MEAL AND COMMUNICATION OFFICER

Preliminary job information

Job Title

MEAL and Communication Officer (Half time)/ 25% Travel 

Country and Base of posting

Iraq

Reports to

Grants and MEAL coordinator

Manages

M&E Assistants

General information

Première Urgence Internationale (PUI) is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious international aid organisation. Our teams are committed to supporting civilian victims of marginalisation and exclusion, or hit by natural disasters, wars and economic collapses, by answering to their fundamental needs. Our aim is to provide emergency relief to uprooted people in order to help them recover their dignity and regain self-sufficiency. PUI relies on 30 years of field experience in 50 countries in crisis, as well as on the complementarity of its medical and non-medical expertise, to adapt its programmes to each context and to the real needs of the most vulnerable populations.

The association implements an average of 180 projects per year in the following sectors of intervention: Food Security, Health, Nutrition, Construction and Rehabilitation of Infrastructure, Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Economic Recovery. PUI is providing assistance to around 4 million people in 24 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and France.

Job description

Overall purpose

The MEAL and Communication Officer is responsible for implementation of MEAL activities within projects and for the implementation of communication activities for PUI in Iraq, while under supervision of the Grants and MEAL Coordinator. The MEAL and Communication Officer will also contribute to the definition of the MEAL strategy for all projects and ensure its implementation by managing the MEAL work plan and providing support to PUI’s operational and technical staff for monitoring and evaluation of projects in order to improve their monitoring performance He/she will provide technical guidance following any MEAL activity by drafting reports including conclusion and recommendation toward improvement of program quality, will communicate with program team in order to facilitate the transmission of best practices and will provide support in ensuring PUI’s accountability towards its beneficiaries and stakeholders. Under the supervision of the Grants and MEAL Coordinator, The MEAL and Communication officer will also contribute to communication and visibility efforts, be developing key communication materials, supporting project teams with communication and visibility support, ensuring compliance with donor’s visibility guidelines and implementing the communication strategy.

Responsibilities and scope of duties

Under supervision of the Grants and MEAL coordinator, the MEAL and Communication officer will:

-Contribute to the design of M&E plan and activities for each project in its area, with support of MEAL Manager and in coordination with program staff.

-With support from MEAL Manager, plan and ensure conduction of any necessary Monitoring & Evaluation activity by M&E team. (monitoring survey, monitoring visits, evaluation study and surveys)

-Ensure the quality and relevance of internal M&E activities, by ensuring respect of process and procedure for data collection from M&E team, agreed upon with MEAL Manager

-Contribute to analysis of result from M&E activities and provision of adequate recommendations with support of MEAL manager and in coordination with Program staff.

-Upon approval from Manager, communicate recommendations with program staff and follow up on their implementation

-Provides a methodological support to program teams in his/her area of intervention on technical questions linked to M&E such as: design of M&E matrix, quantitative and qualitative data collection, measure of indicators

-Ensure Management of the M&E team in its area, including setting objectives and planning for the team, as well as continuous mentorship and capacity building

-Ensuring respect of security protocol by M&E team

Specific goals and related activities

MEAL-RELATED GOALS

1. Contribute to the design and implementation of MEAL Actitivties

-Support the Grants and MEAL Coordinator in the design/development of any M&E survey or activity, including questionnaire and methodology/protocol

-Design planning MEAL activities agreed upon with manager

-Provide technical and managerial support on data collection

-Supervise data collection or any related outcome produced by M&E Assistants

-Lead in the training and briefing on new activity of M&E Assistant

-Suggest innovative approaches to the MEAL manager in order to improve MEAL activities

Note: Possible M&E activities may include (but not be limited to) monitoring visits at project sites, post-activity monitoring (e.g. post distribution monitoring), KAP survey, evaluation survey, verification of beneficiaries identity.

2. Data Analysis and Reporting

-Conduct quality MEAL reporting on the activities in the field, including feedback and observation from the field.

-Develop appropriate database and necessary data analysis protocols related to MEAL surveys and activity.

-Review and analyse the data collected during monitoring or evaluation activities, ensuring accuracy of the information.

-Provide conclusion and recommendation to MEAL manager based on the findings of any M&E activity

-Draft reports after conduction of any MEAL activity to present conclusion and recommendations

-Upon request from the manager, coordinate with program staff in order to follow up on implementation of the recommendation provided by MEAL after conduction of any survey or monitoring visits.

3. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND PROJECT MONITORING

-Participate to the design of the MEAL matrix at the beginning of each project in his/her area (methodology for indicator follow up) and ensure with project officer that all mechanism are in place to allow this follow up. 

-Ensure the follow up of the project indicators and work plan by supporting program staff in using the Project Monitoring Tool (PMT) 

-Ensure that Sources of Verification (SOV) for indicators are accurate and appropriately archived by Program team on monthly basis

-Provide technical support to program staff to design tools aiming at project monitoring and to be conducted by project staff (MDC Form, Scoring system, Excel Database etc.)

-Conduct periodic monitoring visit at project sites

-Inform PM and MEAL Manager in case of any discrepancy or issue monitored by M&E team during conduction of project activities. 

-Ensure the projects adhere to PUI quality standards and “Do No Harm” principle and report any harming behavior

4. OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT OF M&E TEAM and Coordination with other departments

-Define, in collaboration with the Manager, objectives and associated activity work plan for the MEAL team

-Ensure the MEAL team has enough resources, materials and equipment to conduct its daily activities

-Ensure achievement of the MEAL team’s activities and objectives;

-Frequent travel to other basis request and remote management of staff in some occasion.

-Communicate with security officer, Field Coordinator and the Grants and MEAL Coordinator all necessary security information (security checklist) prior any field visit of any member of the MEAL team.

-Upon request from the manager, coordinate with program staff in order to follow up on implementation of the recommendation provided by MEAL after conduction of any survey or monitoring visits.

-Communicate to the logistic department on a weekly basis the MEAL team’s needs related to transport, communication and other office needs.

-Fill and communicate HR documents (attendance sheet, leave request, etc) to the Manager.

5. CONTACT WITH BENEFICIARIES AND AFFECTED POPULATION

-Ensure continuous contact with the population and local authorities to monitor consequences of external events on PUI’s activities as well as the impact of PUI activity on beneficiaries.

-Report to the line manager any un-answered humanitarian needs, modification in the operational context or any other protection issue related to the targeted communities.

-Based on feedback from colleagues and field observations, report to line manager any potential negative impacts in terms of protection / Do No Harm / acceptance linked with PUI operations.

-Raise any information or difficulties related to PUI activities or security issues.

-Support accountability officer in the conduction of any activities when necessary and requested by MEAL Manager

6. COMMUNICATION-RELATED GOALS

-Contribute to the design and implementation of the communication strategic plan

-Contribute to the elaboration and update of the communication strategic plan with the Grants & MEAL coordinator.

-Monitor the implementation of the communication plan

-Provide technical advice to project managers on communication and visibility-related tasks

-Follow-up on donors’ visibility guidelines to ensure compliance in projects

-Suggest innovative and creative communication/visibility activities to raise PUI’s profile, align with the objectives outlined in the communication strategic plan

7. Design and disseminate IEC materials

-Produce communication materials to support PUI objectives in terms of communication and visibility, including articles, pictures, videos, success stories, brochures or any other IEC materials

-Support the organization of online and offline events to raise PUI visibility

-Manage HQ requests related to communication and visibility, under the supervision of the Grants and MEAL Coordinator

-Consolidate a toolkit of templates and tools for field teams to contribute to communication and visibility efforts

-Gather quality pictures and videos with consent forms to have a pool of quality materials to use in communication and visibility activities

8. Other dutIES

Comply with PUI security protocol in the field

Actively participate in relevant MEAL and Communication, strategic or programs workshops and meetings;

Support to project activities or assessments when necessary and decided by the line manager

Support to MEAL and communication activities in other basis when necessary and decided by the line Manager

-Translation to the best of the employee abilities

-Perform any other related request from line manager.

-Employee must possess a valid driving license and be willing and able to drive PUI vehicles for work-related purposes, particularly if the PUI driver is not available.

Required Profile

Required knowledge and skills

Required

desirable

Education / Training

• College degree (Bachelor) or equivalent of 2 years of experience in the field of M&E

• Training in Project Cycle management

Professional experience

• Experience with a humanitarian NGO
• Prior experience in MEAL

• Experience in Information management
• Experience in communication, including production and dissemination of IEC materials
• Experience in Project management

Knowledge and skills

• Excellent communication and analytical skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Strong IT skills, including excel
• Knowledge of project cycle

• Ability to work on several tasks simultaneously

Languages

• Arabic
• Kurdish
• English, strong command in writing and editing documents in English as well as verbal expression.

Software

• Strong computer skills essential, including ability to operate Microsoft Word, Excel, Project & database Management software
• KOBOToolBox or other Mobile Data Collection Tools
• Experience with Canva for the design of IEC materials

Required Personal Characteristics (fitting into team, suitability for the job and assignment/mission)

• Serious with an excellent sense of analyse,
• Accuracy, ability to work rigorously

• Excellent communication techniques and writing skills in English;
• Very good organizational skills;
• Ability to solve problems and proactively;
• Regional and cultural knowledge and sensitivity;
• Ability to work as part of a team and coordinate with other project personnel.
• General ability to resist stress and in unstable circumstances particularly

Mobility: willingness to frequently travel including field visits around Iraq.