MEAL Lead, Kenya at Catholic Relief

Job Details

The purpose of the M&E Lead is to design, manage, strengthen and provide strategic direction to the Kenya DFSA's Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system, ensuring cross-learning in MEAL among Kenya-based projects, as well as collaborating on learning across CRS food security and nutrition projects in the Horn of Africa and collaborating with MEAL counterparts on learning across DFSA initiatives within Kenya. S/he will work across CRS and consortium staff to build capacity of MEAL and project staff. The M&E Lead will be responsible for coordinating and supervising MEAL activities, particularly during times of emergency, and assessments required for learning and adaptive management. S/he will work closely with CRS program teams and partner staff to develop high quality monitoring systems and tools that address indicators set out in project proposals. S/he will ensure that learning from projects is systematically captured and used throughout the country program. S/he will also take learning needs into account and develop and conduct capacity building for MEAL and program staff, with support of the Chief of Party (COP), Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP) and Technical Advisors for MEAL.

The M&E Lead is expected to have a high level of self-initiative and use critical thinking skills to identify and fill gaps. S/he should have the ability to work sensitively and positively with the DFSA team and promote a learning environment -- success of the position relies on this.

Specific Responsibilities

MEAL Strategy and Design

• Provide strategic high-level feedback, analysis and interpretation throughout the program startup and implementation processes.
• Ensure that the MEAL systems compliant with CRS' global and regional policies, procedures, standards and strategic initiatives, and USAID/FFP MEAL and Reporting Policies and guidance.
• Provide strategic direction for the development and maintenance of MEAL systems and the roll-out of new initiatives.
• Support the project team and MEAL team in the design and implementation of assessments, gender analysis, stakeholder analysis, organizational capacity assessments and other pre-program data collection and analysis.
• Ensure the consistency of indicators and tools across all partners, sectors, and programs as appropriate, maintaining a bank of key program indicators.
• Support programming staff to incorporate participatory methods into community level MEAL systems and tools.
• Collect and analyze lessons learned and best practices from previous and ongoing programs capturing the impact of activities to ensure they feed into the DFSA strategy as appropriate.
• Leverage lessons learned, best practices, program data, evaluations and other information to generate donor communication pieces, proposal annexes, success stories, case studies and other high-quality, results-based documentation.
• Work with the senior DFSA management team to identify and pursue strategic opportunities for program expansion

MEAL Implementation

• Lead mandated evaluations, needs assessments, annual surveys, case studies, and other research.
• Develop MEAL operating manual using SMILER coaching methodology to ensure complete, up-to-date, high quality MEAL system, containing essential data collection tools, data flow maps and analysis plans to address need to know information for program quality and donor reporting.
• Manage agency level MEAL requirements (e.g. annual data quality assessments, beneficiary count reporting and MEAL Policies and Procedures (MPP) self-assessments).
• Contribute to donor reports through high quality project data interpretation and report inputs.
• Lead the project MEAL team to strategically prepare and review MEAL calendars and workplans.
• Support learning-to-action events and reflection sessions to systematically analyze data to promote adaptive management and to document and incorporate lessons learned into program design and implementation.
• Ensure MEAL and program teams regularly review and adjust MEAL plans and tools as needed by the project context.
• Ensure that transparent high-quality accountability mechanisms, including beneficiary feedback and response mechanisms, are in place for the DFSA and are regularly discussed at the appropriate level with necessary responses and feedback documented.
• Ensure that beneficiary feedback is adequately captured, addressed, analyzed and used by program team.

Capacity Strengthening

• Collaborate with the Kenya Country Program M&E Lead on the Kenya MEAL Community of Practice to share learning, resources, and support across offices.
• Develop and co-facilitate MEAL workshops and modules for staff and partners to share country program, regional and global MEAL tools, processes and best practices to cultivate a culture of learning.
• Conduct orientations for new DFSA program staff on CRS systems and key MEAL resources.
• Provide mentoring to CRS and partner DFSA staff to increase capacity and to achieve annual performance and development plans.
• Remain updated with developments among the CRS MEAL community and worldwide MEAL trends and resources to ensure the DFSA MEAL team is applying CRS MEAL guidance and policies appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Conduct field monitoring visits events frequently with project teams and implementing partners.
• Provide feedback to senior DFSA program and MEAL staff to improve the overall MEAL system and ensure quality implementation of MEAL activities.

ICT for MEAL

• Support the DFSA MEAL and program team to develop strong project tracking, record keeping and filing methodologies for all activities
• Work with MEAL and IT staff to maximize the value and utility of ICT4D in MEAL initiatives.

Supervision and Coaching/mentoring Responsibilities

The DFSA M&E Lead directly supervises project-based MEAL staff and participates in the hiring and supervision either directly or indirectly of future MEAL staff. Additionally, s/he will provide support in mentoring all MEAL staff across the consortium.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Program Manager Competencies

These are rooted in the mission, values and principles of CRS and used by each program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Sets clear goals and manages toward them
• Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders
• Manages financial resources with integrity
• Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning

Key MEAL Competencies (specific for this position)

• MEAL in Design: Developing project-level Theories of Change, Results Frameworks, Proframes, related MEAL system tools and components, and accompanying MEAL narratives.
• Monitoring: Implementing monitoring activities, including timely collection of quality data, set up and maintenance of databases, facilitation of participatory reflection on monitoring results, and submission of timely progress reports.
• Evaluation: Supporting project and program evaluations and reviews by ensuring the quality of evaluation methods, tools, and data and facilitating the use of evaluation results to inform decision-making and enhance learning
• Accountability: Improving our accountability to a range of stakeholders through increased participation, transparent communication, responsive feedback mechanisms and adherence to internal and external quality standards and requirements.
• Learning: Promoting excellent knowledge management and collaborative learning processes at the project, program and institutional levels, generating robust evidence for project and programmatic learning that leads to action, decision-making and influence.
• Analysis and Critical Thinking: Engaging with data, challenging biases and assumptions, posing thoughtful questions, pursuing deeper understanding of evidence through reflection and perspective-taking, and making informed programming decisions.
• ICT for MEAL: Applying knowledge on information and communication technologies (ICT), both hardware and software, for opportune and accurate data collection, database management.
• MEAL in Management: Managing financial and human resources in a way that optimizes the quality, effectiveness, and utility of MEAL systems.

Key Working Relationships

Internal: CR, HOP, COP, DCOP, Project Technical Leads (e.g. Gender, Health and Agriculture), Project Managers, Project MEAL Officers, CP M&E Lead, MEAL Advisors (Regional and HQ), CRS MEAL Community of Practice

External: USAID and other donors, international and local partners, other Kenya DFSA implementers

Qualifications and Skills:

• Master's degree in economics, agricultural/development economics, statistics, bio-statistics, nutrition, applied sociology, anthropology or other relevant subject with strong quantitative background. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Five years of experience working in a development setting preferably with an international NGO, with at least two to three years of experience of progressively increasing MEAL responsibility in international development projects and at least two years of experience as a supervisor; Title II and ICT4D experience preferred. The candidate must have experience in leading the M&E of a large project.
• Experience working with large donors, USAID/FFP and/or USAID/FTF preferred.
• Strong conceptual knowledge about theories of change, logic model, food and nutrition security indicators, M&E plan, data quality assurance, data utilization and gender integration into M&E.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise in developing and operationalizing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan; familiarity with FFP M&E and Reporting Policy and Guidance for the components of an M&E plan.
• Demonstrated expertise and experience in developing and operationalizing routine monitoring system designed to track both output and outcome indicators from project design to implementation (including work with results frameworks and theories of change) as well as building staff capacity to utilize systems; experience with participatory MEAL system required.
• Strong quantitative background and demonstrated expertise in designing annual monitoring surveys including probabilistic sampling strategy and estimating sample size, developing appropriate weights and analyze quantitative data; including previous experience with leading and managing studies and consultants.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing qualitative studies, in-depth knowledge about qualitative sampling and experienced in using interview and interactive tools to generate qualitative information and analysis.
• Experienced in developing data quality assurance strategies, data management and data visualization; including proficiency in database development/management, SPSS, Stata, EPI-Info, Access, Excel and skills in analyzing, interpreting and communicating information to various stakeholders.
• Demonstrated expertise and experience in data utilization strategies and can creatively think about active data sharing techniques.
• Knowledge of program quality standards, MEAL standards, Catholic Social Teaching and the justice lens preferred.
• Experience with facilitation, capacity strengthening and partnership building through formal and informal training, with the capacity to empower staff through opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Detail-oriented and excellent time management skills with the ability to meet deadlines and deliver required results in a timely and quality manner.
• Cultural sensitivity, patience, flexibility and ability to work well in a multi-sectoral and multi-cultural team and to work closely, understand and support local Church partners.
• Ability to work in a challenging and stressful environment with unexpected challenges.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English required and other language(s) as required.
• Ability to travel for field missions for 30-50% level of effort as needed.