MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) Advisor- Partner Support (For Myanmar National Only)

TITLE: MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) Advisor- Partner Support

ROLE PURPOSE:

The Myanmar Education Consortium (MEC) partners with selected ethnic and monastic education providers to strengthen their capacity to deliver and sustain good quality learning opportunities for hard-to-reach children in Myanmar. MEC provides funding, coordination, technical assistance and research across different complementary education systems to promote continuous improvement of education services and a supportive operating environment for ethnic and monastic education providers. As MEC enters into a new strategy period (2021-25), the program is expanding in scope and size.

With the support of the Evidence and Information Management (EIM) Director, the MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) Advisor- Partner Support will work directly with MEC’s partners to provide advice and support on how to strengthen their internal capacity to collate and use data to help inform their system delivery and be accountable to their communities and donors. The post-holder will work directly with MEC’s different partners to help strengthen existing and support the development of new monitoring, accountability and evaluation processes, and mechanisms to support use of evidence and information to identify issues and opportunities, reflect on changes, inform decisions and report on progress and challenges. Have MEAL processes integrated into service delivery plays a critical role in the partners’ system strengthening approach.

The post-holder works in collaboration with a MEAL Manager, and broader team members in Education, Partnership & Programme Support (PPS) and Strategy, Policy, Planning and Learning (SPPL) to contribute to the strategic and operational direction of the MEC program.

The role requires skills and experience in designing and operationalizing monitoring, accountability and evaluation processes including technical expertise in setting up information management systems/ databases. The role also requires experience in people management skills and in working collaboratively with a multi-disciplinary team and partners. Experience working with ethnic groups/ in ethnic areas is desired, along with experience in education.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Evidence & Information Management Director

Staff reporting to this post: (1) Education Information Management Coordinator and (1) MEAL Coordinator (Parnter Support)

The MEAL Advisor- Partner Support manages MEC’s technical MEAL support to MEC’s partners.

More specifically, the MEAL Advisor- Partner Support will:

• Work with MEC’s partners to identify and prioritise MEAL related capacity strengthening needs and requests;
• Provide technical advice to help strengthen existing or design new MEAL strategies, especially in regard to developing education management information systems (EMIS) and accountability mechanisms;
• Deliver MEAL related trainings and develop training materials to increase partner’s internal capacity to manage and maintain MEAL systems;
• Monitor and support uptake of MEAL strategies across partners;
• Collaborate with other MEC departments to ensure coherence between evidence and information requirements and evidence and information available.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Partner MEAL Institutional Development

• Co-identify aspects of partners’ MEAL strategies and competencies that require strengthening support. Work together with partners to conduct MEAL appraisals and map existing process to identify gaps and prioritise focus areas in line with their own strategies and broader accountability needs.
• Develop partner specific MEAL capacity development plans to coordinate and manage technical support.
• Design and deliver comprehensive MEAL capacity strengthening training in both online and, where possible, face to face formats. This will include training workshops and supporting materials. Support partners in developing and maintaining their own internal capacity strengthening processes. Key areas of focus include technical support on education management information systems (EMIS), quality assurance and accountability mechanisms.
• Provide technical advice to partners’ MEAL team and leadership team as required to help make data more accessible across the system and integrate use of evidence and information into their processes and decision making.
• Ensure advice is given to partners to encourage strategies for Gender, Equity, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) to be prioritised and implemented within MEAL plans.

Programme Learning, Strategy & Development

• Continually evaluate trainings through feedback mechanisms and monitor partners’ uptake of new processes and competencies through follow up sessions and tracking mechanisms. Continually reflect on progress and challenges and keep a record of lessons learned and innovative approaches to share and integrate into MEC’s broader learning cycle.
• Work closely across other MEC departments to ensure coherence between evidence and information requirements and evidence and information available and efficiency in processes. This will include collaborating with the Education Team, the Strategy, Policy, Planning and Learning department and the Partnership and Programme Support department.

Team Management

• Manage and support the Evidence and Information Co-ordinator to ensure that the team members have clearly defined objectives and individual staff understand their roles and responsibilities;
• Incorporate staff development strategies and Develop to Perform objectives into capacity development plans;
• Support direct supervisees through one-to-one coaching;
• Ensure availability of appropriate professional development opportunities for supervisees;
• Encourage a team culture and partnership approach based on sharing, learning and creativity;
• Participate actively in cross-team meetings to effectively support the coordination and delivery of the MEC strategy.

Child Safeguarding Responsibility:

• Develop specific and contextual guidance to ensure that the safeguarding of children is incorporated into MEC strategies and children are protected from exploitation, increased vulnerability, or any form of harm or indignity.
• Ensure that Child Safeguarding is integrated into partner MEAL plans.

General

• Promote and support a strong collaborative team culture internally and across the wider MEC team;
• Additional responsibilities as assigned and agreed with the EIM Director.

QUALIFICATIONS ,EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Degree in a relevant field (such as social sciences, statistics) or evidence of equivalent experience across the key areas of focus
• Minimum 5 years’ experience as a monitoring and evaluation professional
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in the development, education, or humanitarian sectors
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a management role
• Demonstrated experience in the management and delivery of high-quality and targeted capacity development trainings and support
• Demonstrated experience in the design and delivery of MEAL strategies including data management systems
• Experience in the education sector highly desirable
• Significant experience of working collaboratively with a range of partners and stakeholders with the ability to develop and maintain strong relationships
• Experience in supervising multi-cultural teams and collaborating with inter-disciplinary teams
• Ability to work on one’s own initiative with a proactive approach to problem-solving
• Strong work-ethic, personal effectiveness, and integrity
• Highly proficient in English, Myanmar and one or more ethnic languages
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles including child safeguarding