GRADE: 2
TEAM/PROGRAMME: PDQ
LOCATION: Kathmandu
CONTRACT LENGTH: National Contract
CHILD SAFEGUARDING:Level 3 - The responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.
ROLE PURPOSE:
Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children. We save children’s lives; we fight for their rights; we help them fulfill their potential. We work together, with our partners from civil societies and government, to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.
The primary objective of the post holder is to provide overall leadership for the effective implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) within the organization. The MEAL Manager will lead the MEAL team and provide high quality technical support for program design, strategic planning, capacity building of program staff in monitoring and evaluation, setting up and managing program quality monitoring and accountability systems. The MEAL Manager will be responsible for coordinating the country office participation in national, regional and global initiatives on design, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning and bring new ideas and knowledge for continuous improvement of the MEAL system in Nepal/Bhutan.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN (20%)
- Catalyze MEAL engagement in all new program and proposal design processes, including humanitarian response.
- Ensure consistent MEAL methodology and quality assurance across thematic programs
- Provide technical support in conducting situation analysis, mainly in designing study methodologies, tools and sampling strategies.
- With thematic advisors, ensure that all programs have effective MEAL practices throughout the program cycle.
STRATEGIC DIRECTION (15%)
- Provide technical support for developing, reviewing and updating country strategic plan (CSP).
- Participate actively in the Country Annual Planning and Country Annual Reporting, providing oversight and compiling reports (e.g. total reach, global outcome indicators, etc.).
- Identify needs and opportunities for potential programs, through situation analyses/feasibility studies, networking, and leveraging research and evaluation findings from both internal and external sources.
- Provide thought leadership and links with SCI’s regional and global MEAL initiatives
*Significant level of effort anticipated in 2018 due to SCI’s strategic planning cycle.
MONITORING, EVALUATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND LEARNING (MEAL) (30%)
Monitoring
- Provide technical support in developing Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for program and projects.
- Provide technical support in conducting baseline studies mainly on methodologies, tools and sampling strategies.
- Provide technical support on collecting data and managing reporting requirements on Total Reach, Global outcome indicators, evaluation overview etc.
- Provide technical support to clarify OPMIS indicators for different thematic areas
Accountability
- Ensure that MEAL staff and other program staff at Kathmandu level and regional levels have clear understanding on program accountability to children and communities through training and coaching.
- Ensure that complaint handling and response mechanisms are functioning at the program implementation and central levels.
- Provide follow-up and support for the investigation of serious complaints and feedback as and when needed as per the established protocol.
- Ensure that MEAL team conduct monitoring visits in the program areas as per the agreed plan and monitor the quality of program interventions against the minimum standards; and produce and share high quality MEAL reports on regular basis to relevant people in line with the standard protocols.
- Ensure that periodic MEAL reports are shared and debriefed at different levels, action plans for addressing the quality gaps are developed and followed up.
Evaluation and Learning
- Take lead in conducting/facilitating strategic program and government evaluations.
- Provide technical support for conducting mid-term as well as final project evaluations as per the requirement. This includes reviewing evaluation ToRs, developing methodologies, sampling strategy in line with the SCI evaluation standards.
- Promote cross-thematic and cross-program learning.
MANAGEMENT (15%)
- Provide management and technical leadership to the decentralized MEAL team. Ensure clear understanding of roles, functions and responsibilities within the MEAL team in Kathmandu and in the field.
- Explore opportunities and ensure that MEAL team members access appropriate capacity building and development opportunities
- Using the SCI performance management system, ensure that the performance appraisals are conducted in a timely manner for the MEAL team and are supported in their personal development.
- Develop budget for MEAL function, ensure that MEAL budget provisions are adequately incorporated in project proposals as per SCI’s key performance indicator (KPI) standards.
- Develop the MEAL DIP and follow up to ensure that MEAL activities are carried out as per the agreed plan and budget.
- In consultation with PDQ Director, develop/revise the MEAL structure according to need and ensure high quality recruitment of MEAL team.
CAPACITY BUILDING (10%)
- Build and nurture a MEAL community of practice to foster technical knowledge and growth within the MEAL team, PDQ team, and project teams
- In coordination with POD, provide on-going and one-off technical MEAL support and advice to programs and partners as needed. May include orienting other COs and other NGOs to SCI’s accountability practices.
- Ensure that core MEAL training modules and approaches are rolled out effectively and with fidelity to MEAL staff and partners, e.g. conducting situation analysis, developing logframes and M&E plans, designing baseline and operational research, conducting total reach analysis, tracking global indicators, etc.
COORDINATION AND REPRESENTATION (10%)
- Liaise with MEAL focal persons from SCI (region and center), SC members for sharing, learning and updates on new developments on MEAL and related requirements.
- Identify relevant technical assistance providers and pull technical assistance as needed for strengthening MEAL system in Nepal/Bhutan.
- Represent country office participation in national, regional and global MEAL initiatives as needed.
SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:
- Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
- Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved
Ambition:
- Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
- Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- Future orientated, thinks strategically.
Collaboration:
- Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
- Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
- Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to
Creativity:
- Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
- Willing to take disciplined risks
Integrity:
- Honest, encourages openness and transparency
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
- Master’s degree in Economics, Development Studies, Statistics or related Social Sciences
- Minimum 7 years’ experience in leading, developing and managing M&E systems for large scale, complex, multi sectoral programmes.
- High level of technical skills, knowledge and experiences on strategic planning, program design using various logical modules including log-frames, result framework etc.
- Have knowledge, experiences and conceptual understanding on accountability, especially to communities and beneficiaries.
- Previous experience in leading teams and building M&E team capacity (developing training tools, training, coaching and mentoring)
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural settings with a wide variety of stakeholders.
- Ability to analyze information, evaluate options and to think and plan strategically.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and representation skills.
- Ability to present complex information in a understandable manner, and to use innovative forms of communication
- Fluency in written and spoken Nepali and English languages.
- Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.
- Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally.
