Regional MEAL Officer (RMO) at Islamic Relief

Reporting To:

Regional Humanitarian Manager

Qualification

At least a bachelor’s degree in economics, statistics, development studies, M&E, social science or equivalent

Experience

At least 5 years’ experience of working in M&E with experience of developing M&E plans, training staff, capacity building, quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, and reporting and/or other aspects of M&E development contexts, preferably with solid experience in humanitarian or any or more than one of the Islamic Relief priority sectors: livelihoods, WASH, education, protection, and emergency operations.

Location

100% Nairobi with frequent travel to country offices (Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Kenya).

Job Description

Reporting to the Regional Humanitarian Manager, the Regional Monitoring Officer will support the RHM to ensure that humanitarian response projects are implemented and reported on in a timely and of a qualitative manner according to the Country and Regional Programme Strategies and that the projects are well represented internally and externally. the officer is responsible for providing MEAL technical support and oversight to country offices and its partners within the region. These responsibilities include ensuring implementation of monitoring and evaluation tools, analyzing, and ensuring quality reporting, monitoring of outcomes and continuous performance improvement by undertaking and implementing all MEAL related activities as appropriate. The RMO is expected to develop and implement data quality assurance plan in the region. The RMO will also lead learning and reflection activities to improve program quality, monitor results and impact, share lessons learned, best practices and ensure that accountability and other cross-cutting issues are adequately incorporated into project and MEAL activities. The Regional Meal Officer is accountable to fulfil his/her roles and responsibilities in line with IRW’s code of conduct, values, and principles.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Contributing to Programme updates for the response management and internal information sharing, on a regular basis.
• Consolidate output tracker data and support country team with data collection processes  
• Support country MEAL Coordinators with conducting assessments as needed.
• Participating in the development of tools and guidelines for data collection, collation, and reporting, with a focus on establishing Indicator Performance Tracking Table by project and guided by the MEAL plan, systemically cross-check this data for quality, accuracy, and consistency, and providing timely feedback as necessary.
• Undertake regular monitoring to ensure project performance, quality, timeliness, and accuracy vis-àvis logical framework approaches (LFAs), results frameworks, performance monitoring plans and emerging best practices.
• Lead monitoring of field level activities with quality benchmarks and course correction action planning

Accountability & compliance

• Ensure accountability assessments are conducted and capacity of staff built to undertake accountability assessments.
• Support Beneficiary Accountability across all programmes in keeping with the Accountability Framework, ensure prompt follow-up on feedback received
• Support programming and field staff to ensure that projects are carried out with participation from all affected communities (including women) and that information is shared with affected communities.
• Maintain the Conflict and Feedback Mechanism database and conduct regular analysis to inform decision making and future project designs
• Ensure that all humanitarian programmes are designed and implemented in accordance with CHS

Programme Learning and documentation

• Work with country MEAL team to promote learning culture and ensure learning is shared across field offices by encouraging cross learning between and within country teams, tracking trends and recommendations and progressing their implementation in the planning and project design where appropriate.
• Support in programme documentation and sharing of learnings at the field level.
• Participate in the design and implementation of quality evaluations (needs assessments, situational analysis, baseline, and end line assessments, real time evaluations etc;) by providing technical support and/or identifying resources within region and externally.
• Support and/or promote utilization of data generated through MEAL activities and events such as monitoring visits, baselines, assessments, reviews, real time evaluations etc; by conducting regular and/or periodic trends analysis and producing short and precise internal reports in line with IR requirements

Programme Quality

• Support proposal and concept note review, especially inputs such as the Logic model/theory of change, results frameworks, Programme Monitoring Framework and M & Plans
• Enhance technical quality of programme and project design through continuous trainings and reviews
• Support to examine programme implementation and assess possible improvements based on lessons learned, best practices, technical advances, etc.
• Undertake field visits to support and facilitate quarterly and annual Programme and project reviews and lesson learned workshops to ensure programmes are progressing well, delivering the planned outputs, and are having the necessary impact.
• Monitor country office programmatic and administrative systems including IR Quality Management Standards, CHS activities to ensure field offices are operating according to IRW policies and standards.
• Support Regional Humanitarian Manager and the Country Programme team in fundraising efforts to market projects both within Islamic Relief Worldwide partners and externally (in coordination with Islamic Relief Fundraising mechanisms)

Programme/projects Reporting

• Review and appraise donors/partners reports submitted by Country Offices to ensure they are of high quality and in accordance with donor requirements.
• Follow up with Country Offices to ensure that donors and partners reports are submitted on time and in correct format.
• Analyses Country Office budgets to ensure value for money and ensure that Programme support cost remain reasonable and cross-charged effectively against country support budget.
• Report major deviation from compliance, project implementation plans and spending to the RHM
• Support in ensuring that all the country internal reporting and donor requirements are met with timely, relevant, triangulated and well data validated.
• Ensures that necessary reporting components are lined up in advance of report deadlines and responsible persons are followed up on the schedule
• consolidate and submit the monthly, quarterly, annual project annual project reports.
• Perform any other duties and responsibilities within the overall function of MEAL as and when requested.

QUALIFICATIONS AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• At least a bachelor’s degree in economics, statistics, development studies, M&E, social science or equivalent
• At least 5 years’ experience of working in M&E with experience of developing M&E plans, training staff, capacity building, quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis, and reporting and/or other aspects of M&E development contexts, preferably with solid experience in humanitarian or any or more than one of the Islamic Relief priority sectors: livelihoods, WASH, education, protection, and emergency operations.
• Experience in setting up and/or managing M&E systems, preferably in INGO setting
• Knowledge and/or experience of working on accountability initiatives, such as information sharing and complaints response mechanisms.
• MS Office applications, Word, Excel, Power Point, Spread sheets and other Statistical software
• Ability and willingness to travel to field sites and work in remote locations, often for prolonged periods of time
• Full Knowledge and understanding of quality and accountability standards such as CHS and SPHERE standards among others
• Experience in and proven ability to support, train and mentor staff and partners in monitoring and evaluation methodology
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation, and coaching
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind sets
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Fluency in English & Kiswahili
• Commitment to and understanding of Islamic Relief strategy, vision, mission, values, and principle