MEAL Coordinator - Marib - National

Context

About Relief International

Relief International is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing. Currently, RI work in 16 countries around the world, including some of the most fragile: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, Yemen and now OPT, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience. We do this by working with local actors to develop safe and inclusive local programming that is evidence based, conflict sensitive, climate smart, and reaches those in need.

About our Country Program/ Regional Programs

RI in the Middle East has programs in seven countries - Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Türkiye, Yemen, and now OPT with a focus on the 4 main RI sectors: WASH, Health and Nutrition, Education and Livelihoods. Relief International has been providing humanitarian aid in Yemen since 2010, offering various services like health, nutrition, water, sanitation, livelihoods, and protection across the country. They focus on helping vulnerable people, including internally displaced persons, returnees, and host communities. RI also provides reproductive health, protection, and gender-based violence responses in specific areas.

Job Profile

The PRO MEAL Coordinator reports directly to the Program Quality, Accountability, and Learning Manager at the CO level.

The MEALC contributes to overall program quality by coordinating and implementing enhanced monitoring and evaluation, accountability, and learning strategies; the emphasis is on streamlining processes and tools to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability throughout the project cycle across all RI projects implemented at the country office level.

Under the technical supervision of the PQALM, the MEAL Coordinator will ensure the PRO project has suitable MEAL systems, with regular reviews and maintenance. The major purposes and objectives of the MEAL Coordinator are to provide technical support, supervision, and guidance to the project’s implementation to effectively generate realistic recommendations to assist high-level management decisions. This includes overall survey management, strengthening FCRM, updating IPTT, and frequent monitoring visits. The position holder has the role of supervising MEAL Officers/Assistants implementing projects at the level. As a result, s/he is primarily responsible for building MEAL staff capacity through organizing trainings, mentoring, coaching, and supervision, referring to RI policies, guidelines, and SOPs, along with other related sources.

Key responsibilities

Context background

The MEAL Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the quality and effectiveness of the PRO project. S/He will oversee MEAL activities, including monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning, and provide technical support to project teams. Additionally, the MEAL Coordinator will build the capacity of MEAL staff and contribute to the development and implementation of innovative MEAL strategies.

Relationships Management

• Closely liaise with the HAR department for MEAL team movement permits.
• Close coordination with HR and SCO departments for recruitment processes and field facilitations.
• Direct coordination with the Project Manager or Project Coordinators to update MEAL activities planning, FCRM, and IPTT, BVA, and share findings and recommendations.
• Coordinate with external stakeholders when needed to facilitate MEAL-related activities.

Key deliverables (main duties, with subtasks)

• Project design and learning

  • Support with project design, ensuring realistic project budgeting for MEAL staffing and activities.
  • Ensure a proper project’s MEAL plan (includes: Logframe matrix, IPTT, FCRM tracker, Activity calendar, and budget) is in place before the start of implementation.
  • With support from PQALM to design a comprehensive MEAL activities methodology, tools, and reporting templates that reflect the project’s indicators
  • Assist the PQALM in updating and rolling out the country MEAL guidelines, SoPs, and templates throughout the field offices.
  • Accountable for conducting and documenting end-of-project learning reviews, and sharing lessons learned and best practices, incorporating these into new project designs.
  • In consultation with the PQALM, organize a lesson-sharing event to fertilize learning among different projects and/or sectors within the area.

• Monitoring and evaluation

  • Ensure proper adherence to and implementation of the MEAL SoPs, guidelines, and the project’s MEAL plan.
  • Closely working with the MEAL staff to implement the project’s MEAL activities on time with high quality.
  • Ensure the project’s IPTT and FCRM trackers are properly updated on time.
  • Support the PQALM in updating the MEAL activities tracker and BVAs monthly.
  • Accountable for tracking and archiving projects’ indicators MOVs.
  • Accountable for following up and coordinating with related RI departments and authority entities for tools approvals.
  • Responsible for working with the MEAL team to develop, translate, pilot, and finalize data collection tools.
  • Ensure a proper assessment/survey ToR is in place before implementing any assessment.
  • Ensure a harmonized design of data collection tools that reflect the different data sources among the project’s surveys and assessments.
  • Responsible for ensuring timely implementation, analysis, and reporting of all related projects’ surveys, including (baseline, endline, DDM, PDM, satisfaction, etc.).
  • Responsible for following up with MEAL team on project to ensure data is collected and entered into the agreed RI data platform (KOBO/LogAlto/M.S. Excel or Access).
  • Ensure all MEAL reports are properly written and documented right after the activity is completed. Also, findings with recommendations to be shared and followed with PCs.
  • Responsible for conducting reflective practice forums at the field office/ project level and compiling lessons from project implementation processes.
  • Conduct regular monitoring visits to intervention locations within your area.
  • Generate monthly progress reporting to line and technical managers.

• Information Management and Accountability

  • Follow up with the HIM & field officers to ensure proper review of projects’ indicators’ MOVs.
  • Follow up with the HIM & field officers to ensure proper updating of projects’ IPTT.
  • Responsible for extracting lessons learned from the project, systematically documenting, and making them easily accessible to staff.’
  • Responsible for conducting, analyzing, documentation data quality checks of project data to identify and resolve systemic problems affecting data quality.
  • Responsible for ensuring agreed information sharing of RI and the project to all stakeholders is planned and disseminated at an early stage of project implementation.
  • Responsible for a high level of different stakeholders' participation within the project data collection.
  • Assist the PQALM to train/refresh the MEAL staff on FCRM SOP.
  • Follow up with the MEAL staff, PM, and PCs that all pending feedback and complaints are efficiently resolved.
  • Projects-specific data reflection sessions for IPTT and FCRM trackers to be planned, coordinated, and conducted monthly with MEAL and Project teams.

• Staff capacity building

  • Accountable for the recruitment of projects’ MEAL staff and HR onboarding.
  • Responsible for providing consistent, supportive supervision to strengthen staff performance as necessary.
  • Accountable for preparing the MEAL staff capacity-building plan with required training for HR.
  • Responsible for orienting MEAL staff in RI policies, guidelines, systems, and SOPs.
  • On-the-job mentoring and capacity building for MEAL staff to ensure higher MEAL implementation quality.

• Any other related demands on the position role may be required by the line/technical manager.

Management and leadership

• Ensure the highest standards of behavior inside and outside of work, promote the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies
• Be a model for ethical conduct standards for other team members
• Embrace diversity and model inclusive and equitable behaviour.
• Ensure own actions and the actions of the team members they manage do not adversely impact the safety of the RI team and the vulnerable communities we serve
• Ensure donors, partners, and communities are aware of RI's conduct and reporting mechanisms
• Ensure safeguarding is embedded in all the work we do
• Be responsible for ensuring a culture and systems are in place for reporting
• Report any concerns.

Person Specification

Skills, knowledge and expertise required for the role.

Essential criteria

• BA/Bsc and Relevant training or education in Social Science, Data Science, Economics, Business, Engineering, or a related field; MA/MS a plus
• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in monitoring and evaluation of multi-sectoral programming in emergency or post-conflict settings; INGO experience required. Prior experience working in complex emergency settings or insecure environments is preferred
• Experience in developing and implementing MEAL Plans, data analysis, mapping project processes, and thorough knowledge of M&E principles, methods, and approaches;
• Detailed understanding of project cycle management processes;
• Strong measurement, analytical, systematic-thinking, planning, and organizational skills
• Professional MS Office skills and experience in conducting statistical analysis of data, including the use of statistical software such as SPSS or Stata, is preferred but not required.
• Experience designing and implementing surveys and developing qualitative and quantitative data collection tools with Kobo, SurveyMonkey, and Microsoft Forms experience
• Experience developing logical/results frameworks, indicators, and MEAL plans
• Skills in data/information management and analysis, with experience using databases and software applications
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with proficiency in English.
• Promotes teamwork and is able to work with a variety of people in a multicultural environment
• Capable of influencing and motivating individuals who are not under direct line management
• Capable of applying skills and knowledge in a range of capacities, including direct implementation, remote management, training, and the transfer of technical knowledge and skills to others
• Flexible and able to handle pressure
• Excellent Attention to detail
• Values learning and takes an interest in new developments in the field of MEAL
• Fluency in English required. Arabic is an asset

Desirable criteria

• Relevant training or education in Social Science, Data Science, Economics, Business, Engineering or a related field.
• Capacity in conducting field-level data collection and data entry.

RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability