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Background:
Save the Children is the world's leading independent organisation for children. We work in 120 countries. We save children's lives; we fight for their rights; we help them fulfil their potential. We work together, with our partners, to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. We have over two million supporters worldwide and raised 1.9 billion dollars last year to reach more children than ever before, through programmes in health, nutrition, education, protection and child rights, also in times of humanitarian crises. Following a major transition, our international programmes are now delivered through a merged operation with 15,000 staff, managed through seven regional hubs and reporting to a relatively small, central office.
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Duties and responsibilities:
ROLE PURPOSE:
The job holder is responsible for providing oversight for the Education Consortium MEAL function and will work with the MEAL Department, Technical Specialists, Consortium Management Unit and Education Consortium Partners’ programme teams to design and lead a strong Education MEAL system. The MEAL system’s objective is to ensure harmonised and aligned data collection and monitoring to inform decision-making, accountability, reporting and learning in a timely and strategic manner.
The MEAL Manager ensures that the Consortium undertakes routine Continuous Quality Improvement & data quality assessment, has information briefs, regular sharing of Programme updates with stakeholders, a mechanism for collecting, tracking and responding to feedback and complaints from Programme stakeholders.
In addition, the job holder ensures that Quality Benchmarks are used during implementation of Consortium activities and puts in place a tailor made documentation strategy for impact stories, reports, and best practices. The MEAL Manager will cultivate a culture of learning within the Education Consortium and ensure that lessons learnt from pilots, programme interventions and working in consortia are documented, shared between partners and with key stakeholders and contribute to national and global level learning and research. The staff is responsible for ensuring that Programme data on outputs and outcome progress is collected, analysed and synthesised accurately and in a timely manner; supports training of Programme team and partners in quality data collection and management including use of data to inform decisions on the Programme priorities. The job holder may be called upon as and when necessary to support the emergency team in cases of humanitarian crisis.
As a member of the Consortium Management Unit, the MEAL Manager will be responsible for ensuring MEAL Working Group meetings take place with partners and will provide targeted support and capacity building as required.
The position is responsible for line management of the Education Consortium MEAL staff (dedicated to ECW).
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KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Programme Support:
- In close collaboration with the Consortium Partners, lead the design and development of harmonized monitoring tools and aligned indicator definitions for the project.
- In close collaboration with the Education Consortium Manager and the Consortium Partners, put in place an operational MEAL plan including setting up of mechanisms to monitor and document the progress of implementation of Programme activities, Specifically;
- Lead the design/ review of MEAL pack, to include the Indicator Performance Tracking Table, Log frame, Activity Tracking Table and MEAL plan. Maintain an updated Programme Indicator Performance Tracker (IPT) and Output tracker, in additional other report requirements as may be requested.
- Provide technical guidance and lead capacity building of the Consortium Partner staff, and stakeholders (including District Education Officers and Centre Coordinating Tutors) on implementation of MEAL within the Programme; to include capacities for data collection, storage, indicator definition and reporting.
- Lead the development and design process of aligned Quality Benchmarks for the Education Consortium activities to guide monitoring and ensure actions plans agreed on after QB monitoring are implemented in timely manner.
- Take lead on Programme Output and Outcome monitoring, and ensure that information reporting and sharing systems fulfill needs of Save the Children, communities, government, relevant agencies, donors and other stakeholders and are in line with MEAL standards and integrating Child Rights Monitoring and Evaluation principles.
- Review Programme data collection tools to ensure that tools provide required information on programme indicators
- Enhance use of digital data management with in the program, this includes use of Kobo and ODK among other programs.
- Conduct routine data quality assessment and continuous quality improvement of the program to ensure program implementation an report quality.
- Develop systems and processes for the implementation of the MEAL framework and practices within the Programme and support efforts for the same in the regional office
- Participate/coordinate the design of quantitative and qualitative participatory Programme evaluations (baseline, annual and final evaluations), assessments, reviews and other special studies
- Work closely with the Education Consortium Manager to ensure that performance indicators are regularly tracked and that activities implemented are well aligned with the indicators
- Facilitate documentation of programme results, impact, best practices and significant changes. Document learnings and best practices; disseminate learnings, reports, publications and participate in learning sessions, and ensuring that the lessons learnt are utilized to inform programming and advocacy.
- Support implementation of programme MIS and integration of Geographical Information System (GIS) in programme reporting. Support GIS mapping and dissemination of MIS/GIS reports. Provide MIS content/requirements and feedback to MEAL team and document progress on indicators/achievement of targets
- Where applicable, roll-out mobile data collection and monitoring systems and document learning and suggestions for improvement.
- Lead the project baseline, including the design of tools, training of data collectors and analysis of findings and report writing, in coordination with the Education Consortium Manager and with support from the Education Specialist.
- Lead the design and identification of consultant for the project(s) evaluation with support from Head of MEAL and Consortium Manager. Design ToRs for the work and provide day to day oversight on tools, and induction to the programme.
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Complaints Response and Feedback Mechanism(CRM):
- Support the Education Consortium in the development of information sharing materials/briefs, posters and brochures, and dissemination of Programme information materials to relevant stakeholders, partners and beneficiaries.
- Facilitate Education Consortium to set up relevant contextualized feedback and complaints infrastructures, mechanisms, and approaches to receive feedback and complaints from beneficiaries including children
- Collect and manage complaints and feedback in close coordination with Programme team. Track timeliness of response to complaints and maintain an updated Programme complaints tracker
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Partnerships:
- In collaboration with Education Consortium Manager, and Partnership Manager provide routine periodic partner monitoring and provide regular guidance and support to ensure partner’s effective implementation of MEAL according to best practice and donor requirements
- Coordinate monthly MEAL Working Group meetings with MEAL representatives from consortium partners, minutes are shared with key stakeholders and follow-up on recommended action points.
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Learning:
- Foster and develop a culture of learning within the Education Consortium.
- Establish information sharing mechanisms for partner staff to document and share examples of good and bad practice and learning.
- Document learning on working in consortia and pilot innovations and share with key stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities for research and learning questions in collaboration with the Consortium Partners and Technical Specialists.
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Planning, Budgeting and Reporting:
- Coordinate with, Technical Specialists and Programme teams for appropriate allocation of MEAL resources and budget in Programme proposals and annual plans
- Input to design of new proposals for the Education Consortium, including but not limited to design of log-frame, selection of indicators, needs assessments, and ensuring that learning from previous programmes are captured.
- Provide day to day direct support to Education Consortium and Partners in preparation and reviewing of Programme plans and Programme reports, ensuring that Programme reports meet SCI and donor reporting standards.
- Oversee the MEAL budget utilization, and ensure timely implementation MEAL activities. Monitor partner expenditure against MEAL budget lines to ensure expenditure is on track, aligned with strategic priorities and fully utilized.
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Communication and Networking
- Foster a culture of information sharing, learning and collaboration within the Education Consortium
- Be available for and responsive to questions, queries and requests for information and support from Consortium Partners.
- Create and sustain positive working relationships internally with other technical staff; externally with the district local government and CSO partners, and other stakeholders, and also maintain an up to date understanding of key development trends in the Programme area.
- Representing the Programme in Education coordination fora at the district as may be requested by the line manager.
- Ensure coordination with the government activities and structures in the implementation Consortium activities.
Child Safeguarding:
- Emphasise a culture of zero tolerance of abuse and corporal punishment within the Consortium partners.
- Report any suspicion of safeguarding incident immediately.
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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.
Contacts:
Internal contacts:
- Education Consortium Management Unit: Education Consortium Manager; MEAL Department: Head of MEAL, Regional MEAL Manager; Operations Department: Regional Area Managers, Sub Area Manager, Programmes team
External contacts
- Auditors, Programme donors and partners – occasional contact
- Prospective Consortium Partners (e.g. other NGOs, CBOs) - regular contact
- Education Department Officials – frequent contact
- Consortium Partners MEAL and Programmes staff
- Other government officials and agencies – regular contact
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Minimum Qualification, Skills and Experience Required:
Academic background, experience and person specifications:
- Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences, Statistics or Development Studies with training in M&E or Project planning and Management.
- Minimum of five years working experience in MEAL (preferably in education/protection related programmes with an International NGO).
- Knowledge and use of various survey methods for monitoring of different programs.
- Training and mentorship of Community based volunteers, Sub-county as well as District level partners in data collection management and reporting.
- Additional training and experience in MIS is an added advantage.
- Experience of working with local partners and District Local Government in Child Rights Governance, Health, Nutrition, Education and Child Protection is an added advantage.
- Strong analytical skills and strategic planning abilities.
- Sound written and oral presentation skills.
- Ability to establish and maintain conducive collegial relations and perform effectively as a member of a team.
- Willingness to travel and work in hard-to-reach areas, occasionally under strenuous conditions.
- Computer literacy and excellent documentation skills are a must. Microsoft office especially word, spreadsheet (Excel), Access, SPSS and GIS applications).
- Availability and willingness to work extra hours during times of humanitarian responses.
- Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
- Ability to intervene with crisis management or troubleshooting as necessary.
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
- Excellent time management and planning capacity.
Judgment and Decision-Making:
- The incumbent has a collective decisions making responsibility making him/her a member of the regional management team. The incumbent will recommend actions on Programme implementation issues, Save the Children strategic approach within the thematic areas, and mobilization of new resources.
- The incumbent will also represent the Programme to external contacts when requested including beneficiaries, partners, current and potential donors, and development actors. It is expected the incumbent will spend 60% of his/her time in the field.
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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
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