INTRODUCTION

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009.  With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is implementing a £21 million programme to protect would-be migrants and refugees from unsafe irregular migration through and from Ethiopia. The programme includes three subcontractors and has an operational footprint in Tigray, Amhara and Addis Ababa

OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

The MEAL Specialist oversees the monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning support of Addis field-based activities under the Ethiopia Migration Programme (EMP), ensuring the EMP MEAL activities are in line with the programme MEAL framework as well as DRC global MEAL Minimum Operational Procedures (MEALMOP). The MEAL Specialist is expected to be an active, engaged and motivated member of the MEAL and EMP team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Support the development and implementation of the EMP MEAL system, ensuring timely data collection, compilation, analysis and reporting, and ensuring proper utilization of MEAL tools by relevant EMP teams.
• Maintain EMP MEAL systems and tools used to track project implementation progress and analyze information on inputs, outputs, outcomes, and impact of the project.
• Facilitate and provide MEAL-related trainings and capacity building for programme team and stakeholders.
• Update and report on the EMP activity tracker, performance monitoring tracker, indicator tracking table (ITT), analyzing progress against targets.
• Support the EMP programme team to develop detail implementation plans and actively participate in programme review meetings.
• Take the lead in coordinating field-level assessments (e.g. baseline, midline, endline), including leading and/or overseeing field data collection, training of data collectors, and the provision of support towards data analysis and reporting.
• Conduct regular field-monitoring visits and provide timely feedback to inform decision-making and programme quality improvement.
• Ensure data quality and provide technical support in preparing and reviewing EMP reports and verifying consistency between collected data, means of verification, and reports.
• Regularly identify challenges and plan jointly with EMP MEAL team to resolve any MEAL challenges in a timely manner.
• In collaboration with MEAL coordinator, support data quality assessment initiatives at the field level.

Accountability and Learning:

• In collaboration with the EMP MEAL team and programme partners, lead field-level learning events to capture, document and disseminate lessons learned for programme improvement.
• Organize programme monthly/quarter review meetings and annual review meetings, capture the lessons, and incorporate lesson learned in programme planning.
• Facilitating trainings on Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), and beneficiary feedback and response mechanisms.
• Lead the implementation of beneficiary feedback and response mechanism, and all associated tools and operating manuals.

Experience and Technical Competencies: (include years of experience)

• A minimum of 3 - 5 years of MEAL experience within the humanitarian or international NGO field, preferably more than 5 years.
• Experience in facilitating MEAL trainings, data collection, compilation and analysis.
• Demonstrated competence to assess priorities, and concurrently manage a variety of activities effectively to meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.
• Proficiency with excel, access, and statistical packages including Stata, SPSS, among others an advantage.
• Experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods and data analysis techniques.
• Experience in mobile data gathering techniques and digital platforms an advantage.

Education (include certificates, licenses etc.):

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Statistics, Development studies, Agriculture or a related field.
• A first-level university degree in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Languages: (indicate fluency level)

• Advanced English proficiency required.
• Tigrigna language is an asset

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
• Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
• Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Acting in line with DRC's vision and values