MEAL Officer

TITLE: MEAL Officer

DEPARTMENT/ TEAM /PROGRAM: Program Operations

AREA OFFICE/ LOCATION: Addis Ababa

CONTRACT LENGTH: 4 months 

 Reports to: Program Manager – WFP Cash Assistance 

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 

Risk and Compliance: 

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Fraud, Bribery, and Corruption policy and code of conduct. The key responsibilities include understanding and complying with the SCI policies and procedures, not committing any act of fraud, bribery, or corruption, understanding risks in their area/role, and implementing mitigation measures, report any suspected fraud, bribery, or corruption immediately, declare conflicts of interest in accordance with internal procedures and complete mandatory training related to ethics and anti-fraud measures

Project Summary

WFP in collaboration with government stakeholders identified beneficiaries for humanitarian cash assistance for IDPs across various locations in Oromia and Amhara regions. Save the Children International has secured funding from WFP to assist the implementation of cash assistance program for IDPs (humanitarian beneficiaries) as part of shock responsive emergency response is prioritized.

The overall objective of the project is to support the response to critical humanitarian needs in through Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA). The project is part of the broader efforts to enhance social protection, and program will exploit complementarities with other social support networks.

The initial humanitarian cash assistance program is expected to cover 13-15 woredas in East and West Wellega, North Shewa, Buno Badele and North Shewa and Bale zones and Jimma Town in Oromia Region and Kobo town in North Wello zone in Amhara regions. The initial cash assistance program duration could be 3-4 months. The program could be expanded to more geographic locations subject to the humanitarian situations and availability of funds.

The cash assistance program pursues coordinated response in collaboration with WFP, realizing actual design and implementation of digital beneficiary registration (biographic including photos) and budgeting, enumerator recruitment and training, management of enumerators, work with WFP contracted financial service providers (FSPs), crown management and control, ensure delivery of cash to target beneficiaries, establish and managed beneficiary complaints and feedback mechanism, monitoring and reporting,

ROLE PURPOSE: 

The MEAL officer is responsible to support implementation of a robust, quality, comprehensive, and integrated MEAL System for Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) that meet the donor and SCI standards; S/he also support on the development/adoption of quality and standardization of MEAL tools and works closely with Program manager and technical staff to ensure that relevant data is collected, analyzed, and used to inform management and design decisions, and to provide project updates, as required. S/he will ensure use of appropriate MEAL tools for beneficiary registration and population into the system to track project progress, learning, and actions to ensure effective implementation of   project.  He/ She will collect and compile regular monitoring/MEAL reports and ensure they are communicated effectively to the program manager. He/ She provides data quality assurance for the project reports, data and deliverables data quality assessment and continuous quality improvement of the project to ensure efficient implementation and quality reporting for WFP. He/ She ensures functional accountability mechanisms are in place as the four pillar of accountability (Information sharing, participation, establishing and implementing Compliant and Feedback Mechanisms (CFM), and staff capacity building. S/he will lead and support preparing, reviewing of donor and Save the Children reports and ensure their timeliness and quality to meet donor and SCI standards. S/he is responsible for and documentation of results, impact, best practices and significant changes are documented. 

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Program Manager – WFP Cash Assistance 

Dimensions: 13-15 woredas in Oromia and Amhara regions 

Staff directly reporting to this post: None, works closely with the field coordinator in each zones

• KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

Programme design, monitoring and assessments 

• Follow up the project periodically assess and update changes in children needs (especially deprived children)
• Ensure evaluations are undertaken as per the threshold and FO maintain up-to-date evaluation trackers to monitor delivery and action planning
• Lead/participate in project/ programme baseline, evaluations, researches and assessment activities in his/her project 
• Review TORs and facilitate evaluations, studies and assessments of the project

MEAL System Development and Management 

• Co‑sign the monthly distribution reports alongside the FSP and relevant local authorities 
• Ensure timely submission to the WFP Country Office.
• Follow up all target locations to confirm cash disbursement matches FSP reporting.
• Ensure use of appropriate MEAL tools for beneficiary registration and population into the system 
• Collect and compile regular monitoring/MEAL reports and ensure they are communicated effectively to the program managers and MEAL technical person 
• Provide data quality assurance for the project reports, data and deliverables 
• Follow up the project is using Quality Benchmarks as part of their day to day implementation and quality monitoring practices
• Support/ensure functional accountability mechanisms are in place as the four pillar of accountability (Information sharing, participation, establishing and implementing Compliant and Feedback Mechanisms (CFM), and staff capacity building.

Technical Support and Capacity Building

• Provide needs based trainings and capacity building for staff as required by the donor and in line with SCI internal procedures 

Learning and Knowledge Management 

• Support the project in the identification of learning objectives and evidence gaps.
• In close collaboration with program team facilitate in generating, storing and sharing knowledge (most significant change story, meta-analysis, research/evaluation summary reports, etc).
• Ensure utilization of learning and knowledge generated in decision making and programme improvement (maintain up to date Field office action tracker and monitor the utilization and application

BEHAVIOURS (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 their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

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; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS

• BSc/BA/ MSc/MA degree in an area of statistics, economics, social science or equivalent. MA/MSc preferred

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Minimum of three years, and NGO experience in a MEAL role in both emergency and development contexts, preferably with solid experience in more than one of the following priority sectors: education, protection, rights governance, HIV/AIDs, health and nutrition, and emergencies
• Direct experience of rolling out and managing MEAL systems and of working on all aspects of MEAL
• Demonstrated commitment to building staff capacity, skills in training and capacity building
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies
• Fluency in English, and other national/local languages both verbal and written essential 
• Commitment to Save the Children values

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience. The program manager is expected to cover emerging assignments in the humanitarian program operations

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:                             

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.