TEAM PURPOSE:

The MEAL team works towards ensuring that quality monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning is implemented in programmes and projects in South Sudan, in line with relevant Oxfam standards and global best practice. The team ensures that MEAL findings inform and contribute to the continuous improvement of Oxfam’s interventions.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer is a position within the MEAL unit under the technical supervision of the Program Quality Coordinator and lined managed by the Project Manager. The Roving MEAL Officer will plan, design, organize and coordinate the collection, compilation, consolidation, and analysis of data for project progress, outcome and impact monitoring. Feedback to planning processes and ensures better data management system for project and field offices/locations. The Roving MEAL Officer will support in the setup of the MEAL Systems and will have responsibility for designing and maintaining the data bases and strengthening the system, building capacity of Oxfam and Partners organisation staff. This includes collecting, compiling, and analysing relevant data specifically based on the project process, output, outcome, and impact indicators. The incumbent will also contribute to document lessons learned as the projects evolve.

DIMENSIONS:

·       Work closely with the project and programme teams (includes team Leaders), the Project Manager.

·       Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies including demonstrable commitment to gender equality and equal opportunities in all aspects of Oxfam’s work.

·       Problems vary and include a combination of routine and complex.

·       Work pattern is a mixture of reactive and project work and strategic planning.

·       Required to make sound judgements regularly within agreed processes using a good understanding of the team and the facilities of the team

·       Communication is largely with internal staff, (including internationally) also with external contacts and target audiences to support operational and influencing work.

·       Analysis and communication of complex information in a simple way is required to a wide audience.

·       Travel to all field of time traveling and working in field offices providing support to MEAL team at field level.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Designing and management of impact measurement system. (Time 25%)

·                Support in designing, improvement, and operationalisation of the Project MEAL system including working to build synergies and aligned MEAL activities and processes across all project field locations.

·                Support in setting up a MEAL System incorporating MEAL standards and guidelines including Oxfam Program Quality Standards into project.

·                Promote the awareness and understanding of the shared responsibility of MEAL function among all project staff members through communication, training, learning and development activities organization-wid.

·                Develop baseline and end-line assessment tools and methodologies for the project, including data collection instruments (e.g. survey questionnaires, focus group discussions, and key-informant interviews), analysis plans and analytical reports.

·                Support project partners in designing of monitoring systems, and that data collection and analysis from field visits are coordinated and standardised to feed into to project performance monitoring, with special attention to humanitarian response.

·                Manage project field data and oversee the collection processes for MEAL and assist the Program Quality Coordinator and programme staff/project managers to backstop field operations.

·                Support in developing project databases to ensures the availability of all required information based on project performance indicators.

·                Independently develop project MEAL plan and review/update on a regular basis, in close coordination with project team and Oxfam’s partners.

·                Work with the project teams in implementing MEAL framework, processes, and tools, ensuring quality and consistency with Oxfam standards.

1.  Planning, Monitoring and Reporting of the project. # Time 25%.

·     Support updating project Logical Framework and Monitoring and Evaluation Plans in partnership with project team

·     Regularly track progress on all targets and indicators, communicating progress, promoting learning, and advising corrective measures where necessary.

•      Leads on analytical processes, including vulnerability analysis, post-distribution monitoring, M&E reporting.

•      Assess progress toward achieving objectives, ensure project compliance and effective implementation according to work plans, M&E plan, and proposal, providing recommendations for improvement.

·     Maintain projects reporting, MEAL tools, tracking and reporting forms, monitoring reports, donor reports, evaluation.

•      Support in designing MEAL tools for the project in-line with the CAMSA. The project MEAL system is expected to cover; quality, quantity and timeliness of all project activities and involve all stakeholders (including communities) in the monitoring process.

•      Analyse project data to produce information as required by the project (output tracking, outcomes and impact, quality assurance, monitoring, budget monitoring etc.)

•      Visit on regular basis (monthly) based on the plan, all project field areas to ensure quality and compliance.

•      Act as the point of contact for project related MEAL information to coordinate responses to requests and disseminating information to program staff and partners.

•      Act as a field focal point for the project team on Oxfam’s beneficiary counting methodology and internal reporting processes.

1.  Management of Community Feedback and Accountability System (Time 30%)

• Support in establishing, operationalisation and strengthening up CFM system based on CHS principles for the project.

• Setting up and managing complaint and feedback mechanism for the project, including tracking of follow-up, ensuring adherence to agreed standards.
• To manage Feedback and Complaint Mechanism which facilitate beneficiaries/communities to register complaints and share feedback.
• Ensure that accountability indicators and standards are integrated into plans and operations of the project team.
• Provide support and training for project and partner staff, to improve their understanding of the concept of accountability, and how to apply it in their day-to-day work.
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·       Support the Project Manager and Partners teams to roll out participatory methods throughout the project cycle, to ensure that beneficiaries’ participation is meaningful.

·       Produce clear and quality reports that demonstrate accountability and learning on project level.

4.        Support and Capacity Building of Oxfam and partners staff on MEAL mechanism # Time 15%.

·       Provide capacity building in MEAL for oxfam staff and partners at field level

·       Support and train Oxfam & Partner staff on MEAL tools/databases.

·       Plan, Support and facilitate learning sessions at field level.

·       Undertake periodic monitoring and technical support visits to partner working areas to assess progress against agreed MEAL system and recommend corrective actions as appropriate.

·       Work closely with partner MEAL staff or focal points and provide support as appropriate.

·       Provide training to partners on accountability and support them in setting up own mechanisms.

5.       Design, conduct and facilitate Evaluation, Review and Learning # Time 15%.

·       Plan and support project reviews, evaluation to be conducted internally or externally as required by project M&E plan.

·       Conduct quality control tests on all incoming data and supervise data entry and data cleaning/editing processes.

·       Coordinate and share learning related to MEAL practices and general best practices and lessons learnt across field offices and Partner team and encourage sharing of monitoring results both between and within sectoral teams.

·       Maintain a tracking spreadsheet for MEAL activities and events - baselines, assessments, reviews, PDMS’ evaluations etc.

·       Analyse project data to produce information as required by the project (output tracking, outcomes and impact, quality assurance, time monitoring)

·       Support in the design and management of evaluations, including: the coordination of field-based data collection activities, review of evaluation report, sharing of evaluation findings and recommendations with intended audiences.

·       Collecting best practices, case studies which demonstrate qualitative and quantitative changes over the period.

6.        Coordination, Networking and Representation # Time 5%.

·       Coordination with Project Manager regarding field operational needs.

·       When requested, attend relevant sectoral coordination meetings to identify opportunities for integration of data collection activities, harmonization, secondary information sources etc.