MEAL Manager

Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Their interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context.

ACTED is looking for professionally confident, self-motivated, experienced and committed team player to fill the MEAL manager Position in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Monitoring, Evaluation, accountability and Learning Manager

1.1. Technical and Systems Development

a) Develop and regularly update the country AME strategy.

b) Develop and regularly update consolidated AME work plan covering all ongoing projects and planned assessments of the mission;

c) Develop a clear AME framework for each ongoing project based on project proposals, implementation plans, and donor reporting requirements;

d) Oversee the development, measurement, and reporting of qualitative and quantitative input, process, output, outcome, impact, objective, and goal-level performance indicators for all projects;

e) Ensure that the proposal budgets developed capture appropriate cost and financial information, to enable implementation of both internal and external AME components;

f) Ensure that AME findings are reflected and their recommendations are incorporated in future concept notes, proposals and implementation plans;

g) Identify and design innovative practices to improve organizational efficiency and effectiveness in AME and general project management and incorporate them in the country AME strategy;

h) Implement the AME policies and procedures as described in the ACTED AME standard guidelines and make sure that the tools are followed as applicable;

i) Ensure an effective roll-out of M&E collection and reporting systems to all staff and partners through training, site visits, manuals, and other technical support as needed. Ensure systems are well understood and properly implemented by staff and partners;

1.2. MEAL Implementation and Management

a) Oversee the development of mission plans for any assessments, monitoring and evaluations (baselines, mid-terms, endlines) for each of the projects;

b) Develop and oversee the implementation of appropriate data collection and analysis instruments, methodologies (e.g. survey questionnaires, focus group discussions, key-informant interviews) and data/information dissemination/utilization plans;

c) Provide technical guidance and oversight over data collection activities and ensure that data collection teams are organized and resourced as needed, and that they deliver as per field mission plans and according to data quality standards;

d) Analyze AME data and produce reports, factsheets with useful statistical analysis and presentation (charts, tables, histograms, box plots) as necessary in a timely manner;

e) Oversee the provision of data to the Project Development Team for use in preparation of reports to donors and other stakeholders, as required;

f) In collaboration with coordination, trigger the necessary needs assessment(s) to ensure proposals are relevant;

g) Contribute to donor proposals and fundraising efforts (particularly logical-framework designs and formulation of SMART indicators) and reports, through analysis and interpretation of findings;

h) Provide AME related capacity building and awareness to implementing partners and other institutions supported by ACTED as appropriate;

i) Implement any recommendation discussed and agreed with the country management team and the ACTED Director of Programmes;

j) Represent ACTED in different forums on AME related issues when required.

2. Database

a) Oversee the development, on-going modifications, strengthening and functioning of the country level data management;

b) Monitor roll out and functionality of Database Management Systems (DBMS) and GIS across users including implementing partners as required;

c) Develop strategies to increase data use and demand amongst relevant staff and other data/information users;

d) Design and maintain electronic and paper-based MIS/GIS systems for tracking and reporting all quantitative (spatial and non-spatial) data and information;

e) Oversee the development, on-going modifications, strengthening and functioning of the country-level data and GIS management systems;

f) Facilitate trainings for non AME staff (e.g. PMs, PDs, TCs) on the use of project databases and database related reporting; for example, reporting on ACTEDs 16 global strategic program indicators;

g) Provide capacity building on effective use of GIS/DB products and systems or ensure that GIS/DB staff deliver this efficiently and effectively.

3. Learning

a) Contribute to the proactive dissemination and to the use of knowledge gained through AME activities among Project Managers, Technical Coordinators and Project Development Manager/Officers;

b) Organize and facilitate learning events in order to capture best practices and lessons learnt when a project closes or as required;

c) Document and share the lessons learnt and best practices on time and ensure that the knowledge gained contributes to the improvement of projects and influence the strategic development of future projects and activities;

d) Support project implementation and improvement by providing timely information around project successes to be scaled up as well as challenges to allow course correction throughout life of the program.

4. Beneficiary Complaints and Response Mechanism

a) Establish, implement and monitor the beneficiary Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) for the country mission in line with ACTED standard beneficiary CRM procedures;

b) Ensure the effective functioning of the beneficiary CRM and that beneficiary complaints/feedback is adequately captured, analyzed, addressed and responded to in a timely manner and utilized by the program and coordination teams;

c) Oversee the proper management of the project CRM central database;

e) Build capacity and understanding among ACTED staff, partners and contractors on beneficiary accountability and CRM.

5. MEAL Team Leadership

5.1. Team Management

a) Ensure that staff in the department understand and are able to perform their roles and responsibilities;

b) Manage AME, Database, GIS and Accountability staff delineating their responsibilities and follow-up the work plans and day-to-day activities;

c) Ensure a positive working environment and good team dynamics;

d) Manage interpersonal conflicts between departmental staff members;

e) Undertake regular appraisals of staff and follow career management;

f) Ensure that the team retains all that is distinctive about ACTED including the organizations values and beliefs, global identity, coherence and consistency, and independence and impartiality.

5.2. Capacity Building and Training

g) Identify the AME training needs of AMEU staff, discuss plans with the coordination and HR for both internal and external trainings, and implement them according to AME strategic and operational priorities;

h) Coach, train, and mentor AME Officers with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the AME team and providing professional development guidance.

6. Other

a) Provide regular and timely updates on progress and challenges to supervisors and other team members;

b) Represent ACTED in high-level external forums at national level, such as AME technical working groups;

c) Participate in AME-related conferences and workshops when possible and stay up to date with best practices and new knowledge created in the field of AME;

d) Perform any other related activities as assigned by immediate supervisor.

Masters Degree in development studies, Economics, Rural Development, Agricultural Economics, Statistics and other social science or closely related field of study

At least 3 years of experience in international and/or local NGOin relevant field and position

Proficient understanding of MEAL, including the ability to work effectively with tight timelines, high quality standards, and demanding, potentially overlapping priorities.

Experience of social research methods to conduct monitoring and evaluation for humanitarian and development initiatives/interventions.

Excellent analytical skills in order to interpret qualitative and quantitative data and discern useful recommendations for programme implementation and development.

Statistical analysis and IT skills, including use of SPSS, Excel, and Kob collect for data collection.

Good English communications skills (both oral and written).

Strong team player of high integrity, pleasant personality, ability to work under least supervision and meet strict deadlines.

High level of integrity, transparency and honesty.

Knowledge of local language and/or regional experience an asset Word & PowerPoint).

Key Performance Indicators

- Consolidated country MEAL plan in place

- % of ongoing projects with a project-specific AME framework

- Number of needs assessments for new proposals and/or for the improvement of ACTEDs positioning in the country conducted within the last 6 months

- Database Management System (DBMS) in place and functional that allows at least the reporting on ACTEDs 16 global standard indicators

- % of projects with close out meeting held for the projects closed during past 6 months

- Lessons learnt and best practices recorded in the Country Lessons Learnt and Best Practices document according to ACTEDs standard learning procedures in a consolidated document and updated in regular and timely manner

- Number of learning events to capture best practices and lessons learnt organized/facilitated within the last 6 months

- Beneficiary CRM implemented in the mission as per ACTED standards

- % of complaints closed within 15 days during past 6 months

- Retention rate among staff of the department during past 1 year

% department staff provided with internal/external training during past 1 year