ROLE PURPOSE:

The MEAL Manager is a key position within the ECW funded project. SCI’s the Consortium Lead and will coordinate implementations of consortium wide MEAL process and systems. S/he support the design and leads on implementation of a quality, comprehensive and integrated MEAL System that meets SCI standards; MEAL staff management, mentorship, internal reporting, as well as programme development.

S/he directly work closely with Province based MEAL Coordinators and directly support MEAL Officers and assigned staff to ensure SCI and donor MEAL requirements are realised. S/he is a member of the Program Development and Quality (PDQ)- MEAL Department Leadership Team and a member of the Digital Data Management Team in the Country Office, and ARO- REALM Working Group.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Head of REALM

Technical Reports/relationship: Consortium MEAL staff

Role Dimensions: The role is expected to foster relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders with the ECW consortium including Save the Children members, the Country Office Programme Development & Quality team, advocacy colleagues, Regional Advisors, technical counterparts in other organisation, donors etc. The candidate will lead the Consortium Wide MEAL technical working group (MEAL TWG) and ensure SOPs are in place and follow up to ensure, an effective, efficient and consistent MEAL system is in place.

The role is also expected to engage with internal technical working groups and communities of practice.

Context: Humanitarian and development

Primary Technical area: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning

Travel: Frequent travel to field locations

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

1. Support design and lead on implementation of a Comprehensive MEAL System that meets SCI standards

• Lead and oversee the adaptation and implementation of CO MEAL System for humanitarian and development programmes at the Consortium level, 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 and Consortium wide agreed Quality programming frameworks. The Consortium wide- MEAL systems need to meet demands and standards of different donors.
• Lead the development and implementation of a consortium wide monitoring frameworks, tools and processes to measure performance and programme quality. This includes supporting thematic and operation staff to develop and monitor Quality Benchmarks.
• In collaboration with MEAL Coordinators support 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.
• Ensure systems that safely and appropriately ensure accountability to children and communities with whom we work by building trusting and collaborative relationships through information sharing and two-way communication, participation, and feedback and reporting mechanisms.
• 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.
• Support MEAL emergency preparedness and response within existing country MEAL frameworks, systems, tools and processes, adhering to the Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.
• Implement knowledge management systems through championing use of platforms that store and display evidence and learning that is made accessible and actively used between countries, regions and the Centre, 
• Explore innovative opportunities to pilot approaches that are new or could expand to further areas of programming.
• Ensure that KPIs related to MEAL activities are regularly met through project level robust systems for tracking, reporting and following up improvement actions.
• 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

• Lead the Consortium-wide MEAL team by structuring it appropriately and then hiring and retaining highly qualified and motivated MEAL staff.  This includes direct supervision of all Area level MEAL staff
• Build the technical expertise and coherency of the team through use of a Community of Practice that includes regular workshops and staff exchanges. 
• Manage the performance of direct/indirect supervised MEAL staff by clearly (supporting) setting objectives, assessing performance, and providing coaching, mentoring, and training that aligns with SCI’s Global MEAL Capacity Building Strategic Work plan.
• Ensure MEAL Coordinators and offices have and understand clearly defined roles and responsibilities that are understood by Program Ops and PDQ teams.
• Promote all aspects of MEAL through training and capacity building for multiple stakeholders including MEAL staff and PDQ Leadership to support the creation of an organizational culture, which prioritizes MEAL leading to quality programming.
• Participate in relevant MEAL training opportunities and networks in country, region and globally.

Strategic and Annual Planning

• 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).
• Support the development of the Consortium Annual Plan (CAP) including mapping and planning for future evaluations, assessments or studies and ensure that data is accurate is collected across the consortium.
• Support Project Director, Project Manager and Coordinators to analyse progress against programme objectives and strategies and the overarching contribution to humanitarian and CSP indicators.

Internal Reporting

• Ensure existence and application of Consortium wide Data flow management is in place allowing for effective and efficient capacity building of all involved parties to ensure timely, reliable, consistent, and complete data collection
• 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”.
• Support MEAL aspects of donor reporting, including review of baseline, mid-term, end line or any other donor/project specific studies.
• Respond to any internal or SC member request for specific information including production of geographic, thematic or programme-specific data.
• Ensure that regularly updated MEAL mechanisms are in place for each project including technical reports and MEAL tracking tools that identify necessary future actions. 
• Ensure data quality and accuracy (including for external reporting as needed).

Programme Development and MEAL Resources

• Work closely with the Project Director to ensure MEAL plays an integral role at every stage of the project lifecycle, leading to enhanced quality, accountability, management and impact.
• As a contributor to proposal development, support MEAL budgeting and development of SMART indicators with Sector Technical Advisors, Project Director and Project Managers, ensure quality mechanisms are in place, and ensure consistency with the CO and SCI MEAL strategies.
• Effectively manage the Consortium level MEAL budget by understanding sources of funding, DEA, and possible gaps, and optimizing available resources. 

Child Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Ensure that child safeguarding and child protection mainstreaming are integrated into all M&E frameworks through measurable output and outcome indicators;
• Lead the process of piloting and scaling up local level beneficiary complaints’ mechanisms in relation to staff conduct, with an emphasis on the Child Safeguarding Policy and measure to prevent sexual exploitation of women and children.
• all M&E frameworks include at minimum an indicator to monitor beneficiary feedback (men, women, children) about

a) staff conduct towards in relation to SEA and the Child Safeguarding Policy, and

b) broader programming interventions that might be putting children and women at risk of abuse, exploitation or harm.

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
• The post holder must commit to work in an international agency that promotes diversity, equity and inclusion and fights racism, gender inequality and discrimination in all forms; and to model positive behaviours that demonstrate a commitment to equality and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities.

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 SCI’s global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Gender Equality Policies, supported by relevant 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.