MEAL Manager
Contract
This is a DRC - Expatriate or National contract. More about DRC - Expatriate or 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 our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.
ABOUT THE JOB
The MEAL Manager will work closely with the Head of Programmes (HoP) to strengthen DRC Afghanistan’s monitoring, evaluation, learning, and accountability systems. Ensuring that the country office is compliant with Core Humanitarian standards 4 (Humanitarian response is based on communication, participation, and feedback), 5 (Complaints are welcomed and addressed) and 7 (Humanitarian actors continuously learn and improve).
Responsibilities:
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Assist the Programme Support Unit in developing strong indicators and logical frameworks for new projects
- Support in the creation of project, programme and country based logframes and M&E plans, ensuring that indicators are SMART
- Coordinate with field staff to develop tools and methods to improve data collection for beneficiary assessment, monitoring and evaluation
- Ensure the smooth working of data and grants management tools developed to collect information and track achievements against indicator. Support team to use these tools on all project activity levels. (Excel, SPSS, ODK, SurveyCTO…)
- Provide technical support and trainings to all MEAL staff, including advising on data collection processes, analyses, and report writing.
- Guide the regular sharing of the outputs and the M&E findings with project staff and implementing partners
- Lead on internal evaluations, and supervise consultants implementing external evaluations
- Lead the implementation of the Information Management (IM) platform and ensure that all data are secured. Train and support field staff on data management and data quality assurance. Provide suggestions for information management solutions, including design, key features, user interfaces, automatic analysis, data mining and automated reports.
- Review and finalise data collection tools, such as surveys and questionnaires developed by the MEAL team.
- Develop and strengthen DRC’s MEAL department including coordinating recruitments, capacity building and performance management
- Ensure that DRC’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Minimum Operating Practices (MELMOPs) are understood and adhered to, completing the annual compliance check, and ensuring areas of weakness are addressed
- Liaise with the HQ MEAL department to ensure compliance and understanding with all global standards
- Create a MEAL strategy in line with country needs and best MEAL practices, with practical guidelines which can be used and followed by the team and non-MEAL specialists.
- Collate all project indicators and support Technical Coordinators to use pre-agreed indicators for core areas of work.
Accountability
- Coordinate the design and implementation of accountability systems for DRC projects working closely with Area Managers and Technical Coordinators
- Build the capacity of staff to plan and implement effective accountability systems for the country programme
- Strengthen the country program’s beneficiary and feedback complaint mechanism and set-up new systems as the program extends to new geographical areas
- Organizational focal point on Core Humanitarian Standards, ensuring local compliance and reviews across all standards. Liaising with regional colleagues responsible for accountability, compliance and risk management.
Learning and project quality
- Donor focal point for M&E components of projects
- Participate in project Kick-off meetings, Grant Review meetings and Close-out meetings in order to present on achievements as reflected in the IPTT and highlight cross-project components aimed at replicating good practices and strengthening synergies between projects or programmes.
- Regularly present key M&E findings to Country Office and Area Offices teams to ensure learnings and to inform strategies
- Support DRC’s aim for further strengthen integrated programming and actively propose ways of achieving this using M&E finding.
- Provide capacity building to MEAL and non-MEAL staff in key areas of project planning, M&E, Accountability, Qualitative and Quantitative research techniques and analysis.
- Technical management of all senior members of the MEAL team, creating a suitable MEAL structure across all areas and the Country Office to ensure adequate MEAL support.
Resource Mobilization and Budget Oversight
- Ensure resources for MEAL are appropriately budgeted in proposal, including for both country office and area offices, including by providing guidance to the area office team on minimum staffing and resources required for the implementation of high quality MEAL activities
- Ensure all projects have adequate MEAL budget for effective MEAL work, and prioritizing spend according to core needs.
- Perform other duties as directed by the Head of Programmers.
ABOUT YOU
To be successful in this role you must have:
Experience and technical competencies:
- Minimum of 7 years of work experience within the field of monitoring and evaluation, of which 4 were in a similar management role;
- Experience working with International NGO’s, UN agencies, line ministries and/or local authorities, preferably in migrants/refugee settings in complex emergencies.
- Experience working in the monitoring and evaluation of WASH, shelter, CRI/NFI, Cash/ livelihoods and protection sectors in an emergency context
- Experience in developing/ guiding information management systems for large humanitarian programs
- Experience in managing multi-sector programs
- Experience in managing multiple projects at the same time
- Experience in participatory assessment and community-based monitoring approaches.
- Clear understanding of Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS);
- Experience training national staff in the area of MEAL, and in convening and facilitating trainings and workshops
- Excellent analytical and report writing skills (English)
- Knowledge of the following software’s: KOBO, Excel, and at least one analytical software (SPSS/STATA/R/SAS)
- Knowledge of qualitative research and analytical methods
- Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relations with local staff and other stakeholders.
- Experience living and working in a cross-cultural, multi-sector, insecure, remote area environment, under team condition
Education/qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s degree in relevant field (international development, social sciences, statistics, public health, etc.) + at least 7 years of relevant experience
- A Master’s degree in relevant field + at least 5 years of relevant experience
Languages:
- English (fluent)
- Dari/Pashto (desirable)
We Offer:
- Salary and conditions will be in accordance with DRC salary scale
Application process:
Interested? Then apply for this position, all applicants must send a letter of motivation and CV.
Females are highly encouraged to apply.