MEAL Coordinator

The position is responsible for developing and strengthening the planning, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) system for the projects and programs of Islamic Relief Afghanistan. Coordinator-Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability, and Learning will closely work with MEAL Manager/head of mission/Country Director. He/ She will conduct monitor, evaluate and establish an accountability framework and collect and disseminate learning as well as coordinate all projects and programs of IR Afghanistan. He/ She will produce quality reports and provide specific recommendations to the Programme Managers for better implementation of all project activities. Moreover, he/she also contributes to developing the country’s strategic plan, quarterly and annually project and program plan. He/she will contribute to develop MEAL plans and frameworks for various projects and programs and implement the MEAL plans according to the IRW’s MEAL framework. Also, he/she will lead to design and manage surveys, support project teams in designing the needs assessment tools, lead on mid-term evaluation, result monitoring, feedback surveys, PDMs, and evaluation for various projects. He/she also contributes to project design and development and maintains relations and networking with multiple program managers, as well as UN organizations, other INGOs and research institutions.

Duties & Responsibilities:

1.Establishing MEAL System

• Review and understand all organizational policies, strategies, and project proposals.
• Lead on raising awareness regarding the IRW MEAL framework and facilitating its implementation
• Contribute to developing a country’s strategic plan and quarterly and annual projects and programs plans.
• Develop different qualitative and quantitative tools and strategies for monitoring and evaluation of projects and programs of IR Afghanistan.
• Develop and review M&E plans, M&E framework, and support to develop the LFA for different projects and programs.
• Contribute to developing M&E guidelines for various programs of IR Afghanistan.
• Organize field visits and monitor the projects regularly.
• Contribute to developing an information management system for IR Afghanistan.
• Lead in the development and use of technology for MEAL activities.
• Maintain a unified beneficiary database and other MEAL-related information systems, ensuring utmost regard for privacy and confidentiality.

2. Lead on designing/managing surveys and evaluation

• Develop TORs for conducting baseline surveys, midterm reviews and final evaluation. Conduct post-distribution monitoring surveys, result in monitoring and facilitate feedback surveys.
• Design, coordinate and manage to conduct baseline survey, need assessment, feasibility study, midterm, final evaluation, result monitoring, post-distribution monitoring, and action research for the various projects and programs.
• Lead internal and external programme/project evaluations as required
• Review monitoring reports, evaluation reports, and project reports and provide necessary technical guidance to ensure compliance with programme/project requirements for monitoring and evaluation
• Coordination with different project managers and program managers to record all project reports produced by various projects at a given frequency.

3. Demonstrating accountability to affected populations

• Facilitate the development of an accountability action plan for each project on the given template and keep track of the progress.
• Support in setting up community feedback mechanisms and coordinating with the program management to effectively use the information and relevant actions wherever required.
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive complaints handling mechanism according to IRW Complaints policy that fulfils relevant CHS requirements. Develop case studies around the effectiveness of the complaints handling system and its impact on the program.
• Prepare a six-monthly complaint handling analytical report and share it with management
• Review IRW-complaint handling guidance pack and include CRM related questionnaire in all monitoring, evaluation, and assessment questionnaire
• Coordinate with program teams to share results of assessments, baselines, reviews, feedback surveys, and evaluations with the beneficiary community and other stakeholders in the appropriate format and document the whole process.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to programme teams on conducting participatory, community-based, and inclusive needs assessments.
• Verify the presence of inclusive and participatory beneficiary selection criteria and subsequent selection accordingly.
• Ensure that participation activities are documented, and learning is shared
• Ensure that all staff at all levels understand and promote accountability through training and coaching
• Orient the new staff about the complaint and feedback response mechanism (CRM), and refresher training/orientation on CRM for all staff.
• Support partners to develop and implement CP policies if they don’t have one

4. Organizational learning & Capacity Building

• Establish and maintain a system for organisational learning (i.e. Develop and maintain a learning log and ensure learning points are embedded at policy and practice levels)
• Participate and contribute to the IRW-MEAL Community of Practice regularly.
• Develop a learning plan and learning tools/methods for all projects, programmes, and organization
• Coordinate with program management to budget and organize learning events regularly.
• Ensure the documentation of innovation projects and share results and impact with all stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to communicate programme/project learning and information sharing/learning exchanges with other actors
• Support Programme and communications departments in the development of relevant modules and resource materials to support quality programming
• Conduct orientation sessions around MEAL requirements and identify capacity-building needs around MEAL for Partner organizations.
• Supporting colleagues in utilizing MEAL tools for different interventionParticipate in the project design process as a team member to ensure prior internal and external learning, community-based and inclusive needs assessment, and evidence informs project design.
• Participate and circulate learnings and best practices in the Global MEAL Community of Practice

5. Reporting:

• Support to ensure the quality of the interim and final project reports.
• Contribute to generating quality research reports, monitoring and evaluation reports, field visit reports, and any other reports.
• To disseminate reports and study finding with country management.

6. Coordination and support to programme management

• Facilitate and lead the processes to ensure compliance with Core Humanitarian Standard and IHSAN Standards (IRW-Quality Management System).
• Ensure that relevant MEAL-related budgets are incorporated within project budgets in coordination with the programme, finance, and CD.
• Ensure coordination with research organizations, academicians, evaluators, consultants, MEAL capacity building networking institutions, etc.
• Write MEAL-related sections of each proposal submitted to any donor.
• Any other duties assigned by the Management.The position is responsible for developing and strengthening the planning, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) system for the projects and programs of Islamic Relief Afghanistan. Coordinator-Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability, and Learning will closely work with MEAL Manager/head of mission/Country Director. He/ She will conduct monitor, evaluate and establish an accountability framework and collect and disseminate learning as well as coordinate all projects and programs of IR Afghanistan. He/ She will produce quality reports and provide specific recommendations to the Programme Managers for better implementation of all project activities. Moreover, he/she also contributes to developing the country’s strategic plan, quarterly and annually project and program plan. He/she will contribute to develop MEAL plans and frameworks for various projects and programs and implement the MEAL plans according to the IRW’s MEAL framework. Also, he/she will lead to design and manage surveys, support project teams in designing the needs assessment tools, lead on mid-term evaluation, result monitoring, feedback surveys, PDMs, and evaluation for various projects. He/she also contributes to project design and development and maintains relations and networking with multiple program managers, as well as UN organizations, other INGOs and research institutions.

  Duties & Responsibilities:

  1.Establishing MEAL System

• Review and understand all organizational policies, strategies, and project proposals.
• Lead on raising awareness regarding the IRW MEAL framework and facilitating its implementation
• Contribute to developing a country’s strategic plan and quarterly and annual projects and programs plans.
• Develop different qualitative and quantitative tools and strategies for monitoring and evaluation of projects and programs of IR Afghanistan.
• Develop and review M&E plans, M&E framework, and support to develop the LFA for different projects and programs.
• Contribute to developing M&E guidelines for various programs of IR Afghanistan.
• Organize field visits and monitor the projects regularly.
• Contribute to developing an information management system for IR Afghanistan.
• Lead in the development and use of technology for MEAL activities.
• Maintain a unified beneficiary database and other MEAL-related information systems, ensuring utmost regard for privacy and confidentiality.
• 2. Lead on designing/managing surveys and evaluation
• Develop TORs for conducting baseline surveys, midterm reviews and final evaluation. Conduct post-distribution monitoring surveys, result in monitoring and facilitate feedback surveys.
• Design, coordinate and manage to conduct baseline survey, need assessment, feasibility study, midterm, final evaluation, result monitoring, post-distribution monitoring, and action research for the various projects and programs.
• Lead internal and external programme/project evaluations as required
• Review monitoring reports, evaluation reports, and project reports and provide necessary technical guidance to ensure compliance with programme/project requirements for monitoring and evaluation
• Coordination with different project managers and program managers to record all project reports produced by various projects at a given frequency.
• 3. Demonstrating accountability to affected populations
• Facilitate the development of an accountability action plan for each project on the given template and keep track of the progress.
• Support in setting up community feedback mechanisms and coordinating with the program management to effectively use the information and relevant actions wherever required.
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive complaints handling mechanism according to IRW Complaints policy that fulfils relevant CHS requirements. Develop case studies around the effectiveness of the complaints handling system and its impact on the program.
• Prepare a six-monthly complaint handling analytical report and share it with management
• Review IRW-complaint handling guidance pack and include CRM related questionnaire in all monitoring, evaluation, and assessment questionnaire
• Coordinate with program teams to share results of assessments, baselines, reviews, feedback surveys, and evaluations with the beneficiary community and other stakeholders in the appropriate format and document the whole process.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to programme teams on conducting participatory, community-based, and inclusive needs assessments.
• Verify the presence of inclusive and participatory beneficiary selection criteria and subsequent selection accordingly.
• Ensure that participation activities are documented, and learning is shared
• Ensure that all staff at all levels understand and promote accountability through training and coaching
• Orient the new staff about the complaint and feedback response mechanism (CRM), and refresher training/orientation on CRM for all staff.
• Support partners to develop and implement CP policies if they don’t have one
• 4. Organizational learning & Capacity Building
• Establish and maintain a system for organisational learning (i.e. Develop and maintain a learning log and ensure learning points are embedded at policy and practice levels)
• Participate and contribute to the IRW-MEAL Community of Practice regularly.
• Develop a learning plan and learning tools/methods for all projects, programmes, and organization
• Coordinate with program management to budget and organize learning events regularly.
• Ensure the documentation of innovation projects and share results and impact with all stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to communicate programme/project learning and information sharing/learning exchanges with other actors
• Support Programme and communications departments in the development of relevant modules and resource materials to support quality programming
• Conduct orientation sessions around MEAL requirements and identify capacity-building needs around MEAL for Partner organizations.
• Supporting colleagues in utilizing MEAL tools for different interventionParticipate in the project design process as a team member to ensure prior internal and external learning, community-based and inclusive needs assessment, and evidence informs project design.
• Participate and circulate learnings and best practices in the Global MEAL Community of Practice
• 5. Reporting:
• Support to ensure the quality of the interim and final project reports.
• Contribute to generating quality research reports, monitoring and evaluation reports, field visit reports, and any other reports.
• To disseminate reports and study finding with country management.
• 6. Coordination and support to programme management
• Facilitate and lead the processes to ensure compliance with Core Humanitarian Standard and IHSAN Standards (IRW-Quality Management System).
• Ensure that relevant MEAL-related budgets are incorporated within project budgets in coordination with the programme, finance, and CD.
• Ensure coordination with research organizations, academicians, evaluators, consultants, MEAL capacity building networking institutions, etc.
• Write MEAL-related sections of each proposal submitted to any donor.
• Any other duties assigned by the Management.