MEAL Lead at Plan International

Position: MEAL Lead

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 75 countries.

The Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Lead will be responsible for providing technical MERL leadership including the development of Logical Framework, monitoring and evaluation tools and monitoring and evaluation initiatives of Plan International Ethiopia (PIE). He/she will also provide oversight to the project planning, research and learning. Further, he/she will identify performance indicators, develop quality assurance strategies, train PIE and implementing partner project staff in M&E related work based on identified needs, and ensure all project aspects comply with PIE program quality framework and result-based management. S/he will ensure quality data is collected and entered in the appropriate data platform and that data analysis is completed by MERL country teams.

Dimensions of the Role

• Lead on design development and implementation of data analyses algorithms, digital data collection systems and other strategies that optimize statistical competence and quality as per PIE – MERL standards
• Guide on appropriate digital statistical tools to synthesize, analyse, and interpret patterns; and trends of complex statistical data to diagnose and predict on particular PIE programme and project performance based on its approved framework;
• Leading on estimations and consolidating reach out quantitate targets based on targeted objectives, interventions, and ultimate goals;
• Work with project staff and MERL staff to develop and plan key components of the gender transformative MERL system, and the use of gender data to contribute to annual work planning, budgeting and reporting;
• Lead the production of best-practice reports based on data mining, analysis, and visualization to smooth insight generations and learnings;
• Advice management accordingly on the efficacy, efficiency and effectiveness of data flow protocol of all programs implemented by PIE and partners;
• Lead on advisory roles of development and maintenance of MERL protocols for handling, processing, and cleaning all program data during internal or external evaluation and researches;
• Lead MERL department on quantitative digital data evaluation systems for effective and timely assessment and evaluation of really time quantitative data management;
• Lead on cumulating quantitative reach-out and outputs indicators, and assess progresses of projects’ implementation performance based on targeted numbers/quantity, and advise Head of Program Quality on projects’ risks or successes towards their 100% performance;
• Coordinating all PIE data-related queries and keeping track of setting up processes and systems of quantitative data for efficient of PIE programmes implementation towards their intended outcomes;
• Lead in capacity building to staff on Quantitative Data quality management to inform data on counting 100 million girls;
• Performs other MERL related duties as assigned by the Head of Programme Quality.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

KPI 1: Ensures M&E is integrated in all new project design ensuring that appropriate frameworks are incorporated and MERL planning is integrated across the project life cycle

KPI 2: Lead in the design of quality data collection tools, and ensure that quality data are collected, analysed and used to improve ongoing project implementation.

KPI 3: Support program quality section in data synthesis and consistently make sure the submission of high-quality evidence results based reports that informs PIE projects performance indicators.

KPI 4: Develop and oversee monitoring and evaluation activities to track the outcome and impact of program implementation

KPI 5: Manage Operational Systems Support and Capacity building programs for program personnel to help update their skills,

KPI 6: Lead the Organizational Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Program quality management

KPI 7: Design of quantitative data analysis frameworks for internal evaluations and assessment and digitizing quantitative data collections tools for PIE businesses

KPI 8: Supervise and manage MERL staff to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of the thematic focused project

 Technical Expertise:

• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in the area of Monitoring and Evaluation /Master’s Degree preferred
• Minimum 7 years relevant experience and of which at least 4 years with NGOs in leading MEAL /program quality team.
• Demonstrated experience in the area of Monitoring, partnership, inclusion and DRR programmatic areas.
• A commitment to, and understanding of, participatory approaches to development.
• Previous experience of managing multi-disciplinary teams and the ability to lead, motivate and develop others.

Location: Country Office, Addis Ababa

Type of Role: Managerial

Reports to: Head of Programme Quality Lead

Grade: D2

Closing Date: September 12, 2022

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the  Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.  In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.