MEAL Officer- Idleb, Northwest Syria (National Position)

Function prerequisite:

The MEAL officer will work directly with the MEAL Manager and relevant team in programme design, monitoring, evaluation and reporting within the NPA programmes in Northwest Syria (NWS). S/he will be responsible for providing support and contributing in the development and implementing of MEAL plans; development of MEAL tools; training of partners staff in key MEAL concepts and skills; and documentation and dissemination of key learnings from MEAL and research results in support of the objectives and outcomes of the programmes.

Must have:

• Experience in Monitoring and Evaluation.
• Written & verbal proficiency in English, Arabic. Knowledge of Kurdish is plus.
• University degree in Social Science, Political Science, Business Administration, Economics, Management, or in a related area is preferred. Master’s degree or equivalent is preferred.
• Analytical and reporting skills, with the ability to develop useful tools and formats in coordination with the Programme Managers.

Additional qualities:

• Experience with working in partnerships.
• Proactive with integrity, initiative and ability to think and work independently.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, handle pressure, improvise, and be a good team player.
• Creative thinking, problem solving orientation, accountability for results.

Responsibilities:

General Description:

The MEAL Officer is required to primarily support development and implementation of MEAL systems throughout NPA’s Programmes. This position is under direct line management of MEAL Manager and is based in NWS, Syria with frequent travel within different programmes implementation areas in the country. The position is responsible for implementing MEAL related activities in consultation with the relevant project staff throughout NPA’s programmes. The position will provide direct support to NPA’s partners to develop quality internal systems and monitoring tools and outcomes.

Specific Description:

Assessment and Research:

• Support MEAL and programme in conducting field assessment to identify key response gaps in areas related to programme implementation, as and when needed.
• Support in conducting qualitative analysis of data conducted through KIIs, FGDs, workshops or other methods.
• As guided by the MEAL Manager, support in carrying out assessments using a range of methods and sources of data based on project’s needs.
• Develop assessment and survey questionnaires for NPA projects using specific software such as Kobo toolbox and other data collection tools, and ensure that NPA is up to date on data management tools and that field teams are well trained on these tools.

Data Management:

• Design different databases based on the requirement of NPA programmes using dedicated softwares such as Access.
• Work closely with MEAL and program team to ensure discrepancies in data are resolved by using standard procedures.
• Based on data received from MEAL and program teams, update and produce quarterly/ annual indicators tracking sheet and share the same with MEAL Manager for review.
• Provide guidance and troubleshooting on data management. This includes training the MEAL team on data collection tools, data analysis methodology and tools and well as regular data management.
• Work closely with MEAL and programme team to ensure discrepancies in data are resolved by using standard procedures.
• Maintain master copies of data collection forms and ensure accurate updating.
• Support documentation for data management system electronically and ensure accessibility to relevant teams.
• Analyse data and generate different reports and data for NPA projects, as needed, and share with MEAL Manager for review and dissemination.
• Coordinate closely with NPA partners, in coordination with NPA programme and MEAL team, to ensure the data received is accurate and up to date.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Implement monitoring and evaluation procedures and systems with direct guidance from MEAL Manager.
• Support the MEAL Manager in developing framework and procedures for the monitoring and evaluation of project activities and results with support from the supervisor, in line with Log Frames and objectives as defined by the Programme Managers.
• Support the MEAL Manager and programme team in designing and developing logical frameworks and output, outcome and a results-based monitoring systems.
• Contribute to reporting and quality assure all reporting on outputs and results, including implementing monitoring systems in complex situations.
• Conduct monitoring site visits to different project locations project activities to measure performance against the work plan.
• Produce monitoring reports for the events/ sites visited.
• Share the findings of each monitoring visit with the programme team for action on recommendations.

Accountability:

• Ensure the accountability systems is in place towards beneficiaries, partners and donors.
• Contribute to further development and continuous updating of the accountability system in line with MEAL standards.

Learning:

• Provide information and inputs to be used for NPA communication and reporting materials.
• Support the MEAL Manager in analysing existing tools and procedures and developing new tools for needs assessment, baseline survey, monitoring and evaluation.
• As directed by the MEAL Manager, support NPA Management in conducting staff satisfaction surveys through designing the tools and analysing the data.
• Ensure proper documentation of NPA experiences and lessons learned.
• Participate in periodic programme reviews with the partners and provide MEAL inputs as needed.
• Support the management in conducting partners satisfaction surveys through designing the online tools and analysing the data.

Capacity Building:

• Develop relevant training modules and train staff on MEAL and in project-specific tools and systems to track and document progress against outputs, outcomes and results.
• Work closely with partner MEAL staff or focal points and provide support as appropriate with regard to monitoring the results frameworks and progress markers.
• Provide training to partners and support them in setting up own MEAL mechanisms.
• Contribute to organizational development of local partners, including support in developing systems to track progress on capacity building and organizational development of partners.

Others:

• Participate in regular MEAL coordination meetings in NWS and ensure dissemination of minutes of meetings and monthly reports within the MEAL department and with other departments as directed by the MEAL Manager.
• Support the management in designing different certificates and documents for internal use.

Job Requirements

Reference is made to the NPA Regulation for Delegation or Authority, Quality Management and Guidelines for the NPA Iraq-Syria Office.

Additional Considerations:

• The MEAL Officer is to abide by the policies and personal code of conduct by the Norwegian People’s Aid and represent the organisation in a loyal and responsible manner.
• All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks including vetting and due diligence.