MEAL Officer

Background/IRC Summary:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s leading crisis response agencies, providing life-saving assistance and supporting recovery and reconstruction for people affected by war and natural disasters. The IRC has been working in Uganda since 1998 supporting refugees, vulnerable host communities and various institutions in the country notably the government, community-based organizations, civil society, and the private sector.

Currently, the IRC in Uganda has presence across six sub-regions and six refugee settlements, implementing programming in the sectors of health, protection and rule of law (PRoL), women’s protection and empowerment (WPE), economic recovery and development (ERD), and education. IRC Uganda also implements cross-cutting programming focused on systems strengthening and accountability to affected persons. As part of IRC Uganda’s strategic ambitions, the IRC works closely with local actors to strengthen their capacity and with intentions of transferring more resources for locally led implementation and support to our clients.

The IRC’s education response is grounded on a home, community, and ECE centre-based approach that centers on strengthening community structures and processes to reach the most vulnerable children from refugee settlements, host and other vulnerable communities to ensure access to learning and nurturing opportunities. The IRC also works closely with and through communities and caregivers (parents and teachers) and strengthens their capacity through training and coaching/mentoring, direct service delivery by providing scholastic materials, and promoting gender equality through equal representation and participation. Children with disabilities are given priority throughout the program.

Job Overview

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is currently preparing for the implementation of the anticipated 5-year USAID-funded Targeting the Learning Crisis (TLC) Activity under a Consortium led by World Education (WE). IRC, as a consortium member, will implement Early Childhood Education (ECE) interventions in 8 districts of Kitgum, Kitgum Town Council, Agago, Terego, Madi Okollo, Oyam, Apac and Apac Municipal Council.

Through the USAID TLC Activity, the WE-led consortium will support the GoU to: 1) apply, streamline, and scale evidence-based pedagogical approaches for ECE, P1-2 and P3-5; 2) align the education ecosystem and catalyze sustainable change toward visible learning gains; and, 3) strengthen school and community enabling environment to facilitate Targeted Instruction (TI) success and increase cost-efficiency. The TLC team will align its key strategic approaches with existing GoU initiatives, policies and frameworks (e.g., ECCE Policy), current and past USAID investments, including the incorporation of interventions to promote USG’s Thrive strategy that aims to build strong beginnings for children, help families thrive, and prevent violence against children. As a result, USAID TLC will drive substantial and large-scale improvements in reading and math outcomes for primary students in Uganda.

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) Officer reports to the MEAL Manager with dotted line reporting to the Senior ECE Manager. The MEAL Officer works closely with program teams to optimize monitoring capabilities and opportunities, evaluation, accountability, and learning for the TLC activity to ensure high-quality programming for the clients we serve. The MEAL Officer supervises and implements MEAL project activities working with the project staff in the designated field locations collecting routine data for project learning and reporting.

This position is contingent on approved donor funding.

Specific Job Responsibilities:

Technical implementation of project activities:

• In collaboration with the project team and the TLC Consortium, lead the design and development of project monitoring and evaluation tools.
• Continuously update project MEAL, and measurement tools and systems in a timely manner.
• With support from the project Coordinator (Technical Lead) and the MEAL Manager, the MEAL Officer will implement MEAL plans, revise (digital) data collection tools, follow up on processes for online data management, quality checks, and audits, and updating of data visualization.
• Identify, document, and share client feedback to improve services and results for our clients.
• Take a lead in the deployment of surveys such as baseline and end line, assessments, and the commission of evaluations in coordination with the project team and the sector Coordinator and other relevant actors.
• Support the research work under the TLC consortium aimed at generating learning and credible evidence to support the improvement, expansion, and sustainability of the programming.
• With the support of Project Coordinator and MEAL Manager, the MEAL Officer will ensure that learning from the project implementation and research is incorporated into project implementation and improvement plans

Coordination, representation, and partner/stakeholder relationships:

• Ensure close collaboration with the field-based team members and consistency in protocols, information, and reporting systems in line with the TLC Consortium requirements

• At the field level, collaborate with the Senior ECE Manager and ECE Officers to ensure weekly and monthly coordination meetings are well coordinated and documented
• Work in collaboration with settlement and community leadership in (and partners) identification and selection of clients and delivery of project activities
• Make referrals to the appropriate actors where necessary.
• Maintain respectful and constructive relations with partner organizations, government and local authorities, humanitarian and development actors.
• In coordination with the Senior ECE Manager, ECE Officers and Field Coordinator, attend zonal and sector working group coordination meetings at the sub counties of operation whenever required and provide detailed reports as required.

Monitoring, reporting and communication responsibilities

• Lead the MEAL Session during project review meeting to present progress on project indicators with comparison to targets and to crosscheck whether project activities are implemented as per planned timeline.
• Take the lead in tracking the TLC Activity progress by work plans, indicators, and targets.
• Undertake field-level monitoring, client responsiveness and evaluation activities, reflective practice, and outcome measurement.
• Ensure the on-time execution of project monitoring, accountability, and evaluation events including but not limited to needs assessments, baseline survey, final evaluation, data quality audits, project monitoring, and field supervision.
• Support the field organization of data collection on surveys, client satisfaction surveys, and client feedback data collection systems.
• Provide technical assistance to project staff, partners, and incentive workers on information management systems, data collection and record keeping.
• Update the MEAL plan and indicator trackers timely and provide feedback to program staff, partners, and other stakeholders on the status and the quality of implementation. (Quarterly performance indicator analysis, including generation of reports as well as presentations for staff related to ongoing performance;)
• Conduct regular data quality checks and verification exercises to ensure reporting and collection of quality data.
• Actively participate in and contribute to MEAL team activities, system assessments, development, and implementation of new systems and/or tools aimed at strengthening overall MEAL practices for the TLC Activity.
• Provide MEAL inputs for reports written during project implementation.

Accountability and Learning.

• In close collaboration with the MEAL manager, AAP officers and the project team, support the documentation and analysis of client feedback and follow up on issues raised by clients to close the feedback loop.
• Lead onsite discussions on development and implementation of action plans resulting from the review and analysis of client feedback data. 

• Support development of Client Responsiveness and Accountability information sharing materials/briefs, posters and brochures, and dissemination to relevant stakeholders, partners, and Clients. 
• Document and share learning – ensure requirements, lessons learned, data trends and best practices for products, events, and other knowledge management activities are clearly documented and shared on a regular basis (at least quarterly), this is through data collection and sharing.

Other Duties

• In collaboration with the MEAL Manager, support the technical training of partners, project staff and incentive workers.
• Support in the recruitment and onboarding of ECE Facilitators (Pre-Primary Teachers) and volunteers and any incentive workers.

Minimum Qualifications:

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Statistics, Information Management, Economics or any other relevant field
• Post graduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation is desirable.

Work Experience:

• At least 3 years of experience of working in a team, implementing donor projects
• Experience working in humanitarian and or development settings is added advantage.
• Experience in working closely with partners and other stakeholders at community level.
• Experience in coordination within teams and with other stakeholders.
• Prior experience in developing project implementation work-plans, data collection tools and project reporting
• Good Knowledge in data collection, analysis, and management principles.
• Good analytical capacity for qualitative and quantitative information.
• Experience in coordinating the process of data collection and that in addition to experience in managing and preserving the data through Android device
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Applications (Word, Excel, PowerBI, etc.)
• Ability to lead and train casual workers.

Personal qualities:

• Works well in the refugee and development contexts and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• Demonstratable ability to engage and build excellent working relationships with government and local partner organizations, create synergies while implementing the project is vital.

Language Skills:

• Fluency in English Language both written and spoken is required
• Ability to speak the local language of the area is desired; Knowledge of other local languages (Arabic, etc.) is an added advantage.

Gender Equality & Equal Opportunity

We are committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer generous benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. We welcome and strongly encourage qualified female professionals to apply.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity in our organization. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request reasonable accommodation.

Professional Standards

IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

NB: This advert will close on 17^th September 2024. This position is only for Ugandan nationals to apply; IRC strives to attract, motivate, and retain qualified national staff in our programs.