The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities that support them, as well as with those who remain within their homes and communities. At-work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. IRC leads the way from harm to home. Began work in Ethiopia, 1999 in response to severe drought that happened in Ethiopia’s Somali region. Currently, providing assistance in ten different regions implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

‘PlayMatters’ is a consortium project, led by the IRC and includes Plan International, War Child Holland, Behavioral Insights Team, and Innovations for Poverty Action in partnership with the LEGO Foundation.

The PlayMatters project seeks to improve holistic learning and wellbeing outcomes for 200,000 refugee and host community learners aged 3-12 in Ethiopia. PlayMatters promotes an active teaching method that capitalizes on a child’s natural desire to engage in learning through play (LtP), focusing on building skills so that teachers and communities to intentionally plan to deliver contextually and age-appropriate guided play experiences to achieve specific learning objectives.

PlayMatters focuses on building skills for preprimary and primary teachers by delivering quality teachers training on LtP methods and practices, capacitating school principals and head teachers to lead school based continues professional development activities through coaching and mentoring, including peer learning mechanisms. Furthermore, the project works closely with school management to create a positive learning environment by engaging community members to create a linkage between school and community through relevant awareness- raising mobilization initiatives. In addition, PlayMatters seeks to create a safe and inclusive learning environment that enhances children’s creativity and wellbeing. PlayMatters generates scientific evidence that can transform our understanding of play and learning for refugees and host community children in Ethiopia.

Job Overview:

The Senior RMEAL Officer under the direct supervision of the Senior RMEAL Manager will be responsible for ensuring the project meets its learning, research, monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) commitments for the PlayMatters project. The incumbent will ensure the quality implementation of RMEAL activities including data collection, data entry and data analysis.

Major Responsibilities:

Research

• Ensure that data collected in alignment with the RMEAL Quality Standards, regional standards and donor requirement.
• Ensure consistency between MEAL database and Activity Reports
• Support on data entry and fulfill the data needs for all the projects
• Support quarterly reporting of key indicators
• Advise and support MEAL Team leaders and MEAL Manager to determine ways to improve the quality of data collection.
• Participate in the development of new templates for data collection and reporting
• Develop a MEAL data management guideline that will be applied to all programs and projects across the Mission.
• Monitor and assess the implementation of the guidelines and provide technical input
• Ensure data RMEAL data storage to CommCare platform
• Ensure backups and spot checks are done regularly on the data collection plans and mapping.
• Proposing and setting up any necessary measure to improve management of data.
• Provide input and learning to improve quality of data system
• Contribute to MEAL data analysis by cleaning data, preparing graph and analytic tables to communicate to RMEAL Team Leaders, MEAL Manager and MEAL Coordinator
• Responsible for collecting and reporting on project reporting tools
• Generate data for reporting and analysis as required e.g., donors reporting, internal reporting.
• Conduct regular assessment of information, data needs, structures, identify areas for action, propose solutions, and work closely with relevant operations and technical teams to undertake required actions
• Produce regular RMEAL factsheets / snapshots containing meaningful analysis of data as required.
• Produce RMEAL infographics, statistics, maps, and charts that are reader-friendly and adapted based on the target audience.
• Define project’s process indicators in IPTT tool, develop formulas to ensure each indicator is properly calculated the progress of the activity on a regular basis and agreed with the Programme team.

Job Requirements

Educational Requirements:

• 2 years of progressive, relevant work experience with first degree or diploma with
• 5 years in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Computer Science, Social
• Sciences, or related field from an accredited university.
• 1 year of relevant experience plus post graduate degree.

Preferred experience & skills:

• Advance Excel skills.
• Strong experience with data collection application Kobo and CommCare.
• Strong experience with Power BI.
• Proven experience with data analysis and management of large volumes of quantitative and qualitative data.
• Analytical skills.
• High level of computer literacy.

Language Skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Amharic as well as, an overall ability to be clear and concise in all communications.

Reporting

• · Reports to – Senior RMEAL Manager
• · Works Closely with- Field office RMEAL officers and Outcome leads.

Working Environment:

Travel: Expected travel 60% of the time

Office: This position will be based in the Addis Ababa office.