MEAL Advisor at The Health Support Organisation (THESO)

• The role of the MEAL Advisor is to establish and implement systems to promote evidence-based decision-making, and program and project performance; support and strengthen the capacity of MEAL staff; promote program accountability and learning; provide advice on strategic objectives by supporting service delivery to beneficiaries through effective and innovative communications; ensure compliance with donor requirements and standards.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Developing MEAL framework

• In close collaboration with the Program Director, lead the MEAL system and process development, by creating a framework and procedures according to the projects’ strategies and log frames.
• Define the detailed responsibilities of the MEAL team
• Lead the training of MEAL staff
• Maintain and further develop qualitative and quantitative practices and processes.
• Put in place systems and mechanisms for collecting data to monitor the development of defined indicators under the comprehensive reporting framework;
• Propose any relevant adjustments for the set-up of the MEAL Department to the line manager;

Implementing the Monitoring & Evaluation plan per project

• Contribute to defining methodologies and tools for assessment, monitoring, and evaluation exercises for each project, including data collection and analysis tools and processes, in coherence with mission policies;
• Keep track of all projects and grants monitoring and evaluation schedules and implementation of monitoring and evaluation procedures;
• Ensuring quality, accuracy, and confidentiality of data and the serious follow-up of available guidelines.
• Ensuring good communication with operational teams on the preparation of activities, implementation, results, and aims of the MEAL team.
• Report immediately any incident report – transmitted by the managed teams – to the line manager, while ensuring the confidentiality of it.
• Conduct field visits frequently to THESO project sites in Kenya and South Sudan to monitor community/stakeholder participation, and project activities, provide technical assistance, and troubleshoot.

Providing grant proposals and reports with accurate quantitative and qualitative data

• Support in the development of proposals and reports by collecting and analyzing quality and accurate data and by keeping an organized archive system for MEAL-related activities;
• Participate in the preparation of results frameworks, performance monitoring, and evaluation plans for new projects including the harmonization/standardization of indicators, data collection methodologies, timelines, and measurement tools;
• Send regular reports on the MEAL team activities to the line manager;
• Produce timely MEAL reports including narrative, statistics, data analysis, and proper recommendations according to the MEAL work plan reporting schedule;
• Contribute to other necessary reports upon request from the line manager

Capacity Development and Institutional Knowledge Building

• Organize regular lessons learned sessions with the implementation teams by presenting the results of evaluations and formulating recommendations/lessons learned;
• Participate in strengthening MEAL capacities through gathering of experience and sharing of best practices.
• Develop evaluation tools sampling methods and protocols
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative surveys of program impact to ensure the project goals are being met to enable THESO to constantly improve the quality of program implementation.
• Support the deployments of renewed MEAL policy in the implementation area.

Team management

• Follow up his/her team according to the HR policy missions’ Standards (daily management, performance evaluation, leaves management, etc.);
• Ensure performance evaluation of his / her team, and set up and follow up individual or team objectives
• Train his/her team and be proactive regarding internal or external training opportunities;
• Ensure a good communication, coordination, and information level of each member of the team through regular coordination meetings (or other if needed)
• Ensure efficient coordination with the other departments
• Participate in the hiring process for MEAL; as needed

Any other duties that may be assigned by the line manager

Note: the above-mentioned responsibilities are key ones, there might be other duties to be appointed by the Program Director.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE AND ATTRIBUTES

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (Statistics; International Development; Development Economics, Sociology, Project Management; Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, etc.).
• A minimum of five years experience in monitoring, evaluation, and learning of programs in the development and or humanitarian sectors.
• Ability to coordinate complex monitoring and evaluation functions with regionally-dispersed partners in complex programs
• Strong verbal and written communication skills including experience in writing reports in English.
• Proven ability to analyse and synthesise complex issues.
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Strong interpersonal skills, excellent coordination, and guiding skills.
• Ability to think critically and strategically
• Demonstrated ability, tact, and sensitivity in working across institutional boundaries, business units, and teams in an effective and productive way
• Experience in operationalizing a human rights-based approach and integrating a gender perspective in project design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Experience and Knowledge of Grants management processes
• Very good analytical and writing skills
• A critical mind, and ability to ask questions and analyze situations.
• Strong understanding of project cycle management
• Good management capacities and team leadership spirit
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills;
• Strong communication and reporting skills;
• Ability to solve problems in the field with staff, local committees, and beneficiaries.
• Ability to manage remote teams.
• Good command of spoken and written English and Arabic.
• Excellent command of Excel and other database applications and ability to use software for database design
• Experience in programming Microsoft Excel and Access Databases
• Prior experience in SPSS, KOBO, or equivalent systems

Minimum Skills

• Three years of experience in a similar position.
• Experience in international non-profit organizations, and relief organizations.
• Good level / English

Desirable

• Postgraduate training in project planning and management, monitoring and evaluation, or relevant field.
• Knowledge and work experience from more than one country in the region.
• Demonstrable experience working with an adaptive management approach, and an understanding of the challenges and opportunities.
• The ability to understand, speak, read, and write in Arabic will be an advantage

Key Attributes

• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.
• Commitment to THESO’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with THESO are as safe as possible.