RMEAL Officer

Job Description

Organizational Background

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world's leading crisis response agencies, providing life-saving assistance and supporting recovery and reconstruction for people affected by war and natural disasters. Active in public health, education, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, IRC assists people from harm to home. The IRC was registered in Uganda in mid-1998 and implements rehabilitation activities in the sectors of Protection and development, Health, Economic Recovery and Development and Women Protection and Empowerment as well as contributing to the response to the Refugee situation. IRC Uganda has a head office in Kampala with field offices in Western Uganda, Karamoja, and West Nile.

Job Overview

IRC is seeking for Research, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning officer (RMEAL Officer)- PlayMatters for a three -year project, “PlayMatters”, funded by the LEGO Foundation. The Play Matters - Sparking Lifelong Learning through Play aims to improve holistic learning and wellbeing outcomes for 800,000 school going children (aged 3-12+) in in refugee settlements and host communities in East Africa (Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania). This project aims to build children’s social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and creative skills by influencing and changing behaviors of adults (parents, caregivers, teachers, community members and policy makers) surrounding children to incorporate Learning through Play methodologies into regular interactions with children at school, home and in the community. The project is implemented in a consortium partnership with War Child Holland, Plan International, Behavioral Insights Team and Innovations for Poverty Action. More information on PlayMatters can be found here: https://www.playmatters.org

Reporting to the RMEAL Manager, the RMEAL Officer works closely with program teams to optimize monitoring capabilities and opportunities, evaluation, accountability, and learning for PlayMatters project to ensure high-quality programming for the clients we serve. The RMEAL Officer supervises and implements MEAL project activities working with the project staff in Imvepi – Arua field office collecting routine data from the project activities. This position requires high proficiency and skills in data management processes as data collection tools design, quality data collection, data quality assurance and data visualization.

Duties and Responsibilities

Data management and quality assurance

•Develop data collection tools in line with the project data and information needs and ensure that all tools are accessible in the project digital data collection system (in CommCare HQ).

•Train and orient project stakeholders at school and community level on relevant data collection tools and system including data enumerators.

•Follow up and ensure timely and appropriate use of tools and, templates that facilitate collection, aggregation and collation of data and information for planning and reporting project activities at school and community level.

•Lead and guide data collection in the project implementation area in line with the project key performance indicators and ensure that all data is stored in the central database (CommCare HQ).

•Support the analysis of project data and updating of the project dashboards for visualization.

•Participate in the periodic review the quality of existing data at project site, the methods of collecting it and entry in the project database.

•Support in the implementation of complaints and feedback mechanism for the project using the PlayMatters Accountability Information Management System (PAIMS).

•Monitor project performance and share information with the project consortium led staff to support decision making at area office level.

Monitoring and evaluation

•Lead field implementation of RMEAL SOPs in line the project and IRC procedures and protocols.

•Take lead in tracking PlayMatters project progress in line with the project workplan, indicators and targets.

•Coordinate the field-level monitoring, to assess client responsiveness, activity implementation and document best practices.

•Lead implementation of critical RMEAL activities including but not limited to needs assessments, baseline survey, final evaluation, data quality audits, collecting monitoring data, client statistification surveys, and field supervision.

•Provide technical assistance to project staff, partners, and incentive workers on information management systems, data collection and record keeping.

•Ensure the appropriate orientation, use and compliance to RMEAL project and operational reporting templates.

•Provide technical support in planning and monitoring of all the projects activities to project clients at school and community level.

Program support and learning

•In collaboration with the RMEAL Manager, design, develop and continuously update project results and measurement tools and systems in a timely manner such as the project KPI tracker.

•Identify, document, and share client feedback to improve services and results for our clients.

•Take a lead in the deployment of surveys such as baseline and end line, assessments, and the commission of evaluations in coordination with RMEAL Manager, project staff, and partners.

•Support the research work under PlayMatters aimed at generating learning and credible evidence to support the improvement, expansion, and sustainability of PlayMatters.

•With the support of RMEAL Manager, ensure that learning from the project implementation and research is incorporated into project implementation and improvement plans.

•Liaise with project and peer staff to share lessons learned, data and information in accordance with project requirements, activities, and timeframes.

Qualifications

•A university degree in a relevant field such as Statistics, Business Statistics, Demography, Economics, Social sciences, or other field relevant to monitoring and evaluation or project management.

•A Minimum 2 years of working experience in data management, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning-related functions or related field

•Possess basic technical knowledge of M&E approaches and techniques in some or all of the following areas: Outputs, Outcome monitoring; Theories of Change, Logical frameworks, Data collection, Basic data analysis, Accountability, Client feedback mechanisms.

•Experience in conducting primary quantitative data collection and data entry.

•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.

•Willingness to travel to various field-level sites within the location.

Working Environment: The Education Officers will work in Imvepi refugee Settlement and host communities (Terego District) and will be provided with regular administrative and logistics support to perform his/her responsibilities.

Please note: Deadline for receiving applications is 6th July 2023.

Professional Standards

IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. 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, and Anti-Retaliation.

Gender Equality & Equal Opportunity

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we value diversity at our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request reasonable accommodation.