Child Safeguarding: Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.

ROLE PURPOSE:

Under direct supervision of the Project Manager,  the MEAL Assistant will support Project Officers and Community Health Volunteers in data consolidation and management and quality management; undertake MEAL related activities and implements an appropriate monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning system for successful delivery and attainment of project goal and objectives.

S/he ensures that strong MEAL system is in place so that the implementation of the programs is of high

quality and accountable to beneficiaries, partners and donors

SCOPE OF ROLE.

Reports to:  MEAL Coordinator  

Staff directly reporting to this post: N/A

KEY  DUTIES &  RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work with MEAL Coordinator to provide training to concerned program staff on the use of MEAL system; conduct rapid assessments and trend analysis of field-based programs to monitor program activity.
• Contributes to design and implementation of periodic evaluation activities including baseline surveys, research and evaluations in the area of health.
• Collect good quality monitoring data in a timely manner and organize data received for reporting to the Project Manager.
• Work with MEAL Coordinator to produce monitoring checklists and conduct quarterly joint field process monitoring, quality assessment and data validation, and provide feedbacks and recommendations for timely improvement
• Work with MEAL Coordinator to develop capacity of local communities, partners and staff on the programme M&E framework, data management, and data analysis and results‐oriented programming, monitoring and evaluation methods and principles and reporting systems
• Ensure that children, women and other vulnerable community members are actively participating in all Project and MEAL activities
• Participate in organizing and facilitating quarterly district panel monitoring, progress review and learning events
• Make sure the utilization of appropriate reporting templates that facilitate the acquisition and aggregation of data in sectors or develop and maintain effective database
• Participate in all other aspects of MEAL, for example surveys, baselines, evaluations, joint projects monitoring and reviews / lessons learning workshops/events.
• Together with the Project officers, undertake accountability activities, including the development and use of information sharing materials and the establishment of complaint response mechanisms. ensuring that complaints are logged and addressed in a professional and timely manner and that serious complaint relating to abuse, exploitation and corruption and referred appropriately.
• Undertake regular visits to field locations to support monitoring and evaluation processes, develop, and implement accountability processes related to the health programme.
• Develop field staff capacities to employ a learning approach to their work.  She/he will also be actively
• Involved in promoting learning through documentation of lessons learned and developing approaches for community analysis and utilization of data for decision-making.
• Assist in designing  and regularly updates program MEAL guidelines and tools and ensures that project staff have access and can use the tools,
• Coordinates the collection, reporting, and validation of data from the health programme
• Ensures the quality of monitoring data reported by field offices through capacity building, supportive supervision, routine checking and validation of data.

Reporting

• Promote learning in the project, particularly on issues of programme quality. Regularly analyze data and produce reports on best practices and case studies
• Ensures that necessary reporting components are lined up in advance of report deadlines and
• responsible persons are followed up on the schedule,
• Compile and provides analytical output level inputs to program technical reports 

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor degree in an area of social science, healthy community development or equivalent
• At least 2 years experience of working in M&E with experience of developing M&E plans, training staff, capacity building, quantitative and qualitative data collection, analysis and reporting and/or other aspects of M&E..
• Knowledge and/or experience of working on accountability initiatives, such as child participation, information sharing and complaints response mechanisms.
• MS Office applications, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Spreadsheets and other Statistical software
• Ability and willingness to travel to field sites and work in remote locations, often for prolonged periods of time
• Experience in and proven ability to support, train and mentor staff and partners in monitoring and evaluation methodology
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Fluency in Swahili & English (both verbal and written)
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children strategy, vision, mission, values and principles, good understanding and commitment to principles of child rights and child protection