Program Manager MEAL, Resilience Food Security Activity, DRC

This post is contingent on donor funding and donor approval of the candidate.

About CRS:

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.

Job Summary:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the most populous, vast and resource rich countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Decades of conflict and other challenges over the past decades have left the Congo with 73% of its population living under the internationally recognized poverty rate of $1.90 per day and 43% of children are malnourished due to inadequate social and health services. Given its fragility and weak institutions, the country is susceptible to health crises, including recent outbreaks of Ebola, measles, cholera and potentially COVID-19.

CRS has operated in the DRC since 1961, successfully implementing programs in nutrition, agriculture livelihoods, emergency, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, microfinance, and peacebuilding throughout the country. CRS/DRC currently has around 190 staff operating out of 6 offices in Kinshasa, Goma (North Kivu), Kananga (Kasai Central), Mbuji Mayi (Kasai Oriental), Kalemie (Tanganyika), and Bukavu (South Kivu).

Pending a successful bid for the award, as Program Manager II – MEAL, you will manage and provide technical oversight of the development and implementation of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system of a Resilience Food Security Activity. Your technical skills and knowledge will ensure the delivery of high-quality programming and continuously work towa rds improving the impact of its multi-sectoral programming.

The Program Manager II – MEAL will ensure that the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan adheres to CRS’ MEAL Policies and Procedures and donor requirements. The Program Manager II – MEAL will be responsible for designing and implementing the MEL Plan of a high-quality program.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight for MEAL activities throughout the project cycle to ensure project design, start-up, implementation and close-out of the multi-sectoral Resilience Food Security Activity are in line with CRS quality principles and standards and MEAL policies, procedures, and practices, donor guidelines, and industry best practices. Oversee and manage MEAL implementation of a complex multi-sectoral program.
• Effectively manage talent for MEAL and supervise. Manage team dynamics and staff wellbeing. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, and complete performance management for direct reports.
• Champion the development of program learning – identify opportunities for learning, research and publications in the Resilience Food Security Activity and implementation of MEAL policy. Facilitate the dissemination of promising practices and lessons learned to contribute to the agency knowledge management agenda. Promote the application of learning to improve program quality and to strengthen agency influence among external stakeholders. Ensure integration of MEAL-related innovations and best practices.
• Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight for the development and implementation of high-quality MEAL systems and processes, including ICT4MEAL and the application of responsible data principles as per agency and donor requirements in the Resilience Food Security Activity. Promoting MEAL policies and industry good practices, champion the analysis and use of project performance data in the Resilience Food Security Activity to inform decision-making and identify lessons learned. Facilitate connections between colleagues and peers to generate and share evidence-based learning.
• Provide management, guidance and technical oversight for project or program evaluation events and research in the Resilience Food Security Activity, including the development of terms of reference or study protocols that include evaluation/learning questions, a balance of qualitative and quantitative methods, appropriate consideration of ethical and data protection standards, and the necessary technical rigor. Oversee the quality of evaluation data through good data management. Support the identification, recruitment, and management of external evaluators or research partners to ensure high quality evaluation, research, and learning.
• Oversee MEAL-related technical assistance and capacity strengthening activities in the Resilience Food Security Activity for staff and partner organizations to enhance program quality and impact.
• Oversee the identification, assessment and strengthening of partnerships relevant to MEAL in the Resilience Food Security Activity and the appropriate application of partnership concepts, tools and approaches.
• Oversee timely and appropriate project MEAL expenditures in line with financial plans and efficient use and stewardship of project material sources.
• Provide technical lead for analysis of MEAL data, qualitative and quantitative

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in International Development, International Relations or in the field of Monitoring and Evaluation, or Statistics required. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in relevant field-based project management experience required, with preferably at least 2-3 years working in the area of MEAL.
• Experience in managing MEAL for moderately complex projects preferably with an international NGO and preferably with RFSAs.

Required Languages – English, French

Travel – Field-based position in D.R. Congo. Must be willing and able to travel up to 30%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Good experience in MEAL management, including MEL Plan design, preferably for grants from multiple public donors, including USAID.
• Experience engaging with partner organizations
• MEAL skills and experience required.
• Staff management experience and abilities that are conducive to a learning environment.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Project MEAL staff

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Deputy Chief of Party, Chief of Party, Head of Programming, Deputy Head of Programming, CP MEAL/ICT4D Coordinator, Gender and Protection Technical Advisor, Deputy Regional Director for Program Quality, Regional Technical Advisors.

External: Partner MEAL staff

Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.