Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Manager

TITLE: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Manager – BRACE programme TEAM/PROGRAMME: Program Development and Quality (PDQ) LOCATION: Juba with frequent field visits GRADE: TBC CONTRACT LENGTH: 12 months

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: 

Level 3:  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.

ROLE PURPOSE: 

Save the Children is recruiting a MEAL Manager to lead the MEAL processes/procedures for the South Sudan’s BRACE programme. This role holder is required to take leadership in the development, roll out and implementation of SC’s standard MEAL packages, corresponding tools and reporting requirements and build the culture of maximum utilization of learning in the project. The MEAL Manager will oversee high quality MEAL work across Save the Children’s BRACE programme in all BRACE Field Offices (Including Partners). S/he is expected to lead on MEAL system design and implementation, evaluations, research, MEAL budgeting, recruitment, accountability system strengthening, as well as support reporting and at all levels. The MEAL Manager will be expected to mentor and/or capacity build existing MEAL staff, and work across functions to ensure that the learning from the monitoring, evaluation and accountability systems informs programme decision making.

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

Reports to: Head of MEAL

 

Staff directly reporting to this post: TBD

 

Role Dimensions: The Post holder will work from Save the Children’s Country Office, in Juba. The expectation will be for frequent visits to the field locations (Including the three partners locations). The MEAL Manager will lead all MEAL related activities for the BRACE Programme.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning:

• Lead planning of needs assessments in coordination other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and include an analysis of children’s needs and rights. Lead development of Save the children programme baseline surveys where required. 
• Coordinate sharing of information with the programme team on MEAL data in comprehensive, timely and relevant manner to make sure the learning from these assessments and studies informs programme decisions. 
• Work with the BRACE programme management unit and Program Development and Quality team at the CO level to support senior technical colleagues in their development of sector plans, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks.  Contribute to development of programme plan/strategy and master budget.
• Lead development of Monitoring & Evaluation systems (such as output trackers, indicator performance tracking tables) and their roll out.  Support sector technical staff to carry out monitoring and evaluation of project activities as agreed in Monitoring & Evaluation frameworks and plans and to strengthen integration between sectors.
• Lead planning, implementation and follow-up of evaluations (Baseline, Real time Review, Mid-term evaluations and Final Evaluation). Participate in all assessments and evaluations.
• Set up systems to manage complex information generated by MEAL activities, such as complaints databases and qualitative outcome monitoring data systems. 
• Conduct statistical and qualitative data analysis and present and disseminate information to inform programme management at all levels of management within a response. Seek solutions for more complex data management requirements, leading development of databases etc.
• Identify MEAL staffing needs for BRACE programmes, and lead on recruitment, induction, performance management and training. 
• Support sector technical leads to develop monitoring & evaluation plans and required tools. Capacity builds technical field staff in carrying out the work.
• Implement accountability mechanisms at field level, such as complaints and feedback response mechanisms – working on community assessment, design, implementation, review etc. Ensure that activities are carried out are child friendly and raise awareness of prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and handling of serious complaints in line with child safeguarding policy.
• Support technical sector specialists to ensure that projects are carried out with participation from children and affected communities, that information is shared with communities through appropriate channels and that they solicit and respond to community feedback.
• To ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct, as well as Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability. For instance, with support from senior colleagues, work with sector technical specialists to ensure quality monitoring systems are set up to ensure adherence of programmes to minimum standards.
• Make sure the considerations on gender, disability and inclusion are well integrated into the MEAL activities, tools, and analysis. 

 

Supportive supervision and capacity development of staff and partners 

• Lead all the program-related MEAL activities and interface with all implementing partners or stakeholders.
• Identify MEAL training needs of staff to address MEAL capacity gaps, in collaboration with the Head of MEAL - line-manager, Field manager and the human resources department. 
• Provide technical oversight to MEAL and program staff in applying standardized MEAL practices and applications for efficient generation and documentation of relevant data and information. 
• Equipping program teams with skills and tools to undertake robust data collection. 
• Support mandatory MEAL orientation for existing and new project staff on SC South Sudan’s standard MEAL procedures, processes tools and guides.  
• Provide capacity building to staff on all aspects of monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning.  
• Working closely with MEAL Officers in the implementation locations.  
• Support the recruitment of MEAL staff including review of job descriptions. 

 

Capacity Building:

• Identify learning and training needs as well as the opportunities for MEAL and other staff and work as a mentor and role model for staff. 
• Conduct training and awareness raising activities for operations and programme technical staff at field and country-office level regarding MEAL priorities and quality standards. 
• Coordinate trainings for MEAL and program staff in the relevant areas, such as on data collection tools, ICT solutions for MEAL, data analysis for both quantitative and qualitative data, etc. 

 

Knowledge Management, Learning and Sharing. 

• Support the field management team in establishing and rolling out knowledge management strategies, with special attention to storing and sharing program experience. 
• Champion the use of country Knowledge Management guidelines and platforms.
• Support documentation of the program by sharing learnings at field level through internal platforms.
• Support thematic technical teams in the pro-active collection, analysis, storage and utilization of external evidence and research, including trends and reports, to inform program development and strategic direction of the field offices.

 

Representation & Organisational Advocacy:

• Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children. This may involve taking the lead in coordination working groups.  Participate in interagency coordinated joint MEAL activities (for instance, inter-agency RTEs).
• In collaboration with Save the Children MEAL and advocacy colleagues, feed in learning, experiences and evidence to relevant advocacy objectives and lead on response-specific learning activities.        For instance, support planning of After-Action Review workshops, prepare lessons learnt reports and conduct accountability mechanism pilots. Take steps to document lessons learned for wider dissemination.
• Participate and feed into Save the Children regional and global working groups when needed. 

 

External Reporting and Representation 

• Ensure that high quality analysed reports to illustrate SC’s impact and assessment findings are produced, including evidence of good practice and replicable programmes, and that they are communicated at appropriate events.  
• Support Interagency forums at the local level, advocating for the specific needs of children and to enhance inter-agencies best practices sharing and learning. This may involve participating in interagency coordinated joint MEAL activities as relevant. 
• Ensure the program MEAL function aligns with the CO framework and feeds into the overarching MEAL framework.   
• Develop concise, engaging and robust reports based on analysis.  
• Promote the use of quality data to enable good project management, quality program design and monitoring of progress & outcomes against the country strategy plan. 
• Ensures external accountability to donors through the implementation of timely and quality MEAL activities leading to timely and accurate reporting.  

 

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Any other duties emerge as CO and FO priorities 

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:  

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving results together with children 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
• Creates a managerial environment in-country to lead, enable and maintain our culture of child safeguarding

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for self and team, takes responsibility for own personal development and encourages team to do the same
• Widely shares personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future oriented, thinks strategically and on a global scale

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with team, colleagues, members, donors and partners
• 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
• Always acts in the best interests of children

QUALIFICATIONS   

• A degree level in Social Science – Statistics, Economics or equivalent field experience. 
• Recommended a minimum of 6 years MEAL experience in both emergency and development contexts, preferably with solid experience in education, livelihood, climate change, and other integrated thematic areas such as protection, child rights governance, health and nutrition.  

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential:

• Progressive experience in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning in development and humanitarian contexts
• Previous experience undertaking MEAL in development and emergency response experience.
• Previous experience of managing a team and managing projects
• Demonstrated strong monitoring and evaluation skills, including planning/participating in evaluations
• Ability to work both in an advisory and a hands-on implementation capacity
• Proven capacity to supervise, train and coach staff
• Experience of representation and ability to represent Save the Children effectively in external forums
• Experience of preparing successful funding proposals for donors
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports
• Excellent communication and influencing skills with experience in advocacy
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A high level of written and spoken English 
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Preferable master’s degree in economics, Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology, Statistics, Social Research or relevant equivalent, with at least significant coursework in quantitative or qualitative research methods.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children. In particular, a good understanding of the Save the children mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.

 

Desirable:

• Experience or knowledge of working and living in South Sudan.
• Specific experience of designing and managing environmental or climate change projects.
• Experience of managing MEAL in remote, and hard to access settings.

The Organization
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

· No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
· All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
· Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information:
Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/jobs We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.