Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager Full Time NEW

The Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager will lead design, implementation, and management of a robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system for the RISE Fund – Pillar 2 Complex Emergency project funded by the U.S. Department of State/DHR. S/he ensures the availability of high-quality, timely, and reliable data to inform decision-making, donor reporting, and program improvement. S/he plays a lead role in developing and operationalization of the project log frame, MEAL plan, and standardized data collection tools ((including digitalization of the tools) as well as in ensuring data quality through leading the processes of systematic collection, cleaning, aggregation, analysis, and reporting (both IPTT and narrative reports) across all project locations. The MEAL Manager provides technical leadership and day-to-day MEAL coordination to field teams to ensure strong performance and compliance; consolidates data and reports from multiple regions/field offices and produce high-quality national-level reports aligned with donor requirements. The MEAL Manger leads data quality assurance processes, including routine internal data quality assessments (DQA) and support external/donor-led DQA assessments (through organizing required data with all the data flow, data management, MEAL functions, processes and tools). S/he strengthens MEAL capacity of project MEAL and technical staff through training, mentoring, and technical support. S/he is also responsible for ensuring compliance with global standards (CHS, Sphere Standards, safeguarding and protection standards, GEDSI, AAP and related program accountability frameworks), and generating evidence for decision-making, adaptive management, and reporting across diverse geographic contexts. The position holder is also responsible for managing and overseeing baseline, endline, and real-time evaluations, ensuring methodological rigor and quality outputs of each evaluation on top of leading the conduct of PDM survey, onsite monitoring, AARs, and context monitoring. S/he is promoting evidence-based learning by synthesizing findings and facilitating their use for program adaptation and improvement.

MEAL System Design and Implementation for Emergency Response

• Lead the design and operationalization of the project MEAL system, frameworks such as logframe, indicator tracking tables (ITT), and MEAL plans aligned with donor requirements and organizational standards,
• Manage the project MEAL processes and tools as per the donor/ and WVI standards for humanitarian MEAL from its design, implementation, and close out.
• Ensure all MEAL systems integrate humanitarian minimum standards (CHS, Sphere, safeguarding, protection, AAP fand related program accountability frameworks).
• Provide leadership in rapid assessments, baseline, post-distribution monitoring (PDM), and real-time monitoring in emergency contexts.
• Strengthen integration and complementarity across programming frameworks (IPF, HDP nexus).

Digital Data Systems and Information Management

• Laisse and coordinate with the TDS team in the digitalization of monitoring tools to enable real-time data capture from field locations.
• Oversee data cleaning, validation, aggregation, and analysis processes to ensure high data quality and its visualization,
• Manage data flow into donor MIS systems and WVI iMPAQ platform.
• Ensure proper documentation and sharing of evidence with clusters, UNOCHA, and government stakeholder.

Monitoring, Reporting and Accountability

• Provide overall leadership on routine monitoring, indicator tracking, and performance reporting using project-specific and custom indicators.
• Ensure compliance with donor reporting requirements and humanitarian accountability standards.
• Coordinates with accountability team in ensuring that Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) mechanisms including feedback, complaints, and response systems are functional in line with adult and child safeguarding policy.
• Ensure production of high-quality internal and external reports.
• Guide field teams on context monitoring (conflict, climate risks, vulnerabilities) and integrate findings into programming.
• Lead generation of learning, evidence, and adaptive insights for improved intervention effectiveness.

MEAL Leadership and MEAL Coordination

• Lead and supervise MEAL specialists, ensuring quality delivery of MEAL functions.
• Provide technical guidance and oversight to FCO MEAL Coordinators on day-to-day MEAL activities.
• Lead the MEAL coordination activities by working closely with National Office MEAL Specialists supporting the project
• Build MEAL capacity of teams on data cleaning, analysis, and data quality, digital tools, emergency MEAL approaches, and reporting.

Accountable for project Baseline and Evaluation

• Lead baseline, real time and endline evaluation surveys for response projects and other key MEAL activities.
• Design the terms of reference (TOR) for baseline, real-time and endline evaluation, involved in the selection of consultants, review of bidder’s technical proposals (focusing on evaluation design/methods and data collection plan/strategy, data quality assurance, involvement of stakeholders and data use plan),
• Lead the management of evaluation from inception reports (including review of survey instruments, qualitative data collection tools) and monitoring of field data collection remotely, review of evaluation findings and reports.
• Ensure that all survey and assessment findings are properly documented, analyzed, validated, shared to the donors and relevant teams and used for evidence-based decision-making.

Data Quality Assurance

• Lead processes for data quality assessment (DQA), verification, and validation and conduct regular data verification, spot checks, and audits at field level
• Ensure all data meets accuracy, precisions, completeness, reliability, and timeliness standards.
• Identify and address data gaps, inconsistencies, and errors promptly.
• MEL capacity building on data quality standards,

Learning and knowledge Management

• Ensure learning in humanitarian response projects, particularly on issues of program quality, impact and contribute to quality assurance of projects data and result
• Lead on producing report, documenting and sharing best practices/lessons learned, case studies and success stories
• Facilitate regular learning reviews, after-action reviews, and adaptation processes.

MEAL System Design and Implementation for Emergency Response

• Lead the design and operationalization of the project MEAL system, frameworks such as logframe, indicator tracking tables (ITT), and MEAL plans aligned with donor requirements and organizational standards,
• Manage the project MEAL processes and tools as per the donor/ and WVI standards for humanitarian MEAL from its design, implementation, and close out.
• Ensure all MEAL systems integrate humanitarian minimum standards (CHS, Sphere, safeguarding, protection, AAP fand related program accountability frameworks).
• Provide leadership in rapid assessments, baseline, post-distribution monitoring (PDM), and real-time monitoring in emergency contexts.
• Strengthen integration and complementarity across programming frameworks (IPF, HDP nexus).

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in humanitarian and development field
• Required Education, training, license, registration, and/or Certification
  A Master’s degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Economics, Statistics, Public health, Demography, Biostatistics, or a related field is required. Additional certificate on M&E is an asset.
• A minimum of 7 Years or more experience in leading the design and implementation of MEAL systems, processes and tools,Experience working on humanitarian MEAL (meeting humanitarian standards) and AAP mechanisms and its implementation.
• Experience in digital data collection, management and analysis as well as working on donor Management Information System (MIS).
• Proven and strong interpersonal skills such as the ability to motivate, persuade and or convince since most of the deliverables relating to this position require delivering through others even when they are not the direct report/subordinates.
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative M&E data collection and analysis, including tracking outcome/ impact indicators.
• Experience in executing project M&E systems for effective generation of monitoring data used in tracking project outputs and outcomes and improved service delivery.
• Experience in designing in M&E methodologies and tools, indicator and logframe development.
• Excellent command of MS Excel, and working knowledge of at least two statistical data management packages/software’s (quantitative & qualitative) e.g., SPSS, Nvivo/Nudist, EPIINFO, STATA etc.
• Demonstrated experience in analyzing, interpreting, and reporting on M&E results so that lessons can be learned and incorporated into programming is desirable.

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Working knowledge of Amharic and/or other Ethiopian languages relevant to target regions is an advantage.

Required travel and/or work environment accommodations;-

• Based in Addis Ababa with frequent travel to field locations across Afar, Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, Somali contested/access-constrained areas, subject to security clearance.
• Field conditions may include insecurity, long road travel, limited infrastructure, restricted communications, disease outbreak environments, and emergency response pressure.
• Extended working hours may be required during emergencies, reporting deadlines, audits, distributions, field missions, or critical incident response.

Position’s physical requirements;-

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced and sometimes insecure humanitarian environment.
• Ability to undertake field travel, participate in site monitoring, and operate under pressure while maintaining sound judgment and professionalism.

Preferred Experience, Knowledge and/or Key Competencies;-

• Proactive personality, self-driven and strongly motivated.
• Capacity/potential in leadership, relationship management/networking, and coordination
• Spiritual maturity, interfaith knowledge and a biblical worldview – ability to articulate and model our Christian identity and mission in an inclusive way.
• Good interpersonal skills, strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Proven conceptual & analytical skills, ability to take an evidence-based approach to Programme design. Proven facilitation skills and a good team player.
• Ensure a gender perspective in the scope of work.