Area MEAL Officer_Samburu – ACTED

Department: MEAL Unit

Contract duration: Fixed

Location: Maralal, Kenya

Starting Date: April 2024

Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Their interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context. Their 3,300 staff is committed in to responding to emergencies worldwide, to supporting recovery and rehabilitation, towards sustainable development.

ACTED is seeking a dynamic and experienced individual to join our team as MEAL Officer. Based in Maralal, Samburu County, the MEAL Officer will play a vital role in ensuring the effectiveness and impact of our programs in the region.

Objective

The main aim of the MEAL Officer is to support in the effective implementation of all appraisals, monitoring, and evaluation work for Acted at the field level in line with the Acted’s global MEAL procedures, and contributing to ensuring that Acted’s projects and programs perform as planned.

Duties and responsibilities

Monitor and report on field level MEAL activities.

• Under the direction of the MEAL Manager, monitor and report on project MEAL work plans and activities as per the geographic scope of the position;
• Prepare and submit weekly MEAL progress reports, outlining achievements, challenges and progress;
• Work closely with other units in order to provide information for mapping, proposal development and reporting; liaise with partner/collaborating organizations for MEAL activities, as required;
• Responsible for coordinating MEAL related logistics and financial procedures at the field level; and
• Perform additional tasks as per the request of the Line manager.

Development of MEAL ToRs, data collection tools and methodologies

• Assist in the design of MEAL methodologies, data collection terms of reference (TORs) and the development of data collection tools to monitoring progress and outcomes of Acted’s projects for field level activities (including, but not limited to, Post-distribution monitoring, Needs Assessments, Asset Baselines/Verification, Beneficiary verification);
• Ensure that monitoring and evaluation activities are in-line with expected project goals, objectives and measure the defined indicators.
  • Plan and conduct field-level data collection missions, ensuring the collection of accurate, reliable and useful data;

Facilitate the collection of accurate, reliable, and useful data for project implementation and development.

• Provide field supervision and plan logistical arrangements for conducting MEAL activities, including training of enumerators;
• Supervision of data entry and conduct data checking/cleaning for quantitative and qualitative data.

Conduct and share quantitative and qualitative analysis and write timely reports for programme development, management, and implementation.

• Conduct analysis of quantitative data, including preparing cross-tabulations, graphs and statistical analysis when required;
• Conduct qualitative analysis including writing up field-notes and use different methods to improve programme implementation, such as SWOT analysis, Problem-Solution tree, etc.
• Produce timely and high-quality MEAL reports, at the base level, including, but not limited to: PDMs, Asset Baselines, and Capacity Assessments.

Management of internal and external relationships

• Supervision of MEAL Assistants & Enumerators, including development of work plans;
• Work with management and support staff to comply with Acted rules and procedures; and
• Provide inductions and trainings to staff outside of the MEAL unit, to ensure MEAL principles and practices are understood and utilized across all programme units.

Proactively ensure organizational learning through the documenting and follow-up of lessons learned

• Capture and record field-level learnings through regularly updating the LEARN database;
• Follow-up and support programme teams on the implementation of recommendations and learnings;
• Proactively identify challenges and risks faced by programme implementation teams and escalate to the MEAL Manager.

Ensuring proper and timely information management for all field level activities

• Ensuring all MEAL documents are properly stored as per the MEAL Unit’s Information Management Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Manage and promote Acted’s Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM)

• Establish, implement and monitor the beneficiary Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) for the country mission in line with Acted standard beneficiary CRM procedures; including receiving, documenting and managing complaints through telephone hotline, in writing and in person;
• Treat urgent and/or sensitive complaints with the immediate attention they require, and ensure a fast resolution;
• Promote the CRM internally and externally to ensure the CRM is known and accessible to all of Acted’s beneficiaries.

Protection mainstreaming

• Promoting of and adhering to Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policy and guidelines (for site residents, Acted staff, partner agencies, casual labors etc.)

Potential Candidate Profile

• University degree in development studies, computer science, statistics, social studies, international relations or other related field.
• A minimum 3 years of working experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning related functions.
• Technical skills in setting up quality MEAL processes and creating logical frameworks and data analysis.
• Proficiency and experience with mobile data collection such as Kobo, ODK Collect,
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, SPSS, or other similar software,
• Knowledge of PowerBi, or GIS are additional assets.
• Knowledge of the location context and language is preferred.