NGO Job Opening: Head of Monitoring Evaluation Accountability & Learning (MEAL) at Save the Children Nigeria
Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.
We are recruiting to fill the position below:
Job Identification: 8929
Location: Nigeria Country Office, Abuja
Employment Type: Contract
Contract Lenght: 2 years, renewable
Grade: 2
Team / Programme: Programme Development & Quality
Job Category: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
Child Safeguarding
Level 3: The post holder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work.
Role Purpose
The Head of MEAL is responsible for leading the Country MEAL team and drives MEAL systems from conceptualization to implementation.
S/he will ensure robust, innovative and high-quality program monitoring, research, evaluation and studies.
The position holder will also ensure accessible and closed-loop accountability mechanisms and systems as well as deliberate learning and knowledge management.
The person will be responsible for ensuring quality implementation of MEAL strategies, processes and standards, ensuring that they are institutionalized within the existing project cycle management framework.
Scope of Role
Reports to: Deputy Country Director/ Director, Programme Quality & Development
Staff reporting to this post: Snr MEAL Manager, Research & Assessment Manager, Knowledge Management & Learning Advisor, Accountability Advisor, MEAL Coordinator
Budget Responsibilities: While not directing managing budgets, the role is responsible for overseeing MEAL budgeting components during proposal development
Role Dimensions: Save the Children has been actively working in Nigeria since 2001. We currently operate from 14 States (Lagos, Adamawa, Cross River, Borno, Kogi, Oyo, Yobe, Ondo, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Abuja) Our localisation strategy aims to shift more of Save the Children’s resources and direct operations to our local partners in the years ahead.
Our programme is implemented in various sectors including Protection, Food Security & Livelihoods, Health & Nutrition, Education and WASH.
We engage in both humanitarian and development work and are developing a Triple Nexus strategy in 2024.
The Nigeria Country Office employs over 550 staff and has an annual operating budget of approximately $50 million in FY24.
We work directly with families and communities, foster the participation of children and partner with local organizations, UN bodies, International NGOs and the Nigerian government to deliver results for children.
Key Areas of Accountability
Technical Leadership:
Provide technical leadership for MEAL for the Country Office as well as review and update CO MEAL systems and processes in with line SCI MEAL standards.
Build capacity of country office staff and partners in key technical approaches related to MEAL
Build strong relationships with other units and provide support as required to ensure MEAL standards are understood and supported at country & field office levels
Evidence & Learning:
Strengthen efforts to create greater efficiency in MEAL systems by continued harmonization with SCI (and other relevant) standards and use of digital technologies
Ensure implementing projects meet required criteria for MEAL related Key Performance Indicators and Management Indicators
Ensure that the organisation delivers on all internal and external MEAL requirements, including reporting in a timely manner and with high quality.
Work with Technical Advisors to develop, monitor and utilize quality benchmarks for key project activities
Ensure that all projects are updated on SCI Project Reporting, Information management & Evidence System (PRIME) and reflect on the Project-on-track dashboard and that projects are using the relevant MEAL Project Management Methodology (PMM) tools
Ensure that data collection methodologies used at field level are standardised, enabling the specific vulnerabilities of different target groups to be captured and analysed.
Guide field-based MEAL staff to address any gaps in data quality assurance and in MEAL frameworks implementation.
Maintain regular and proactive dialogue with technical/thematic leads and field teams to identify critical programmatic knowledge gaps, as well as to initiate, adapt or test new practices, approaches or methodologies, that will inform Country Office and/or project Learning agenda with a view of improving the impact of our work
Foster a culture of learning in the Country Office, including the systematic collection, storage and dissemination of evidence and learning that is used throughout the project cycle by all staff
Ensure the design and implementation of high-quality research, studies and assessments in coordination and cooperation with technical leads and programme staff.
Support in Proposal development and that MEAL related staffing and activities are well budgeted.
Accountability & Participation:
Ensure that project meet the minimum standards and are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter as well as Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability
Ensure that staff & partners fully understand and promote accountability in general and to children in particular, through training and coaching.
Contribute to improvements in existing processes and procedures to enhance effective accountability systems and mechanisms.
Ensure that learning from Accountability data especially from the Feedback & Response Mechanism (FRM) & participation activities are used in project adaptation and proposal development.
Ensure that communities and children participate in decision making in the various stages of the project cycle
Promote information sharing with key stakeholders, including affected persons, ensuring that Save the Children promotes transparency throughout all stages of implementation.
Ensure that project activities are designed to promote FRM and include systems to effectively manage feedback and complaints.
People Management & Development:
Provide leadership to the MEAL team, including strategic vision and direction, team cohesion and team building and an enabling environment where staff can be supported to develop to their full potential
Lead, in coordination with HR, the recruitment and professional development of MEAL staff as appropriate, including the identification of development opportunities, such as coaching/training/stretch assignments to build and maintain technical skills and competencies
Provide technical supportive supervision of the field-based MEAL staff through regular contact, field visits and meetings.
Safeguarding:
Lead on ensuring linkages between MEAL, Child safeguarding systems, and safe programming.
Ensure risk assessments are done before any data collection activity that involves children
Ensure MEAL related Core Operational Safeguarding Activities (COSA) are implemented, and requisite standards met.
Ensure that Information sharing activities are carried out to raise awareness of prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and handling of serious complaints in line with child safeguarding policy.
Qualifications, Experience and Skills
Advanced leadership, technical and people management skills.
Minimum of 8 years’ experience in leading the developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation strategies, with in depth knowledge in the design, operationalization and use of monitoring and evaluation techniques and approaches in the development and/or humanitarian context.
Bachelor’s degree in relevant degree required, Master’s degree or equivalent preferred.
Experience working in at least one of the five SCI global thematic areas required (Child Protection, Child Poverty, Child Rights Governance, Education, Health & Nutrition).
Extensive experience in research, monitoring and evaluation methodology and analysis (qualitative, quantitative, participatory) including design of systems and tools, data analysis and report writing
Able to generate and use data and evidence to innovate, deliver, learn and share what works and what doesn’t work for children
Significant experience in leading teams and building MEAL team capacity (developing training tools, training, coaching and mentoring)
Strong organizational skills and ability to effectively handle multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines.
Significant understanding of development of MIS and data and information management as well as experience in the use of data analysis software e.g. STATA.
Familiarity with participative and inclusive accountability approaches
Excellent interpersonal skills, flexibility, adaptability, and ability to work effectively as a member of a team.
Highly developed influencing, communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to communicate technical issues effectively and persuasively.
Key Competencies:
Technical competencies:
Works collaboratively to design adaptive, user-focused MEAL systems to inform programme decision-making and strategy
Designs, adapts and implements effective and appropriate MEAL systems in humanitarian responses in alignment with the Core Humanitarian Standards:
Ensures relevant and ethical design, delivery and analysis of qualitative & quantitative evaluation and research projects and activities:
Ensures the systematic and appropriate design and use of accountability mechanisms to support decision-making:
Translates and presents data to promote its use for programme, policy and advocacy decision-making
Generic Competencies
Child Rights: Supports the protection and promotion of the rights of all children including in times of crisis, conflict and disaster.
Be the Voice: Contributes to an improved social, policy and legislative environment that protects the rights of children
Be the Innovator: Advances global evidence learning and practice
Deliver Results at Scale: Drives a focus on impact and sustainable change within, and beyond, individual projects.
Advances equality and inclusion: Contributes to closing inequality gaps, advancing gender equality and all forms of inclusion
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.
Safeguarding our Staff:
The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.
Behaviours (Values in Practice):
Accountability:
Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
Holds their team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in accordance with the context, 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 professional development and encourages their team to do the same
Widely shares Save the Children’s vision, and engages and motivates others
Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a national and global scale.
Collaboration:
Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, technical advisors and working groups, 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
The post holder must commit to work in an international agency that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and fights racism, gender inequality and discrimination in all forms; and to model positive behaviours that demonstrate a commitment to equality and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities.
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