MEAL Officer

ROLE PURPOSE: 

The MEAL Officer will be a part of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) team, supporting implementation of the overall MEAL system. They will assist MEAL team with activities, including data collection, database management and analysis, maintaining the Output Tracker (OT) and the Indicator Performance Tracking Table (IPTT), assisting with planning field visits, post-distribution monitoring, assessments and evaluations, as well as providing general support in data entry and management.  S/he will support the MEAL team and programme team to ensure learning and accountability systems are put in place and working effectively while maintaining high professional standards of all our Programmes.

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

Reports to: Humanitarian MEAL Coordinator

Dimensions: Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since the 1950s, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. Current programming focuses on Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Education, Health & Nutrition and Child Poverty. In 2012, as part of a global reorganization process, Save the Children combined the programmes of SC UK, SC Canada and SC Finland to create a single operation in Kenya. In February 2014, we completed a second transition, which saw us join forces with the British INGO, Merlin, and merge their health and nutrition programmes with our own. Save the Children now has an operational presence in Bungoma, Dadaab Refugee Camp, Garissa, Mandera, Nairobi, Turkana and Wajir. We work through partners in many other parts of the country. We have a staff complement of around 300 members in hard-to-reach areas to make great breakthroughs to children and in communities they live. 

Staff directly reporting to this post:  MEAL Assistant/Data management Assistant

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

Monitoring.

• Ensure that projects have solid MEAL plans, Indicator Performance Tracking Tables and log frames and well updated in PRIME and Output trackers.
• Take lead and work with the project leads to update the indicator tracking tables and provide necessary MEAL guidance regarding project performance. Supporting projects to development systems and processes for the implementation of M&E plans based on Save the Children best practice.
• Take lead in the development of tools and guidelines for data collection, collation and reporting, for instance ensure that projects have clear MEAL plans, IPTT as well as tracking of total beneficiary reach.
• Support design and monitoring of quality benchmarks and take lead in monitoring project quality benchmarks to ensure that project quality standards are not compromised.
• Manage information generated through MEAL activities, such as complaints and feedback databases, action tracker etc. Additionally support the utilization of the information gathered for program improvements
• Support monitoring of field level activities with quality benchmarks and course correction action planning 
• Support and/or promote utilization of data generated through MEAL activities and events such as monitoring visits, baselines, assessments, reviews, real time evaluations etc.;by conducting regular and/or periodic trends analysis and producing short and precise internal reports in line with SCI requirements
• Plan and conduct Routine Data Quality Assurance (RDQA) in collaboration with County staff for the reported data to ensure that data reported is validated, is accurate and consistent while providing feedback as necessary to program teams.
• Contributing to programme updates for the response management and internal information sharing, on a regular basis.
• Consolidate output tracker data and support Programme Managers with data collection processes needed for Humanitarian reporting like situational reports.
• Undertake regular post distribution monitoring to ensure project performance, quality, timeliness and accuracy vis-à-vis logical framework approaches (LFAs), results frameworks, performance monitoring plans and emerging best practices.;
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter, Core Humanitarian Standards and Red Cross Code of Conduct.

Evaluation

• Coordinate various assessments and surveys including recruitment and training of Research assistants, coordinating and supervision of collection and analysis of data.
• Keeping track of project baselines, assessments, reviews, evaluations – tracking trends and recommendations, progressing their implementation where appropriate.
• Support and participate in planning, implementation and follow-up of evaluations, for instance writing TORs, preparing literature review packs, planning evaluator itineraries, planning staff workshops, report review. 
• Providing support during internal/external reviews, evaluations, and lessons learned activities.

Accountability:

• Maintain and update action tracker for the projects while ensuring that actions agreed upon from debrief meetings with program teams are actioned.
• Support programming and field staff to ensure that projects are carried out with participation from all affected communities (including children) and that information is shared with affected communities.
• Ensure strong accountability mechanisms are set up and monitored, that information is correctly shared with beneficiaries through the most appropriate mechanisms and that beneficiaries actively participate in project activities. 
•  Maintain and update a complaints and response mechanism database for tracking feedback from communities and ensure that the feedback/complaints are responded to.
• Build capacity of other program staff to undertake accountability including ensuring participation of communities and sharing information with communities as well as undertake accountability assessments.

Learning:

• Professionally document and proactively share information and learning from projects with Save the Children staff and stakeholders as necessary.
• Take an active role in ensuring that staff are compliant in uploading data and reports into share point and other relevant online systems and maintain such database systems.
• Work with programme staff to promote learning culture and ensure learning is shared across field offices responding to the drought situation by encouraging cross learning between and within sectoral teams, tracking trends and recommendations and progressing their implementation in the planning and project design where appropriate;

Child Safeguarding.

• 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.

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving 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.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically 

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• 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.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

• Degree in Information Management /Social sciences/Statistics or its equivalent 
• Over three (3) years’ work experience managing MEAL in humanitarian programs. 
• Knowledge of Health & Nutrition, Food security & Livelihoods, WASH and Child protection in emergencies, programming.
• Strong self-starter, able to take initiative and adapt to changing circumstances and priorities.
• Positive attitude towards community work with emphasis on the ability to learn from communities and support participatory, innovative approaches to problem solving
• Excellent communication skills and a willingness to be respectful, kind, sensitive and empathise with all children and their carers
• Fluent in written and spoken English, Kiswahili. Local language will be an added advantage. 
• Good report writing skills
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions
• Commitment to Save the Children’s Child Protection Policy.

DESIRABLE

• Experience with working with local partners in project implementation.
• Good understanding of MEAL concepts in humanitarian context within ASAL areas.
• Previous experience of managing USAID/BHA, ECHO and other major projects.

WORKING CONTACTS:

Internal: The job requires the job holder to have direct relationship with all staff and management at all levels in ensuring the organizational policies and procedures are adhered to and complied with.    

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.

 Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best-qualified talent.

Female Candidates are encouraged to apply.

Disclaimer:

Beware that there are individuals who may take and use SCI’s name in an attempt to solicit fees from interested job-seekers. We do not use recruiting persons or agencies to help us identify candidates for employment. If you’re contacted by a person promising you recruitment or placement at SCI for a charge, do not accept, and please get in touch with us at SCIFraud@savethechildren.org.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.