HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation is an independent development organization based in Switzerland and it has been operating for the last 65 years worldwide. HELVETAS is registered in Ethiopia as foreign organization with the Agency for Civil Society Organization to operate in the areas of Rural Infrastructure, Natural Resource Management, Support to CSO and Local Governments, Skill Development & Education and Emergency Response. See also. www.helvetas.org.

Job Purposes

The purpose of the MEAL officer is to design and maintain the M&E system of the TRAIL project. Under the supervision of the Senior Expert-MEAL and Project Manager the officer will set up the MEAL System for the projects and will have ultimate responsibility in maintaining the system, strengthening the system overtime and building capacity of project and government staff to utilize the system. This includes collecting, compiling and analyzing relevant data. The MEAL officer will contribute to document lessons learned as the project evolves and share key lessons within and outside the organization. The MEAL officer provides technical backstopping, organizing trainings in the areas of learning development and knowledge management. The position holder will work closely with other project staffs, country office staffs, staffs in other project offices to ensure the cross fertilization of learning, pulling information required, organize capacity building trainings to staff, take assignments as a teammate. The position holder can be assigned to multiple projects in her/his duty station when it is necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The MEAL officer will be responsible:

• To setup and maintain the MEAL system for the projects he is assigned for
• To follow progress of target outputs and outcome for Helvetas projects at the Field office.
• To ensure quality project data collection, analysis and provision of real time data set to project managers and update the country office level database on quarterly basis.
• To coordinate studies to establish performance values and demonstrate best practices for process and capture positive changes on the lives and livelihood of the project beneficiaries.
• To encourage innovation, effective learning, and knowledge management of projects for further scaling up and institutionalization.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Planning and Monitoring (30%)

• Develops standard formats for the planning of project activities.
• Ensures the communication of MEAL concepts within the organization, with partners and other stakeholders
• Support the project managers in consolidating periodic (quarterly, bi-annual and annual) plans for all projects.
• Leads the implementation of the MEAL plan and develops analytical monitoring report and share with the project management including consortium members.
• Monitors the quality of project implementation at field level and provides feedback to the project team and management.
• Supports project managers with review of periodic reports.

2. Evaluation and Learning (30%)

• Plays a central role in supporting assessments and studies (baseline, mid-term and final evaluations) for projects.
• Following respective studies, develops summary for study findings and fact sheet for improved planning, decisions and sharing to relevant users,
• Promotes participatory learning with relevant actors including communities.
• Together with the country program Senior MEAL Expert develops and implements at least two learning agenda on practices and befits of facilitation, partnership, collaboration for respective projects.
• Establish internal cross- learning platform for all project staff (program and support) in quarterly basis
• Document and share case stories and best practices for projects during different reporting periods.

3. Knowledge management and sharing (30%)

• Keeps paper based and/or digitalized essential documents (proposals, periodic performance and study reports for ongoing and completed projects as per organizational needs.
• Facilitates knowledge generating and sharing platforms for integration of learnings with in the Helvetas projects, other implementing partners and other stakeholders.
• Regularly generates and shares relevant updates on operating context, policy and new development strategies to relevant audience in the form of fact sheet and learning brief.
• Submits as required updated data set of projects and other national or global facts to validate Helvetas country strategy performance indicators.

4. Undertake any tasks assigned by supervisor as required (10%)

• The MEAL officer will carry out other reasonable duties as assigned by her/his supervisor.
• Coordinate MEAL of other regions as required.

Job Requirements

Qualifications and competencies include:

• BA Degree in Social Sciences or related field with at least 5 years’ relevant experience in development cooperation.
• Sound knowledge and experience in the concepts and application of theory of change, results measurement, and monitoring systems.
• Coaching and mentoring of other professionals on monitoring and evaluation systems development.
• Proven experience in supporting learning programs and organizational dialogue.
• Proven ability in accountability towards external audiences and working with government and external support agencies on dissemination of development results.
• Strong conceptual thinker and coach with excellent reporting and writing skills (English).
• Result-oriented personality meeting deadlines with conceptual and analytical strength.
• Ability to work with data sets and information sources with pragmatism and able to work in teams as well as independently.
  Working Condition:
• This job will require fieldwork in Borana zone – Oromia region, the incumbent will be expected to regularly travel to project working areas to perform her/his task.