INTERNAL/EXTERNAL VACANCY

ANNOUNCEMENT For MEAL Manager

Country Office: Ethiopia

Work Base: Action Against Hunger USA, Tigray

Availability: As Soon As Possible

 Insurance - (Life, Group Personal Accident and Medical Insurances are covered upon the organization policies).

 Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position.

 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.

I. Summary of position

 General Assignments / Scope of the Role:

The MEAL manager 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 AAH’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 AAH 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.

To contribute to the development of Action Against Hunger’s MEAL and mission strategy.

To develop systems of documentation of learnings and best practices, to organize and share internally and with external stakeholders

Engagement

Internal

Filed Coordinator: hierarchical relationship + exchange of information MEAL Technical Advisor: 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

Reporting

•  Monthly APR reports of projects and summary of sector key performance indicator

• Comprehensive Accountability Report using the dashboard

• Monthly MEAL Activity and budget performance

• Baseline and end line evaluation and survey reports

• Database update and reports (WASH construction, CASH transfer and CMAM databases)

• Beneficiary verification and validation reports

• Post distribution monitoring and exist interview findings

• Periodic donor reports

• program quality and routine monitoring reports

• Learning documents and success stories

Essential job duties

Objective 1: Management and leadership

• Provide overall supervision and leadership on the MEAL functions and strategy delivery at base level

• Prove supervision, mentorship and professional development 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 evidences (APR, project performance/action trackers, etc) are used for management decision making and continuous performance improvement and be part of the base level management team members/

Objective 2:  MEAL system development and management

•  Undertake responsibilities for the roll-out of the MEAL system in specified base office

• Ensure program staff understand the various steps and tools for the MEAL system and consistent use across projects / areas

• Ensure programmes/projects are using program quality monitoring as part of their day to day implementation and quality monitoring practices

• Support on the design and roll-out of standardised monitoring tools and methodologies as required by the MEAL department and field level teams.

• Ensure that regular monitoring/MEAL reports are produced and communicated effectively to MEAL department and other relevant bodies in the base office

• Ensure periodic report are as per the standard quality, standard template, time frame and communicated accordingly

• Develop and track MEAL plan for each project implementing in the specific base;

• Ensure all projects have standard activity progress reporting tool and  follow the proper use among program staff

• Rigorously review the quality of APR reports and provide timely feedback to program manager

• Organize and lead program coordination meeting at base level to review the progress and challenges of programs

• Undertake baseline and end-line survey’s with high quality in data collection, analysis, and reporting;

• Plan and undertake post distribution monitoring, exit interview and beneficiary verification on the guidance of the standard

• Lead the annual need assessment exercise of the mission,

• Undertake routine field monitoring visits jointly with project and partner staff

• Develop an action tracker for all type of monitoring and evaluation events and follow its implementation

• Review and support donor and government reports with evidences and results

Objective 3: Establish an effective accountability system and management

 The Senior MEAL Officer is responsible for:

•  Ensure functional accountability mechanisms are in place as the four pillar of accountability (Information sharing, participation, establishing and implementing Complaint and Feedback Mechanisms (CFM), and staff capacity building.

• Ensure communities and target beneficiaries know their rights and entitlements, have access to project information and participate in decisions that affect them

• Ensure communities and target beneficiaries have access to safe and responsive mechanisms to handle their complaints and feedbacks

• Regularly assess the effectiveness of existing complaint outlets and conduct period consultation with the community to decide the appropriate channel together with them

• Make sure each project have context-based functional accountability system for the base;

• Ensure timely and relevant project information shared for communities and beneficiaries;

• Ensuring project beneficiaries know about the project activities, their entitlements, targeting criteria, and feedback and complaint mechanism;

• Ensuring communities and project beneficiaries actively participated throughout the project period;

• Ensure complaint and feedbacks are collected, recorded in a database, reviewed timely, tracked and shared with program managers for a timely response; and update the monthly accountability dashboard

• Ensure the implementation of Action Against Hunger’s accountability minimum standards across all projects

• Support the capital MEAL and the mission in roll outing accountability SOP and guideline;

• Ensuring the voices and concerns of the community and beneficiaries we serve are heard through regular individual and community level assessment (FGD and KII);

• Inform management immediately when serious complaints are lodged (Serious complaints which need to be reported to senior management immediately are cases of suspected fraud, corruption, staff misconduct, or abuse of children/beneficiaries);

Objective 4: technical support and capacity building

•  Undertake continuous staff capacity assessment in respective base and develop capacity building plans

• 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.

Objective 5: Learning and knowledge management 

•  Lead the implementation of learning and knowledge framework in the base and support there is a functional system and capacity in the base

• 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 utilization of learning and knowledge generated in decision making and programme improvement (maintain up to date Hub action tracker and monitor the utilization and application)

• Facilitate experience shared and review meetings at the field level between sectors;

• Establish a system for gathering, organizing, documenting, and sharing of learnings and best practices;

• Producing success stories and share for learning and program implementation improvement;

• Document and share best practices and learnings through publications, web sharing, and other means within the mission;

• Together with the filed coordinator and PM, facilitate annual data reviews and reflection sessions to track progress and agree on corrective action together with the program team

Objective 4: 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;

• 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

Supervisory Responsibilities

• N/A

II.   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. 

III.  Fiscal Responsibility

• N/A

IV.  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.

 V.    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. 

Job Requirements

I.   Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

•  Master degree in humanitarian affairs, international development, public health, epidemiology, statistics, economics, or other social/developmental sciences

• At least 7 years of proven experience 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

• Experience with GIS (preferred)

• Fluency in English (both written and spoken skills)

• Knowledge of the local language is mandatory.

 II.  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, 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 (Databases)

• Languages: (indicate fluency level)

• English (fluent)

• Knowledge of local language (Desirable)

How to Apply

If you are interested, please send your application composed of none returnable CV, a Covering Letter with “MEAL Manager-Tigray” written in the subject line, and three references, applicants to the following addresses:

 Through THIS LLINK

Closing date: 04 June 2023

 NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be communicated and the selection process includes a technical test and an interview.