• The MEAL Manager will provide strategic direction and management of the organizations’ Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning, ensuring the establishment and successful implementation of high-quality programs across all performance areas.
• This position shall report directly to the Director of Research and shall be based in Kaduna, with frequent visits to project locations across Northern Nigeria.

Job Description

• Lead the design, implementation, and strengthening of CCDRN MEAL systems
• To ensure project start-up, performance, and close-out align with CCDRN quality principles and standards and MEAL policies, procedures, practices, and best practices, provide management, guidance, and technical oversight for MEAL throughout the project cycle.
• Lead CCDRN program evaluation activities across CCDRN targeted communities in linewith donors/partners’ requirements.
• Develop and maintain monitoring and reporting schedules for all programmes and projects.
• Led the design and implementation of project design activities, including M&E performance plan, development of project theories of change and strategic M&E frameworks (Results Frameworks and Logframe), indicator performance tracking table (IPTT), data flow map, stakeholders’ communication map, and tools for ongoing monitoring, research, and learning activities.
• Developed a Monitoring and Evaluation plan and helped determine indicators, targets, assumptions, and risks.
• Coordinated the monitoring and evaluation system, tools development, and support proposal development.
• Led implementation of monitoring and evaluation plans and conducted baseline, mid-line, annual, and end-line surveys, assessment, evaluation, and field-based monitoring visits.
• Champion the development of program learning – identify opportunities for learning, research, publications, and implementation of MEAL policy.
• Facilitate disseminating promising practices and lessons learned to contribute to the agency knowledge management agenda.
• Promote the application of learning to improve program quality and strengthen organizational influence among external stakeholders.
• Ensure integration of MEAL-related innovations and best practices.
• Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight for developing and implementing high-quality MEAL systems and processes and applying responsible data principles per agency and donor requirements.
• Promoting MEAL policies and good practices, championing the analysis and use of project performance data to inform decision-making and identify lessons learned.
• Facilitate connections between colleagues and peers to generate and share evidence-based learning.
• Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight for project or program evaluation events and research, including the development of terms of reference or study protocols that include evaluation/learning questions, a balance of qualitative and quantitative methods, appropriate consideration of ethical and data protection standards, and the necessary technical rigor.
• Oversee the quality of evaluation data through good data management.
• Oversee MEAL-related technical assistance and capacity-strengthening activities for staff and partner organizations to enhance program quality and impact.
• Supervise and help build the capacity of the program and M&E team to carry out activities;
• Contribute to program efforts to build the technical, systems, and operational capacity of relevant stakeholders on the development and implementation of program data management systems;
• Manage MEAL technical team and resources to ensure that information and resources are up-to-date, available to staff, and widely disseminated and
• Provided regular support to partners’ monitoring and evaluation and program staff teams on varying levels of technical skills through orientations, training, and coaching to ensure high-performing monitoring and evaluation teams.
• Trained field staff in monitoring and evaluation processes and provided mentorship and coaching to improve the efficiency of the monitoring and evaluation unit.
• Prepared monthly, quarterly, and annual project reports and ensure timely submission of reports for donors, government agencies, and partners.
• Disseminated evaluation findings and project results to donors and other stakeholders
• Attend to any other job as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Required Skills and Experience

• Team leadership abilities
• Knowledge management
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented
• Strong strategic, analytical, systems thinking, and problem-solving skills, and ability to make sound judgments and decisions.

Education

• Master’s in Statistics, Demography, Social Sciences, or any other relevant discipline.

Experience:

• At least seven (7) years of overall experience in monitoring and evaluation, program management, designing and conducting program evaluation (Baseline, mid-term, final, case studies, etc.) using qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Experience in MS Access, GIS applications, and Tableau is desirable
• Experience with mobile platforms, mobile data collection, and/or GIS satellite imagery is highly desirable
• Experience and familiarity with PMI program and evaluation and performance monitoring, planning, and reporting.
• Experience in data management and analysis.
• Previous experience in working in humanitarian, peace building, and development contexts will be an added advantage.
• Previous experience preparing Key Results and Annual Result Reports would be considered an asset.
• Strong analytic and quantitative database management skills.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English.