Overview
The Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Lead will provide leadership to strengthen organizational capacity in designing and implementing effective MEAL systems. This role involves an integral leadership position within the Programme Development and Quality (PDQ) department, working closely with various teams to incorporate innovation and lessons learned for programme improvement.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development and implementation of a MEAL System for the Zambia Country Office.
- Lead the use of monitoring frameworks, tools, and processes to measure performance and quality.
- Lead routine collection, analysis, and use of evidence, including disaggregation for gender, disability, and the most marginalized.
- Lead the use of systems that ensure accountability to children and communities.
- Systematically identify, document, share, and use learning from Save the Children and others’ work.
- Where relevant, lead MEAL emergency preparedness and response.
- Champion knowledge management through the development and use of platforms.
- Work with New Business Development, Programme Operations, and PDQ Thematic Sector teams to ensure quality assurance mechanisms are integrated into project design and implementation.
- Review the country’s MEAL structure and ensure it is fit for purpose.
- Identify capacity gaps and design and deliver MEAL capacity building for MEAL, programme, and partner staff.
- Manage the performance of MEAL staff.
- Ensure evidence and learning are brought together to develop a Country Strategic Plan.
- Support the development of the Country Annual Plan (CAP).
- Ensure accurate data collection and processing for all regular reporting.
- Support MEAL aspects of donor reporting.
- Respond to any internal or SC member request for specific information.
- Ensure that regularly updated MEAL mechanisms are in place for each project.
- Work closely with the Programme Ops team to ensure MEAL plays an integral role at every stage of the project lifecycle.
- Contribute to proposal development by ensuring strong logical frameworks and reviewing MEAL technical narrative and budgets.
- Build effective partnerships with research institutions and MEAL partners.
- Support CO advocacy efforts by providing evidence-based data.
- Represent SC in the donor community as requested.
Required Experience
- Minimum of 5-7 years of programming experience within the aid sector, preferably linked to one of Save the Children’s priority technical sectors (Child Poverty, Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Education, Health & Nutrition).
- The majority of that time focused on overseeing comprehensive MEAL systems that ensure programme effectiveness and quality.
- Understanding of both emergency and development contexts, with a preference for experience in both contexts.
- Experience adhering to international quality standards (Red Cross Code of Conduct, Sphere, CHS) or equivalent.
- Experience and knowledge of monitoring systems, including robust and responsible data collection and use.
- Experience and knowledge of evidence generation and learning on what works (and doesn’t work) for children, including designing/commissioning, implementing and applying: needs assessments, baseline studies, evaluations and research, learning workshops and learning agendas.
- Experience and knowledge of systems for accountability to children and communities, including information sharing, participation of adults and children, and feedback and reporting mechanisms.
- Direct experience working with communities in participatory activities.
- Proven success in building and managing a team and dedication to developing staff capacity through training, supervising, coaching and mentoring.
- Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, defining and planning a clear way forward and ensuring buy-in.
- Experience of promoting quality and impact through at least one cross-cutting area: gender equality and inclusion, adaptive and safer programming; child rights; disability; migration and displacement.
- Experience and knowledge of Save the Children’s structure, mandate and child focus.
- Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant region/context.
Qualifications
• Master’s degree in relevant field or equivalent field experience
