Background
Catholic Relief Services has worked in Uganda since 1965, initially providing emergency assistance to Sudanese refugees living in the north. Over the years, CRS has expanded its programming to also address development needs in western, central and eastern Uganda. CRS’ projects in Uganda currently include agriculture, health (including OVC), microfinance, peacebuilding and youth. CRS Uganda implements its programs through partnerships with local organizations, including the Catholic Church, other faith-based organizations and community entities for maximum impact and sustainability. Program value for the FY2016 year is estimated to be approximately $15 million USD, with funding from USAID, USAID/DCOF, MasterCard Foundation, DFID, GAVI Alliance and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Corporation.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) is essential to ensure the quality of any programs by both capturing and understanding project progress with the aim of monitoring and evaluating project progress toward goals and objectives, to foster a learning environment and to support adaptive management through the use of reliable and real-time project information.
Primary role
The MEAL Program Manager will serve as the Head of the MEAL Department in the Uganda country program (CP), coordinate communication on MEAL/Information Communication, Technology, for Development (ICT4D) across the CP, liaise with external MEAL/ICT4D actors, facilitate capacity building opportunities for CP staff on MEAL and the integration of ICT4D solutions to support real-time information management of quality data and play a key role in the hiring of new department staff and other department related human resources issues. The MEAL Program Manager will also support new project design efforts, operationalize MEAL plans and provide additional ad hoc support as requested by specific programs. The MEAL Program Manager supports program design workshops to elaborate measurable results frameworks and designs program specific MEAL plans and MEAL budgets based on the results framework.
The purpose of this position is to coordinate the country program’s efforts in MEAL and ICT4D, while strengthening CRS Uganda’s MEAL capacity throughout the country program, and to ensure systematic systems for each project that feed into a country MEAL system. The MEAL Program Manager will be responsible for providing guidance, leadership and technical support in strengthening the management information systems that facilitate accurate analysis of program performance and impact. S/he will work to improve CRS Uganda programs quality in utilizing project MEAL tools and standards. S/he will support the strengthening of CRS Uganda staff, and indirectly partner staff, capacity in utilizing project MEAL tools and methodologies. S/he will keep abreast of MEAL approaches to ensure the use of technically appropriate monitoring and evaluation models and information systems. S/he will be based in the Kampala and have an effective coordination of the MEAL Department. The position will require travel up to 40% of LOE.
Primary Responsibilities
MEAL coordination across the country program
1. Lead the development and coordination of the MEAL Department in Uganda
2. Provide guidance to CRS staff in the design and enhancement of MEAL tools, protocols, surveys and evaluation instruments to strengthen quality data collection, analysis and reporting on projects indicators in adherence to CRS MEAL policies and procedures.
3. Actively contribute to the recruitment process through participation in job description development, short-listing candidates, interviews and the development of written tests for all new MEAL department staff to ensure effective integration of MEAL competencies.
4. Coordinate the integration of ICT4D in MEAL activities to optimize programmatic efficiency and effectiveness through data collection and management, and to take advantage of complementary efficiencies gained in program implementation.
MEAL/ICT4D in project design
1. Coordinate timely needs assessments and provide technical oversight to map needs and opportunities in project design.
2. Design project-level Theories of Change (TOC), Results Frameworks, Program Frameworks (ProFrame) and MEAL narratives and budgets for proposals, involving partners.
3. Support CRS project teams and partners in the development of DIPs and MEAL components (IPTT, PMP) in alignment with CRS MEAL policies and procedures and donor requirements.
4. Collaborate with program managers and partners to identify their MEAL related needs and allocate resources accordingly.
5. Adapts MEAL principles, approaches, systems and tools in emergency contexts to ensure timely data for project decision-making and demonstrating project attainment of objectives.
Supporting program monitoring and evaluation
1. Leads the design and implement monitoring systems according as per CRS MEAL policies and procedures and donor MEAL requirements.
2. Promote the effective use of CRS program quality (PQ) tools and manuals.
3. Provide support to MEAL staff to develop and maintain a MEAL operating manual for each project to facilitate timely evidence-based analysis and reporting on project data to feed into management decisions to support adaptive management strategies.
4. Ensure the collection and reporting on standard indicators for the regional strategy, as well as common indicators for each of the Country Programs’ (CP) sectoral strategies.
5. Develop terms of reference (TOR) for studies and scope of work (SOW) for consultants to conduct external special studies, reviews and project evaluations, review evaluation tools and methodology and ensure the necessary level of technical rigor as per donor and MEAL policies and Procedures.
6. Secures human resources for evaluations based on profile descriptions, including external consultancies, to support quality evaluation and review events as per donor requirements and MEAL policies and procedures.
7. Coordinates administrative and logistical processes of evaluations and reviews.
8. Assist CRS Uganda staff in writing and reviewing quality, evidence-based MEAL reports.
9. Ensure quality management (and archiving) of evaluation data.
10. Ensure the conduct and implementation of periodic data quality assessments
Fostering an environment of learning and accountability
1. Supports the CRS Uganda programming team in development and implementation of country program learning agenda
2. Lead PQ learning reflections for staff throughout the CP as needs identified and based on project evaluations and special studies as outlined by project MEAL plans.
3. Promote and support regular review of project progress via Learning to Action Discussions (LADs) and stand-alone learning reflections.
4. Support CRS Uganda in its institutional learning through the development of effective learning systems and processes.
5. Support CRS Uganda in development and implementation of knowledge management systems
6. Guide CRS programming team to develop and implement comprehensive accountability mechanisms that ensure voices of beneficiary and other stakeholders are heard and integrated into programming.
7. Facilitate sharing of good practices and lessons learned within CRS at the CP, regional and agency levels
Supporting Agency strategy in MEAL and ICT4D
1. Manage the coordination of the CP MEAL department in alignment with emerging and changing agency priorities and the agency strategy.
2. Lead the CP to develop and operationalize its own MEAL and ICT4D strategies to meet CP needs.
3. Serve as the focal point for ICT4D at the CP to coordinate with GKIM on ICT4D integration in CP programming, in particular for MEAL initiatives.
A
gency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
1. Serves with Integrity
2. Models Stewardship
3. Cultivates Constructive Relationships
4. Promotes Learning
MEAL Competencies specific for this position
1. MEAL in Design: Developing project-level TOC, Results Frameworks, ProFrames, related MEAL system tools and components, and accompanying MEAL narratives.
2. Monitoring: Implementing monitoring activities, including timely collection of quality data, set up and maintenance of databases, facilitation of participatory reflection on monitoring results and submission of timely progress reports.
3. Evaluation: Supporting project and program evaluations and reviews by ensuring the quality of evaluation methods, tools, and data and facilitating the use of evaluation results to inform decision-making and enhance learning
4. Accountability: Improving our accountability to a range of stakeholders through increased participation, transparent communication, responsive feedback mechanisms and adherence to internal and external quality standards and requirements.
5. Learning: Promoting excellent knowledge management and collaborative learning processes at the project, program and institutional levels, generating robust evidence for project and programmatic learning that leads to action, decision-making and influence.
6. Analysis and Critical Thinking: Engaging with data, challenging biases and assumptions, posing thoughtful questions, pursuing deeper understanding of evidence through reflection and perspective-taking, and making informed programming decisions.
7. ICT for MEAL: Applying knowledge on information and communication technologies (ICT), both hardware and software, for opportune and accurate data collection, database management and conducting timely analysis.
Program Manager Competencies
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
1. Sets clear goals and manages toward them
2. Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders
3. Manages financial resources with integrity
4. Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning
Supervision and Coaching/mentoring Responsibilities
The MEAL Program Manager directly supervises MEAL staff and participate in the hiring and supervision either directly or indirectly of future MEAL staff. Additionally, s/he will provide support in mentoring support to all MEAL staff and will review their annual performance appraisals
Key Working Relationships
Internal: Country Representative, Head of Programs, Deputy Head of Programs, Business Development Specialist, MEAL Department staff, Operations Team, East Africa Regional Office (EARO) DRD/PQ, EARO Regional Technical Advisors for MEAL.
External: National and international NGOs; regional and international research agencies; civil authorities; donors; and, UN agencies.
Qualifications
1. Master’s degree in one of the following: international development, international affairs, public affairs or related field with an analytic focus (e.g. statistical and economic analysis)
2. Ten years’ experience working in a development setting preferably with an international NGO, with at least five years of experience working in MEAL and at least two years of experience as a supervisor; ICT4D experience preferred
3. Proven ability to establish, maintain and use MEAL systems from project design to implementation (including work with results frameworks and theories of change) as well as building staff capacity to utilize systems.
4. Knowledge of program quality standards, MEAL standards, Catholic Social Teaching and the justice lens preferred
5. Experience in project design, project management and MEAL
6. Capacity to work closely, understand and support local Church partners
7. Familiarity with M&E policies, procedures and priorities of USAID, DFID, UN agencies and Caritas agencies preferred
8. Native level English written and oral communication skills
9. Experience in staff development and partner capacity building required
10. Experience in designing and overseeing the implementation of program evaluations and the use of evaluation findings to support program managers with adaptive management
11. Detail-oriented and excellent time management skills
12. Ability to meet deadlines and deliver required results in a timely and quality manner.
13. Strong computer skills: Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Publisher), SPSS/STATA, ACCESS and Visual Basics
Disclaimer Clause:
This job description is not an exhaustive list of skills, effort, duties and responsibilities associated with the position.CRS’ recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation. “I understand that CRS takes all allegations of abuse and exploitation seriously. Abuse or exploitation of children or vulnerable adults is grounds for immediate dismissal.”
Only selected candidates that meet the requirements will be notified. INTERNAL APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY WITHIN THE FIRST 10 DAYS OF POSTING. EOE/M/F/D/V
HOW TO APPLY:
Please submit cover letter, CV and three work references (names and contact information only) toug_recruitment@crs.org by 9th August, 2016.