Background

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. IRC has been working in Ethiopia since 1999 and is implementing coordinated, community-managed programs sought at improving the quality of lives and recovery of livelihood of the disaster-affected population, including host communities, through promoting individual participation, strengthening institutions, and emergency response.

Position overview

Senior Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Coordinator reports to the Country Director and contributes to overall program quality through the conceptualization, coordination, and implementation of enhanced monitoring and evaluation, accountability, and learning strategies. The emphasis is on streamlining processes and tools for efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability throughout the project cycle across the IRC’s various sectors and departments.

Essential functions

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Program Management, Technical Quality, and Strategy

• Implement and grow IRC Ethiopia’s MEAL strategy, encompassing Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Client Responsiveness and Accountability
• Ensure the country program meets IRC’s global monitoring standards ‘Monitoring for Action’ to improve monitoring practices, data quality production and use of data within the organization
• Champion an organizational culture shift to focus on data being used for evidence-based decision making
• Strengthen client feedback and effective and sustainable response mechanisms based on regional standards and expectations
• Ensuring appropriate client feedback channels are in-place for all sectors and all locations
• Ensure that client feedback and complaints are received, appropriately recorded and responded to in a timely manner
• Ensure that an accurate and secure archiving system for both quantitative and qualitative data is in place, accessible and being use appropriately
• Ensure continued generation of accurate beneficiary reach data as per country requirements
• Ensure the effective set-up, maintenance and use of data platforms (CommCare, PowerBi and Box) to ensure relevant partners have timely access to appropriate information
• Strengthen systems and procedures that measure country program-wide performance and achievements towards outcomes (using the Outcomes & Evidence Framework core indicators and other methods as appropriate) and strategic and organizational commitments
• Lead on planning and handling internal or external program evaluations and support the greater sharing and use of research/learning within IRC’s program sectors
• Technical oversight of sector specific M&E staff embedded in program teams.
• Provide MEAL technical assistance to program teams and inputs into the design stages of program proposals, budgets, logframes, indicators, and measurement methodologies, plans and tools
• Ensure that MEAL staff are actively engaged in Project Cycle Meetings.
• Take the lead in the documentation and dissemination of key findings stemming from monitoring, assessment, client feedback and other learning activities (in terms of content, medium and access).
• Maintain linkages to regional and headquarters Research and Innovation, and Measurement focal people to assist in drawing on and contributing to global learning.

Other leadership roles and responsibilities

Safe Programming

• Provide leadership to the Safe Programming team to establish safe, effective, and responsive programs that are age, gender, disability, and diversity informed.

Capacity Building

• Lead the rollout of IRC global central initiatives related to measurement and accountability, including adapting in-country tools to align and enable reporting against IRC global standards.
• Ensure that all field-based MEAL staff receive technical support and supervision.
• Conduct regular visits to field sites to ensure that M&E and accountability tools and strategies being implemented optimally.
• Collaborate in the development and execution of coherent plans for strengthening MEAL capacities of implementing partner, incorporating technical assistance into the design stages of program logframes, indicators, and measurement methodologies, plans and tools

Job Requirements

• Multi-donor environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of project handle and direct monitoring and evaluation experience, specifically in the humanitarian and development context.
• Demonstrated experience developing tools and systems for and building capacity of others related to program tracking and documentation.
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodologies, including logical models, conceptual frameworks, and assessment/evaluation.
• Knowledge and experience with digital data collections tools such as ArcGIS, Kobo Toolbox and CommCare
• Demonstrated experience in designing and rolling out feedback/accountability mechanism and data management systems
• Knowledge of AAP, CHS and global commitments on participation revolution
• Familiarity with information management systems and analysis software and data presentation platforms such as Power BI or Tableau.
• Shown experience in managing and capacity strengthening of staff
• Strong ability to communicate concisely and with impact in English.
• Demonstrated ability to work, lead, and meet going for deadlines in a fast-paced operating environment.
• Consistent track record of proactively identifying and communicating potential problems and proposing solutions.
• Must be able to function optimally in a sophisticated work environment and to set appropriate priorities and deal successfully with going for priorities and pressure.
• Dedicated to the IRC’s mission, purpose, and values.

How to Apply

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must implement to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Gender Equality. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and makes sure policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.