements and MEAL frameworks (e.g. log frames, results frameworks).
• Proven experience in development contexts and/or humanitarian assistance in emergencies.

Organizational and Methodological Competencies:

• Coaching and mentoring of other professionals on MEAL systems development.
• Proven ability in accountability towards external audiences and working with government and external support agencies on dissemination of results.
• Strong strategic communication skills with the ability to tailor messages to diverse audiences and influence policy, partnerships, and program visibility.

Leadership Competencies

• Ability to provide technical guidance and supervision MEAL Officers (where present).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities across different officers.
• Strong communication and facilitation skills.
• Ability to work strategically and collaboratively across departments.
• Proven experience of exercising leadership functions with increasing responsibility in an international environment related to development.