MEAL Coordinator

The IRC has been active in The Central African Republic (CAR) since 2006 and has been implementing emergency response programs since early 2013. The IRC has four field offices in the north – Bocaranga, Kaga Bandoro, and Zemio and Ndele – in addition to a central office in Bangui. Since 2007, it has built close relationships with local communities, community leaders, local authorities, and other local and international actors. Today, the IRC is one of the top tier humanitarian actors working in the prefectures Ouham Pende, Nana Gribizi, and Zemio, implementing programs in health, Women Protection and Empowerment, Child protection and Protection rule of law and Early Recovery and Development. The IRC has proven its ability to efficiently implement health and protection programming, improving beneficiaries’ access to healthcare and providing survivors of violence with safe, confidential services to help them recover and reintegrate into their communities. The gained technical expertise, logistical abilities, and local knowledge and understanding has laid the foundation to expand and deepen these services to reach more people and respond to the emergency need at a greater scale as additional funding is secured.

Job Summary

The role of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Coordinator is to support better performance and greater accountability by implementing evidence-based program/project management at the field level, to guide and improve performance. The MEAL Coordinator will provide the technical support to the design of methodologies and tools to ensure the availability of clear and accurate information at the program/project level. The MEAL Coordinator also plays an important role in data management and quality by designing a MEAL system which adheres to the IRC’s Global MEAL Guidelines, the MEAL Minimum Standards for Quality, and the guiding MEAL policies and procedures. The MEAL Coordinator will provide technical support to the program and build capacity in the country Mission through strengthening learning and knowledge sharing across the IRC and with the wider humanitarian community. The role holder will also support in project development including preparation and management of the MEAL budget, staffing plan and project design.

Main responsibilities

Strategic direction and partnership

• Establish and govern common in-country strategies and approaches for monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability processes, which reflect and contextualize Strategy100 and the country’s strategic action plan. Ensure that the MEAL organizational structure of the country is adapted to this objective.

• Lead all aspects of MEAL activities (including customer feedback and feedback mechanisms) across multiple industries and multiple geographies/large portfolios and/or complex environments.

• Develop, coordinate, and strengthen capacity sharing partnerships with MEAL counterparts from partner agencies, local organizations and government.

• Represent IRC on MEAL matters at internal and external meetings, forums and other key events.

• Promote access to and use of data by IRC leaders and partners for shared learning and decision-making based on MEAL data.

• Design and implement MEAL systems and approaches, consistent with IRC standards and practices, that meet the needs of projects and programs, enable accountability to our clients, partners, and funders, and promote the learning in programs.

• Strengthen the integration of cross-sectoral priorities in the MEAL domain, including gender, protection, safeguarding, disaster risk reduction, diversity, equality, and inclusion, as well as the principle of “Do no harm” (Do Not Harm).

Technical supervision

• Provide technical guidance for the establishment of robust monitoring systems and processes throughout the project cycle, from the design and implementation phases to the closure and learning capitalization phases, this includes:

o Use learnings and quality data from internal and external sources, also combining data and lessons from previous projects, to provide sufficient information for the design of the proposal and theories of change.

o Develop and operationalize logframes, MEAL plans, data collection tools, data management processes, approaches to client feedback mechanisms, quality checks and audits, and presentation of data.

• Develop and advocate that the MEAL budget is appropriate and that an organizational staff structure is put in place for all projects.

o Produce high-quality data, analyses, reports, presentations, and results dashboards that support learning capitalization and decision-making, and which are shared in key meetings such as project cycle meetings and strategic meetings of the management team.

• Provide technical guidance for the design, methodology and conduct of surveys such as baseline and endline surveys, as well as for commissioning external evaluations and surveys in coordination with program coordinators, technical advisors, and external partners, when necessary.

• Coach and advocate for the expansion of technologies that encourage the standardization of mobile data and online dashboards to improve the speed and quality of data collection, analysis, and visualization.

• Provide technical leadership to IRC’s efforts to meet its internal and external accountability commitments through the implementation of robust accountability, feedback, and client response mechanisms.

• Promote employee growth and development within IRC teams and partners: assess skills; develop and lead learning strategies and targeted training. Specifically, providing coaching, mentoring and support to MEAL staff, providing essential tools and resources, and providing hands-on on-the-job training.

• Oversee a medium to large sized MEAL team across multiple industries and geographies: set clear performance goals; manage staff work plans; and establish regular performance reviews. Promote a positive work environment for professional development; foster an inclusive and respectful team climate, where all staff are valued and respected and can contribute to their fullest potential.

• Lead the recruitment of in-country MEAL staff, consultants and provide onboarding support.

• Participate in the various PCM (Program Cycle meeting) as part of project monitoring

Main working relationships:

The position reports to the Deputy Director of Programs. He directly supervises the work of: MEAL Managers and MEAL Officer.

For consortia and research projects, he will be in collaboration with the MEAL staff of other NGOs.

Other internal and/or external contacts:

Internal: Program coordinators and managers/managers across the country program, regional coordinator – measurement and action, technical adviser on client accountability and accountability, grant coordinator and managers, finance coordinator, relevant colleagues at the regional level or from the headquarters.

External: Partners, governments, customers.

Requirements

• A university degree in a relevant field (statistics, data monitoring and management, social sciences, public health, economic development, or a related field) – a technical degree and additional relevant professional experience can replace studies.

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in one of the functions related to monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL).

• Significant leadership experience and technical skills in building a quality MEAL system for evidence-based decision-making for multi-sector and multi-donor funded programs.

• A capacity to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through training, mentoring and other formal and non-formal methods, as well as strong presentation and report writing skills.

• Strong management and social skills and ability to work with diverse groups of people in a multicultural environment.

• Self-starter with excellent organizational, planning and analytical skills – able to work without close supervision, including prioritizing work and multitasking.

• Proficiency in mobile data collection software such as Kobo, CommCare, ODK Collect is essential, as is proficiency in Microsoft Excel, SPSS, STATA or other similar software.

• Knowledge of Tableau, PowerBI or GIS software and tools are additional assets;

• Willingness to travel and work in the field (40%);

• The candidate must be perfectly able to express himself in French. Fluency in English is an asset.

Working Environment:

The Meal Coordinator will be based in Bangui, in CAR, and will travel throughout the country. The security situation in CAR is still unstable, although the signing of the Khartoum peace and reconciliation agreement in February 2019 is still seen as a source of hope for the country to return to peace. The candidate must be prepared to work in insecure environments. This is an unaccompanied position. The Meal Coordinator will live in shared accommodation.

Standard of Professional Conduct: IRC and IRC employees are required to abide by the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way Code of Conduct which are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and implements policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality: IRC acknowledges and honors the fundamental value and dignity of all individuals. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status or disability. IRC is also committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits.

Returning National Candidates: IRC strives to attract and retain qualified national staff in our programs. We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the IRC has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply.

CVs to be submitted in English or French