MEAL Coordinator

The role

We are currently looking for MEAL Coordinator based in Vientiane Capital

Role Purpose

Save the Children Laos is looking for a creative individual who has the experience and competencies to work as Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Coordinator. The main purpose of this role is to support on enhancing quality, accountability and learning for achieving breakthrough solutions in bringing immediate and lasting changes in the lives of children.

The MEAL Coordinator will bring significant experience and fresh ideas to support the develop and implement a realistic MEAL strategy and systems, ensuring that they are institutionalized within the existing project cycle management framework, and that staff have the capacity to implement them.   The MEAL Coordinator will have a key role in supporting the establishing and promoting programme quality and innovation, which will be achieved through developing and improving monitoring, evaluation, impact assessment and learning methodologies. S/he will ensure that all projects in the Lao country programme are continually monitored and that lessons are documented and communicated to inform on-going implementation and future programming. S/he will support teams in achieving outcome/impact focused projects and accountability to beneficiaries in line with Save the Children’s and donors’ policies and practices.

The MEAL Coordinator will lead on building capacities of staff and partners for accountability and participation, with a specific focus on children. S/he will be supporting the key focal person for the development and implementation of a strategy to make SC Laos an organization that listens to children and is accountable to them.

In summary, the MEAL Coordinator will be responsible for establishing and promoting the use of MEAL systems to ensure that SC Laos

• is informed on the extent to which our interventions are affecting the lives of the targeted populations;
• have evidence-based knowledge on the positive and negative impact that our interventions are having over the communities where SCI works;
• receives regular, timely and context-specific, meaningful feedback from our staff, partners, programme participants and that feedback effectively informs and signals areas where strategic attention is required.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

KEY AREA OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ensure that SC Laos delivers on all internal and external MEAL requirements in a timely manner and with high quality information.

• Support the development of robust MEAL systems and processes to measure achievement and progress towards project objectives and outcomes.

• Support the project design and implementation in accordance with Save the Children MEAL standards (such as, but not limited to, Accountability Partnership International (HAP-I) Benchmarks, SPHERE, DEC Accountability Framework) and Save the Children’s Child Rights Programming tools and approaches.
• Provide capacity building, technical support and training to ensure MEAL is consistently and systematically integrated in all projects.
• Support the development of the monitoring tools during programme design, in line with Save the Children global initiatives, donor requirements, and other internal monitoring and evaluation framework.
• Support the development of outcome and learning indicators for logframes and other purposes.
• Support the develop M&E plans for each on-going project that include: data collection and reporting tools, filling system and indicator performance tracking.
• Support project staff to collect good quality monitoring data in a timely manner and collate/organize data received for reporting purposes.
• Bring together data and findings from across projects and operational regions to form a coherent basis for analysis of impact which promotes learning and strategy development.
• Produce high quality analysis reports to illustrate Save the Children’s impact and assessment findings.
• Make recommendations on changes in programme activities or management based on findings from M&E and analysis of trends.
• Assist in data quality assurance and compliance with all grants related reporting requirements and their timely submission.
• Ensure that children, women and other vulnerable community members are included in all MEAL activities.

• Keep track of all project evaluations and, in coordination with sectors’ technical coordinators, design evaluation TORs, provide briefings to consultants and provide logistical support to ensure evaluations are in line with Save the Children’s and donors’ standards.

Accountability

• Ensure that all staff at all levels, including senior managers and directors, fully understand and promote accountability in general and to children in particular, through training and coaching.
• Ensure that accountability to beneficiaries becomes a core element and success indicator for all program activities.
• Build on progress to date on integrating accountability to beneficiaries (and particularly children) within programmes through securing funds, hiring staff and establishing feedback mechanisms and producing information materials in a way which mainstreams accountability across all programmes.

• Develop and report against accountability-related indicators and issues.

• Assess how beneficiaries can best be involved at every stage of the programme cycle.
• Design and implement appropriate feedback mechanisms that are contextual, effective, accessible and safe for beneficiaries, and that ensure that feedback is recorded, reviewed and acted upon.
• Develop regular trend analysis of complaints on the organisation and sharing for wider learning and improvement.

Learning

• Promote learning throughout the organisation, particularly on issues of programme quality, policy analysis and advocacy. Ensure new analysis and information is constantly available.
• Communicate program learning (through document sharing, presentations, etc) internally to provide guidance and technical input on strategic direction and programme design, and externally with key stakeholders (NGOs, government partners, working groups, etc).
• Coordinate with sectors’ technical coordinators and programme staff to ensure that lessons learned are properly documented and are incorporated into programme implementation and design.
• Regularly produce and report on best practices and case studies.
• Participate in designing and implementation of studies, assessments and learning in coordination and cooperation with sectors’ technical coordinators and programme staff.

Technical Support, performance management and capacity building of staff

• Identify training needs of staff and conduct trainings to address the capacity gaps, in collaboration with their line-manager (the field manager of their duty station) and the human resources department.
• Provide technical support on project/programme design, and MEAL, including situation analyses and child participation; programme frameworks; objectives and indicators; MEAL plans and budgets; data collection and use; baseline; midterm impact considerations; data for decision making and organisational learning; stakeholder participation; and evaluations where needed by the project team
• Contribute to supervision and capacity building of local partners, in line with partnership guidelines.
• Be as PRIME system champion to provide PRIME sysem orientation new staff and support new project to set up project design in Prime and follow up all project in PRIME to monitor the indicators progress on track off-track and get back to project staff.

Others

• Comply with all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to child safeguarding policy, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies.
• Contribute to ensuring that programme’s delivery happens in strict adherence to security policy and procedures.
• Any other reasonable duty as may be assigned that is consistent with the nature of the job and level of responsibility.

Qualifications And Experience

Essential (must have)

• A Bachelor (Master preferred) Degree in computer science, public health, education, economics or a related field.
• More than 3 years’ experience of working in MEAL roles.
• Good computer skills, including data collection such as Kobo and statistical software STATA/SPSS/EPI/Power Bi, Excel.
• Fluency in Lao and English, for oral and written communication and presentation.
• Good organisational skills, the ability to pay close attention to detail and capable of reporting in a timely manner.
• Ability to analyse information, evaluate options and to think and plan strategically.
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner, and to use innovative forms of communication.
• Capacity to supervise, train and coach staff.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy; capacity and willingness to be flexible and accommodating in difficult working circumstances.
• Commitment to learn and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles.

Desirable (people with these skills/experience will be more advantage)

• Knowledge and/or experience of working on accountability initiatives, such as child participation, information sharing and complaints response mechanisms.
• Understanding of gender and equity analyses.
• Experience of conducting and/or commissioning evaluations.
• Experience of designing and managing knowledge management systems, an awareness of learning methodologies and experience of leading learning events.
• Knowledge on quantitative research methods, sampling techniques, data analysis and interpretation, and applied knowledge of qualitative research methodologies.
• Experience in research, monitoring and evaluating or development projects in Laos preferred;

• Technical knowledge in one of Save the Children’s main sectors in Laos (health & Climate Change, Education, Child Protection, Disaster Risk Reduction).

• Knowledge of development projects in Lao PDR
• Newly graduates with volunteer and part-time job experience are encouraged to apply

• Women who have or interested in STEM are extremely encouraged to apply

Contract length: Fixed term

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.  We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information:

Interested candidates please submit a full application using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document including contact details of three professional referees (current and last line managers and HR department). Please also include details of your salary expectations and a copy of your ID card. Please note that we will require a copy of your Criminal Records (ໃບແຈ້ງໂທດ) later.

Apply via: https://hcri.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/job/11360

Save the Children International is a child-rights based organization. Safe recruitment is central to the safeguarding of children and young people that we come into contact with, and support through our programmes.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Save the children is an equal opportunities employer, qualified females, persons with disability and candidates from diverse cultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.