MEAL Manager - Damascus- National

LOCATION:Damascus Syria

GRADE:3

Type of Contract:Fixed term 1 year

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently(e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting the country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

TEAM PURPOSE:

The Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) department plays a central role in ensuring the Syria Country Offices (SCO) programming and operations are evidence-based and focused on quality programming. The department is accountable for tracking the progress of SCOs projects against their outcome and output targets and meeting donor commitments conducting evaluations of projects to determine their success and impact against key areas integrating learning into all aspects of the project cycle to ensure adaptive programming and a culture a continuous learning and improvement and ensuring accountability to affected communities through information sharing feedback and reporting mechanisms and that the voices of those we serve are incorporated into our programs and decision making processes.

Within the department are 4 sub-teams: MEAL Information Management Accountability and Research. The MEAL team is responsible for tasks associated with the implementation of programs including key parts of the data lifecycle (collection storage analysis usage archiving and destruction) regular internal and donor reporting managing relationships with partners including through capacity building and engaging directly with beneficiaries for information sharing and accountability activities.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The MEAL Manager leads the MEAL team at the Country Office (CO) level directly managing all the Field Office (FO) MEAL Coordinators and the Whole of Syria (WoS) MEAL Coordinator. They are primarily responsible for ensuring the implementation of the SCO MEAL Framework for all individual projects and throughout the project life-cycle. This includes proposal development project set-up project implementation reporting and close-out. The MEAL Manager is ultimately accountable for the timely and high-quality completion of all project-based MEAL activities and review and sign-off of project data compiled into internal and donor reporting. They are also ultimately accountable for the capacity and professional development of the Save the Children MEAL team and partner MEAL staff leading annual and ad hoc capacity assessments for the team and individuals and ensuring plans are in place and actioned. They also work closely with other members of the CO MEAL department including the Head of MEAL IM Manager Accountability Coordinator and Research Evidence and Learning (REL) Coordinator on defining and achieving strategic priorities and designing improving and maintaining the policies procedures and systems that constitute the SCO MEAL Framework.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to:Head of MEAL and Research

Staff directly reporting to this post:WoS MEAL Coordinator North/South MEAL Coordinator Raqqa MEAL Coordinator Qamishli MEAL Coordinator

Staff indirectly reporting to this post:N/A

Budget responsibilities:Yes

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

1. Strategic Leadership and MEAL System Strengthening

• Support strategic planning and development processes for MEAL at SCO and FO levels.
• Support the continuous improvement and contextualisation of the SCO MEAL Framework.
• Support the development of standardised robust and user-friendly MEAL systems.
• Lead the annual MEAL self-assessment and subsequent action planning for the unit including budgeting and forecasting in coordination with the Head of MEAL and Research.

1. Project Design

• Accountable for leading the design of project level MEAL frameworks during proposal development including logframes that accurately measure project outputs and outcomes with SMART indicators context relevant Means of Verification and appropriate MEAL activities at the FO level in line with SCI quality standards.
• Accountable for the development of Field Office MEAL budgets to ensure appropriate staffing and project based MEAL activities are funded in proposals and spent in line with phasing.

1. MEAL Team Management

• Effectively lead the MEAL team across Field Offices ensuring standardised coordinated and high quality MEAL implementation in line with the SCO MEAL Framework.
• Manage the Field Office MEAL Coordinators ensuring timely efficient and effective implementation of MEAL activities.
• Oversee the performance management process for all FO MEAL team staff led by the FO MEAL Coordinators through effective use of the performance management system and provide the same for the MEAL Coordinators as their line manager.
• Lead on the development and implementation of capacity building plans related to quality MEAL activities for MEAL and non-MEAL staff including implementing partners to build their capacity in line with personal and organisational objectives and/or goals.

1. MEAL Activities During Project Implementation

• Lead on the initial set up of MEAL activities for individual projects including presenting during the Kick of Meeting preparing the key MEAL documents (PIRS MEAL Plan PRIME etc) and ensuring the development and use of data collection tools in line with SCIs quality standards and the project logframe.
• Ensure that project based work plans are prepared by all Field Offices and align with project timeframes and requirements.
• Represent MEAL at the CO level in project meetings ensuring the consistent and systematic integration of MEAL data into programs including helping to identify gaps in implementation and facilitating identification of solutions to enhance quality implementation.
• Accountable for the final review and sign-off of all MEAL products created by Save the Children and partner staff at the CO level (such as IPTTs trackers etc).
• Accountable for the final review and sign-off of all internal and external report MEAL inputs contributed by Save the Children and partner staff at the CO level including donor reports and the 4Ws ensuring quality and consistency before submission.
• Prepare routine analysis tools such as dashboards coverage analysis etc to enable SMT to analyse and inform strategic decisions in collaboration with the IM Manager and FO MEAL Coordinators.
• Lead the drafting of the Partnership Assessment Tool (PAT) in collaboration with the Partnerships Manager conduct regular partner capacity assessments for MEAL and maintain an overview of general partner capacity and the roll-out of partner capacity building plans at the FO level.

1. Research Evidence and Learning (REL)

• Promote a culture of learning and adaptation through documented evidence generation within the Country Office and across all departments.
• Support the development of a Research Evidence and Learning (REL) Agenda for the SCO with the REL Coordinator and Head of MEAL to ensure the SCO is planning and producing evidence for long term programming strategy and proposals.
• Attend the monthly REL Committee meetings and provide updates on REL tasks being undertaken by the FO MEAL teams ensuring coordinated and integrated learning activities.
• Support the REL Coordinator in planning and running regular project and non-project based learning events for Save the Children and partner teams.
• Support the REL Coordinator during the implementation of research evaluations assessments and Third Party Monitoring exercises.
• Regularly analyse and present relevant evidence generated by REL activities at CO meetings.
• Ensure that the coordination of the Quality Benchmarks (QBs) process is being conducted by the WoS MEAL Coordinator in a standardised timely effective and high quality manner.
• Lead on the quarterly reporting of the QB Key Performance Indicator and utilise findings to improve the overall QB process and integration of findings.

1. Risk and Compliance

• Support the Head of MEAL in the development of MEAL risk assessments and lead the implementation of mitigation strategies.
• Respond to audit requirements and requests with MEAL inputs and where needed provide evidence/ documentation for projects and programs.
• Participate in the design contextualisation and review of data protection strategies policies procedures and tools with the Data Protection Focal Point WoS IM Manager and Head of MEAL.
• Manage the implementation of data protection and security policies across MEAL activities in the CO.

1. Information Management

• Conduct tasks in the SCOs project management system PRIME in line with written SOPs.
• Support IM teams to review data processing procedures in order to maximise their quality and effectiveness.
• Ensure that MEAL teams and the wider office are using approved data storage and knowledge management systems in line with SCOs procedures (including SharePoint PRIME KoBo etc).
• Support the IM team and WoS IM Manager in promoting innovative digital solutions for FO project implementation including Technology for Development (T4D) initiatives.
• Support the IM team and WoS IM Manager in capacity building for implementing partners on IM topics and promote data quality and data protection as key concepts and activities when interacting with implementing partners.

1. Accountability

• Ensure that accountability and participation are integral elements of all aspects of the organizations approach to MEAL in the CO and that staff at all levels including SMT understand and promote accountability to affected populations.
• Support the Accountability Coordinator to to streamline and contextualise SCOs approach to accountability and participation and ensure that it complements and forms part of the overall MEAL system.
• Support the Accountability Coordinator in adapting the associated tools required to implement the accountability and participation minimum requirements to ensure that roll-out is standardized across operational areas (e.g. information posters complaints database child-friendly methodology guidance).
• Support the Accountability Coordinator in the regular compilation of FO trends analysis transmit the findings within the wider programs team and ensure their integration in proposal development.
• Support the Accountability team and Accountability Coordinator in capacity building for implementing partners on accountability topics and promote accountability and participation as key concepts and activities when interacting with implementing partners.

1. General

• Contribute towards the integration of MEAL within SCI as a core component of the programs and operations teams.
• Contribute to safe and ethical MEAL and SCI activities ensuring compliance with policies on child safeguarding PSEA anti-harassment and bullying health and safety security equal opportunities and non-discrimination.
• Contribute to age gender and disability sensitivity and child-focused programme implementation promoting these methodologies across MEAL and SCI activities.
• Contribute to an approach of applied learning and adaptation based on evidence across MEAL and SCI activities.
• Contribute to people centred MEAL and SCI activities that ensure that we respond to the needs of affected populations maintain contextual relevance act in an ethical manner and Do No Harm.
• Contribute to accountable and participatory MEAL and SCI activities ensuring that accountability and participation are integral elements of all aspects of SCIs approach to MEAL in SRO.
• Contribute to data protection and security by design as a core approach to MEAL IM and SCI activities ensuring that key international and local legislation SCI policies and industry best-practices are followed.
• Any other tasks as requested or approved by your Line Manager.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal(excluding direct team and manager)

• Program Quality and Development
• New Business Development
• Operations (including Awards and Partnerships)
• HR
• Finance
• Supply Chain
• Safety and Security
• Risk and Compliance

External

• Implementing Partners
• Consultants
• Clusters and Working Groups
• Local Authorities

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 other 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

• Masters degree in relevant subject and/or equivalent field experience (at least 6 years) with a bachelors degree in a relevant subject;
• Minimum of 4 years experience undertaking a senior MEAL role with line management responsibilities;
• Fluency in written and spoken Arabic and English; Kurdish language is an asset;
• Experience of managing teams remotely across multiple locations;
• Experience designing and implementing MEAL frameworks for large-scale humanitarian and/or development programs;
• Demonstrable budget development and financial management skills;
• Proven capacity to supervise train and coach staff;
• Excellent communication and presentation skills;
• Ability to facilitate/conduct large technical trainings for staff and partners;
• Ability to write clear and effective reports;
• Proficient in MS Office (Outlook Word PowerPoint Excel)
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience tact and diplomacy;
• Strong influencing skills and experience in leadership;
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances;
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children. In particular a good understanding of the Save the Children mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.

Desirable:

• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability;
• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts.
• Kurdish language skills.
• Experience managing remote MEAL systems in humanitarian settings.