MEAL Advisor

Job Description

Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Employee Contract Type: Local – Fixed Term Employee (Fixed Term)
Job Requisition id: R20354

With over 70 years of experience, our focus is on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. We help children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, inspired by our Christian faith.

Come join our 33,000+ staff working in nearly 100 countries and share the joy of transforming vulnerable children’s life stories!

Job Description:

JOB TITLE: MEAL ADVISOR
RECRUITMENT COMMENT: Prepositioning for a pipeline project pending confirmation of funding availability.

JOB PURPOSE

The Consortium MEAL Advisor will be responsible for maintaining good working relationships with MEAL focal points at partner organizations and providing representation at external forums as necessary. This includes coordinating complex, multi-stakeholder activities. It is expected that the MEAL Advisor will travel to project sites to support the implementation of MEAL activities. The MEAL Advisor will be responsible for developing and implementing the project’s monitoring, evaluation, and learning strategy, in accordance with the USAID, and international best practices. S/he will work closely with the Chief of Party, Technical Program Director, technical staff, technical and local partners to ensure that relevant data is collected, analyzed, and used to inform management and design decision, and to provide project updates, as required.

To provide leadership and ensure the design and application of programmatic monitoring, evaluation and accountability and Learning frameworks that contribute to program excellence and achievement the USAID project. The Consortium MEAL Advisor is expected to lead in donor reporting as per the grant agreement in all result areas and generate evidence and influence decision making.

The MEAL Advisor is also responsible for leading on all internal and external evaluations undertaken by the project. The Advisor is also tasked to strengthen the capacity of the MEAL team, and the wider project implementing staff and will be responsible for ensuring the relevance and application of M&E and accountability products in project design, quality management and accountability to donors and project stakeholders.

MOJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical

• Understand and be able to apply various study methods including qualitative and quantitative research methods that ensure Value for money.
• Producing high-quality data, analysis, reports, presentations, and dashboard of key findings that foster learning and decision-making and share in key meetings such as project cycle meetings and strategic senior management team meetings.
• Provide leadership in results based management and the measurement of project outputs and outcomes
• Oversee a knowledge management system for data collection and collation tools, ensuring that information is readily accessible by users.
• Develop and implement quality assurance systems to ensure high quality of project products in collaboration with program technical managers.
• Provide technical leadership to project efforts in meeting its internal and external accountability commitments through the implementation of sound accountability, client feedback, and response mechanisms.
• Contribute to the program risk management framework including providing leadership on appropriate context and risk monitoring frameworks to support adaptive program management.
• Lead on the provision of evidence to inform program milestone and target renegotiation as appropriate.
• Professionally document and proactively share resources developed and learning with World Vision internationally, partners and other relevant agencies, including the learning related to team and organisational structure.
• Developing and managing a learning agenda for the program on behalf of the consortium-facilitate and develop research agenda to build evidence of impact within the Consortium.
• Oversee the design and use of an effective database for the storage and utilization of project information by program partners, managers and stakeholders.

Knowledge

• Design and oversee the adoption and implementation of the accountability, monitoring and evaluation frameworks that include relevant performance indicators and systems that meet programming and donor requirements
• Build and/or strengthen the capacity of the project staff (WVZ and partner organisation) M&E
• Team to meet monitoring and evaluation requirements as guided by USAID standards and other international standards Collaborate with program technical leads to develop and adapt evidence-based M&E and learning products.
• Understand and provide leadership on the synergies between monitoring and accountability systems for information for management decision making.
• Lead the M&E technical working group including developing a MEL framework and agenda incorporating relevant partner contributions and expertise
• Support the adaptive management of program results and MEAL framework including providing evidence for decision making
• Provide strategic direction and leadership towards the integration of the accountability, monitoring and evaluation functions for the purposes of strengthening the interface of programs with communities and the application of information for program improvement.
• Assess the capacity requirements of the team and allied institutions to implement accountability, monitoring and evaluation systems in a timely and effective manner.
• Review the various institutional relationships that exist within the country to determine how the organization can collaborate more effectively with relevant ministries and other donor organisations.
• Provide direct management of accountability and monitoring staff according to performance management
• Effectively manage, advocate for and develop a budget to ensure the team meets its targets and obligations
• Effectively communicate and present information arising from communities and monitoring to inform both strategic and operational management decisions at senior leadership level.

Collaboration

• Coordinate with and strengthen partnerships with MEAL counterparts of partner agencies, technical partners, local organizations and Government entities.
• Collaborate with partners such and ensure non-duplication of effort and maximum utilization of resources.
• Ensure that Government standards and guidelines of technical community participation and M&E are adhered to.
• Reinforce integration of cross-sectoral priorities in MEAL, including gender, protection, safeguarding, disaster risk reduction, Gender Equality – Diversity – Inclusion, and Do No Harm.
• Organize technical training including sampling, questionnaire design, participatory techniques for data collection, and analysis of data and reporting with renowned institutions.
• Collaborate with Programs, QA and Operations teams to ensure cohesion of strategy, skills sharing and support for a common Accountability, D, M & E framework.
• Assist in securing and assure coordination of external consultants for processes such as evaluations, assessments etc.
• Manage coordination of the project and representation to communities at the field level for grant programs and develop joint strategies where grants and AP programs converge.
• Develop strong collaborative relationships with management, operations and sector staff in order to influence practice towards greater accountability and use of monitoring information.

KNOWLEDGE/ QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s Degree in a relevant discipline, i.e. monitoring and evaluation, epidemiology, public health, statistics, biostatistics, or a related field. PHD is an added advantage.
• 6-10 years’ experience working for an international agency at a managerial level in monitoring and evaluation experience.
• A firm command of MEAL issues with respect to MNCH and experience with USAID MNCH indicators
• Demonstrated ability in the use of quantitative and qualitative methods including questionnaire design, survey techniques, and participatory approaches.
• Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge to national and international staff. Computer proficiency in word processing, database, spreadsheet and graphics presentations, including one or more of the following analysis programs: SPSS, Stata, EpiInfo, R, PowerBI
• Good knowledge of the DHIS2 system
• Knowledge and experience with WV international Design, M&E Systems, and donor expectations of M&E.
• Clear understanding of the workings of major donors, INGOs and UN agencies;
• Good understanding of USAID guidelines
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Demonstrated ability in collaborative/team work.
• Excellent analytical/problem-solving skills and detail orientation;
• Experience in training, community consultation and systems development;
• Ability to work independently with minimal support.

Applicant Types Accepted: Local Applicants Only

QUALIFIED WOMEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY!