Area MEAL Manager – 2 positions – Baidoa and Kismayo

Position: Area MEAL Manager

Department: MEAL

Location: Baidoa and Kismayo, Somalia

Contract Duration: 31st December 2023

Direct Hierarchy: MEAL Manager

Number of positions: TWO (2)

Starting date: May 2023

Background on ACTED

Created in 1993, ACTED is an international non-governmental organization pursuing a dual mandate of emergency response and development interventions in 40 of some of the world’s most vulnerable countries affected by conflicts, disasters, or socio-economic hardship. With a team of 7,000 national staff and 400 international staff, ACTED implements 500 projects a year to support more than 20 million beneficiaries, notably in hard-to-reach areas.

ACTED goes to the last mile through programs and approaches that look beyond the immediate emergency towards opportunities for longer term livelihood reconstruction and sustainable development. Guided by the motto “Think Local, Act Global” and its 3Zero –Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, and Zero Poverty – strategy, ACTED puts local territories at the centre and provides a tailored support to local needs.

ACTED is looking for professionally confident, self-motivated, experienced, and committed team player to fill the Two (2) Area MEAL Manager positions one (1) in BAIDOA and one (1) in KISMAYO, Somalia.

Position Profile:

The Area MEAL Manager is responsible for the development and the implementation of appropriate and viable appraisal, monitoring and evaluation systems that are in line with the ACTED’s global MEAL procedures, and contributing to ensuring that ACTED’s projects and programs perform as planned at Area level.

Duties and Responsibilities

Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation Systems

Technical and Systems Development

1. Contribute to the development and updating of the country MEAL strategy, the consolidated MEAL work plan and MEAL frameworks for all ongoing projects.
2. Ensure that MEAL findings are reflected, and their recommendations are incorporated in future concept notes, proposals and implementation plans.
3. Implement the MEAL policies and procedures as described in the ACTED MEAL standard guidelines and make sure that the tools are followed as applicable.
4. Contribute to an effective roll-out of M&E collection and reporting systems to all staff and partners through training, site visits, manuals, and other technical support as needed.

MEAL Implementation and Management

1. Develop the ToRs and mission plans and carry out monitoring and evaluations activities (baselines, mid-terms, endlines) as reflected in the ToR and mission plan.
2. Develop and oversee the implementation of appropriate data collection and analysis instruments, methodologies (e.g. survey questionnaires, focus group discussions, key-informant interviews) and data/information dissemination/utilization plans;
3. Closely supervise data collection activities and ensure that data collection teams are organized and resourced as needed, and that they deliver as per field mission plans and according to data quality standards.
4. Maintain electronic and/or paper-based MIS systems for tracking and reporting all quantitative data and information including reporting on ACTED’s 16 global strategic program indicators.
5. Analyze MEAL data and produce reports, factsheets with useful statistical analysis and presentation (charts, tables, histograms, box plots) as necessary in a timely manner.
6. Measure and report on qualitative and quantitative input, process, output, outcome, impact, objective, and goal-level performance indicators for all projects.
7. Contribute to donor proposals and fundraising efforts (particularly logical framework designs, formulation of SMART indicators and MEAL budgets) and reports.
8. Provide MEAL related capacity building and awareness to implementing partners and other institutions supported by ACTED as appropriate.
9. Represent ACTED in different forums on MEAL related issues at area level when required.

Learning

1. Contribute to proactive dissemination and use of knowledge gained through MEAL activities.
2. Contribute to organizing and facilitating learning events to capture best practices and lessons learnt when a project closes or as required.
3. Document and share the lessons learnt and best practices on time and ensure that the knowledge gained contributes to the improvement of projects and influence the strategic development of future projects and activities.
4. Support project implementation and improvement by providing timely information around project successes to be scaled up as well as challenges to allow ‘course correction’ throughout life of the program.

Beneficiary Complaints and Response Mechanism

Contribution to the Beneficiary CRM

1. Support to the implementation of the beneficiary Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) for the country mission in line with ACTED standard beneficiary CRM procedures.

2. Support to the proper management of the project CRM central database.

3. Contribute to building capacity and understanding among ACTED staff, partners and contractors on beneficiary accountability and CRM.

MEAL Team Management

1. Ensure that staff under the direct responsibility understand and can perform their roles and responsibilities.
2. Manage Senior MEAL Officer, MEAL officers, Assistants, Monitors and Enumerators delineating their responsibilities and follow-up the work plans and day-to-day activities.
3. Ensure a positive working environment and good team dynamics.
4. Manage interpersonal conflicts among team members.
5. Undertake regular appraisals of relevant staff.
6. Identify the MEAL training needs of team members and discuss plans with the Country MEAL Manager for both internal and external trainings.
7. Coach, train, and mentor Senior MEAL Officer, MEAL Officer, Assistants, Monitors and Enumerators with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the MEAL team.

Other

1. Provide regular and timely updates on progress and challenges to the line manager and other team members.
2. Participate in MEAL-related conferences and workshops when possible and stay up to date of best practices and new knowledge created in the field of MEAL.
3. Perform any other related activities as assigned by the line manager.

Qualifications/Skills Required:

1. Bachelor’s Degree in statistics, social sciences or closely related to the field.
2. At least 5 years of work experience in a similar field; former experience with humanitarian organizations in Somalia is an asset.
3. Proficient understanding of MEAL, including the ability to work effectively with tight timelines, high quality standards, and demanding, potentially overlapping priorities.
4. Experience of social research methods to conduct monitoring and evaluation for humanitarian and development initiatives/interventions.
5. Experience managing huge teams and leading complex multiple field operations.
6. Excellent analytical skills in order to interpret qualitative and quantitative data and discern useful recommendations for programme implementation and development.
7. Proficiency in mobile data collection (design, deployment and monitoring) is highly desired.
8. Statistical analysis and IT skills, including use of SPSS/R/Stata and Excel for data analysis is an added advantage.
9. Good English communications skills (both oral and written).
10. Strong team player of high integrity, pleasant personality, ability to work under least supervision and meet strict deadlines.
11. High level of integrity, transparency, and honesty.
12. Knowledge of the local context and language is preferred.