MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) Manager – Temporary position
DRC is currently recruiting for a one-year position, but this needs to be filled urgently, DRC is also recruiting for a temporary gap fill. You may apply for one or both of these vacancies depending on your availability.
The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfilment of the wish to return home.
The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.
All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation.
DRC is looking for an experienced MEAL Manager who is responsible for leading the monitoring and evaluation (M&E), information management (IM), and accountability department and ensuring that country-wide MEAL activities and strategy are in place in order to support quality programming and a strong evidence-base for the relevance and impact of DRC Jordan’s work. The position is responsible for feeding into strategic decisions and program design based on the evidence and outcomes of ongoing monitoring and evaluation work. The MEAL Manager will also provide technical guidance and capacity building to implementing partners.
The MEAL Manager will work closely with the Head of Programmes (HoP) to strengthen DRC Jordan’s quality of programs and monitoring, evaluation, learning, accountability systems. Ensuring that the Jordan country office is compliant with Core Humanitarian standards in particular with Standard 4 (Humanitarian response is based on communication, participation and feedback), 5 (Complaints are welcomed and addressed) and 7 (Humanitarian actors continuously learn and improve).
Under the management of the Head of Programmes, the MEAL Manager will work closely with Area Managers, Base Managers and Technical Managers to improve program quality and performance and ensure adoption of best practices and lessons learned across 7 Governorates in Jordan.
About the job
The individual will report directly to Head of Programmes. Your main duties and responsibilities will be:
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
- Act as the lead for DRC Jordan’s Monitoring Evaluation and Learning activities in line with the DRC’s global Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Minimum Operating Procedures (MEL MOPs);
- Develop and oversee the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation methodologies, M&E plans and workplans, tool development, data collection, data cleaning, analysis, and report writing and output production.
- Contribute to the proactive dissemination and to the use of knowledge gained through MEAL activities among project teams and other relevant departments throughout life of the program.
- Manage budget requirements, development and spending for M&E/IM and project assessment activities, and set direction by prioritizing and organizing resources to achieve objectives;
- In coordination with program and technical managers, support design and implemention of needs assessments within the areas of intervention to support the evidence-based design of programming.;
- Lead the facilitation of regular project or activity learning events and after action reviews in close coordination with project managers and technical coordinators to produce lessons learned reports and other related documentations capturing key internal learnings from program/project interventions;
- Participate in country-level strategic planning sessions and assist project managers, techncial coordinators and senior management in the development of annual plans, strategies, and program design using strong evidence from program M&E and other research initiatives;
- Participate in project kick-off meetings, review meetings and close-out meetings in order to highlight cross-project components aimed at replicating good practices and strengthening synergies between projects or programs.
- Assist the Grants department in developing strong indicators and logical frameworks for new projects.
- Participate/lead on the procurement process and management of external assessment and evaluation consultancies.
Information Management
- Lead the continued development and maintenance of the comprehensive country programme ’Gamma’ database and potential rollout of an upgraded IM system. Ensure utilization of the DRC Jordan IM system to support timely program management decision making, monitoring and verification, data quality and validation - this will include managing relations and engagement with the regional IM process, whilst leading efforts to centralise database development at the Jordan-level;
Accountability
- Coordinate the implementation and continous update of the accountability systems for DRC projects working closely with Area Managers and Technical Managers ;
- Continually adapt and improve the country program’s beneficiary and feedback complaint mechanism and set-up new systems, information sharing approaches, and modalities for promoting community participation to be maximally inclusive, accessible, and effective.;
- Serve as the organizational focal point on Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), ensuring local compliance and reviews across all standards. Liaising with regional colleagues responsible for accountability, compliance and risk management.
- Supervise the annual or biannual CHS self-assessment and prepare the resulting accountability improvement plan (AIP).
- Support regular code of conduct (CoC) and feedback and complaints mechanism (FCM) refresher training for staff, country-wide;
- Ensure creation and distribution of the monthly non-sensitive complaints report;
Team Management
- Directly line manages 4 staff (as above) including setting objectives and co-creating workplans, performance development, team building and capacity building for the larger MEAL field team; Oversee the provision of technical support, coordination, and task assignment/workplan setting to the MEAL and IM field teams based in the specific areas of implementation, accompanied by frequent field visits.
- Develop the capacity of MEAL field teams and the Amman-based MEAL team in a range of MEAL competencies required throughout the program lifecycle, including but not limited to qualitative research methods, data cleaning and analysis, data visualization and proficiency in programming such as PowerBi, Excel, and Kobo.
- Ensure that appropriate tools and coordination activities are in place to ensure proper planning of MEAL activities and good coordination from within the team (ie. weekly team meetings, task trackers, etc).
Internal and External Coordination:
- In coordination with program and technical managers, represent DRC externally with Donors, Partners and the wider aid community through sectoral working groups and other coordination forum as relevant;
- Provide capacity building activities in research, MEAL, accountability and IM to implementing partners as needed per the capacity building plans, jointly created with partners and the Partnerships Coordinator, as well as oversee all coordination with partners on the joint design and implementation of MEAL activities;
- Negotiate and ensure DRC’s compliance with external data sharing agreements with consortia partners, UNHCR (RAIS platform), and other external entitites.
- Ensure accurate reporting to the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MoPIC) and to ActivityInfo, the online information management platform managed by the UNHCR which to monitor the implementation of the Jordan Response Plan (JRP).
- Actively contribute and collaborate with regional/global counterparts to promote M&E and IM best practices and joint learning across DRC programs.
About you
Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)
- Master degree in social sciences, humanities, development studies or other relevant fields.
- At least seven years professional experience in the humanitarian sector and minimum 5 years’ experience in MEAL managerial level
- Excellent knowledge of MEAL frameworks, tools, data collection processes etc.
- Ability to communicate key information in an easy to understand, informative and collaborative manner
- Good knowledge of the Core Humanitarian Standards or other accountability measures/standards.
- High integrity and willingness to conduct her/himself transparently and open to scrutiny
- Knowledge of KOBO, ODK, excel, PowerBi and other related data collection, analysis and visualization platforms
Desirable
- Previous experience working in the Middle East
- Previous experience monitoring and evaluating protection and/or livelihood projects
- Previous experience working with BPRM, USAID and SDC and other related donors
- English (fluent) and Arabic (desired)
In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:
Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with DRC’s vision and values.
Designation of Duty Station: Amman
Start date: ASAP
Application process
All applicants must upload a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four pages) in English. Applications sent by email will not be considered.
Closing date for applications: 14 December 2022
If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please visit https://www.job.drc.ngo/support.
For further information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult our website drc.ngo.