MEAL Officer

Position Title: MEAL Officer

Location: Herat

Grade: NAT 5

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people 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 because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

In general, the MEAL Officer aims in supporting the ongoing projects through conducting quality monitoring visits alongside implementing accountability system within programs interventions as well as tracking the projects progress against its objectives based on MEAL Quality Framework and relevant programs SOPs through applying the existing QBs and would share the initiated findings with relevant program head and MEAL for informing decision making and sharing lessons learns for continual improvement.

Under the supervision of MEAL Coordinator, MEAL officer is responsible for conducting independent monitoring on the program activities, She/he will ensure the quality of data entered and submitted by Project Coordinators (ECHO-BR) and share the lesson learnt of independence monitoring.

She/he is the key frontline MEAL staff interfacing with communities by spending at least 40% of work time in the field with communities. She/he will work closely with the program field staff to support the performance and quality of the project.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: MEAL Coordinator

Travel: Frequent travel to Herat Districts

Key Responsibilities:

Performance Monitoring (25%)

• Under the support of MEAL Coordinator, compile and provide required data for reporting to donors and SCI requirements

• Contribute to Total Reach annual planning and reporting processes, consistent with SCI operational requirement

• Use process level quality benchmarks as reference to undertake field monitoring visits, focusing on programme quality aspects, discuss with relevant staff and share reports with relevant colleagues

• Work with the programme team to develop data collection tools and ensure data collection forms/necessary materials are present at township.

• Work with programme team to regularly collect data related to project level indicators

• Follow up on MEAL Plan with respective responsible program staff to collect all data and information that is planned and maintain database which is communicated to the MEAL Coordinator.

• Under the guidance of the MEAL Coordinator devise innovative and context specific approach to collect outcome level data for learning and accountability purposes.

Quality Monitoring (10%)

• Develop and implement plans for quality benchmark monitoring in coordination with the Porgramme team for key activities mapped during the onset of the project Conduct quality monitoring using checklists developed by the Sector Lead on a regular frequency by conducting field visits.

• Be a custodian of quality action tracker for recommendations for improvement generated after quality benchmarks monitoring/use

• Conduct follow-up monitoring visits to support implementation of action plans.

• Share findings from quality monitoring with relevant project staffs and facilitate the preparation of action plan to fill gaps from quality monitoring.

• Share action plan from quality monitoring with MEAL Coordinator, and Program Manager

• Support MEAL Coordinator and programme manager for developing effective working coordination with partner MEAL and program team by enhancing their understanding on quality monitoring usually through trainings and orientations.

Information Systems Managements (10%)

• Perform regular field visits to ensure the quality of data collected by programme staff and to verify the accuracy of reported data

• Work closely with program field staff and MEAL Coordinator to plan, coordinate and priorities for preparing quality data reports for both internal and external purpose.

• Support programme team to collect data from source (usually field or communities) on a regular frequencies outline in the MEAL Plan

• Conduct quality audits for reports and data submitted by partners on a monthly basis.

• Maintain database for total reach, both direct and indirect, for the BHA project

• Update and manage MEAL tracking tools (Accountability Tracker; Quality Action Tracker; Indicator Performance Tracking Tool dashboard (only review); Project Evaluation and Research Tracker, Evaluation and research decomposing tool) for the project

• Assist MEAL coordinator in donor report preparation in coordination with program manager- in particular preparation of Dashboards to accompany Quarterly and semin annual and annual reports.

Evaluations Baselines/Assessments, dissemination and learning (10%)

• Work closely with the program team, Project Coordinator to support internal and external program/project evaluations, baseline and end-line assessments and final evaluations.

• Support programme team in development and management of databases for occasional surveys, need assessment and program expansion.

• Support dissemination of baselines/assessments/evaluations and effectively track recommendations and lessons learned from monitoring processes including program review meetings, assessments, surveys and evaluations and ensure they are incorporated in project planning and future programming by leading on the dissemination of findings to the project teams in close coordination with all relevant colleagues

Accountability (25%)

• Ensure that communities are well oriented and know about and how to use Feedback and Response Mechanism.

• Establish an effective functional system for feedback handling and response mechanisms at community level with the support from MEAL Coordinator.

Learning (5%)

• Lead and facilitate ongoing data collection analysis that supports data driven learning process that effectiveness and efficiency in project delivery

• Set up a practical learning mechanism within and across all programs in the Region to ensure and promote the integration and use of learnings from all MEAL processes into project planning and future programming.

• Participate in project design and proposal discussions to ensure lessons learnt from other programs are taken into considerations and project indicators are developed in a way, which are adapted and suitable for the context.

Capacity building (10%)

• Support training for partners and project staff on MEAL and data collection tools reported data.

• Ensure common understanding of SCI MEAL framework with the project team

Child Safeguarding Responsibilities (5%)

• Support the process of ensuring that child safeguarding and child protection mainstreaming are integrated into all MEAL frameworks through measurable output and outcome indicators; and support the process of piloting and scaling up local level beneficiary complaints' mechanisms in relation to staff conduct, with an emphasis on the Child Safeguarding Policy and measure to prevent sexual exploitation of women and children.

Others

• Responsible to undertake the project related tasks assigned by line manager.

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 Social/Development Sciences, Economics, Information Technology or other related subjects.

EXPERIENCE and SKILLS

Essential

• At least 3 years' experience in development, humanitarian context working for non-government organizations or UN agencies

• Experience and knowledge in MEAL concepts; leading/conducting baselines and evaluations; Considerable knowledge of developing/reviewing programme frameworks and log-frames, data collection and storage methodologies, methods of analysis and interpretation.

• Experience working with ODK or KoBo Collect and PowerBI (desirable)

• Experience in programme implementation and/or one or more of Save the Children programming technical areas (desirable)

• Considerable English communication skills, both written and verbal

• Excellent personal organisational skills, including time management, and ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure

• Willingness to travel to field offices and work in difficult environments according to travel requirements

• Good people management skills/experience and proven ability to create an environment which encourages team-working and motivates a team across various geographical areas.

• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation developing effective working relationships to deliver outstanding results for children

• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children's aims, values and principles.

• Willingness and capability to comply with all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to health and safety, security, equal opportunities and other relevant policies, including the Child Safeguarding Policy

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.

The role holder may be required to support emergency response interventions in and out of the duty area, for a period to be agreed with the supervisor and emergency response team.

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.