Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Coordinator

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Coordinator

Taloqan, Afghanistan

About the role: This is a 12 month replacement role with unaccompanied terms based in Taloqan, Takhar Province in Afghanistan, with a salary Grade 4 €44,133 to €49,038.

You will report to the Programme Director (PD) and will work closely with the Country Director (CD) and act as head of department for the MEAL department. You will line manage the M&E Team Leader, and provide technical guidance and oversight to all other MEAL department staff, including CRM Officer, MIS Officer and MEAL Officers.

We would like you to start on 15 January 2023

Your purpose: The Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) coordinator is responsible for ensuring a high quality programme planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning across the Afghanistan country programme by managing and improving relevant MEAL systems to keep track and report on programme progress, and to provide technical guidance and analytical support at all stages of implementation. The position is expected to provide high quality technical support during project design, along with taking the lead on all research activities, liaising with external consultants and head office technical specialist. The position is also acts as the focal person for accountability issues and will ensure full alignment to the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) criteria, regarding accountability, through the implementation of an effective complaint response mechanism (CRM), participatory programme approach’s and beneficiary engagement practices.

You will be responsible for the following:

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning:

• Manage and further develop Concern Afghanistan’s MEAL system, to ensure effective information management and tracking of programme progress across projects.
• Lead on innovation regarding information management within the country, including through integration of management tools, and visualization using dashboards, in consultation with head office Digital Data gathering (DDG) advisors, Desk Officers and Programme Director.
• Support the implementation of technical surveys working with the relevant programme teams to ensure that data collection techniques are robust, that staff and external agents involved have a good understanding of their roles, that the data entry processes are timely and accurate, and that the data analysis is timely and meaningful.
• Oversee the design and lead on the implementation of baseline, midline, and endline surveys for all projects, and develop a knowledge management system to capture lessons learned for dissemination.
• Lead Quarterly Programme Review Workshops in collaboration with programme teams and Programme Director
• Prepare for, and oversee any research activity conducted by the country programme, both directly and through consultants and ensure research outcomes are clearly documented. Facilitate support visits from technical advisors and ensure dissemination of learning.
• Support the use of DDGs (Digital Data Gathering) devices for all data collection activities.
• Lead on research design and implementation of all needs assessments, rapid assessments and rapid assessments.
• Lead on synthesis of secondary data to inform programme design

Programme Quality:

• Support the Programme Director and the rest of the programme team through writing proposals and ensuring that indicators are SMART and that log frames are robust.
• Support adherence to the Concern Programme Cycle Management Systems (PCMS) approach in all programme and proposal development processes as relevant to each sector.
• Provide technical support and oversight regarding geographic targeting and beneficiary selection for all projects.
• Provide regular recommendations based on monitoring data to programme director and programme teams.

Accountability

• Oversee the implementation of a robust complaints and response mechanism (CRM) and ensure that any feedback or complaints from stakeholders are handled in an appropriate, timely and systematic way.
• Monitor programme activities to ensure they are carried out in line with Concern’s internal systems and procedures and that adherence to the Core Humanitarian Standard’s (CHS) commitments on accountability are met.
• Lead on inclusion of Accountability indicators in assessments and monitoring approaches.

Management:

• Manage monthly MEAL department workplan to ensure all project MEAL deliverables are prepared in a timely fashion
• Participate in preparing complete, accurate and realistic budgets for donor proposals and as part of Concern’s internal budget procedures, ensuring that all M&E, mainstreaming and programme quality initiatives are fully and accurately costed and included in budgets, liaising with other PMs as appropriate.
• Support programme staff in the writing of testimonies and case studies to illustrate key outcomes and impact of programme interventions for annual and donor reporting.
• Encourage innovation and learning and, in line with Concern procedures in this regard, help ensure that lessons learned are documented and shared (within and outside of Concern), encouraging the wider application of such learning where appropriate.
• Support the Programme Team in rolling out Concern Afghanistan’s PEER plan.
• Support the emergency response as required with particular attention to collecting needs assessment data and post distribution monitoring aimed at capturing the process of implementation with a view to improving programme quality in future
• Support and oversee recruitment in the MEAL department in alignment with project objectives, country strategy, and gender equality.

Capacity Development:

• Provide training to MEAL staff on technical skills, including Excel, Dashboard Design, Technical Writing, GIS and Research Methods
• Provide needs-based training for Concern staff and partners on PCMS and PM&E tools that will enable the teams to implement the PM&E plan effectively. Expose staff to a range of PM&E methodologies for the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data
• Build the capacity of the staff in development and use of log frames for planning and monitoring of progress
• Support promotion of gender equality with the Afghan mission, through capacity building, recruitment and career development support.

Other:

• Actively participate in collective exercises such as preparation of updates for Effective Emergency Response (PEER) planning, Security Management Planning (SMP) and other Concern initiatives. Take measures to address equality issues, particularly relating to gender, in programme as well as operational (e.g. HR) activities.
• Undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by the Country Director or Programme Director.
• Ensure the Afghanistan Mission adheres to organization wide Data Protection rules, and best practice concerning data management during instances of data collection, including those that involve external enumerators or consultants.
• Under guidance of Programme Director, engage with partners as necessary regarding interagency assessments, analysis exercises and information sharing, particularly partner MEAL counterparts.

Your skills and experience will include:

Essential:

• Relevant graduate degree (development, economics, statistics, data analytics, public policy, geography, GIS, evaluation, or equivalent)
• Two years + of relevant field based experience in the development/ humanitarian sector
• Understanding of all stages of the PCMS (Programme Cycle Management Systems): assessments , programme development, including the logical framework approach
• Strong writing skills, including donor reports and people management
• Strong competence in research design and methodology, including ability to design surveys & data collection tools
• Experience managing data collection, including logistical and HR aspects.
• Experience and familiarity with data cleaning practices.
• Experience and familiarity with monitoring and research approaches related to Cash and Voucher Assistance.
• Software skills including Microsoft Word and Excel. Proficiency with SPSS, R or Python, required and proficiency with GIS tools (QGIS, ArcGIS etc.) strongly preferred.
• Ability to work independently and under own initiative.
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritize, often to strict deadlines.
• Good networking skills, interpersonal communication, presentation and motivational skills.
• Strong Analytical and problem solving abilities.
• Empathy with Concern’s goals and a commitment to capacity building, protection and participation.
• Willingness to travel to rural areas up to 50% of the time

Desirable:

• Experience of setting up and implementing multi-sectorial PM&E systems
• Demonstrated experience in all stages of the PCMS (Programme Cycle Management Systems): assessments , programme development, including the logical framework approach
• Familiarity with data visualization techniques. Familiarity and experience with Power BI or Tableau highly preferred.
• Familiarity with Afghan Context
• Experience in preparing budgets and reports for international donors.
• Experience in staff capacity development and management.
• The ability to quickly develop fluency in Concern Worldwide’s policies and procedures, including policies such as equality and systems policies in logistics and transport.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Cross cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Knowledge of development issues and concepts.
• Experience of digital transformation or innovation in information management

All applications should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net or https://acbar.org.jobs.af by the closing date 11th December 2022. CVs should be no more than four pages in length.

Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short-listed on a regular basis and we may offer posts before the closing date.

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Concern Worldwide encourages all qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, ethnicity and origin, disability, political beliefs, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status to apply to become a part of the organization. Concern is against all forms of discrimination and unequal power relations, and is committed to promoting equality.