The MEAL Lead will be responsible for leading the design and implementation of a comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, and learning plan for ESDZ and overseeing any research activities required to support the successful achievement of the programme outcomes. S/he will work closely with the MEAL and broader programme team to provide thought leadership and technical guidance, design appropriate strategies and mechanisms to capture learning and facilitate technical adaptation sessions for decision-making, annual strategy testing, and Theory of Change refresh sessions.

The MEAL Lead will also be responsible for the quality implementation of MEAL activities including the roll-out of tools and processes to track all progress made towards meeting programme/contract results, indicators, and targets, ensuring that they are being consistently and systematically tracked and reported. The MEAL system in place should generate measurable results and impact at programme level and ground programme strategic thinking within the learning framework. The person holding this position will manage the day-to-day MEAL activities, with support from officers, and may be required to coordinate with a Third-Party Monitoring supplier.

Essential Job Functions: Duties and Responsibilities: 

Management and Leadership of the MEAL Function:

• Leadership of the MEAL function and line management of the ESDZ MEAL team, with oversight and accountability for all day-to-day MEAL activities.
• Ensuring that the MEAL function and approach is consistent with international best practice.
• Representing the MEAL function in Senior Leadership meetings and external meetings and events, as required.

Strategy:

• Finalising and maintaining the MEAL strategy, potentially working with a Third-Party Monitoring supplier.

Adaptive Management and Learning:

• Designing and implementing MEAL strategies that support issues-based adaptive management and scaling and adapting interventions based on feedback loops.
• Structuring processes to support the programme team to use feedback as evidence in support of intervention design and scale up.

Research and evidence:

• Lead, oversee and/ or support production and dissemination of any internal research and evaluations including the design of research tools to fill evidence gaps.
• Support on communication of results to internal and external stakeholders as needed.

Implementation monitoring:

Working with ESDZ colleagues to:

Lead on design of an overarching monitoring and evaluation plan and learning framework.

Create and manage monitoring plans for programme components.

Design and implement a grantee monitoring system that will meet FCDO requirements and feed into overarching monitoring and evaluation.

Design monitoring tools, select indicators, and determine field monitoring responsibilities.

Undertake periodic reviews of the programme monitoring framework and update according to findings.

Data and Reporting:

• Develop systems for Timely and efficient collection, management, analysis and reporting of valid and reliable programmatic reporting data. This includes making decisions on software and analytical tools.
• Work with programme partners to gather, quality assure, and analyse partner-generated data.
• Ensure systems are in place to collect monitoring data as required.
• Oversee data collection ensuring adherence with required quality standards and international best practice and FCDO ethical standards.
• Lead on production of monitoring reports.
• Contribute to other reports, including quarterly and annual reports.

Capacity strengthening:

• Provide oversight, guidance and support to ESDZ team members, consortium partners, and grantees on MEAL requirements and standards.

Quality Assurance:

• Provide guidance on information systems for Quality Assurance, as well as best practices for documentation and reporting.
• Ensure that the tools selected for assessment are internationally recognised.

Required Experience: 

• At least twelve (12) years of relevant experience in designing and managing MEAL strategies, managing and/or implementing research for development activities, preferably in democracy, governance, and civil society strengthening areas.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing MEAL strategies that support issues-based adaptive management and scaling and adapting interventions in response to changes in the programme and external context.
• Experience in designing and managing MEAL strategies and approaches that enable a “fail-fast” approach to programme delivery and fill evidence gaps.
• Demonstrated abilities in high-quality qualitative, quantitative, and participatory MEAL methodologies appropriate to complex change processes, capacity development, and adaptation to monitor program quality for performance and results.
• Proven ability to set up a solid monitoring system to assess the fidelity of the implementation and the program’s effectiveness and use of data for adaptive project management.
• Demonstrated expertise in rigorous quantitative and qualitative research and analytical methods.
• Experience developing monitoring and evaluation systems and data collection; Prior experience in mobile data collection/visualization software and database management preferred.
• Prior experience in designing rapid feedback loops to inform adaptive programming and strategy for beneficiary feedback collection.
• Experience coordinating with governments, ministries, and/or local NGOs, as well as local communities, for the design and implementation of surveys and other data collection techniques.
• Experience managing and executing monitoring and evaluation activities for donor-funded programs (FCDO-funded programme experience preferred), including experience monitoring and evaluating policy reform and/or capacity development activities.
• Experience serving as the primary MEAL responsible for development projects, including team management.
• Excellent report writing, analytical, and communication skills, including oral presentation skills.
• Verbal and written fluency in English is required.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a relevant field or comparable level of professional experience in a relevant field.

• Ability to work and communicate effectively in English.