Junior MEAL Officer – Accountability and Database Management

Country Office: Ethiopia

Work Base: Addis Ababa

Availability: As Soon As Possible

Salary Scale: EMS04

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position.

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger-USA is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. We save the lives of malnourished children and we enable entire communities to be free from hunger. With more than 8,000 staff in over 50 countries, our programs reached 17 million people in 2019.

About the Country Program in Ethiopia

Action Against Hunger has been operational in Ethiopia since 1984 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sectoral strategy where nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience. Action Against Hunger currently operates in 5 different regions (Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, and Gambella) with a portfolio of 20m USD/year of emergency, resilience building, research, and innovation programs. We have a country team of around 600 staff in 17 regional and satellite offices. Our main donors in Ethiopia in 2020/2021 are BHA, ECHO, Europaid, UNHCR, UNICEF, GFFO, BPRM, SIDA, EHF, WFP, CIAA, and others.

Summary of position

The Junior MEAL Officer is dedicated to managing the organization's toll-free system. She/he is responsible to manage incoming calls from the beneficiary, recording complaints/feedback, forwarding the issue to the relevant body, and tracking the progress of responses. She/he is liable to maintain the core principles of the organization's accountability commitment including transparency, confidentiality, non-discriminator, and privacy of beneficiary information. Furthermore, she/he is responsible to design, maintain and update program databases and provide necessary backup to the field team.

The Junior MEAL Officer role’s purpose, engagement, and delivery are:

Purpose – The main purpose of this position is to maintain effective management of the toll-free hotline system, strengthen the mission accountability reporting system, and design and update program databases.

Engagement – The position holder will have an internal and external engagement with project beneficiaries, partners, and internal staff at all levels.

Delivery – The key delivery for this position is maintaining an updated accountability database, receiving and recording complaints and feedback and ensuring the timely close out of cases, maintaining a strong database system for the organization. He/she will be in charge to produce descriptive and analytical reports on a monthly basis, attend meetings and workshops and provide capacity building training to the field staff

Essential Duties

Objective 1. Maintain effective implementation of a toll-free hotline

• Ensure the toll-free operation is internalized by all AAH staff, partners, stakeholders, and our program beneficiaries
• Make sure the four-digit number is part of the day to day communication in project management
• Support the awareness creation activities at the field level, develop and share various visibility materials (stickers, posters, and flyers) with all operation offices
• Recognize the importance of the call for the caller and talk to the caller nonjudgmentally and unbiasedly.
• Understands that some concerns/issues require confidential and sensitive treatment and behaves accordingly.
• Immediately flags to the supervisor (line manager) sensitive complaints or issues involving Code of Conduct violations or requiring the involvement of the Management including the PSEA focal person/CD/HR.
• Records the details of each contact with callers and ensures information received from affected people is classified into pre-determined reference categories and entered in the CFRM database.
• Follows up on referred complaints and feedback with the supervisor to ensure a timely response to affected people.
• Compile and analyze complaint and feedback data in the system to produce regular complaints and feedback reports.
• Ensure the confidentiality of the information. He/she keeps confidentially the name of the complainant and the person they complain about and Submit the received message to the MEAL focal person.  
• Check and report the functionality of the hotline phone and accessories and follow up on the payment to the ethio-telecom service

Objective 2: uphold a strong and effective accountability system

• Ensure field bases have updated accountability SOP, minimum accountability guidelines, tools, and templates
• Ensure all resource materials are translated into the local language and context
• Follow with field MEAL staff that projects have conducted beneficiary consultation and assessment to determine the appropriate CFRM channel
• Ensure the accountability database of AAH is used by the field MEAL team, updated regularly, and stored safely
• Make sure the database from all bases have incorporate all spectrum of accountability (complaint and feedback, information sharing, and community participation)
• Follow with the field MEAL team that all project and program staff have received necessary induction and training on accountability and set a clear database for staff competency 
• Assess the availability and functionality of hotline numbers, proactive and reactive complaint seeking channels, and communication materials including posters, entitlement banners, billboards, and other IEC materials at the bases
• Coordinate with PSEA and HR team to ensure staff at all levels have awareness about the complaint and feedback mechanisms of the organization
• Standardize the accountability database and follow the proper utilization of the system among the field team
• Record and report staff complaints and feedback across all bases and follow responses are forwarded on time
• Provide a rigorous synthesis of the records and findings of the accountability database to the capital MEAL on a monthly basis
• Assess the satisfaction level of complaint providers about the response and the overall process management
• Generate, capture and share learnings and practices from the accountability function of the organization

Objective 3: Database management 

• Map out the organization's data management process from source to collection, storage, analysis, and reporting
• Identify the needs of database management and develop a customized database system for all programs (WASH, H&N, FSL, and Protection)
• Make sure all monthly APR have a clear database and provide a brief synthesis to the capital MEAL department
• Actively participates in planning the installation of new organization-wide systems and applications.
• Provide necessary training and induction to the field team whenever there are new developments
• Ensure that data is available, protected from loss and corruption, and easily accessible as needed.
• Identify any problems, take measures, and resolves it
• Monitors the efficiency and effectiveness of all database resources and thus, keeps the flow of work uninterrupted owing to technology.
• Ensures maximum service through the identification of opportunities for improvement and making new recommendations.
•  Continuous review and evaluation of the software, hardware, service delivery, and updates as and when required.
• Maintains data standards and security measures through the implementation of information technology plans, policies, and standards.
• Handles the Division’s database and data-driven systems in an effective manner. Thus, provides high-quality data analysis.
• Troubleshoot the problems. It includes a quick understanding of the problem and its resolution, restoration of the data, rectify the issue and minimize the damage
• Implements the work plan for the Department.    

Supervisory Responsibilities

• N/A 

Gender Equality Commitments  

• Foster an environment that supports the values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, and children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, or religion. race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status. 
• Value and respect all cultures. 

Fiscal Responsibility

• N/A

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Working Conditions, Travel, and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high-security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases. 

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Diploma/Degree in ICT, data management, business Administration, Social Sciences, Community Development, or relevant field.
• Minimum of 2 years of work experience for Degree holders and 3 years experience for Diploma holders in a similar field of activity with a stressful environment, preferably in the non-profit sector.
• Experience in a call center environment, with knowledge of Call Center management and exposure to technologies, is an asset.
• Experience in data management, and practical knowledge of Microsoft Office, in particular Excel.
• Ability to adapt to technology and IT tools.
• Attention to detail and confidential habit of work.
• Clear and Effective Communication, with high quality of empathy, patience, and positive attitude.
• Very good command of English, Amharic, Somali, and Oromiffa languages, with the ability to translate these local languages to English.

Required skills:

Essential

• Professional, motivated, open, creative, mature, responsible, flexible, and culturally sensitive
• Excellent communication, writing, and analytical skills
• Commitment to ACF mission, values, and policy

How to Apply

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

If you are interested, please send your application composed of none returnable CV, a Covering Letter with “Junior MEAL Officer” written in the subject line, and three references, applicants to the following address: 

Through CLICK HERE

 NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be, communicated on and the selection process includes technical tests and an interview.

Action Against Hunger-USA provides all staff with an attractive salary & benefits package. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees & qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Action Against Hunger-USA complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.