MEAL Officer

MEAL Officer – (210003P4)

TITLE: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Ukraine Country Office

LOCATION: Slavyansk, with possible travels around Ukraine (GCA, NGCA) and abroad

GRADE: 4

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE: The MEAL Officer role is to provide essential support to Save the Children’s MEAL department which is a part of the SCI’s Program Development & Quality. The selected candidate must play a great role in testing, implementing new tools that support programmes in monitoring, evaluation and assessments. Furthermore, he/she is set to build capacity of other MEAL staff and deliver against Save the Children’s operating standards. MEAL Officer will support the MEAL Coordinator/ PDQ Manager in strengthening monitoring and evaluations systems in place to ensure that SCI programmes are implemented in a quality manner and are accountable to beneficiaries and donors. The position will assist in MEAL system design as well as support in proposal writing and logframe development.

The MEAL Officer will support the MEAL Coordinator/ PDQ Manager on all MEAL activities and to lead the team.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: PDQ Manager

Staff reporting to this post: none

Budget Responsibilities: MEAL related costs

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :

MEAL System

• Undertake responsibility for the database systems in SCI’s programmes and MEAL department. Monitoring progress against targets through our Indicator Performance Tracking Tool (IPTT), Output Tracker, Total Reach, and Key Performance Indicators.
• Ensure that area operations and project staff understand the various steps and tools for the MEAL system and that this is used consistently across projects / areas
• Conduct quality monitoring of programme activities, measured against international standards and using participatory methodologies (including child-friendly methodologies).
• Provide technical support and participate as required in all other aspects of MEAL at field level, for example surveys, assessments, baselines, evaluations, joint projects reviews / lessons learning workshops/events.
• Ensure adherence to the global Save the Children MEAL standards and procedures
• Support MEAL Coordinatro/ PDQ Manager in implementation of regional MEAL initiatives.

Accountability

• Together with MEAL Coordinator and PDQ Manager improve feedback mechanisms with integrated Child Protection and Child Safeguarding
• Ensure participation of communities where projects are implemented, and make sure that the processes are transparent and programmes are accountable

Technical MEAL Support and Capacity Building

• Contribute towards the creation of an organisational culture that promotes MEAL and understands its link to quality and accountable programming
• Provide MEAL trainings and capacity building for staff as required

Programme Support (across areas)

• Support coordination of needs assessments in coordination other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and include an analysis of children’s needs.
• Working with senior technical colleagues, support sector specialists in their development of sector log frames, plans, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks and plans.
• Provide planning, implementation and follow-up of evaluations, such as: writing TORs, recruiting evaluators, planning evaluator itineraries, planning staff workshops, leading report review.
• Improve and introduce new database systems to record beneficiaries and ensure minimization of the aid overlap within SCI and between stakeholders.

Reporting

• Support with a different range of reports, internal and external. Be ready to provide simple evaluation reports upon a request
• Ensure that Monthly, Quarterly and Annual field level reports include accurate key data summaries and brief narrative descriptors of previous period’s achievements/challenges and future period’s planned activities in relevant areas;

Staff management

• Support MEAL Coordinator/ PDQ Manger in aspects of MEAL staff management
• Insure compliance of all the MEAL staff with SCI policies
• Provide MEAL staff with mentorship and opportunities for related to work development

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength

• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in an area of social sciences, social development or other relevant subject

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Minimum 2 years of progressive professional experience in M&E

• Experience with SC M&E methodologies; Facilitation, training, presentation and conducting of qualitative and quantitative research; developing and improving monitoring and data collection systems
• Experience in database management
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports
• Experience of, and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
• Experience of training and capacity building
• Experience to support proposal and log frame development
• Strong computer skills, including the use of Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
• English, Ukrainian and/or Russian language skill required

Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Location: CITY OF SLOVYANSK

Employee Status: Fixed Term

Closing Date: Ongoing