Research and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (RMEAL) Officer

Job Description

Background:

The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian international NGOs, provides relief, rehabilitation and development support to vulnerable people and communities over 30 countries. We began work in Ethiopia in 2000 in response to severe drought in Ethiopia’s Somali region and are currently providing assistance to Ethiopians and refugees in six regions in Ethiopia, implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery, and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

Position Overview

The PlayMatters (2020-2025) project to which the RMEAL Officer focus on is an education initiative funded by the LEGO Foundation. The program reimagines childhood for 800,000 refugee and host-community children across Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda – children whose education and social development has been affected by displacement and trauma. The PlayMatters consortium has committed to building evidence base through rigorous MEAL and Research across the program cycle.

To support its evidence building endeavor, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) seeks Research and MEAL (RMEAL) Officers for Melkadida and Jigjiga field offices. The RMEAL Officer works in close collaboration with program teams to optimize research, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning capacities and opportunities of the IRC mission in Ethiopia, Melkadida and Jigjiga. The RMEAL Officer supports and implements PM RMEAL activities and as well as IRC active Grants/Projects in targeted locations as required with special focus to ensure high-quality programming for the clients we serve and support the global ambitions of IRC Strategy 100, and the Country Strategic Action Plan.

Major key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Partnership

- Support all technical aspects and actions of RMEAL regarding the operation area; respond to program needs; foster high standards and practices for quality data collection, analysis, and reports. Enable accountability to clients, partners, and donors; - Implement and support MEAL system and approaches in your areas of expertise and foster learning as per the IRC RMEAL Standards; - Represent IRC at technical meetings, forums, and other events and build partnerships within IRC and area of expertise; - Champion access and use of data for shared learning, sound decision-making, and data-informed programmatic adaptations.

Technical Oversight

- Run the RMEAL system and processes for the field office in harmony with the MEAL Country and Global Strategies throughout the project cycle which include:

Ø Collaborate with MEAL and non-MEAL staff to ensure that research and M&E data is collected, compiled, checked for its quality and completeness in compliance with IRC and donors’ standards for quality;

Ø Conduct regular data quality checks and audits and analysis to ensure high-quality data, compile a report with relevant indicator data per grant, showing targets versus actuals.

Ø Beneficiary counting: a quarterly gender and age disaggregated overview per grant per sector should be provided.

Ø Document and share learning, research/evidence, and data from previous projects to inform project proposal design;

Ø Implement RMEAL plans, revise (digital) data collection tools, follow-up on processes for online data management, quality checks, and audits, and updating of data visualization;

Ø Undertake regular analysis of monitoring data and work closely with program officers and managers to facilitate decision-making for real-time program adaptation;

Ø Produce quality reports and updating dashboards with key findings that foster learning and decision-making and share in project cycle management meetings and team meetings;

Ø Identify, document, and share key findings and client feedback to improve services and results for our clients.

- Support deployment of research and baseline, midline, end line studies, Post Distribution Monitoring and the commission of evaluations in coordination with colleagues and partners; - Support the use of standard mobile data technology and online dashboard to enhance timeliness and quality of data collection, analysis and visualization; - Join and contribute to IRC’s effort in meeting its internal and external accountability commitments through the implementation of sound accountability, client feedback, and response mechanisms. - Provide technical support to other field offices when there is a need or where there is less number of grants in the permanently assigned field office. - Work closely with Safe Programming Team and Sectors to ensure gender equality and client safety as required. - Facilitate capacity building for program staff (especially the MEAL focal points/sector managers on skills and knowledge related to M&E and accountability and learning, including IRC global initiatives.

Human Resources

- Coordinate, lead, foster timely and high-quality achievement, and an inclusive and respectful team climate; - Promote the growth and development of others in IRC teams and partners: present high-quality technical training and learning material for partners, colleagues, and junior staff; - Participate in the recruitment and onboarding of field incentive workers and enumerators as required.

Key Working Relationships:

Position reports directly to and technically supervise by Senior MEAL officer, Education Manger/Senior Education officer in the respective locations. Additionally, this position technically supported by the PlayMatters MEAL Manager and Senior Research Manager based in Addis Ababa.

Position directly supervises: Incentive workers and/or enumerators as required.

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: PlayMatters project leads, Sector MEAL Managers as required, Program Manager and Officers as required, Database Officer, ICT Officer, Partnerships Manager as required, HR, Field Coordinator.

External: Beneficiaries, program partner organisations, local and national government.

Qualifications

- A technical degree or equivalent - additional relevant work experience; - A minimum 2 year of working experience in a related field; - Possess basic technical knowledge in some or all of the following areas: Research, Outputs, Outcome monitoring; Theories of Change, Logical frameworks, Data collection, Basic data analysis, Accountability, Client feedback mechanisms; - Experience in conducting primary quantitative and qualitative data collection and data entry and data coding; - Basic proficiency and experience with mobile data collection such as Kobo, CommCare, ODK Collect is required, knowledge of Tableau, PowerBi, or GIS software tools are additional assets. - Good computer skills in MS Office, especially Excel; and Word – with experience in writing reports; - Self-motivated and pro-active attitude with good organization, planning, and analytic skills, including prioritizing work, multi-tasking and attention to detail; - Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and in constantly evolving work environments; - Demonstrated analytical, systematic-thinking, and problem-solving skills are definite assets; - A strong understanding of accountability and proven ability to build Client Feedback Systems - Strong oral and written communications in English and local language is required. - Willingness to travel to various field-level offices/sub-offices or sites.

Please include 3 references from current and former employers.

Applications will not be returned. IRC discourages phone calls or personal visits.

Only applicants meeting the minimum qualification will be short listed and contacted.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Your application letter/cover letter must include the following information.

· Name of the position you have applied for

· Date of application

· Summary of your qualifications and experience

· Motivation/objective of why you have applied for the job

· Permanent Address and present address (if different from permanent) and telephone number if possible, also email address

· Disclose any family relationships with existing IRC employees.

IRC is an equal employment opportunity employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols, and other supportive benefits and allowances

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.