Reports to: National Consortium Lead
Team Purpose:
To ensure ECHO North Response Consortium Project sectoral programs and the Consortium partners have an improved Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system, and the management, technical and logistical capacity to effectively implement the planned actions.
Job Purpose:
Support ECHO Northern consortium project and partners technical team and management in the set up and implementation of an effective and coordinated MEAL system, framework and approaches for the project clearly mapping what indicators will be tracked, methodologies and tools for tracking performance indicators, including data analysis and use plan, in accordance with Save the Children standards. The MEAL Coordinator will set up of data management system to the project according to information data requirements for evidence based decision making, reporting and make sure program learning is documented and implemented. This will include further strengthening of data collection and analysis, and ensure quality compliance with donor requirements including reporting. She/he will provide ongoing support to strengthen respective MEAL mechanisms and contribute effectively to the ECHO North Consortium project overall MEAL objectives. This contains supporting to strengthening and managing accountability mechanisms to ensure that support is extended to all beneficiaries both at partners and ECHO North Consortium levels. She/he will facilitate learning among ECHO North Consortium project grantees and sub grantees to improve program quality and delivery. The Consortium MEAL Manager will also support in identifying key learnings, manage knowledge, and further strengthen the capacity of consortium partners staff on MEAL, and he/she will assist the field team for all monitoring and reporting of all aspects of their work.
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:
Planning, MEAL System Development and Management
• In collaboration with the National Consortium Lead, actively participate in the project design and proposal discussions, including support on theory of change development, log frame design, and budgeting for MEAL;
• Render any other technical support to the National Consortium Lead, SC PDQI MEAL team around designing and development of processes and initiatives to support strategic planning, project development, evaluation and learning as required;
• Support ECHO North consortium project team, and consortium partners technical team both at head and field offices in the development of a MEAL framework with indicators for output, outcome and impact and, support the development of a strategy that informs effective program delivery by relevant program staff;
• With the support of the National Consortium Lead and MEAL TWG, support in the development of MEAL plans, quality indicators and logical frame works with clear plans for data collection, analysis and use of information based on key performance indicators for all ECHO North Consortium project proposals/ program documents; and effective performance indicators and result framework that conform to the scope of work of the projects;
• Jointly with the National Consortium Lead, ensure that the MEAL data (reports, baseline surveys, PDM surveys and evaluations) are easy accessible for all ECHO North Consortium project team, MEAL TWG members, partners, managers, stakeholders, national clusters and donor;
• Jointly with the National Consortium Lead, provide support for consortium partners, MEAL TWG members, and field based MEAL focal points in developing data collection methodology and tools, and systems for on-going data collection, analysis and reporting of ECHO North Consortium project multi-sectoral program response (WASH, ES and NFI, Health, and Protection) data, and ensure the consistency of beneficiary data;
• Ensure effective common understanding among ECHO North consortium and Consortium Partners on MEAL objectives and frameworks and organise orientation, workshops and training;
• Assist the National Consortium Lead and the project team for quality delivery of the programme, setting up MEAL system for accountability and documenting learning;
• Work with the National Consortium Lead and participate in periodic assessments including RNA, market and feasibility assessment, PDM/KAP surveys, End line surveys or final project evaluation in line with consortium members’ policies and standards;
• Support the National Consortium Lead and consortium members in preparing donor reports, monthly, quarter, annual and other periodic reports in line with the reporting schedule and MEAL Framework; and ensure that good quality data is presented for report writing including donor/EHF reports:
• Support in collecting, consolidating and submitting the IPTT report monthly from partners;
• Work with the MEAL TWG and partners programme team to develop a culture of programme quality and knowledge-driven programming, providing support to management for evidence-based decision making processes;
• Work with the consortium and partners team both from head and field offices in collecting, collating and timely, and quality reporting of beneficiary data for project activities; and support the National Consortium Lead in compiling and reporting total number of beneficiaries reached
Monitoring of Project Interventions
• In consultation with ECHO North Consortium MEAL TWG members, support the design, review and update of innovative tools, apps, templates and resources for effective program needs assessments, monitoring, evaluation and reporting;
• Assist in conducting surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews within ECHO North Consortium project operational areas;
• Support in conducting PDM surveys, observational monitoring, FGDs, KIIs, at field sites in consultation with partner’s field staff, and perform analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, and draft reports presenting the results of the analysis; and ensure that monitoring data are fed into management decisions and used in programme management.
• Work with the National Consortium Lead in planning and conducting regular monitoring visits to all ECHO North Consortium projects to ensure that all projects are on the right track in performing the planned activities and achieved the expected outputs;
• Support in preparing and timely submitting of standard monitoring reports to the senior management team of partners, national clusters, donor and other concerned stakeholders;
Data Management for Quality and Learning
• Support in setting up and rolling out of electronic and hard file data management systems and protocols to allow easy access to key performance information by all key stakeholders in the project;
• Assist in using robust ICT systems and ME information management systems, and e-learning platforms such as mobile based applications of KOBO, Mobenzi, LMMS, intranet, communities of practice, etc. in beneficiary registration and data collection in line with the Project MEAL framework, data storage and dissemination for wider learning across teams respectively;
• Support in the development of ECHO North consortium project and partner databases and other data management processes including filing, update MEAL frameworks, ensuring that all records are properly organized and stored;
• In consultation with the National Consortium Lead, actively engage in collating, analysis and updating of data as guided by project indicators periodically; and in partner data validation/ data quality audits.
• Support in the design and implementation of periodic project review meetings and lessons documentation practices
Establish Functional and Context Specific Accountability Mechanisms
• Work with the National Consortium Lead, MEAL TWG and partners technical team to ensure that functional and context specific accountability mechanisms setup, introduced and implemented the system, especially focus on participation, information sharing, feedback and response mechanisms, continual learning and improvement plans are developed, roll out and implemented accordingly;
• Support in establishing a sustainable Community Feedback and Response Mechanism (CFRM) at ECHO North Consortium operational areas and partners field offices level which ensures all beneficiaries can make confidential complaints and be confident in response processes;
• Support partners field offices to stablish or strengthen, and training of Community Feedback Committee Members represented from participants of the project, and supporting them to collect, manage and close feedback loop during NFIs and cash assistances;
• Assist at field level in providing accessible, timely and relevant information about the partners, partner’s COC, project description, type of assistance, entitlements, how to use the support provided, and how to raise any complaints if they have any concern (entry points of complaining) before and during distribution of NFIs and cash;
• Support and regularly follow up status of feedback collected, communicate partners programme teams/MEAL Officers/SMT in the immediate resolving of complaints and issues, closing the feedback loop as per the procedures;
• Work with partner field offices in collecting and managing the consolidated feedback from the database, and share the consolidated accountability report on monthly basis to NationalConsortium Lead and MEAL TWG, and programme teams, partners SMT for decision making and continual improvement;
• Support to organize partners level joint biannual accountability mechanisms review, learning and sharing platforms.
Evaluating of Project and Consortium Approach Performance and Impact
• Work with the National Consortium Lead in preparing and sharing the yearly evaluation plans;
• In consultation and advice with the National Consortium Lead, prepare TOR for baseline surveys, end-line surveys, final project evaluations and vulnerability needs assessment carried out both internally and by external evaluators and facilitate the whole processes;
• Support in preparing ToR for final evaluations, selecting of appropriate external lead consultants, review of inception reports and tools designed, and monitoring of field data collection, facilitating payments, review of final evaluation reports;
Capacity Building
• Support the MEAL TWG in undertaking trainings needs, and capacity assessment and organizing MEAL trainings/Inductions/coaching/mentoring of ECHO North consortium and partner staff as per the EHF policies;
• Jointly provide Technically support, guidance and facilitate trainings for consortium team, partners field staff, field MEAL focal points and programme team on various MEAL concepts and practices including project cycle management (assessments, design, MEAL and data collection, data analysis and reporting) for promoting participatory monitoring and learning activities, and program improvement;
Learning and Knowledge Management
• Work with the National Consortium Lead to organize regular project familiarization and validation workshops, biannual ECHO NORTH CONSORTIUM project review and learning events/forums;
• Support to establish MEAL innovative learning, sharing and knowledge management practices within consortium partner’s through organizing MS team view, face book, MEAL platform group; ECHO NORTH CONSORTIUM project MEAL folders at O or N-Drives as documentation, sharing, learning and knowledge management practices both in hard and soft copies;
• Collect and document best practices, case and success stories for implemented multi-sectoral responses with the support from partners field offices based on MEAL TWG guidance, and being in line with the EHF communication and visibility guidelines; and assist the project team in documenting lessons learnt;
• In liaison with the National Consortium Lead and Consortium Lead, facilitate learning and sharing through review meetings and other relevant platforms among partners and ECHO NORTH CONSORTIUM project grantees and sub grantees;
• Work with the National Consortium Lead in preparing and disseminating ECHO NORTH CONSORTIUM project summary report of the key findings and learnings from the major MEAL exercises such as assessments (PDM and accountability), surveys and evaluations, review meetings, field visits, reports, organized events as key lessons learned, and knowledge management practices (Best practices, successes, failures, areas of improvement, advocacy, influencing) for PMT, steering committees and field project managers.
Collaboration and Coordination
• Support SC partnership and award team in partner review processes and reporting;
• Support the National Consortium Lead in organizing quarterly MEAL TWG meetings to coordinate MEAL system implementation (harmonize practices, joint response, avoid overlap of beneficiary, approaches, standardized assistance packages, cross learning, reaching at scale) and provide oversight of the execution of MEAL processes and consortium plan to deliver large scale humanitarian response NFI provision and cash programming;
• Representing SC and ECHO North consortium, and building strong relationships with project stakeholders.
Experience:
Essential
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from a recognized university.
• Good understanding, familiar with and abide by the International standards, the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), SPHERE, LEGS, NGO/Red Cross Code of Conduct including safeguarding;