MEAL Data Collection and Analysis Advisor

Trócaire works in partnership with local organisations in developing countries, and with people in Ireland, to tackle the root causes of poverty and injustice. Together, we create positive and lasting change.

Trócaire works in up to 20 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

We have 5 Goals: Defend Human Rights; Achieve Climate & Environmental Justice; Ensure Women & Girls’ Protection, Voice & Influence; and Mobilise the Public on the island of Ireland to achieve Global Justice.

This post is situated within the Programme Impact and Learning (PIL) Team in Trócaire. PIL works with country teams and HQ teams to:

• Strengthen Programme Cycle Management (PCM) and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) practices within projects and grants in Ireland and Internationally.
• Support increased accountability to communities within projects and grants, with a particular focus on strengthening community participation and ownership at every stage of the programme cycle.
• Leverage the responsible use of technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Trócaire programmes.

The MEAL Data Collection and Analysis Advisor is a global role to support country offices to ensure high quality MEAL practices are in place around the design, collection and analyse of MEAL data. The post holder is responsible to support teams to make better use of appropriate technology to collect, analyse and act on MEAL data. The Advisor needs to be able to independently play a leading role in enabling Trócaire to leverage technology to improve the quality and efficiency of its MEAL systems and processes.

The postholder will ensure country teams and partners have the resources and skillsets to design effective, ethical and appropriate data collection tools (eg surveys and FGDs). The postholder will also support teams who have strong data collection capacities to leverage technology for more efficient data collection and analysis. They will be responsible for supporting the full digital life cycle of data collection – from initial decision-making on digital set up, responsible data management, training and accompaniment of staff, survey design, data analysis and data management. The Advisor will work with Global and country-based MEAL and Programme Advisors to improve MEAL practices and the use of data-driven processes through the programme lifecycle. The postholder will be a data protection focal point for the PIL team and will also play an important role in supporting the wider agenda of the PIL team such as facilitating learning and best practice.

While the Advisor will be based and managed in the Programme Impact and Learning (PIL) team and will work closely with the Technology in Programmes Advisor, the Global MEAL Advisors, she/he will also work cross-organisationally with the IT and Enterprise Systems Development team, the Humanitarian and Programmes team, as well as the ICT in Programmes Steering Committee.

Collaboration with HQ and country-based colleagues and with partners, both remotely and through field visits, is key to the success of this role.

Reporting to Head of Programme Impact and Learning, this is a Fixed Term Contact for three years and will be based either in Ireland or in Nairobi, Kenya with frequent travel to other country programmes and to Maynooth .

Safeguarding Programme Participants-Children & Adults Trócaire is committed to safeguarding people within our programmes from exploitation and abuse and has specific policies on this commitment (including a Global Code of Conduct) which outlines the expected behaviour and the responsibility of all staff, consultants, and other organisational representatives.

Any candidate offered a job with Trócaire will be expected to sign Trócaire’s Safeguarding Policies and Global Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. All offers of employment will be subject to pre-employment checks including satisfactory references and appropriate screening (e.g. police/garda vetting, counter terrorism and anti-trafficking). Trócaire also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and all employees will be subject to this as part of contract of employment.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

1. Promote robust data collection and analysis skills

The MEAL Data Collection and Analysis Advisor will work with country teams to ensure strong and sustainable data collection and analysis practices are in place. The postholder will be expected to independently design data collection (primarily surveys) and analysis guidance and training material, review and support the work of country colleagues and deliver high quality training and remote support to country colleagues and partners on survey design, data collection and data analysis practices. Particular focus will be on:

• Ensuring country colleagues design high quality surveys
• Ensuring colleagues undertake ethical and appropriate data collection practices
• Supporting colleagues on data interpretation and data analysis processes
• Supporting teams on data protection and ethical use of data in MEAL activities
• Being the Data Champion for the PIL team

2. Support the use of digital technology to facilitate data collection and analysis

The post holder will be responsible for leading the scale up and adoption of technology, where appropriate, to facilitate more effective and efficient data collection and analysis. This involves building relationships with relevant stakeholders in country offices and tailoring support to country colleagues. Key tasks include:

• Providing tailored support to colleagues on how to translate high quality surveys into a digital survey on CommCare, Trócaire’s preferred data collection platform
• Providing support to colleagues and Trócaire partners on the use of CommCare (and Kobo in certain circumstances) for MEAL data collection
• Establishing processes to gather periodic feedback, monitor usage, track support requests and close-out of projects on the digital platforms
• Documenting case studies on the use of technology for data collection and analysis, highlighting lessons learned
• Managing Trócaire’s global administration of CommCare, this includes managing project spaces, managing users and building check in points with country offices.

Along with of technology for data collection, the postholder will be responsible for supporting country colleagues with other digital solutions related to MEAL activities including:

• Advising country colleagues and partners on appropriate data analysis platforms and techniques for data analysis
• Supporting country teams to use appropriate technology to facilitate the uptake of community-friendly Feedback and Complaint Handling Mechanisms
• Working closely with IT and country offices to identify hardware/device needs and conducting an annual device inventory
• Providing advice and support for funding applications and proposals as required on areas of innovation and technology for MEAL and programme impact.
• Inducting new staff into the function of the PIL team and Trócaire’s approaches in use of technology for MEAL.

3. Supporting the delivery of the PIL team’s priorities

Along with the above, the postholder is expected to support the delivery of other team priorities by:

• Working collaboratively with colleagues within the PIL team to deliver on team objectives, including testing and rolling out global MEAL resources
• Providing surge support to country teams, based on PIL team priorities, as agreed with Head of PIL
• Working closely with colleagues across the organisation to progress common agendas linked to technology, programme quality and MEAL.
• Engaging in organisational and divisional initiatives which promote collaboration and positive working practices, e.g., divisional planning days.
• Representing Trócaire, as required, externally on strategic issues e.g., to donors, within civil society networks, at conferences, and in inter-organisational working groups – NetHope, ICT4D Conference, MERL Tech, Dóchas (Ireland), Bond (UK), CIDSE (EU).

Behavioural Competencies in Line with Trócaire’s Competency Framework

• Leading: Reflecting our values of Participation & Accountability, acts to inspire and lead others to achieve their potential, demonstrating Trócaire’s values with integrity in order to achieve our organisation’s objectives.
• Communicating: Reflecting our value of Participation, being one organisation, communicating clearly and transparently across, teams, units, divisions, locations and other external organisations. Getting our message across with impact.
• Collaborating: Reflecting our values of Participation & Solidarity, partnering effectively as One Trócaire organisation and, in solidarity, maintains positive relationships built on trust and respect.
• Stewardship of Resources: Reflecting our value of Accountability and decision-making around the best use of resources. Using our resources transparently, sustainably, ethically, fairly & with integrity; acknowledging Trócaire’s reputation in the use of resources.
• Delivering Results: Reflecting our values of Accountability & Perseverance, getting a quality job done through effective performance, planning and decision making.
• Continual Improvement & Learning: Reflecting our values of Participation & Courage, constantly looking to learn and develop self, employees, and partners to better fulfil Trócaire’s’ mission.
• Flexibility & Change: Reflecting our values of Participation & Courage, adapts positively to change and to different ways of doing things; manages or takes part in change processes in a way that is appropriate to role in the organisation.

Person Specification – Essential Requirements

(E) Qualification

Degree in a relevant area

(E) Experience

The successful candidate for this role must be a MEAL expert and must be a strong trainer/facilitator with a proven track record of helping to build the data collection and analysis capacity of others.

The essential requirements for the role include:

• At least five years’ experience in a MEAL role with a minimum of two years in a MEAL Advisory role.
• At least three years’ experience working in an international NGO environment in areas such as MEAL or project/programme design and implementation
• Experience in leading digital/technology/ICT4D initiatives for data collection and data analysis.
• Experience in training other colleagues/partners on digital MEAL solutions
• Experience with mobile data collection software, preferably CommCare or a similar software.
• Experience of implementing results-focused monitoring, evaluation and learning systems and key MEAL activities, e.g., baselines, reviews, evaluations etc.
• Experience in designing quantitative and qualitative data collection activities and assisting colleagues to design data collection activities – selecting indicators, designing questionnaires, setting up sampling frames.
• Experience in providing guidance and support to colleagues in activities such as data collection, data analysis, data synthesis, report writing and data protection.
• Experience developing and/or leading user trainings on digital technologies; communicating complex ideas in a simple way to users having various levels of digital literacy.

(E) Skills

As this role has a strong focus on capacity strengthening you must have very strong communication, training, IT and interpersonal skills.

Essential skills include:

• A thorough understanding of programme cycle management and results-based management in the development and humanitarian sectors.
• High level of analytical capacity and use of data analysis tools for data analysis
• A strong understanding of best practice in the field of planning, monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment.
• Excellent training and facilitation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Excellent IT skills including expertise in Excel
• Excellent English written, verbal, and communication skills.
• Excellent data presentation and report writing skills.

(E) Qualities

• Ability to build credibility, work with, and influence a variety of colleagues in the development and implementation of systems and processes.

• An understanding of and empathy with the ethos and values of Trócaire as a Church agency.

(E) Other

• Ability and willingness to travel to Trócaire programmes on a regular basis (approx. 4 trips per year of two weeks duration)

Person Specification – Desirable

(D) Qualification

• A post-graduate qualification, preferably in an international development or technology related discipline.

• Train the trainer or related certification.

(D) Experience

• Experience with data visualisation software such as PowerBI, Tableau or similar

• Experience of working with M&E Frameworks/Results Frameworks/ Logical Frameworks across different donors.
• Experience of working with partnership agencies in an overseas development context.
• Experience of best practice in relation to data protection and GDPR

(D) Skills

• Knowledge of French and/or Spanish desirable

For the candidate with the required experience and passion for the role, Trócaire offers a competitive package of salary and benefits.