MEAL Assistant (13 Positions)

Department:                         Monitoring, Evaluation Analysis Unit (MEALU)

Position:                                MEAL Assistant

Direct Hierarchy:                MEAL Officer

Contract type:                      Fixed

Location:                              Korahe Zone, Afder, Liban and Doolo             

Number of Position             13

Start Date:                           ASAP

Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Their interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach which is both global and local, and adapted to each context.

ACTED is looking for professionally confident, self-motivated, experienced and committed team player to fill the MEAL Assistant Position in Somali Region, Ethiopia.

      I.        Position Profile

The Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant supports the MEAL Officer in developing and implementation of appropriate and viable appraisal, monitoring and evaluation systems that are in line with the ACTED’s global MEAL procedures.

           Objectives

1. Support the implementation of solid MEAL systems and mechanisms that are in line with the global MEAL procedures and deliver effective research/outputs so to inform timely decision making and the adoption of sound corrective measures.
2. Ensure lessons learnt and best practices are discoursed and documented.
3. Contribute to the effective functioning of beneficiary complaints and response mechanism and enhance the trust and confidence of beneficiaries, identify areas of our work which need to be improved and ensure that ACTED learns from the feedback provided through this process. 

    II.        Duties and Responsibilities

1.       Appraisal, Monitoring and Evaluation Systems

1.1.       Technical and Systems Development

a)       Support to the development and updating of the country MEAL strategy, the consolidated MEAL work plan and MEAL frMEALworks for all ongoing projects;

b)      Support the MEAL Officer to implement the MEAL policies and procedures as described in the ACTED MEAL standard guidelines and make sure that the tools are followed as applicable;

a)      Contribute to an effective roll-out of M&E collection and reporting systems to all staff and partners through training, site visits, manuals, and other technical support as needed.

1.2.       MEAL Implementation and Management

a)       Support the development of ToRs and mission plans for assessments, monitoring and evaluations (baselines, mid-terms, endlines);

b)      Assist in the development of appropriate data collection and analysis instruments, methodologies (e.g. survey questionnaires, focus group discussions, key-informant interviews) and data/information dissemination/utilization plans;

c)       Assist with data collection activities and ensure that data collection teams are organized and resourced as needed, and that they deliver as per field mission plans and according to data quality standards;

d)      Maintain electronic and/or paper-based MIS systems for tracking and reporting all quantitative data and information including reporting on ACTED’s 16 global strategic program indicators;

e)      Assist in the analysis of MEAL data and help produce reports, factsheets with useful statistical analysis and presentation (charts, tables, histograms, box plots) as necessary in a timely manner;

2.       Learning

a)       Document and share the lessons learnt and best practices on time and ensure that the knowledge gained contributes to the improvement of projects and influence the strategic development of future projects and activities;

b)      Support project implementation and improvement by providing timely information around project successes to be scaled up as well as challenges to allow ‘course correction’ throughout life of the program.

3.       Beneficiary Complaints and Response Mechanism

a)          Managing of the CRM information desk activities, including collection, review and analysis of complaints, referral to responsible agencies with support of MEAL Officer, timely reporting of sensitive complaints and regular submission of all CRM data to the MEALO;

b)         Assist in creating ACTED SOP for Complaints Response Mechanism and ensure all complaints and feedbacks are documented during daily activities;

c)          Ensuring that the CRM mechanism integrates different ways of collecting complaints and feedbacks, not only through desk and or hotline, but also through formal and informal meetings with the community leaders, beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries; outreach activities etc

4.       Other

a)       Provide regular and timely updates on progress and challenges to supervisors and other team members;

b)      Participate in MEAL-related conferences and workshops when possible and stay up to date with best practices and new knowledge created in the field of MEAL;

c)       Perform any other related activities as assigned by immediate supervisor. 

·         A bachelor’s degree in development studies, Economics, Rural Development, Agricultural Economics, Statistics, and other social science or closely related field of study

·         Proficient understanding of MEAL, including the ability to work effectively with tight timelines, high quality standards, and demanding, potentially overlapping priorities.

·         Experience of social research methods to conduct monitoring and evaluation for humanitarian and development initiatives/interventions.

·          Excellent analytical skills to interpret qualitative and quantitative data and discern useful recommendations for programme implementation and development.

·          Statistical analysis and IT skills, including use of SPSS, Excel, and Kob collect for data collection.

·         At least 3 years of work experience in a similar field; former experience with humanitarian organizations is an asset.

·         Good English communications skills (both oral and written).

·         Strong team player of high integrity, pleasant personality, ability to work under least supervision and meet strict deadlines.

·         Somali language is a mandatory requirement.

·         High level of integrity, transparency and honesty.

·         Knowledge of the location context will be an advantage.

Qualified national persons with the required skills are invited to submit their applications accompanied by detailed curriculum vitae and cover letter as a single document i.e. with the cover letter being on the first page and the CV starting on the second page, detailing three work related referees and contacts to [email protected] and received on or before 5.00PM on 26 September 2023 with the subject line “MEAL Assistant, Somali Region – Ethiopia”

Do not attach any other documents while sending your applications, if required they will be requested at a later stage.

Please note that ACTED reserves the right to shortlist on ongoing basis. Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

ACTED will at no stage of recruitment process request candidate to make payments of any kind. Further, ACTED has not retained any agent in connection with recruitments.

ACTED is committed to protecting beneficiaries within our programmes from exploitation and abuse and any kind of misconduct. ACTED has specific policies, including PSEA and Child Protection, which outlines the expected behaviour and the responsibility of all staff, beneficiaries, consultants and other stakeholders and has zero tolerance towards misconducts. Any candidate offered a job with ACTED will be expected to sign ACTED’s organizational Policies and Code of Conduct as an annex to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.