The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009.  With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, Gender based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

Overall purpose of the role: 

The MEAL Manager supervises the country MEAL team to provide technical leadership in all monitoring, evaluation, accountability, documentation and knowledge management for all projects, which are implemented by DRC in Ethiopia. The MEAL Manager will coordinate the design and implementation of program monitoring systems and databases for all projects. S/he serves as primary focal point for all the MEAL initiatives and will work in liaison with the Head of Program in indicator measurement, data analysis, regular monitoring, capacity building, evaluation, core humanitarian standards on quality and accountability and learning and knowledge management. S/he will set up and maintain systems to regularly monitor the progress of the various projects against outputs, outcomes and impact, and will report on the progress to relevant program staff and manager and the Head of Program. S/he will work closely with all program staff, including technical leads, to ensure best practice and experiences from all staff are carried into the monitoring systems and practice.

With support from the Head of Program, the MEAL Manager will support managers in ensuring timely submission of all reporting requirements internal or external evaluations and will serve as the primary focal point for contributing to the country office of accountability and learning framework. The MEAL Manager will coordinate with the initiatives and contribute facilitate cross-learning across sectors and field offices within the country offices.

Responsibilities (in bulletins)

Key Responsibility 1: Planning and Documentation

• Participate in program design and proposal discussions, including support on theory of change development, log frame design, and budgeting for M&E.

• Responsible for the design, quality, development, and completion of all assessments, monitoring efforts and evaluations

• Establish a central documentation system for MEAL related project documents

• Develop and operationalize MEAL plans based on project documents and existing MEAL systems

• Ensure that M&E data (reports, baseline surveys, and evaluations) are easily accessible for all project managers and stakeholders

Key Responsibility 2: Establishing M&E System

• Develop M&E plans, quality indicators and logical frame works for all proposals/ program documents in accordance with DRC MELMOP

• Develop guidance and frameworks for CO procedures, policies and processes that assist in institutionalizing and supporting MEAL in the country mission

• Ensure full adherence to the developed M&E system in accordance with DRC minimum operational procedures for MEL and DRC evaluation policy

• Provide technical guidance in the design and implementation of M&E activities for all sectors in the DRC Ethiopia program, including WASH, shelter/NFIs, protection, shelter, migration, economic recovery and social cohesion.

• Develop and maintain database on program indicators related to various projects and provide technical inputs/service to Team Leaders, Technical Advisors, Project Managers, and the Head of Program

• Set up and manage a system to deal with large volumes of monitoring and assessment data, using relevant software packages including mobile data collection for projects

• Develop effective performance indicators and result frameworks that conform to the scope of work of projects

• Support project and area managers and field-based MEAL focal points in developing data collection methodology and tools, and systems for on-going data analysis.

Key Responsibility 3: Monitoring

• With the country level MEAL team, conduct regular monitoring visits to all projects to ensure that all projects are on the right track in performing the planned activities and achieved the expected outputs

• Coordinate the development of an effective monitoring and evaluation and data systems management capacity, procedures, tools, associated methodologies and key documents to ensure standardization in evaluation and reporting practices

• Ensure timely submission of monitoring data through approved tools and mechanisms on a monthly basis

• Ensure that monitoring data are fed into management decisions and used in program management.

• Identify major challenges for project implementation and report to the senior management team for immediate decision making

• Perform validation analysis of programmatic reports and facilitating improvements of record keeping and programmatic data reporting

• Coordinate the development of a methodology for monitoring and verification of activities implemented in the field office

• Coordinate with the grants manager and finance department in tracking of program budget expenditure, provide technical assistance in performance and budget expenditures in project review meetings

Key Responsibility 4: Capacity Building

• Develop training materials to build the capacity of staff to monitor and evaluate programs and projects closely and conduct training accordingly

• Capacity building and training of program and MEAL support staff on MEAL technical and conceptual areas.

• Coach project staff in promoting participatory monitoring and learning activities

• Assist project staff in creating enhanced data base systems both electronic and hard copy formats

• Build team capacity and provide technical guidance to gather and analyze data for program improvement

• Provide technical assistance to program staff for any baseline and end line surveys that are conducted

Key Responsibility 5: Evaluation Activities

• Prepare yearly evaluation plans as per Monitoring, evaluation, learning, minimum operational procures (MELMOP)

• Prepare TOR for baseline surveys, endline evaluations and need assessment carried out both internally and by external evaluator and facilitate the whole process

• Coordinate on designing, implementing, analysis and dissemination of project evaluation reports

• Organize meetings and produce reports for wider dissemination of project accomplishments; including external evaluation reports that goes along with the donor reports

Key Responsibility 6: Quality & Accountability

• Lead the development, and oversee the implementation, of a plan for DRC to deliver on its minimum accountability standards in emergencies

• Oversee a sustainable Complaints Response Mechanism (CRM) at field office level which ensures all beneficiaries can make confidential complaints and be confident in response processes

• Ensure that DRC’ Beneficiary and Donor Accountability Policies and Procedures are widely available to all targeted personnel in a language that they understand Manage the organizational Quality Management System in line with the Core Humanitarian Standard requirements ensuring compliance.

• Ensure all beneficiaries are aware of the key elements of DRC’s accountability policy and procedures and the expectations and standards required of DRC’s staff and partner staff

• Prepare, and track the progress of annual accountability improvement plan (AIP) and follow up if the AI)

• Develop and facilitate training that help all relevant staff to understand CHS standard and are equipped to apply it to their work.

• In coordination with head of programs and area managers develop training and refresher modules that ensure that all staffs have an in-depth understanding of Accountability and are equipped to apply it in their working lives.

• Conduct quarterly beneficiaries’ consultation meeting to get feedback from the beneficiaries on quality improvement

• Bringing together staff of different disciplines and driving the group to formulate and agree quality procedures

Key Responsibility 7: Knowledge Management

• Work with program teams to collect lessons learned from different project on a regular basis and share with different stakeholders for future programing

• Prepare an annual lesson learned report and share with the SMT, RO, and HQ

• Document and promote good practices, knowledge management and organizational learning around monitoring and evaluation approaches and incorporate lessons learned, best practices and technical innovation in plans and project designs  

• Maintain a database of MEAL tools, reports and lessons learned

Key Responsibility 8: Management

• Line manage the MEAL team at the country office, ensuring that all staff have clear JDs, workplans and deliverables, and that they provide regular and relevant technical support to field offices as needed.

• Technically manage the MEAL Specialists in area offices, providing regular support, follow up on workplans and gap filling where needed. 

Job Requirements

Experience and Technical Competencies: (include years of experience)

• Minimum 5 years of experience and requisite technical background and experience in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning of projects in humanitarian settings.

• Demonstrated skills in program design, monitoring, evaluation accountability, learning and report analysis and writing.

• Demonstrated skills in data management and developing tools and systems for monitoring and evaluation services

• Demonstrated experience managing a team, including remote management of field staff

• Strong analytical skills including analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team

• Excellent Information Technology skills.

• Proficiency in common computer packages - i.e. Word, Excel, SPSS, Power point etc.

• Excellent skills on data visualization platforms including Power Bi, Tableau, etc.

Education (include certificates, licenses etc.):

• University Degree in social sciences, development planning, evaluation, survey implementation, statistical research and /or project management

Languages: (indicate fluency level)

• Excellent written and oral presentation skills (in English and Amharic)

• Excellent proficiency in English is essential

• Excellent proficiency in Amharic preferred; having both would be an asset.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.

Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.

Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.

Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity: Acting in line with DRC's vision and values

How to Apply

Register using the following LINK