Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Manager at Save The Children

Save the Children invests in childhood - every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. By transforming children's lives now, we change the course of their future and ours. Please give monthly and support our mission. Save the Children is working to strengthen health systems and support maternal and child health in four northern states. Much work needs to be done for Nigeria to deliver its promises on Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 (which aim to reduce child mortality and improve maternal health) before 2015. Facts About Nigeria More than 173 Million people live there The average girl stays in school only until she's 9 123 out of 1000 children die before their 5th birthday A parent earns an average of just $4 a day Our Work Save the Children has been working in Nigeria since 2001. We're helping to improve health systems in northern Nigeria to delivery maternal, newborn, and child health services, including the revival of routine immunization.

ROLE PURPOSE: 

The MEAL Manager leads the MEAL functions across Save the Children’s programs in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states. The role is responsible for designing and implementing robust MEAL systems, ensuring quality data collection processes, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making. A critical aspect of this role is leading knowledge management and learning processes in close collaboration with the knowledge management advisor, ensuring that lessons learned, and best practices are systematically captured, shared, and applied to enhance program effectiveness. She/He will mentor and build the capacity of MEAL staff, oversee evaluations and research, and ensure that feedback mechanisms inform ongoing and future programming. Additionally, the role involves engaging with stakeholders, supporting proposal development, and ensuring the inclusion of marginalized groups, particularly children, in all aspects of program evaluation, learning, and knowledge management.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Lead the integration of MEAL into program design, ensuring that MEAL frameworks, log frames, and indicators are embedded from the outset and aligned with donor and SCI requirements.
• Develop and implement standardized MEAL plans and quality benchmarks ensuring consistency across projects.
• Ensure ongoing data quality assurance through regular audits, spot checks, and validation processes to maintain the integrity and reliability of MEAL data.
• Lead the planning and execution of research, assessments, and evaluations (including baseline, midline, and end-line), using findings to inform program improvements and strategic decision-making.
• Ensure that projects are updated on SCI Project Reporting, Information management & Evidence System (PRIME) and reflect on the Project-on-track dashboard and that projects are using the relevant MEAL Project Management Methodology (PMM) tools 
• Coordinate and deliver targeted trainings for MEAL and program staff on data collection methodologies, ICT solutions, and both quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Support on planning and managing internal or external program evaluations.
• Support the development of donor reports, prepare monthly/quarterly progress reports and statistics as well as mid-/final reports to stakeholders.
• Advise and put in place a system for promoting transparency and accountability Plan for stakeholders.

Accountability:

• Lead the setup and utilization of accountability mechanisms in supported communities.
• Ensure the project is implementing the 3 pillars of Accountability - Information sharing, participation and feedback & reporting and providing relevant documentation.
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and SCI Code of Conduct, as well as Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability.
• Ensure that learning from Accountability data especially from the Feedback & Response Mechanism (FRM) & participation activities are used in project adaptation

Knowledge Management & Learning:

• Bring together data and findings from across projects to form a coherent basis for the analysis of impact which promotes learning and strategy development.
• Promote use of SCI Knowledge management platforms across the various projects
• Support the formulation of key project learning questions that will help to advance the evidence base. 
• Stay informed about MEAL sector trends and developments, adapting and promoting new methodologies, technologies, and best practices.
• Collaborate with programs and advocacy colleagues to feed learning and evidence into relevant advocacy objectives

Safeguarding:

• Demonstrate, promote, and raise awareness of SCI Safeguarding policy and the Code of Good Conduct (among children, employees, partners, beneficiaries, etc.)
• Ensure Safeguarding risk assessments are done for all MEAL activities that involve children
• Include questions about safeguarding and safe programming issues in monitoring and evaluation tools (such as Quality Benchmarks, Post Distribution Monitoring tools, Endlines, etc.).

Staff Management & Coaching:

• Oversee the MEAL teams in the BAY states, providing high-quality technical leadership, support, and capacity building to ensure robust MEAL practices across all program areas. 
• Identify learning and training needs for MEAL staff and support in capacity building and mentoring initiatives. 
• Support the implementation of the SCI performance management system, by supporting, supervising, and reviewing the performance of direct reports.
• Support in building capacity of local partners on MEAL

General:

• Support in ensuring that Save the Children's work is coordinated with the efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children.
• Participate in interagency coordinated joint MEAL activities (for instance, inter-agency working group).
• Comply with Save the Children policies and practices with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities, and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Any other duties emerge as CO priorities relevant to the position

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Master’s degree or it’s equivalent in a relevant subject 
• Minimum of 6 years' work experience in MEAL including in large-scale, complex emergencies generating high volumes of data where the technical capacity of MEAL staff is varied and coordination between MEAL/sector teams is a challenge. 
• Experience of working in the North-East Region of Nigeria on Humanitarian &/or Development Projects
• Experience working in at least one of the five SCI global thematic areas required (Child Protection, Child Poverty, Child Rights Governance, Education, Health & Nutrition). 
• Ability to manage team work plans virtually & in contexts where workload is high, and priorities shift frequently
• Highly organized, with the ability to juggle multiple tasks to meet tight deadlines
• Excellent interpersonal skills, flexibility, adaptability, and ability to work effectively as a member of a team. 
• Proven capacity to supervise, train and coach staff
• Significant understanding of development of MIS and data and information management as well as experience in the use of data analysis software
• Highly developed influencing, communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to communicate technical issues effectively and persuasively.

Method of Application

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