Head of Monitoring, Evaluations Accountability and Learning Services (MEAL)

For 40 years, across nearly 50 countries, Action Against Hunger has led the global fight against hunger. We save the lives of children and their families. We are there for them before and after disaster strikes. We enable people to provide for themselves, see their children grow up strong, and build prosperous communities. We constantly search for more effective solutions, while sharing our knowledge and expertise with the world. We push for long-term change. We will never give up. Until the world is free from hunger.

The Operations Department at Action Against Hunger UK envisions a more effective humanitarian and nutrition sector, able to evidence effectively and adapt efficiently to meet the needs of those affected or at-risk of disasters and hunger. The department has a mission: to improve the quality and impact of humanitarian action by harnessing the power of information and knowledge. To achieve this, the department focuses on three key areas of work: 1) information and knowledge management; 2) innovative research and action and; 3) programme design and funding. By delivering technical assistance across these three areas to the Action Against Hunger International network and a series of external partners, we are helping to create and deliver more exciting and more impactful humanitarian interventions.

The Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team sits within the Operations Department at Action Against Hunger UK. The team provide MEAL services with a strong information sharing focus. The team provides their services to programmes both within the Action Against Hunger network as well as to external clients.

About the role

We are looking for someone to negotiate new contracts and bring new opportunities to develop the MEAL service, exploring potential consortia and developing strategic relationships to ensure we are well positioned to grow our services both within and outside of the network, while maintaining a key focus on maximising the sharing of information and learning.

We are seeking a proactive Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) to lead a talented team, who is passionate about working towards Action Against Hunger’s vision of a world free from hunger. They will ensure the technical quality of the work of the team both directly and through their line reports, as well as playing a key role in leading innovation and driving new areas of work. There will also be an expectation of involvement in the services provided, likely at technical design and/or quality assurance, though this will not be the majority of the role. They will bring fresh perspectives and new ideas, enjoy a flexible and adaptive working environment and come with a positive, ‘can do’ attitude.

Key duties and responsibilities

Be a creative and strategic thinker, with a strong ability to implement new ideas:

• Develop and oversee the strategic direction of Action Against Hungers MEAL services both within the Action Against hunger Network and externally – dedicating time specifically to exploring new opportunities, including pre-positioning.
• Envision and implement ideas which support the success and sustainability to the MEAL services team both inside of the Action Against Hunger Network as well as externally.

Engage with others to make the best use of the strengths of the MEAL team and Action Against Hunger:

• Provide external representation of Action Against Hunger MEAL services with agencies, networks and potential clients, as well as with key sector initiatives such as ALNAP and the CHA Alliance. · Drive new opportunities for the team.

Put quality first:

• Ensure quality and best practice approaches are embedded in MEAL products and processes (working closely with the Senior Operations coordinator for the alignment of good business processes).
• Be accountable for the successful delivery and quality of MEAL contracts and projects: including evaluation, monitoring, measuring the success of the International Strategic Plan 3, ELA, and learning projects including the website Knowledge Against Hunger.

Understand that learning is nothing if it isn’t shared:

• Promote the dissemination and use of evidence and learning internally and externally – ensuring we maximise on our position as an internal and external service provider.
• Ensure the delivery of key learning for the Action Against Hunger Network – specifically ensuring the delivery of an internally funded Evaluation, Learning and Accountability (ELA) programme.

Manage a busy team of experts as well as being an inspirational leader:

• Ensure the effective and strategic use of budget and human resources across the MEAL services.
• Work across the Senior Management Group of Action Against Hunger, as well as network groups such as the MEAL Working Group, to identify where and how the UK MEAL team can most effectively support and contribute to the vision of the Charity. · Be ready to work on proposals, providing technical guidance and support both internally and externally in the application of assessment, monitoring, evaluation and learning methodologies.

The postholder will be expected to adhere to the terms of the Action Against Hunger International Code of Conduct and associated policies, as a condition of their employment. All employees have particular responsibility for understanding and following protocols in relation to safeguarding (children and vulnerable adults), and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA). Those in management positions are also responsible for ensuring that staff, volunteers, consultants and other key stakeholders are made aware of and supported in implementing these measures.

Decisions and judgement

The above list of key duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post. The job involves working within broad practice or guidelines and using discretion and initiative over a broad area of activity, with little access to more senior management. The job is subject to managerial direction.

The work will involve international travel in line with our International Environmental Framework.

Person specification

Essential

• Educated to master’s level in a subject related to social sciences and/or humanitarian development, or qualified by experience.

Desirable

• Foreign language skills (French or Spanish in particular)

Experience required

Essential

• Substantial experience delivering MEAL related projects/programmes within a humanitarian, nutrition, international development or similar organisation
• High level of experience in quality assurance and accountability in humanitarian programmes.
• Demonstrable experience in strategic planning and in organizational development and growth.
• Proven experience in project/programme development and management including financial and operational management, knowledge of project management cycle, logic frameworks, proposal development and reporting.
• Skilled in the application of information management within humanitarian organisations.
• Expert level knowledge in the application of current practices in MEAL.
• Substantive experience of leading and developing a team of senior and/or technical professionals.
• Knowledgeable about key humanitarian sector actors, including donors, UN system and NGOs
• Excellent clear and succinct communications – orally or written, for a range of audiences in English.
• High level of computer literacy – preferably knowledge of at least one analysis package (PowerBi, SPSS, Stata, NVivo etc.)
• Experience of working in a decentralised team environment and providing team support.
• Demonstrable skills in creating, establishing and negotiating relationships with various stakeholders, including in consortia/networks
• Strong track record of initiative, transparency and accountability
• A willingness to undertake overseas travel
• A demonstrable personal and professional commitment to uphold the principles and practices in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion

Desirable

• Knowledge of organisational learning
• Experience of working as part of a coalition or network
• French and/or Spanish language

Competencies required

• Self Confidence: Holds themselves accountable for meeting their objectives . Leads positively and with self-confidence.
• Achievement drive: Sets priorities, identifies needs and plans what must be done
• Initiative/Innovativeness: Seeks out fresh ideas from a wide variety of sources and revises own views when presented with new information. Anticipates outcomes of situations and acts to steer them in the desired direction.
• Develops and support change initiatives.
• Decision making: Gathers relevant information before making decisions and takes responsibilities for the associated outcomes of decisions.
• Influencing/persuasive: Obtains agreement through collaboration and effectively selects the appropriate style in any situation. Leads on decisions when collaboration is not possible or necessary. Works flexibly showing a ‘can-do’ attitude.
• Managing and developing people: Creates effective Human Resource planning processes; builds a culture of excellence in people management. Recognises success, addresses issues quickly and fairly. Creates approaches to support a continuous learning culture, where staff are equipped, engaged and empowered to achieve their career goals.
• Leadership: Develops opportunities and for the organization and sector and looks for future trends and issues to meet the challenge. Consistently delivers inspiring and engaging narrative to the team and those working with.
• Change catalyst: Seeks out opportunities for innovation. Challenges themselves and others to review and question the effectiveness of standard approaches and is a role model and demonstrates a positive acceptance of change.
• Quality: Strives to work to the highest quality in all situations and produce the highest quality outputs, through attention to detail and thoroughness
• Communication: Is clear and coherent in both writing and verbal skills. Collects data and prepares reports to match the audience. Develops monitoring and evaluation methods and systems and prepares reports to match the audience.
• Analytical and critical thinking: Probes information and assumptions to establish facts and identifies common themes. Is logical in approaching issues.
• Collaborative partner – Build a strong network of collaborative relationships and partnerships across the humanitarian sphere.