MEAL Assistant – for Erer Somali region

Background: –

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their lives. The IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. We began work in Ethiopia since 2000 and currently implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery, and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

The IRC has a focus on narrowing the gender gap in humanitarian aid and ensuring that we contribute to gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in both our programs and operations by working to establish a context where our clients (including those from minority groups) enjoy the same rights and opportunities as well as an equal access to services. The IRC also has a strong commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive culture, where safeguarding is upheld in our workplace and programs. We are determined to protect our clients and staff from safeguarding violations through prevention and, where misconduct is alleged, to address it without fear or favor.

Job Overview:

The MEAL Assistant is part of the MEAL department and will work closely with the field-based MEAL Officer/Manger and CRA Officer based in Addis Ababa. The MEAL Assistant will be responsible for ensuring the implementation of robust client feedback channels at their respective locations. These may include design and administration of surveys, focus group discussions, proactive and reactive feedback mechanisms. The MEAL Assistant will be responsible for aggregating client feedback, identifying key themes and challenges or opportunities to respond to, and presenting these to the management team for a decision on how to respond. The MEAL Assistant will also be responsible for recording and monitoring feedback, and for ensuring that the loop is closed, clients are informed of decisions taken.

Major Responsibilities:

ØFeedback Planning and Implementation:

• Collect client feedback through various channels that IRC installs including community meetings, surveys, discussions, phone lines, suggestion boxes, SMS among others.
• Regularly update the excel based Feedback Registry on every day basis and raise cases including breach of IRC code of conduct, allegations of child abuse or sexual exploitation and other major programmatic complaints.
• Receive, record, and classify complaints for attention by the MEAL Officer and refer to the respective sectors.
• Collect response from the program staff on the feedback and communicate back to client.
• Facilitate the preparation of CRA logistics before field visits e.g. paper based data collection tools, promotional materials etc.
• Ensure accurate and confidential filing of CRA reporting forms such as client feedback form, Feedback Registry, surveys, interview, minutes from community meetings, reports, datasets among others.
• Generate reports on the implementation and use of feedback channels, per sector, including limitations and challenges.
• Facilitate the establishment of feasible feedback channel and routine follow-up for its functionality.

ØFeedback Monitoring, Reporting, and Response:

• Aggregate and dis-aggregate client feedback (according to gender, age, status, sector, risk-level and other client appropriate dis-aggregation).
• Present statistics on feedback received and feedback content in clear formats to highlight feedback trends to the program team, as well as synthesize qualitative feedback in ways which provide the detail that the program team will need to design an appropriate response.
• Analyze key themes, challenges, and opportunities for program improvement.

ØProject/program progress Monitoring &Reporting:

• Provide support to the MEAL Officer/Manager to conduct ongoing monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Assist program implementation progress data aggregate and dis-aggregate to update client tracker & ITT.

Safeguarding Responsibilities: –

·Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC [team/office]

·Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue, and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies.

Minimum Qualifications:

Job Requirements:

Educational Requirements:

• BA degree or Diploma/Level IV in social science and other relevant field of studies

Work Qualification:

• 1–2-year MEAL specific work experience for BA Degree and 3 years MEAL specific work experience for Diploma holders
• Analyze and communicate data in a way that facilitates effective decision making.
• Proactively engage with clients and community members, acting as a community liaison focal point
• Driven and able to balance multiple tasks, commitments, and to work flexibly in a team.
• Creativity, curiosity and enthusiasm, and the ability to develop and test new ways of working and solutions to problems
• Strong oral and written communications in local language and Amharic is required.

Desired experience & skills:

• Working experience with refugees and/or IDPs, and an understanding of the feedback channels preferred by displaced people.
• Experience in implementing feedback channels. These may include surveys, FGD, hot lines, suggestions boxes, open feedback etc.
• Written and verbal communication in English is an added advantage.
• Passionate about humanitarian work and assistance.

Language Skills:

·Proficient in English writing and speaking skills and the ability to speak the local language is advantageous.

Certificates or Licenses:

IRC is an equal employment opportunity employer.IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability.

IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. 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 Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer 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.