MEAL Manager

Organization description

The International Rescue Committee’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded over 90 years ago, the IRC is a leading humanitarian and development organization with presence in more than 40 countries. Across contexts, the IRC is committed to delivering innovative, high-impact programs tailored to the needs of communities affected by crisis.

The IRC has been working in Uganda since 1998 supporting refugees, vulnerable host communities, and various institutions in the country notably the government, community-based organizations, civil society, and the private sector. Currently, the IRC in Uganda has a presence across six sub-regions and six refugee settlements, implementing programming in the sectors of health, protection, and rule of law (PRoL), women’s protection and empowerment (WPE), economic recovery and development (ERD), and education. IRC Uganda also implements cross-cutting programming focused on systems strengthening and accountability to affected persons.

Overview of the position

IRC is seeking a MEAL Manager for the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kampala (EKN)-funded 4-year project ‘PROSPECT SRHR’ in the West Nile sub-region of Uganda to enable women, men, adolescents and youth achieve their Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights. The MEAL Manager will have the primary responsibility for the MEAL function of the PROSPECT SRHR project including design, management, and implementation of systems to ensure quality monitoring and reporting of the project’s MEAL Plan for both core and field activities, development and oversight of the project’s learning agenda (including strategic inputs and documentation of learning activities), review and oversight of any research undertaken by the project, and primary support to IRC for the quality, timeliness, completeness and reporting of all monitoring, evaluation and research data from their activities. The Manager will also be responsible for documenting and disseminating project successes, challenges, and lessons learned to project team and other stakeholders at regional and district levels.

Specific responsibilities

Leadership and Partnership:

• Manage all technical aspects and actions of MEAL regarding IRC interventions, respond to program needs, foster high standards and practices for quality data, analysis, and reports. Enable accountability to clients, partners, and donors.
• Improve MEAL systems and approaches and foster learning.
• Representing IRC at technical meetings, forums, and other events & build partnership within IRC and other areas of expertise.
• Champion design, access, and use of data by leaders and partners for shared learning and evidence-based decision-making.
• Collaborate with MEAL teams within IRC to support harmonization of MEAL systems and approaches, sharing capacity and experiences.
• Supervise and support cluster MEAL Officers

Monitoring and Evaluation.

• Lead the MEAL system and processes for the EKN PROSPECT SRHR program in harmony with the Consortium MEAL Advisor, MEAL Country and Global Strategy throughout the project cycle which include:
• Use of learning, evidence, and data from previous projects to inform project proposal design.
• Developing logical frameworks, MEAL plans, digital data collection tools and processes for online data management.
• Establishing and ensuring timely data flow, quality checks, and audits, and updating of data visualization.
• Overseeing and providing technical support to MEAL field activities.
• Undertaking regular analysis of monitoring data and working closely with project technical staff and managers to facilitate decision-making for real-time program adaptation.
• Producing quality reports and updating dashboards with key findings that foster learning and decision-making and sharing in project cycle management meetings and team meetings.
• Identifying, detailing, and sharing lessons learned to improve services and results for our clients.
• Engaging in the design method and conducting of surveys such as baseline and end line, and the commission of evaluations in coordination with colleagues and partners.
• Advocating for and supporting the expansion of standard mobile data technology and online dashboards to enhance timeliness and quality of data collection, analysis and visualization.
• Joining and contributing to IRC’s effort in meeting its internal and external accountability commitments through the implementation of sound accountability, client feedback, and response mechanisms

Accountability and Learning.

• In collaboration with the Consortium MEAL Advisor, lead the implementation of a functional complaints and feedback mechanism for the project, this includes, setting up clients’ most preferred feedback channels, developing feedback tools, documentation, and timely response to client feedback.
• Conduct analysis of client feedback data and share with program team during project/program review meetings to inform strategic and programmatic decisions and course correction.
• Conduct project staff capacity building on feedback management processes and their role in maintaining a functional feedback system.
• Support the development of Client Responsiveness and Accountability information sharing materials/briefs, posters and brochures, and dissemination to relevant stakeholders, partners, and Clients.
• Coordinate deliberate and systematic learning opportunities during project implementation.
• Harvest and disseminate lessons learnt, and documentation products developed on a monthly and quarterly basis.
• Manage knowledge-sharing events – in collaboration with the project team, scope and manage the successful execution of periodic knowledge-sharing events such as peer learning sessions, workshops, and project learning platforms.
• Build capacity for the generation of lessons learnt and knowledge products like stories of change by the project teams.

Human Resources

• Based in Yumbe, coordinate, lead, mentor and support a dynamic team of MEAL officers; foster timely and high-quality achievement, and an inclusive and respectful team climate.
• Promote the growth and development of others in IRC teams and partners in MEAL. Lead and craft high-quality technical training and learning materials for partners, colleagues, and junior staff.