Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an International non-governmental organization supporting relief and development work in over 99 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons on the basis of need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs, therefore, strengthening and building the capacity of these partner organizations is fundamental to programs in every country in which CRS operates. CRS has been active in Ghana since 1958 and is currently implementing programs in the areas of Health and Agriculture/Livelihoods.

Job Title: MEAL Manager/Coordinator
Area of Interest: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning and Knowledge Management

Job Description
The purpose of this position is to manage, strengthen, and provide strategic direction to the Ghana Country Program MEAL system, ensuring cross-learning in MEAL among projects, and to build capacity of MEAL staff. The MEAL Manager will be responsible for supervising MEAL activities, from the assessments needed during proposal development, to project start up, through implementation and closeout.

The MEAL Manager will work closely with CRS program teams and partner staff to develop high quality monitoring systems and tools which address indicators set out in project proposals. He/she will ensure that learning from projects is systematically captured and used throughout the country program. He/she will also take learning needs into account, and develop and conduct capacity building for MEAL and program staff, with support of the HoP and the RTA for M&E.

The MEAL Manager is expected to have a high level of self-initiative and use critical thinking skills to identify and fill gaps. The MEAL Manager will also work closely with the Head of Programs (HoP) to ensure that the Ghana program complies with the agency’s regional and global MEAL systems and standards. The MEAL Manager should have the ability to, work sensitively and positively with programming teams and promote a learning environment – success of the post relies on this.

Specific Responsibilities:
MEAL Strategy & Design

•   Ensure that the Ghana Country Program MEAL systems are in compliance with CRS’ global and regional policies, procedures, standards, and strategic initiatives
•   Provide strategic direction for the development and maintenance of MEAL systems, and the roll-out of new initiatives
•   Support Program Managers and MEAL team/working group members in the design and implementation of assessments, gender analysis, stakeholder analysis, organizational capacity assessments, and other pre-program data collection and analysis
•   Provide strategic high level feedback, analysis and interpretation throughout the proposal development process
•   Develop and review Results Frameworks, ProFrames, M&E Plans, and Analysis Plans
•   Ensure the consistency of tools and indicators across all offices, sectors, and programs as appropriate, maintaining a bank of key program indicators
•   Support programming staff to incorporate participatory methods into community level M&E systems and tools
•   Collect and analyze lessons learned and best practices from previous and ongoing programs capturing the impact of activities, and ensure that these are incorporated into the design of new projects
•   Leverage lessons learned, best practices, program data, evaluations, and other information to generate donor communication pieces, proposal annexes, success stories, case studies, and other high-quality, results-based documentation
•   Ensure that all programs comply with the CRS accountability framework
•   Work with senior management to identify and pursue strategic opportunities for program development, expansion, etc.

MEAL Implementation

•   Lead emergency real-time evaluations, internal end-of-project evaluations, needs assessments, baselines, impact studies, case studies, and other evaluation efforts
•   Lead project monitoring design initiatives including: tool design, data collection processes, and analysis methods using the SMILER method
•   Manage agency driven MEAL inquiries, requirements i.e. end of year beneficiary counts, etc.
•   Contribute to donor proposals and reports, through high quality analysis of reports and interpretation of data
•   Support the MEAL team in strategically preparing and reviewing MEAL calendars
•   Develop MEAL operation manuals to ensure that they are complete, up-to-date, high quality, and contain tools, data flow maps, and analysis plans that address all information needed for program quality and donor reporting
•   Support learning-to-action events and reflection sessions to systematically analyze data for programmatic use, and to document and incorporate lessons learned into program design and implementation
•   Ensure that MEAL and program teams regularly review and accordingly adjust MEAL plans and tools in the light of changes and needs in the field context based on monitoring data and reflection sessions
•   Ensure that transparent high quality accountability mechanisms are in place for all programs and are regularly monitored and evaluated
•   Ensure that beneficiary feedback is adequately captured, addressed, analyzed, and utilized by program teams
•   Lead CRS teams in conducting internal impact and sustainability evaluations, and supporting external impact and sustainability evaluations

Capacity Strengthening

•   Lead the CRS Ghana  MEAL Community of Practice to share learning, resources, and support across offices
•   Implement and manage the CRS Partnership Scorecard initiative for the Ghana country program
•   Develop and co-facilitate MEAL workshops and modules for staff and partners to share country program, regional, and global MEAL tools, processes, and best practices to cultivate a culture of learning
•   Conduct orientations for new MEAL and program staff on CRS systems and key MEAL resources
•   Provide mentoring/accompaniment to CRS and partner staff to increase capacity and to achieve annual performance and development plans
•   Remain updated with developments among the CRS MEAL community and worldwide MEAL trends and resources, and ensure that the Ghana MEAL team is applying CRS MEAL guidance and policies appropriately and in a timely manner
•   Conduct field monitoring visits events frequently with project teams and implementing partners
•   Provide feedback to senior project and MEAL staff to improve the overall MEAL system and ensure quality implementation of MEAL activities

ICT for MEAL

•   Support MEAL and programming teams to develop strong project tracking, record keeping and filing methodologies for all activities
•   Work with MEAL and IT staff to maximize the value and utility of ICT4MEAL initiatives including the use of iFormBuilder, Farmbook, Klipfolio, and/or the roll out of similar initiatives

Qualification Required & Experience

•   Master’s degree in a field related to international development
•   At least two years of managerial experience with an NGO (experience with INGO preferred); in addition to significant MEAL/M&E experience
•   Experience working with large donors i.e.: USAID, ECHO and BMGF
•   Familiarity with principles and current approaches to MEAL of development programs using both quantitative and qualitative methods, especially those of USAID
•   Experience with participatory MEAL systems
•   Proficiency in database development/management, SPSS, EPI-Info, Access, Excel and skills in analyzing, interpreting and communicating information to various stakeholders
•   Experience using ICT for data collection high desired; willingness to learn if no direct experience
•   Significant experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative assessments and surveys (including sound understanding of sampling issues)
•   Experience using appreciative inquiry and conflict sensitivity techniques
•   Previous experience with leading and managing studies and consultants
•   Experience with facilitation, capacity strengthening and partnership building, with the capacity to empower staff through opportunities for growth & development
•   Ability to transfer knowledge through formal and informal training
•   Supervisory experience and management and team building skills
•   Excellent planning and organization skills
•   Flexibility to work both in a team and independently
•   Cultural sensitivity, patience and flexibility
•   Demonstrated personal accountability and driven to serve others
•   Strong written and spoken  English
•   Professional fluency in French is highly desirable
•   Excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to work well with people, good judgment and commitment to CRS’ mission
•   Willingness to travel

Agency-wide Competencies (specific for this position):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

The following are specific to this position:

•   Serves with Integrity
•   Develops Constructive Relationships
•   Models Stewardship
•   Competencies
•   Set clear goals and  work  towards achieving them
•   Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders
•   Manages financial resources with integrity
•   Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning

Personal Skills

•   Experience in training and providing technical support to partners and other officers
•   Excellent English and oral communication skills especially
•   Strong team building skills as well as  Willingness to travel in the field

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

To apply for this position, please submit your CV and letter of interest to:

GH_jobs@global.crs.org

Closing Date: 14 February, 2014

Application must be saved with this format:- Application.CV.(Name). MEAL Coordinator. CRS Ghana

This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position

•   CRS is an equal opportunity employer.
•   Female candidates meeting position requirements are strongly encouraged to apply Deadline for application.