Monitoring Evaluation Accountability &Learning (MEAL) Officer at IsraAID

JOB PURPOSE

The main purpose of the MEAL Officer is to:

• Ensure the development, incorporation and adoption of MEAL plans, tools and methodologies across the country program, to ensure their effectiveness and efficiency;
• Initiate and carry out data collection, analysis, learning and reporting activities, ensuring accountability to local communities, and promoting continuous learning and improvement; and
• That donors’ MEAL requirements are met, and that MEAL activities are coordinated and are in accordance with IsraAID’s global MEAL strategy and

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 MEAL Plans, Tools, Methodologies and Data Management

• Carry out specific background research providing comprehensive and useful information for the design of new
• Assist in the elaboration and refinement of Logical Frameworks and theories of change in prioritized projects
• Create MEAL plans to measure and evaluate progress and effects of program implementation, detailing indicators and measures, selection of appropriate data collection tools, types of analysis, learning and reporting
• Work closely with the project managers and IsraAID international teams to design appropriate data collection tools and methodologies including baseline and end line surveys, interview and focus groups’ protocols and others, and assist when necessary, in translating these
• Contribute to the advancement of IsraAID’s organizational MEAL approach, procedures, methods and
• Review existing data collection tools for the current country programmes
• Incorporate field and technical team feedback to ensure the continuous improvement of data management systems within IsraAID
• Timely update and share data on LogAlto and/or any other data management

   Monitoring and Reporting

• Lead transparent, accurate and timely collection of data by administering surveys, conducing desk reviews, and employing diverse and participatory data collection activities while working with relevant staff to collect such data
• Undertake evaluation of programs through field visits, desk studies and a range of data collection methodologies
• Facilitate and carry out quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis
• Train other programmatic staff on data collection tools and
• Facilitate learning processes to identify gaps and contribute to ongoing improvement of projects, while working closely and communicating results to programme teams and country
• Regularly communicate to programmatic staff intermediate findings, to discuss lessons learned and help adapt programs
• Support the development of bi-monthly Program Updates for internal and external
• Contribute to the compilation of Project Completion Reports and Interim Reports to donors, as per the guidance and management of the Country
• Prepare weekly/monthly schedules of monitoring and evaluation related
• Support commissioning of short-term, contractual M&E evaluators and experts as
• Ensure all grants have updated work-plan and performance management plan (PMPs) in tandem with all approved proposals, regularly reviewing and updating as
• Provide alert to the respective programme officers/ managers/coordinators on corrective actions required to avoid delays in implementation, including flagging operational issues and risks requiring timely

  Assessments, Surveys and Evaluation

• Liaise with the Country Director, programme staff and the Global MEAL Lead from HQ to ensure that all new and ongoing projects adhere to accountability requirements by initiating baseline surveys for new projects/ programmes and conducting relevant evaluations for ongoing projects to meet IsraAID
• Ensure that IsraAID Kenya office learns from all final evaluations of completed projects for decision making and improvement of project
• Lead and/or coordinate all country assessments, evaluations and performance evaluation tasks including planning and reporting on the
• Assist in the development of TOR for external surveys and consultant recruitments/
• Coordinate the review all survey reports prepared to ensure quality and accurate
• Timely plan and initiate all pre and post intervention assessments, KAP surveys, After Action Reviews, Post Distribution Monitoring and Real Time Evaluation of any emergency

 Learning, Accountability and Capacity Building

• Conduct country monitoring of all programmes that meet laid down standards on a regular
• Provide relevant evidence for learning from
• Share learning and provide constructive comments to colleagues in order to ensure programme
• Build capacity of staff through training to ensure adoption of new data monitoring tools and quality of data
• Keep abreast of new approaches and tools on M&E and provide training to staff as requested or Enable staff to monitor and evaluate their own efforts, gather relevant data and produce required progress reports.
• Under the overall responsibility of the Country Director, ensure that IsraAID Kenya maintains and follows an updated Accountability Framework for collecting feedback and inputs from the
• Regularly collect data on and analyse the Complaints Reporting and Feedback Mechanism (CRFM) accountability data to the IsraAID Kenya team to facilitate quality improvement
• Facilitate the incorporation of and further development of platforms and methods that promote 2- way communication with local communities – that is, regularly collecting information from and responding and providing feedback to local communities

  Strategy and Planning

• Ensure effective implementation of the yearly strategic planning for MEAL plans
• Contribute to the strategic planning process of IsraAID Kenya particularly in relation to inclusion and incorporation of MEAL
• Identify and collect best practices

Coordination and Representation

• Develop and maintain effective working relationship with relevant stakeholders including partner agencies, community leaders and service providers, where appropriate and relevant
• Participate and represent IsraAID at inter-agency working groups and coordination mechanisms, in the absence of other staff members and when appropriate
• Serve as a focal point in the field for IsraAID HQ’s MEAL team
• Facilitate learning processes to identify gaps and contribute to ongoing improvement of projects, while working closely and communicating results to programme teams and country management.
• Regularly communicate to programmatic staff intermediate findings, to discuss lessons learned and help adapt programs accordingly.
• Support the development of bi-monthly Program Updates for internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to the compilation of Project Completion Reports and Interim Reports to donors, as per the guidance and management of the Country Director.
• Prepare weekly/monthly schedules of monitoring and evaluation related activities.
• Support commissioning of short-term, contractual M&E evaluators and experts as required.
• Ensure all grants have updated work-plan and performance management plan (PMPs) in tandem with all approved proposals, regularly reviewing and updating as needed.
• Provide alert to the respective programme officers/ managers/coordinators on corrective actions required to avoid delays in implementation, including flagging operational issues and risks requiring timely actions.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES: 

• Bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, statistics, demographics, international development or a related field;
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience working in the field of MEAL (including indicator selection, target setting, data collection and analysis, facilitating learning processes, reporting, database management, and developing M&E and performance monitoring plans);
• Knowledge of the major evaluation types (process, impact etc.), methodologies (qualitative, quantitative, mixed method) and data collection and analysis methods;
• Experience in developing data collection instruments.
• Planning and managing surveys, developing and refining data collection methods and tools, conducting data quality assessments and oversight - experience and knowledge of participatory MEAL methods.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND DEMANDS:

• Typical office environment with field visits demands.
• Ability to work in a fragile context.

Level of Contact with Children:

High contact: Frequent interaction with children.

LANGUAGES

Essential:English and Kiswahili. Local language is an added advantage.