Monitoring, Evaluation Learning & Accountability (MEAL) Manager

Background
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. Using a human rights framework, DRC’s Horn and Africa and Yemen (HOAY) operation focuses mainly on Somalis who are affected by displacement, but also oversees programmes for internally displaced persons in Kenya, Yemen and Ethiopia. The Somalia programme currently has more than 250 staff working in seven main field offices, which include Hargeisa, Bossaso, Galkacyo, Mogadishu, Dollow, Baidoa and Beletweyne. DRC Somalia implements broad emergency and recovery programming including protection, livelihoods and food security, water and sanitation and governance.

Purpose
DRC’s Somalia programme is looking for a highly qualified candidate to fill the position of MEAL Manager. Under the supervision of the Deputy Country Director, the MEAL Manager has the overall responsibility to lead, strengthen, coordinate and manage DRC’s programme activities in Somalia, including management of monitoring and evaluation (MEAL) staff. This includes providing support to key programme development processes, particularly proposal development, ensuring timely data collection for reporting to donors, and providing technical oversight to the MEAL teams in the Somalia country programme. Overall, the MEAL Manager will make a significant contribution to improved programme quality by ensuring programme coherence and appropriate learning from the country programme. The MEAL Manager will also contribute support to DRC’s programmes in the HOA &Y through technical support to the regional office in Nairobi.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Assessments, Monitoring & Evaluation

• Overall responsibility for developing and maintaining a robust country MEAL system, including data disaggregated by Age, Gender and Diversity, to measure achievement and progress towards programme goals and results.
• Coordinate and oversee of all aspects of the MEAL processes for Somalia from the development of an MEAL framework, analysis of data and findings to dissemination of the same at field level. This support should be for all pillars of the country strategy.
• Provision of some support to MEAL processes and systems in the HOAY region.
• Manage MEAL field staff and establish a working environment with MEAL field team members to ensure timely achievement of sector plans and deadlines.
• Work to enhance capacity for quality programming through supporting training and capacity development of DRC staff in MEAL including areas of program assessment, design, monitoring & evaluation methodologies.
• Provide technical back up support to field based MEAL Coordinators and teams with a view to ensure coherence and quality in data collection and analysis to support programme development and quality.
• Ensure successful roll out and sound management of the DRC central database and use in all programmme areas.
• Preparation of terms of reference for external consultancies (evaluations, needs assessments, impact assessments) for Somalia and provide some support to regional office, ensuring appropriate scope, design and methods.
• Manage recruitment of all external consultancies related to assessments, evaluations, baselines and end lines, ensuring adherence to DRC’s procurement procedures.
• Management of evaluation processes from start to finish, including effective and efficient use of evaluation resources, timely implementation of evaluation phases, facilitating engagement of stakeholders and evaluation teams, and ensuring submission of reports according to deadlines and to a high standard.
• Oversee internal and external programme/project evaluations as necessary and ensure the execution of baselines & end lines, periodic and final evaluations as necessary in coordination with the Technical Managers, Area Managers and the SMT.
• Participate in developing and testing evaluation methodologies (e.g. for impact evaluation, strategic, policy or country portfolio evaluations) in Somalia and support to regional office as viable, determining their applicability in different contexts, contributing to DRC knowledge management and continuous quality improvement.
• Contribute to further development of DRC HOAY corporate evaluation standards, procedures, guidelines and decentralized evaluation capacity to enhance DRC’s evaluation function.
• Develop Performance Indicator Tracking Table and use regularly with DRC and or project /partner staff to examine progress towards objectives’. Area Managers in conducting regular MEAL field visits to collect data with the help of partners, assess the application of MEAL tools, and assist in preparation of quarterly, annual and end of project report to donors.

Learning and Knowledge Management

• Ensure the Somalia MEAL team is able to articulate and document relevant best practices and assess performance regularly against agreed programme objectives and indicators.
• Once a year, undertake an assessment to take stock and document lessons learnt in all areas of DRC’s sectors of work.
• Actively engage and contribute to regional and country level thematic learning initiatives, working closely with the regional Head of Programme Quality.
• Document lessons learnt and good practices and share them with the broader organization through INSITE.
• Promote cross-learning among Area Programmes and between Area Programmes to consolidate the emergence of DRC’s best practices on specific sectors.
• Organize bi-annual learning events to share best practices between Somalia Programme staff and other DRC staff across the region.

Programme Development and Technical Support

• Work closely with the Somalia Programme Development and Quality Manager, in consultation with the Country Director, Deputy Country Director, Area Managers and Technical Managers/Coordinators, to transform content and conceptual project/programme designs into competitive final proposals, which are both based on the assessment outcomes and responsive to the donor guidelines.
• Support the Technical Coordinators and Area Managers to monitor project technical goals, objectives and policies.

Advocacy & Communication

• Support and provide inputs into the development of the Detailed Implementation Plans (DIP) for achieving priority advocacy objectives in both an emergency and early recovery/development context.
• Contribute to the development of advocacy strategies for each theme under the HOAY Strategic Programme Document (SPD) and the Somalia country strategy.
• Proactive dissemination and communication of evaluation evidence, key research and case studies, both internally and externally, targeting decision makers and stakeholders including donors, local authorities and other humanitarian and development partners at country and regional level.

As a Senior Technical Manager of the Country Programme

• Support the development of an organizational culture that reflects DRC’s mandate and values, promotes accountability and high performance and encourages a team culture of learning, creativity and innovation.
• Contribute to the DRC Somali vision and strategic direction of the Somalia programme.
• In close consultation with the Senior Management Team, take a lead role in developing programme MEAL strategies and detailed annual plans, ensuring coordination of the MEAL teams input to the country strategy, proposals and reports.
• Engage with the regional programme development staff to contribute to regional and cross border initiatives.

Reporting Arrangements:
The ME&L Manager reports to the Deputy Country Director. The MEAL Manager will provide technical supervision of the Somalia country programme MEAL staff. At regional level, the MEAL Manager will work closely with the regional Head of Programme Quality.

Conditions:
Contract: One year contract (3 months probationary period), with possibility of extension.
Other employment conditions in accordance with the Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Global Expatriates recruited by the Horn of Africa and Yemen Regional Office. This position is rated as A10 on the DRC salary scale available at www.drc.dk. For qualified National staff the terms of employment will be in accordance with DRC terms for National staff.

Availability: January 2016

Duty Station: Hargeisa Somaliland with frequent travel to the other offices

General
Commitments: DRC has a Humanitarian Accountability Framework, outlining its global accountability committments. All staff are required to contribute to the achievement of this framework.

For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk.

Qualifications
Essential

• Post graduate university degree in social sciences, economics, international development, evaluation or fields related to MEAL or similar.
• Minimum of 5 years of UN/INGO experience in MEAL and learning management (3 of which international) of postgraduate professional experience in research, monitoring and/or evaluation with progressively increasing responsibilities.
• First-hand experience in managing and/or conducting complex evaluations (under time and financial constraints) in subject areas relevant to DRC.
• Practical knowledge and experience in use of social statistical packages (SPPS, STRATA, EPI Info) and statistical analysis of the same packages.
• Excellent analytical skills and independent thinking, ability to bridge macro perspectives and operational issues, ability to relate and build trust.
• Ability to plan and organize a complex work programme and successfully manage multi-disciplinary experts.
• Communication skills: excellent written and well developed oral communication skills, particularly in English.
• High accuracy and attention to detail.
• Sphere and the Red Cross/ NGO Code of Conduct.
• Requires general finance, administration, information management, and proficiency in information technology/ computer skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge of evaluation and impact assessment theory and practice, results-based management, and use of mixed methods.
• Recognized leadership role in MEAL institutionalization.
• Significant relevant field experience is an added advantage, especially in Somalia or similar contexts.

Preferable

• Ability to work independently and as a team player with demonstrated leadership and participatory manner.
• Resourcefulness, initiative, maturity and the ability to work with minimum direction.
• Work style: well planned and organized and has a capacity for initiative and decision making with competent analytical and problem solving skills.
• Resilience/adaptability and flexibility: ability to operate effectively under strict deadlines.
• Ability to work rapidly with staff in the field directly and remotely in writing, and where necessary, revising concepts, proposals and reports.
• Capacity to work in a multi-sector team, including conducting internal reviews with field teams.
• Familiarity with requirements of key humanitarian donors and capacity to work in a multi-donor environment, including DANIDA, EU/ECHO, OFDA, DFID, CHF, UNHCR among others.

HOW TO APPLY:

Application and CV
Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post.
We only accept applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.dk under Vacancies.

Please forward the application and CV, in English through the online application on www.drc.dk under vacancies no later than 15 December 2015.

If you have questions or are facing problems with the online application process, please contactjob@drc.dk
For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk.