CHILD SAFEGUARDING: 

Level 3:  the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g., once a week or more) or intensively (e.g., four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE: 

The MEAL Manager will oversee high quality Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning across Save the Children’s BHA programme in Abyei and Akobo Field Offices. S/he is expected to lead on MEAL system design and implementation, evaluations, research, MEAL budgeting, recruitment, accountability system strengthening, as well as support proposal writing and log frame development at field office level.  The post holder will be expected to mentor and/or capacity build existing MEAL staff, and work across functions to ensure that the learning from the monitoring, evaluation and accountability systems informs programme decision making.

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

Reports to: Head of MEAL

Staff directly reporting to this post: TBD

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning:

• Lead planning of needs assessments in coordination other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and include an analysis of children’s needs and rights. Lead development of Save the children programme baseline surveys where required. 
• Coordinate sharing of information with the programme team on MEAL data in comprehensive, timely and relevant manner to make sure the learning from these assessments and studies informs programme decisions. 
• Work with the Program Development and Quality team at the CO level to support senior technical colleagues in their development of sector log frames, plans, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks and plans.  Contribute to development of programme plan/strategy and master budget.
• Lead development of Monitoring & Evaluation systems (such as output trackers, indicator performance tracking tables) and their roll out.  Support sector technical staff to carry out monitoring and evaluation of project activities as agreed in Monitoring & Evaluation frameworks and plans and to strengthen integration between sectors. 
• With support from field office senior technical colleagues, support fundraising, including contributing to proposal writing and review to ensure MEAL activities and costs are adequately covered. Develop standard guidance for incorporation of MEAL costs into proposals in specific responses. 
• Lead planning, implementation and follow-up of evaluations (real times, evaluations of humanitarian action etc.). Participate in evaluations were required.
• Set up systems to manage complex information generated by MEAL activities, such as complaints databases and qualitative outcome monitoring data systems.  Conduct statistical and qualitative data analysis and present and disseminate information to inform programme management at all levels of management within a response. Seek solutions for more complex data management requirements by working with IT colleagues, leading development of databases etc.
• Identify MEAL staffing needs for emergency programmes, and lead on recruitment, induction, performance management and training. 
• With support from other programme staff, identify MEAL activities supply needs and coordinate with the logistics team to ensure materials arrive in good time.
• Support sector technical leads to develop monitoring & evaluation plans and required tools. Capacity builds technical field staff in carrying out the work.
• Implement accountability mechanisms at field level, such as complaints and feedback response mechanisms – working on community assessment, design, implementation, review etc. Ensure that activities are carried out are child friendly and raise awareness of prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse and handling of serious complaints in line with child safeguarding policy.
• Support technical sector specialists to ensure that projects are carried out with participation from children and affected communities, that information is shared with communities through appropriate channels and that they solicit and respond to community feedback.
• To ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct, as well as Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability. For instance, with support from senior colleagues, work with sector technical specialists to ensure quality monitoring systems are set up to ensure adherence of programmes to minimum standards.
• Make sure the considerations on gender, disability and inclusion are well integrated into the MEAL activities, tools, and analysis. 
• Leads on the coordination with Third Party Monitoring Initiatives (monthly).

Capacity Building:

• Identify learning and training needs as well as the opportunities for MEAL and other staff and work as a mentor and role model for staff. 
• Conduct training and awareness raising activities for operations and programme technical staff at field and country-office level regarding MEAL priorities and quality standards. 
• Coordinate trainings for MEAL and program staff in the relevant areas, such as on data collection tools, ICT solutions for MEAL, data analysis for both quantitative and qualitative data, etc. 

Knowledge Management 

• Support the field management senior team in establishing and rolling out Country Office knowledge management strategies, with special attention to storing and sharing program experience. 
• Champion the use of country Knowledge Management guidelines and platforms.
• Support documentation of the program by sharing learnings at FO level through internal platforms.
• Support thematic Technical Advisors/Specialists in the pro-active collection, analysis, storage and utilization of external evidence and research, including trends and reports, to inform program development and strategic direction of the FO.

Representation, Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• Ensure that Save the Children`s work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children. This may involve taking the lead in coordination working groups.  Participate in interagency coordinated joint MEAL activities (for instance, inter-agency RTEs).
• In collaboration with Save the Children MEAL and advocacy colleagues, feed in learning, experiences and evidence to relevant advocacy objectives and lead on response-specific learning activities.  For instance, support planning of After-Action Review workshops, prepare lessons learnt reports and conduct accountability mechanism pilots. Take steps to document lessons learned for wider dissemination.
• Participate and feed into Save the Children regional and global working groups when needed. 

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Any other duties emerge as CO and FO priorities 

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving results together with children 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
• Creates a managerial environment in-country to lead, enable and maintain our culture of child safeguarding

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for self and team, takes responsibility for own personal development and encourages team to do the same
• Widely shares personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future oriented, thinks strategically and on a global scale

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with own team, colleagues, members, donors and partners
• 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
• Always acts in the best interests of children

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• At least five years of progressive experience in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning in development and humanitarian contexts
• Previous first phase emergency response experience
• Master’s degree in economics, Measurement, Evaluation, Research, Statistics, Social Research or relevant equivalent, with at least significant coursework in quantitative or qualitative research methods.
• Previous experience of managing a team and managing projects
• Demonstrated strong monitoring and evaluation skills, including planning/participating in evaluations
• Ability to work both in an advisory and a hands-on implementation capacity
• Proven capacity to supervise, train and coach staff
• Experience of representation and ability to represent Save the Children effectively in external forums
• Experience of preparing successful funding proposals for donors
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports
• Excellent communication and influencing skills with experience in advocacy
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A high level of written and spoken English 
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children. In particular, a good understanding of the Save the children mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.

Desirable:

• Experience or knowledge of working and living in South Sudan.
• Specific experience of designing and managing BHA projects.
• Experience of managing MEAL in remote, and hard to access settings.