MEAL Coordinator

GOAL has been working in Sudan since 1985. Initially GOAL’s activities in southern Sudan took the form of short term emergency interventions, but 1998, with the opening of a permanent base in Twic County, Warrap State, saw a move to longer term interventions. GOAL South Sudan currently operates programmes in Warrap, Upper Nile, and the Abyei Administrative Area.

GOAL South Sudan’s interventions have expanded in recent years to include a more integrated Primary Health Care approach, including, curative primary health care, based on the management of primary health clinics; preventative health care including HIV/AIDS messaging, malaria control and hygiene promotion; nutrition and food security, water and sanitation engineering and clinic construction/rehabilitation.

In response to the on-going humanitarian crisis in South Sudan GOAL has set up an emergency response programme in Upper Nile State. The current programme is concentrated in the 6 counties of Baliet, Akoka, MEALut, Maiwut, Ulang and Longchok and was started as a response to the influx of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) from this area following significant fighting in the region in the first few months of this year. GOAL is currently implementing an emergency health programme which provides community health, nutrition, curative care, and water and sanitation support to conflict affected populations in Upper Nile State.

In the last few years GOAL has increased focus on demonstrating impact and using routine monitoring and evaluation surveys (qualitative and quantitative) for learning and decision making.

Summary of Role:

The MEAL Coordinator will be expected to implement the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework which brings together all the surveys, assessments, consultations and monitoring which GOAL undertakes and ensure this is being used for decision making and programme development, as well as meeting donor requirements. The MEAL Coordinator will also take forward GOAL’s new accountability framework through the roll out of newly-designed beneficiary complaints procedures, staff accountability training, conducting an annual beneficiary satisfaction survey, and by a series of consultative meetings and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to ensure communities participate in the planning and reorientation of GOAL programmes.

A key part of this role will be to ensure that GOAL South Sudan has in place and is appropriately using the necessary M&E for GOAL’s core Irish Aid multi-annual funding, which runs from 2012-2016. The MEAL Coordinator will manage the M&E team, currently consisting of an Assistant MEAL Coordinator and a MEAL Officer. The role includes a strong capacity building element. The MEAL Coordinator will work closely with the technical coordinators in health, WASH, nutrition, and livelihoods and with the field based programme managers to support their M&E activities and provide technical assistance. Additionally, the MEAL Coordinator will represent GOAL externally in such fora as the Survey Technical Working Group, the M&E Technical Working Group and on an ad-hoc basis with donors as necessary.

The MEAL Coordinator will report to the Assistant Country Director Programmes (ACDP), and will be technically supported by the roving and Dublin-based MEAL Advisors. The MEAL Coordinator will be expected to travel to the field sites approximately 50% of the time.

Key Duties:

Monitoring & Evaluation:

a. Oversee GOAL South Sudan’s overall country MEAL framework and ensure programmes teams have an up to date M&E plan and ensure all MEAL activities are carried out to schedule

b. Support the programmes teams in health, WASH, nutrition and livelihoods to carry out all routine monitoring and periodic evaluations

c. Ensure that the results of surveys and ongoing monitoring, including consultations with beneficiaries, is made available in a useful format for programme design and decision-making

d. Support the roll-out of monthly monitoring tools for new programme activities

e. Support GOAL partners to set up and maintain appropriate and robust M&E systems for all new programme activities

f. Conduct sampling of data from the standard indicator database during field visits for quality assurance purposes including sampling of partner monthly reports

g. Support project managers to identify and resolve monitoring problems at individual project level

h. Ensure that mainstreaming of Child Protection, Environment, Gender and HIV is included in the monitoring system as appropriate

i. Provide graphic feedback to management of standard indicators for all sectors comparing information over time and among field sites

j. Rollout of regular ‘Factsheets’ for each programme

k. Provide input for donor proposal development and reporting, in consultation with the Programme Support Officer and ACDP

l. Ensure that processes are in place to allow for systematic and inclusive feedback to communities and stakeholders on all evaluations undertaken

m. Design, carrying out and/or supervise consultants conducting outcome evaluations across all programme areas

n. In collaboration with the ADCP, draw up the annual MEAL budget and manage this, to ensure each project has the necessary resources and capacity to implement MEAL activities

o. Put in place a consultants database and keep relevant and up to date

p. Gather information to serve as an input for the strategic and annual planning of GOAL South Sudan

q. Provide the ACDP with weekly and monthly reports on the implementation of the work plans and achievement of objectives

r. Collaborate with MEAL Global Advisor in HQ any joint country initiatives or feedback on development of organisational research and evaluation.

Knowledge Management

* Recommendations: Implement and supervise the use of evaluation and technical team reviews which were carried out in order to deliver improved programme quality. This will be through tools such as the GOAL recommendations tracker

* Databases: Ensure programme data basis are kept up to date including an excel based output tracker that records programme outputs on a monthly basis, a selection of which is used to update the monthly report produced for HQ

Coordinate the overall country learning systems

a. Promote and strengthen the understanding of the importance of MEAL within the programme teams and the use and /or analysis of MEAL systems during program design and implementation

b. Build MEAL capacity of all programme and partner staff through training and on the job support

c. As part of the learning function, seek to identify learning points across the range of work carried out and identify opportunities to share this learning through meetings, workshops, reports etc.

d. Where appropriate, share materials with GOAL’s best practice website

e. Design and carry out or supervise assessments, research exercises etc as appropriate

Mainstreaming

a. Implement, according to area of responsibility, GOAL’s policies and procedures on mainstreaming of GOAL’s global priority areas of Gender, HIV and Child protection and the additional mainstreaming areas identified in GOAL South Sudan’s Country Strategic Plan (CSP) of conflict sensitivity and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

b. In collaboration with the HR manager, work on increasing the sensitivity and awareness of staff towards Gender, HIV, child protection, conflict sensitivity and DRR

Person Specification

A primary degree in any of the following with a quantitative research skills component: Social Sciences, Development Studies or relevant discipline

At least three years of implementing surveys and/or other research activities within an NGO environment.

Demonstrated experience in applying quantitative and qualitative/participatory research methods

Capacity and commitment to building the MEAL skills of colleagues, partners and community members

Understanding of mainstreaming principles and experience of working on mainstreaming activities

Confident presentation and facilitation skills, proven record in provision of trainings

Proficiency in using standard computer software, especially MS office as well as data entry/statistical packages, such as MS Access, SPSS, Minitab, Epi Info

Ability to work under pressure, with minimum supervision and prioritise workload according to the changing needs of the programme

Ability to represent GOAL externally, with government, INGOs, clusters and community leaders

Knowledge of SPHERE and commitment to humanitarian principles

Excellent oral and written (English) communication skills

Previous experience in South Sudan is desirable

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply for this role please visit the GOAL website
http://www.candidatemanager.net/cm/Micro/JobDetails.aspx?&mid=YGTYD&sid=...