Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager

Objectives:

1. To establish, train and lead a mobile MEAL unit.
2. To ensure proper and timely MEAL activities and follow-up in the mission.
3. To promote and support ownership of MEAL by technical departments in the mission.
4. To capture and document lessons learnt, success stories and best practices from planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of activities.

Objective 1: Establish, train and lead a mobile MEAL unit.

* Recruit and train qualified field staff for carrying out regular monitoring and evaluation.
* Review and develop tailor-made tools for the MEAL unit.
* Support and ensure the design and implementation of baseline/midline/and other surveys according to specific work plans.
* Supervise the development of a central information management system which will plan, monitor, evaluate, maintain and disseminate the results, outcomes and impact of activities.
* Carry out appraisals for MEAL Unit staff across the mission as required by ACF guidelines and ensure proper, adequate training is carried out in view of career development and Mission Training Plan.

Objective 2: Ensure proper and timely MEAL activities and follow-up in the mission.

* Define and develop MEAL plans at program design stage together with Technical Coordinators
* Ensure the quality, timeliness and dissemination of all related outputs of the MEAL Unit internally and externally after proper validation.
* Carry out monthly reporting to Single Reporting Format (SRF) online for the Government of Pakistan.
* Provide a report of the qualitative and quantitative of the data collected on a monthly basis.
* Represent ACF externally in issues related to MEAL for humanitarian coordination and government through consultation with the Deputy Country Director (DCD).
* Ensure that project teams use appropriate methods/tools necessary for the achievement of program quality throughout PCM. This may include but is not limited to needs analyses/baseline surveys, logical frameworks, etc.
* Review and comment on Terms of Reference for all assessments/evaluations carried out by ACF and on behalf of or through international and national partnerships.
* Prepare and consolidate monthly Output Tracker for CBHA and PEFSA II.
* Encourage and lead discussions on and implementation of an integrated approach to assessment, surveillance, monitoring and evaluation in the mission.
* Produce a variety of written documents e.g. data summaries, workshop reports, etc
* Establish and monitor a real time accountability mechanism across the PCM and capture best practices and lessons documentation.

Objective 3: Promote and support ownership of MEAL by technical departments in the mission.

* Undertake regular, random quality control of monthly APRs and report on their viability and coherence.
* Advise and update the Technical Coordinators on all aspects of monitoring and evaluations regularly.
* Identify the training needs of the field teams and create training modules and field guides adapted to the capacity of the team in collaboration with the Technical Coordinators.
* In collaboration with the Technical Coordinators prepare, organize and carry out needs assessments according to mission priority, integrated across sectors whenever possible.
* Ensuring that lessons in planning, monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment are documented, shared and considered in the design of new projects and technical plans and are discussed during periodic program reviews and ultimately fed into current work and future program development.

Objective 4: Capture and document lessons learnt, success stories and best practices from planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of activities.

* Ensure that monitoring and evaluation is done not only for documenting and sharing achievements and lessons but also for fostering best practices towards beneficiary participation, non-discrimination, sustainability, and accountability to beneficiaries.
* Define priority programs to evaluate based on strategic importance and internal learning objectives together with the coordination team and the DCD.
* Establish ToRs for each planned evaluation and conduct/facilitate evaluations.

Level of study/specific qualifications/technical requested:

* At least 4 years of proven experience in the Monitoring and Evaluation of humanitarian programming.
* Graduate degree in statistics, demographics, public health, development or other social sciences.
* Strong conceptual skills and the ability to think of Monitoring and Evaluation not just at the project level but at the strategic and institutional level as well as impact.
* Proven ability to translate evaluated results into learning strategies.
* Strong qualitative and quantitative skills (SPSS, Sphinx)
* Familiarity with Management Information Systems (Databases) and GIS.
* Excellent writing and reporting skills. Track record in external publications is an asset.
* Experience in multi-sectoral and participatory appraisals would be an asset.
* Honesty, reliability, autonomy and sense of responsibility.
* Must be able to train others (to listen, to advise, to support, to motivate).
* Must be able to take decisions and choose priorities independently.
* Must be able to arrive at results consistently and independently.
* Previous experience working for INGOs is an asset.

Closing date: 19 May 2011 — Action Against Hunger-USA