Country Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager

Position Title: Country Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager

Position Grade: B3 – B7

Duty Station: Kampala, with frequent field visits

Contract Duration: 12 months, Renewable.

Reports to: Country Director, Uganda

Key Relationships: Head of Programs, Head of Finance and Operations, Project Director- Bridge

Management Responsibility: Project MEAL Lead-Bridge, Senior MEAL Officer, MEAL Officers

Background: War Child Canada is an international charity organization registered in Toronto, Canada, dedicated to helping children and their communities overcome the devastating effects of active and post war. Its vision is “Accelerating Peace by disrupting the cycle of violence” and its mission is “Driving Generational Change for The Hardest Hit by Investing in The Power of Local Communities.”

Since being founded in 1999, War Child Canada has worked in 20 countries across the world and we are currently operational in Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

During the past five years, War Child Canada reached over 2,500,000 conflict-afflicted children and adults; 985,000 people benefitted from War Child’s educational initiatives; 480,000 people were helped to climb out of poverty and 1,075,000 people learned more about their rights and had better access to justice systems.

War Child Canada in Uganda: Since 2014, War Child Canada has worked in 10 districts, mainly Refugee hosting, and implementing programs on integrated education, access to justice (incudes peacebuilding), and livelihoods in the districts of: Adjumani, Obongi, Yumbe, Arua, Koboko, Isingiro, Lamwo, Kikuube, Koboko and Kamwenge districts.

Context: War Child Canada implements an integrated education, livelihoods, and access to justice program in Uganda. War Child Canada’ education program in Uganda focuses on improving access to education, and relevant learning outcomes of refugee and host community children through mainly primary and lower secondary Accelerated Education Program (AEP), adolescent youth skilling and education service delivery strengthening. War Child Canada’s protection/access to justice program in Uganda is aimed at contributing towards improving the protection of refugee and host community women and children against violence, through the provision of direct free legal aid services and psychosocial support. Our opportunities/livelihood program component aims at strengthening the economic empowerment of vulnerable refugee and host community women, girls and youth through vocational skills and entrepreneurship development, and income generation and employment opportunities.

Position summary: The Country MEAL Manager will support in the ongoing development and implementation of robust and effective results-based MEAL systems, plans and frameworks for all WCC Uganda programs and projects, ensuring that knowledge generation, management and use is effectively built into the WCC Uganda programming.

The position holder will play a major leading role in project monitoring, periodic data collection and analysis, developing mechanisms and leading the process for effective dissemination, utilization, including reports, and documentation of learning.

The position holder will lead and coach M&E team members across War Child Canada’s programming and offices in Uganda, as team members implement monitoring and evaluation activities for projects across the country. The Country MEAL Manager will also coordinate with Canada-based M&E staff for quality control, external evaluations, and technical M&E support.

Duties:

Systems:

• Support strategies and mechanisms for long-term sustainable systems for data production, secure storage, analysis, documentation, dissemination, and use.
• Identify the key learning agenda for WCC Uganda country programs and projects including developing and implementing mechanisms and methodologies for identifying, documenting, and disseminating learning.
• Support, develop and implement internal mechanisms for institutional learning, quality control mechanisms, and programmatic integration.
• Facilitate quarterly, annual and mid-term end of project review meetings and workshops to enable progress and outcome level reflections with project teams and relevant stakeholders.
• Organize and facilitate knowledge and learning events/workshops.
• Produce monthly and quarterly MEAL reports for the SMT for program review and to inform decision making.
• Actively participate in and assist the development and review of Country Annual Plans (CAPs) and Country Annual Reports (CARs) and lead the processes of setting and reviewing MEAL goals, plans, beneficiary targets and reaches.

MEAL Implementation and Support:

• Lead the on-going roll-out and review of MEAL plans for all WCC Uganda’s projects within the given implementation timelines, with support from other M&E team members.
• Provide MEAL training, coaching, mentoring and capacity building support to all program teams and M&E team members.
• Carry out regular field project site monitoring and supervision visits, provide guidance and mentorship support to project teams and M&E staff, and ensure that established MEAL systems and plans are effectively implemented.
• Identify key issues around program quality and ensure MEAL systems are improved to address these issues.
• Support WCC and implementing partners, Project Managers and teams in the development, and review of project work and activity plans, and monitoring of progress against work plans to ensure quality.
• Support M&E team members, Head of Programs, Program and Project Managers in the preparation of donor and WCC internal project narrative reports (monthly, quarterly, annual, mid-term and end-line) ensuring quality and accuracy of MEAL data and information.
• Working closely and in consultation with the Head of Programs, Program and Project Managers, organize and facilitate the processes of quarterly, biannual, annual, mid-term and end of project review and reflection meetings.
• Ensure that deliberations, outcomes and agreed action points of project review and reflection meetings are properly documented, and actions points are followed-up and implemented.
• Responsible for leading and coordinating the planning and implementation of baseline surveys, Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys, and end of project internal and external evaluations, in close coordination with the Head of Programs, Program and Project Managers.
• Support M&E team members to maintain up-to-date records of project and program pillar level MEAL data and information, including beneficiary reach.

Program Development:

• Actively participate in and assist the Head of Programs and Country Director in identifying new program development opportunities, including in planning and conducting situational and needs assessments.
• Support the Head of Programs in program development, planning and design and development of funding proposals.
• Lead in the development of log-frames and indicators.

Other Responsibilities :

• As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT), actively contribute to the development, implementation and review of the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and work closely and collaboratively to assist WCC Uganda in delivering its objectives.
• Actively contribute to the development and implementation of change management initiatives.
• Actively participate in and represent WCC Uganda in external MEAL forums, networks and working groups.

Qualifications:

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• BSc/BA/MSc/MA in Economics, applied statistics, Social Studies, Rural Development, or other related discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of work experience for BSc/BA holders and 5 years for MSc/MA holders working in M&E.
• Training / knowledge on statistical software, and ability to interpret what conclusions can and cannot be drawn from data.
• Strong understanding of participatory approaches and current developments trends.
• Skills and hands on experience on conducting or commissioning qualitative and quantitative research methods, designs, and impact evaluations.
• Working in multi partner environments to insure sufficient rigor in M&E.
• Writing and presenting analytically sound documents clearly to a wide range of audiences.
• Highly organized with attention to details.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and motivational skills.
• Firm belief in teamwork, human rights and gender equality.
• Good facilitation and coordination skills.

Desirable:

• Experience working at a global organization, charity is an asset.
• Experience or good understanding of Theory of Change based approaches.
• Experience of developing and using M&E information systems and running a range of reports.