MEAL Specialist

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The MEAL specialist will oversees the design and implementation of a quality, comprehensive and integrated MEAL System that meets SCI standards; MEAL staff management, mentorship, and development; strategic and annual planning, internal reporting, as well as programme development and MEAL resources.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Design and Implementation of a Comprehensive MEAL System that meets SCI standards

1. Lead and oversee the development and implementation of a CO-wide MEAL System for humanitarian and development programmes, and may include local implementation partners as well. This system requires close collaboration with the Programme Ops and PDQ Departments and must be in line with SCI’s Quality Framework. Project-specific MEAL systems need to meet demands and standards of different donors.
2. Lead use of monitoring frameworks, tools and processes to measure performance and quality. This includes supporting thematic and operation staff to develop and monitor Quality Benchmarks.
3. Lead routine collection, analysis and use of evidence, including disaggregation for gender, disability and the most marginalised and deprived, to document impact, innovate and learn what work for children, and inform management, policy and programme solutions. This includes needs and baseline assessments, feasibility studies, evaluations and research.
4. Systematically identify, document, share and use learning from Save the Children and others’ work, in order to continuously adapt and improve our programming. This includes learning agendas, learning workshops and after action review, action planning and tracking of learning uptake.
5. Lead MEAL emergency preparedness and response within existing MEAL frameworks, systems, tools and processes, adhering to the Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.
6. Work with the Program Development Unit, the Program Operations Department, and PDQ Thematic Sector teams to ensure that all projects have quality assurance mechanisms integrated into their design and implementation.
7. Explore innovative opportunities to pilot approaches that are new or could expand to further areas of programming.
8. Ensure that KPIs related to MEAL activities are regularly met through institutionalisation of robust systems for tracking, reporting and following up improvement actions.
9. Foster innovation by identifying opportunities to pilot new approaches and to upgrade tools, systems and process based on advances in the aid sector.

MEAL Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development

1. Manage the performance of MEAL staff by clearly setting objectives, assessing performance, and providing coaching, mentoring, and training that aligns with SCI’s Global MEAL Capacity Building Strategic Work-plan.
2. Identify MEAL-related learning and training opportunities for staff and work as a mentor and role model for less experienced staff.
3. Provide technical supervision of the field-based partner and MEAL staff through regular field visits and meetings.

Strategic and Annual Planning

1. Ensure that evidence and learning is brought together across thematic and operational regions to develop a Country Strategic Plan (including participating in a Child Needs Situational Assessment).
2. Support the development of the Country Annual Plan (CAP) including identifying future evaluations and ensure that data is accurate.
3. Support PDQ staff to analyse progress against organisational objectives and strategies.

Internal Reporting

1. Ensure accurate data collection and processing for all regular reporting including internal reports such as the Country Annual Report, the Programme Quality KPIs, categorised emergency sit reps, and “Total Reach”.
2. Support MEAL aspects of donor reporting, including review of baseline, mid-term, endline or any other donor/project specific studies.
3. Ensure that regularly updated MEAL mechanisms are in place for each project including technical reports and MEAL tracking tools that identify necessary future actions.

Programme Development and MEAL Resources

1. Work closely with the Programme Ops team to ensure MEAL plays an integral role at every stage of the project lifecycle, leading to enhanced quality, accountability, management and impact.
2. As a contributor to proposal development, review and improve MEAL technical narrative and budgets within proposals, support development of SMART indicators with technical teams, ensure quality mechanisms are in place, and ensure consistency with the CO and SCI MEAL strategies.
3. Ensure that adequate MEAL resources are included in proposals and work creatively to secure sufficient funding from diverse sources to ensure capacity to deliver MEAL according to SCI quality standards.
4. Effectively manage the MEAL budget by understanding sources of funding and possible gaps, and optimizing available resources.
5. Ensure cost recovery for the CO research team.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in Economics, Development Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Social Science, Statistics, Business Administration, Public Health or in relevant field.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in areas of program development & quality and experience in MEAL related role in INGO environment.
• Excellent understanding of different components of MEAL and skills in leading MEAL systems .
• Experience adhering to international quality standards (Red Cross Code of Conduct, Sphere, CHS) or equivalent.
• Experience and knowledge of monitoring systems, including robust and responsible data collection and use.
• Experience and knowledge of systems for accountability to children and communities, including information sharing, participation of adults and children, and feedback and reporting mechanisms. Ability to prepare and facilitate technical MEAL trainings and workshops. Direct experience working with communities in participatory activities.
• Proven success in building and managing a team and dedication to developing staff capacity through training, supervising, coaching and mentoring.
• Skilled at communicating and influencing across relevant teams and offices.
• Demonstrable analytical and problem solving skills.
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, defining and planning a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in.
• Ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner.
• Ability and willingness to be flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure contexts, including flexibility to work with incoming emergency response teams.
• Proficiency in relevant data collection and analysis software.
• Strong remote-working abilities and self-motivated.
• Willingness to travel to field sites.
• Proficient in speaking and writing English.

Desirable

• Experience or knowledge of working and living in Pakistan.
• Experience of promoting quality and impact through at least one cross-cutting area: gender equality and inclusion, adaptive and safer programming; child rights; disability; migration and displacement.
• Experience and knowledge of Save the Children’s structure, mandate and child focus.

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.