MEAL Manager

Contract

This is a DRC - National contract. More about DRC - National contracts.

Who are we?

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfillment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.

All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

DRC has been operating in the Middle East (ME) region for over a decade, running a combination of emergency, livelihood, protection and advocacy programmes through Country Offices (COs) in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey with a Regional Office (RO) in Amman.

DRC Yemen’s response

Throughout its nine field offices and a workforce of 450 staff, DRC upholds its main programmatic objectives to provide immediate and life sustaining assistance, to strengthen the protective environment, and to reduce displacement related risks and vulnerabilities by promoting self-reliance at household and community level.

About the job

This managerial position is under the overall guidance of the Head of Programs. The MEAL Manager leads the monitoring and evaluation (M&E), information management (IM), and accountability units and ensuring that country-wide MEAL activities and strategy are in place to support quality programming and a strong evidence-base for the relevance and impact of DRC Yemen’s work. The MEAL Manager is responsible for feeding into strategic decisions and program design based on the evidence and outcomes of ongoing monitoring and evaluation work which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks, providing support and/or technical MEAL and IM guidance to country operations while overseeing country activities. MEAL Manager ensures that the Yemen country office is compliant with Core Humanitarian standards (CHS). MEAL Manager will work closely with Area Managers, Base Managers and Technical Managers to improve program quality and performance and ensure adoption of best practices and lessons learned across the operational areas in Yemen.

Geographic scope: The duty station of MEAL Manager will be based in Sana’a with regular travel to field locations.

Employment category: Band F - Managerial

Reporting to: Head of Programs

Duties and Responsibilities

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Act as the lead for DRC Yemen’s Monitoring Evaluation and Learning activities in line with the DRC’s global Monitoring Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning Minimum Operating Procedures (MEALMOPs).
• Develop and oversee the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation methodologies, M&E plans and workplans, tool development, data collection, data cleaning, analysis, and report writing and output production.
• Contribute to the proactive dissemination and to the use of knowledge gained through MEAL activities among project teams and other relevant departments throughout life of the program.
• Manage budget requirements, development and spending for MEAL/IM and project assessment activities and set direction by prioritizing and organizing resources to achieve objectives.
• In coordination with program and technical managers, support design and implementation of needs assessments within the areas of intervention to support the evidence-based design of programming.
• Lead the facilitation of quarterly level base learning events, and other ad hod learning events in close coordination with project managers and technical coordinators to produce lessons learned reports and other related documentations capturing key internal learnings from program/project interventions.
• Participate in country-level strategic planning sessions and assist project managers, technical coordinators, and senior management in the development of annual plans, strategies, and program design using strong evidence from program M&E and other research initiatives.
• Participate in project kick-off meetings, review meetings and close-out meetings to highlight cross-project components aimed at replicating good practices and strengthening synergies between projects or programs.
• Assist the Grants department in developing strong indicators and logical frameworks for new projects.
• Participate/lead on the procurement process and management of external assessment and evaluation consultancies
• Lead on monitoring and evaluation of partner implementation.

Accountability

• Coordinate the implementation and continuous update of the accountability systems for DRC projects working closely with Area Managers and Technical Managers.
• Continually adapt and improve the country program’s beneficiary and feedback complaint mechanism and set-up new systems, information sharing approaches, and modalities for promoting community participation to be maximally inclusive, accessible, and effective.
• Serve as the organizational focal point on Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), ensuring local compliance and reviews across all standards. Liaising with regional colleagues responsible for accountability, compliance, and risk management.
• Supervise the annual or biannual CHS self-assessment and prepare the resulting accountability improvement plan (AIP).
• Support regular code of conduct (CoC) and Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) refresher training for staff, country wide.
• Ensure creation and distribution of the monthly non-sensitive complaints report.

Information Management

• Contribute to the development of the MEAL’s information management strategy by reviewing information needs and gaps and evaluating current information management processes and tools.
• Design/develop, test, maintain, support, and improve the IM system that maintains and organizes data on DRC activities and provides support in reporting, project tracking and data analysis.
• Develop database security measures to safeguard information against accidental or unauthorized damage, modification, or disclosure, especially in terms of sensitive beneficiary information.
• Ensure that information systems and processes are compliant with applicable standards and guidelines related to information management and data protection, including donor standards and requirements
• Ensure effective data management by improving existing or developing new data collection tools and methodologies, designing, and managing database systems for analysis purposes.
• Draft information products such as reports, charts, and infographics by turning data into graphic products to facilitate the dissemination of information to external stakeholders.

Team Management

• Directly line manages 4-6 staff including setting objectives and co-creating workplans, performance development, team building and capacity building for the larger MEAL field team; Oversee the provision of technical support, coordination, and task assignment/workplan setting to the MEAL and IM field teams based in the specific areas of implementation, accompanied by frequent field visits.
• Develop the capacity of MEAL field teams and the Yemen-based MEAL team to in a range of MEAL competencies required throughout the program lifecycle, including but not limited to qualitative research methods, data cleaning and analysis, data visualization and proficiency in programming such as Power Bi, Excel, and Kobo.
• Ensure that appropriate tools and coordination activities are in place to ensure proper planning of MEAL activities and good coordination from within the team (ie. weekly team meetings, task trackers, etc).

Internal and External Coordination:

• In coordination with program and technical managers, represent DRC externally with Donors, Partners and the wider aid community through sectoral working groups and other coordination forum as relevant.
• Provide capacity building activities in research, MEAL, accountability, and IM to implementing partners as needed per the capacity building plans, jointly created with partners and the Partnerships Coordinator.as well as oversee all coordination with partners on the joint design and implementation of MEAL activities.
• Negotiate and ensure DRC’s compliance with external data sharing agreements with consortia partners.
• Actively contribute and collaborate with regional/global counterparts to promote M&E and IM best practices and joint learning across DRC programs.

About you

To be successful in this role you must have:

Experience and technical competencies:

Skills and Experiences:

• Minimum of 5 years of work experience within the field of monitoring and evaluation, of which 3 in a similar management role.
• Experience working with International NGO’s, UN agencies, line ministries and/or local authorities.
• Experience working in monitoring and evaluation of FSL, protection, WASH sectors in an emergency and post emergency context
• Experience in developing/ guiding information management systems for large humanitarian programs.
• Experience in participatory assessment and community-based monitoring approaches.
• Experience in partnership with Local Civil society and Government institutions
• Clear understanding of Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS).
• Experience with capacity building of staff in MEAL and IM, and in convening and facilitating trainings and workshops
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills (English)

Competencies:

• Adheres to the DRC’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the DRC Yemen Program;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Willingness to travel very frequently to field sites and percent of the time.
• Organizes and accurately completes multiple tasks by establishing priorities while taking into consideration special assignments, frequent interruptions, deadlines, available resources and multiple reporting relationships;
• Establishes, builds and maintains effective working relationships with staff and partners to facilitate the provision of support;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral): sensitivity to and responsiveness to all partners, respectful and helpful relations with donors and project staff.
• Remains professional even under pressure;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view;
• Solicits feedback from staff about the impact of his/her own behavior.

Moreover we also expect the following:

Education: (certificates, licenses etc.)

A bachelor’s degree in relevant field (development, social research preferable with a focus on monitoring and evaluation as well as compliance issues). Master’s degree in relevant field will be an asset.

Languages: (indicate fluency level)

Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.

• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.

• We offer

DRC will offer the successful applicant a 12 months contract, renewable dependent on both funding and performance. You must be available to start work from 1st of August, 2023 and be willing and able to work in Sana’a****.

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.ngo under Vacancies. This position will be placed at level (****F)****.

Application process

Interested? Then apply for this position by clicking on the apply button. All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages). Both must be in the same language as this vacancy note. CV only applications will not be considered.

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contact job@drc.dk

Applications close on 8 July, 2023. The interviews will be on a rolling basis and a candidate maybe identified even before closing date.

For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website www.drc.ngo