Senior MEAL officer -Waghimra

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL VACANCY ADVERTISEMENT For Senior MEAL officer Country Office: Ethiopia Work Base: [Waghimra] Availability: As Soon As Possible Salary Scale: EMS–07 Insurance – (Life, Group Personal Accident and Medical Insurances are covered upon the organization policies). Seniority Allowance – paid depending up the years of service. Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position.

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger-USA is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. We save the lives of malnourished children and we enable entire communities to be free from hunger. With more than 8,000 staff in over 50 countries, our programs reached 17 million people in 2019.

About the Country Program in Ethiopia

Action Against Hunger has been operational in Ethiopia since 1984 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sectoral strategy where nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience. Action Against Hunger currently operates in 5 different regions (Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, and Gambella) with a portfolio of 20m USD/year of emergency, resilience building, research, and innovation programs. We have a country team of around 600 staff in 17 regional and satellite offices. Our main donors in Ethiopia in 2020/2021 are BHA, ECHO, Europaid, UNHCR, UNICEF, GFFO, BPRM, SIDA, EHF, WFP, CIAA, and others.

Summary of Position

The Senior MEAL officer is responsible to oversee the overall MEAL functions and day-to-day management of the MEAL activities at the base. The MEAL Manager role will provide essential support to ACF’s programme by supporting leadership and management, roll-out of the MEAL system and building capacity at the field level to deliver against the minimum Operating Standards in his/her respective base. He/She builds system and staff capacity to ensure that the organization programmes are of high quality to beneficiaries and donors and learning is institutionalized for program improvements. He/She will ensure proper planning and implementation of the monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning activities, monitor day to day activities in the field, and oversee proper delivery of activity progress reports, donor and partner reports.

Purpose

To contribute to the progress of the country’s MEAL system towards its strategic goals through developing and maintaining an effective MEAL system in designated base.

To provide support to project implementation and to lead the process of MEAL, create conditions so that learning is fed into program decision-making, data and implementation fidelity maintained.

Ensure the compliance of key MEAL related principles and standards, facilitate the capture and dissemination of learning and best practices, internally and with external stakeholders

Engagement

Internal

Senior Program manager, filed Coordinator: hierarchical relationship + exchange of information MEAL head of department and capital MEAL team exchange of information + technical support

External

Local governmental and non-governmental partners: exchange of information, coordination, training, supervision, influence on the choice of technical options Local authorities: exchange of information, participation in regular M&E activities Local representatives of international aid organizations: exchange of information

Delivery

• Ensure the completeness, quality, timeliness and accuracy of DHIS II monthly reports of projects within the intervention area
• Follow up and track accountability reports using existing CFRM platforms using the dashboard, and ensure the base team and key stakeholders are aware of the accountability system, process and procedures
• Monthly MEAL Activity and budget performance tracking and implementation
• Lead and conduct PDMs, facilitate baseline and end line evaluation and different survey reports
• Facilitate Beneficiary verification and validation activities and develop reports
• Review periodic donor reports and for quantitative part and ensure the MEAL and accountability activities are integrated with donor reports
• Lead the implementation of QBM, AAR, and other evidence generation and
• Lead the implementation of program quality and routine monitoring reports, including the follow-up on implementation of agreed mitigation measures
• Facilitate learning and After-Action Reviews (AAR) activities, and develop and track key learning from these events, including success stories, Most significant stories, Outcome harvesting practices

Essential duties

MEAL -technical leadership and oversight

• Provide overall supervision and leadership on the MEAL functions and strategy delivery at base level
• Prove supervision, mentorship to program and MEAL staffs in the base so that staff have the required capacity and enthusiasm to undertake their responsibilities
• Provide oversight of MEAL budget and ensure effective and timely utilization for the appropriate MEAL activities
• Be the key link among the MEAL team at capital office and base level operations and management team
• Ensure MEAL evidence (DHIS II, project performance/action trackers, routine monitoring, AAR, assessment etc) are used for management decision making and continuous performance improvement and be part of the base level management team member

MEAL system development and management

• Support the development and implementation of the MEAL system for the base, ensuring program staff understand and consistently use the necessary tools.
• Design and roll out standardized monitoring tools, producing regular monitoring reports and communicating findings to relevant stakeholders.
• Develop and track MEAL plans for projects, ensuring partners are familiar with ACF and donor MEAL protocols.
• Conduct high-quality baseline and end-line surveys, monitor outcomes, and organize coordination meetings to assess program progress.
• Perform routine monitoring visits, support annual needs assessments, and review donor reports for accuracy and evidence-based results.

Objective 3: Establish an effective accountability system and management

• Establish accountability mechanisms focused on information sharing, participation, and complaint handling while ensuring beneficiaries know their rights and participate in decision-making.
• Provide safe channels for feedback and regularly assess their effectiveness in consultation with communities.
• Develop context-specific accountability systems and ensure timely communication of project information.
• Track complaints diligently and promptly inform management of serious issues like fraud or misconduct.
• Support the implementation of accountability standards and guidelines across all projects.

Objective 4: technical support and capacity building

• Undertake continuous staff capacity assessment in respective base and develop capacity building plans and coordinate with the capital MEAL and other relevant units for its delivery
• Provide trainings and capacity building for field-level staff as required
• Coaching and mentoring for project staff and making sure that the set standards and procedures are implemented effectively and meet the highest quality standards
• Ensure relevant staff received proper orientations, inductions, training to help them deliver their MEAL responsibilities
• Sets standard and agreed performance objectives for all direct reports (if any)
• Liaise with partner organizations and provide necessary capacity building trainings and coaching as needed

Learning and knowledge management

• Lead the implementation of a learning and knowledge framework to ensure effective knowledge management at the base.
• Support program teams in identifying learning objectives and facilitate the generation and sharing of significant change stories.
• Ensure that knowledge is used for decision-making and program improvements, while maintaining an up-to-date action tracker.
• Organize experience sharing and review meetings, and create a system for documenting best practices.
• Collaborate on developing success stories and facilitate annual reviews to track progress and identify corrective actions.

Reporting

• Closely work with capital and base level (if any) grant and reporting team to coordinate the timely submission of reports
• Review the technical accuracy and quantitative steepness of program reporting of the base;
• Coordinate with the senior program manager and field coordinator on monthly data dive sessions
• Summarize program and donor reports, internal and external evaluation reports, learning documents and case studies, ad-hoc reports, and provide inputs where necessary.
• Take an active role in the analysis of program achievements during donor and other reporting, together with the Program Managers and Field Coordinator

Key performance Metrics

While specific KPIs of the role will be further detailed on annual/periodic performance evaluations, the below are the key Metrix to assess the deliverables of the position holder

1. Ensure 100% completeness, accuracy, and timely submission of DHIS II monthly reports, with ≤5% error rate based on quality checks for 100% of the projects for the base and for all reporting months
2. Track 100% of accountability reports through the CFRM dashboard and 100% of the CFRM responded as per the agreed timeline and at least 80% of the communities are aware of at least one of the ACF CFRM reporting mechanisms
3. MEAL Activity & Budget Performance – Ensure ≥90% of planned MEAL activities are implemented on time and at least 90% of the base projects have ≥90% budget spending
4. Ensure 100% of Post-Distribution Monitoring (PDM) and other assessment reports are generated within 15 days of data collection for at least 90% of projects.

Facilitate at least 2 After Action Reviews (AARs) and 1 learning event annually, and document at least 3 success stories and 2 significant change stories, ensuring they are updated in the story bank bi-annually.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• N/A

Safeguarding Commitments

• Action Against Hunger has a zero tolerance to child safeguarding violation and SEA. Our selection process includes rigorous reference and background checks. Successful applicants will be expected to sign up and carry out their duties in accordance with our Child Safeguarding and PSEA policies.

Gender Equality Commitments

• Foster an environment that supports the values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.

Fiscal Responsibility

• N/A

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions, Travel, and Environment

The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required and in line with Labor Law.

Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high-security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as infectious diseases.

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Master degree or BA degree in epidemiology, statistics, economics, or other social/developmental sciences with a concentration of statistics or quantitative, research methods
• At least 7 years of proven experience for BA holders and 5 years for MA holders specifically in the Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Accountability of humanitarian or development programs
• Demonstrated knowledge of M&E concepts and international humanitarian quality standards
• Experience with mobile data collection is mandatory, and experience working in DHIS II database system is preferable
• Experience with GIS (preferred)
• Fluency in English (both written and spoken skills)
• Knowledge of the local language is mandatory.

Required Skills & Competencies

Essential

• Professional, motivated, open, creative, mature, responsible, flexible, and culturally sensitive
• Excellent communication, writing, and analytical skills
• Proven ability to translate evaluated results into learning strategies
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating donor (i.e. ECHO, GAC, SIDA, PRM, EHF) funded activities
• Skills in statistical and other software (MS Excel, SPSS, SPHINX, STATA, EPI Info, ENA for SMART, GIS, etc.)
• Microsoft Office Skills (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
• Experience in humanitarian M&E
• Experience in designing and leading internal and external evaluation
• Experience designing and leading capacity building and training for national teams
• Familiarity with Management Information Systems (Databases) and GIS
• Knowledge of project cycle management
• Commitment to ACF mission, values, and policy

PREFERRED

• Previous experience with nutrition, WASH, food security, and livelihoods programming.
• Previous experience with cash-based interventions (i.e. cash for work, cash transfers, or cash vouchers)
• Experience with mobile data collection processes and platforms
• Experience with GIS and spatial analysis
• Familiarity with Management Information Systems, DHIS II mainly and other databases
• English (fluent)
• Knowledge of local language (Mandatory)