MEAL Manager - Beirut - For National Candidates Only

Background:  

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

In response to the influx of Syrian refugees to Lebanon in mid-2012, IRC opened a country office and launched humanitarian assistance programming. IRC operates throughout Lebanon, with the main office in Beirut and field offices in Qobayat, Tripoli, Zahle, Beirut and Mount Lebanon. IRC’s programs assist Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese in host communities across multiple sectors: education, early childhood development, livelihoods, protection rule of law, women's protection and empowerment and child protection.

Scope of Work:

The Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager is responsible for leading the monitoring, evaluation, and learning for the WPE, CP and PRoL programs to support program management and accountability functions, including research and learning.

The MEAL Manager will report to the MEAL Coordinator, and directly coordinate with the WPE, CP and PRoL Program Coordinators to lead the design and roll-out of the programs’ M&E frameworks and utilization of data to inform programming. The MEAL Manager will directly supervise the Senior M&E Officers of the WPE, CP and PRoL programs.

The main objective of this position is to ensure that data on program beneficiaries, progress, performance and outcomes are effectively collected, entered, analyzed and documented, in a way to inform timely decision making and the adoption of sound corrective measures, as well as to contribute to broader learning on protection interventions. This position will also work closely with the partners to ensure that their MEAL systems are developed according to donor requirements, and that capacity building is provided to partners to enhance their MEAL systems.

Major Responsibilities:

Monitoring:

• In collaboration with the CP, WPE and PRoL Program Coordinators as well as Senior M&E Officers, develop theories of change, logframes, beneficiary counting, M&E narrative plans, and M&E budget plans at the outset of new projects and as part of proposal development. Ensure that partners inputs are taken into consideration for proposal development.
• Lead the development of M&E frameworks (logframe, M&E plan, and ITT) for each project, in coordination with Senior M&E Officers and partners.
• Ensure that monitoring and evaluation tools are developed, and technically review the tools to ensure quality tracking of project outputs and outcomes, including tools to assess impact of activities and beneficiary satisfaction, in line with guiding principles of safety, confidentiality, respect, and non-discrimination.
• Where relevant, consult with the TAs when it comes to updating the M&E tools or for any M&E technical guidance.
• Ensure that partners have appropriate M&E systems in place, either by building their capacities or exchanging knowledge and tools with them.
• In coordination with the T4P team, ensure that ICT beneficiary tracking tools and beneficiary databases are developed according to disaggregation of data required by donor agreements, regional M&E guidelines, global annual statistics, and Activity Info.
• Ensure that regular updates and analysis of main quantitative and qualitative data and beneficiary feedback is provided to the CP, WPE and PRoL Program Coordinators to adapt programming as relevant.
• Ensure that M&E tools are continuously adapted based on learnings, challenges, best practices, and modality of interventions across the 3 programs, as well as in the event that data is not used to inform decision-making. Ensure that M&E tools are harmonized across the 3 programs and across the partners when possible.
• Conduct field visits to support and build the capacity of field teams and/or partners in use of M&E tools and ICT tools for monitoring (e.g. tablets) to collect data and analyze findings.

Evaluation and Learning

• Act as focal point for implementation of evaluation and research assignments, ToRs, methods, and tools, as may be necessary.
• Organize and/or participate in data review/learning meetings with CP, WPE, and PRoL Program Coordinators to discuss main beneficiary feedback and progress against targets, in order to develop learnings and recommendations for program improvements.
• Document learning from program implementation through regular internal analyses of data collected, reports, data review meetings, learning events, etc.
• Follow up on implementation of evaluation or data review/learning recommendations, ensuring the optimal use of evaluations and learnings to inform programming adaptations.

Accountability and Reporting

• Coordinate and consolidate the donor reporting for the WPE, CP and PRoL programs as well as partners, in coordination with the Program Coordinators and Senior M&E Officers, through inputs on progress towards indicators, beneficiary counting, drafting M&E and beneficiary feedback sections of reports, etc.
• Act as the focal point to respond to queries by donors or HQ on M&E-related matters such as number of beneficiaries reached, M&E plans, indicators, etc.
• In coordination with the WPE, CP and PRoL Program Coordinators and the Accountability Manager, interpret the findings from the complaint and response mechanism and cross-check with the M&E findings from beneficiaries to triangulate trends or patterns.
• Ensure that the CP, WPE and PRoL M&E systems are meeting the new MfA standards through implementing relevant tools and systems. Moreover, liaise with and provide support to the Lebanon MEAL Coordinator in the MfA annual assessment.

Staff Management and Development

• Supervise and mentor direct-report staff (Senior M&E Officers), including communicating clear expectations, setting performance objectives, providing regular and timely performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Ensure that Capacity Building is an integral part of the direct reports’ plans along with ongoing mentoring and support.

• Coach, train, and mentor Senior M&E Officers and field-based M&E staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development guidance.
• Provide constructive feedback and counsel on appropriate career paths and professional development.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being; approve and manage all leave requests to ensure adequate coverage.
• Ensure participation in joint agencies M&E related meetings and discussions.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: MEAL Coordinator
• Position directly supervises: 3 Senior M&E Officers (CP, WPE and PRoL)
• Position works with: CP, WPE and PRoL Program Coordinators, field-based M&E staff, partners’ M&E focal points, Accountability Manager, T4P Manager, Program Managers, Field Coordinators, finance, HR, operations, etc.

Work Experience:

• Bachelor of Arts or Science in Social Science, Public Health, Economics, Statistics, Computer Science, International Relief and Development, or related field.
• At least 4-5 years of relevant working experience in designing, managing and implementing M&E systems, preferably on protection and GBV interventions or interventions with children.
• Minimum of 2-3 years of people management experience.
• Building capacity of partners on MEAL systems and practices is preferred.
• Previous experience in project cycle management in development and humanitarian contexts, preferably with an International NGO.
• Proven strategic and implementation ability with strong conceptual and analytical skills for planning, monitoring and learning.
• Proven ability to lead and work effectively with others to achieve results with strong people leadership/management abilities and skills for working in teams.
• Practical progressive experience in designing data collection, analysis and reporting tools.
• Demonstrated experience working with ICT tools to collect and analyze data.
• Previous experience in mentoring, coaching and building capacities of team members and other partners.
• Demonstrable understanding and experience of gender inequality and diversity issues, issues surrounding violence against women and girls, child protection, and protection rule of law concepts.
• Proven networking and representation skills at a senior level.
• Excellent report writing and information dissemination skills.
• Strong ability to work independently, organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.
• Good knowledge of and experience with humanitarian guidelines and principles.
• Good contextual knowledge of local community and social/cultural constraints, realities and organizational relationships for effective project design and implementation.
• Communicates with integrity to different stakeholders; good interpersonal skills with people across a wide social range including project beneficiaries/community members, other IRC staff/managers, government officials etc.

Work Environment:

Travel and other requirements: Staff will be based in Beirut, with frequent travel required program implementation sites when possible.

_________________________________________________________________________

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC et les employés de IRC doivent adhérer aux valeurs et principes contenus dans le IRC WAY (normes de conduite professionnelle). Ce sont l’Intégrité, le Service, et la Responsabilité. En conformité avec ces valeurs, IRC opère et fait respecter les politiques sur la protection des bénéficiaires contre l’exploitation et les abus, la protection de l’enfant, le harcèlement sur les lieux de travail, l’intégrité financière, et les représailles.