Job Description
The Senior MEAL Officer role is pivotal in the MEAL System of the TeachWell (TW) Project. Under the direct supervision and the technical guidance of MEAL Advisor, the SMEAL will be responsible for the implementation of the MEAL system across the consortium. This entails seamless tracking of project results through collection, analysis and converting data into strategic information for reporting, learning, adaptation, visualization and dissemination.
With the guidance of the MEAL plan, the SMEAL Officer will adapt, develop and oversee digitization of data collection tools with support of the MEAL technology Manager and MEAL Officers. He/ She ensures the data requirements for the MEAL system are met in scope, quality and objectivity. To achieve this, SMEAL works closely with MEAL Advisor and the consortium MEAL counterparts ensuring that tools are developed, tested, digitized with accuracy, validated and deployed for collection of both survey and case data. The position also covers the review and operationalization of client feedback mechanisms through deployment of tools, data capture and analysis of feedback across the outcome areas. The SMEAL officer will continuously train the respective consortium counterparts, programme staff on new tools and applications for data collection uniformity across the consortium.
On a routine basis, the SMEAL Officer will analyze data from the MEAL system and studies for project adaptation feedback and reporting. This entails working closely with the MEAL Advisor and consortium members to identify analytical needs and priorities. Upon analysis, the SMEAL Officer will prepare and jointly review the Metadata in readiness for visualization in PowerBi Dashboard. Further action will be in assisting the MEAL Advisor in the counterpart review of research tools and emergent data ensuring fidelity to standard methodologies and Research protocols.
Key Responsibilities
The SMEAL officer oversees the implementation of the TW MEAL system through technical support of all components within the consortium. The specific roles include,
MEAL Planning
- With program team and MEAL counterparts support the MEAL Advisor with review of the MEAL plan and align it to TW data needs and any donor recommendations
- Support the development of differentiated MEAL work plans from consortium partners and consolidate into one MEAL activity plan
- Track implementation of work plan through bilateral engagements, MEAL Sub-groups meeting and other technical forums
- Alignment, harmonization of MEAL activities with project workplans, Research & Learning and common activities implemented under grant 1
- Development of consortium quarterly MEAL activity plans with a view to harmonization for project impact planning
Performance Monitoring and Tracking
- Monitor progress in all outcome areas of the project using the MEAL plan and processes as outlined in the workplan
- With MEAL Technology Manager, track performance of Teacher Training from intake through in-house training, post training follow-up and post training tracing for each cohort
- Working closely with the WASH Team to review and ensure the tools are in place to track performance in schools against the various indicators
- Using Indicator tracking tools, gather, analyze and update the indicator tracking tool and Key Performance indicators on a quarterly basis
- Undertake differentiated analysis of indicators allocated to partners and follow up bilateral engagements on observed trends
- Provide technical support in joint TW planning bringing together the Ministry of Education collaborators and the consortium partners
Evaluation and Learning
- Conduct of surveys and needs assessments such as baseline, midline end line, and the roll-out of evaluations across the consortium
- Integrate qualitative tools in monitoring to generate stories and project learnings from teachers, learners and other beneficiaries
- Work with MEAL Advisor to integrate learning from Research & Learning partner and MEAL data for adaptive feedback
- Document project highlights and best practices for reporting and other purposes
Data Management
- Transform data into analyzable format through cleaning, sub-setting and statistical analysis
- Ensure all project data is captured in appropriate tools to track indicators with flexibility for further analysis
- Review the existing Teacher Continuous Capacity Development tools in consultation with LWF and RTI with a view of profiling, registering teachers, training attendance monitoring, classroom observations with complete sets of case data
- Maintain data sets of WASH data with school learner, teacher and community and other activities collected with digitized tools in Commcare in retrievable format
- Periodic development and roll-out of tools for emergency response and generate data to track results to schools, teachers and learners
- Gather all case data and relevant data from the consortium partners and maintain in retrievable formats for ease of further analysis, quality assurance, audit and other utilities
- With MEAL Advisor undertake data quality assurance on selected data sources
- Sub-set data for consortium partner requirements, annual statistics and other reporting requirements.
- Provide secretarial support and follow-up to the MEAL sub-working group
Client Feedback and Accountability
- Work with MEAL Officers and Client Responsiveness team to oversee a functional client response mechanism
- Lead client satisfaction surveys targeting teachers, learners, communities and disseminate feedback
- Analyze client feedback data from the registry and provide feedback to the consortium
MEAL Capacity Sharing
- Assess MEAL training needs for the MEAL System across the consortium
- Organize user training to roll out new tools and onboarding of additional staff in use of tools and platforms
- With MEAL Tech Manager ensure that tablets are configured with appropriate tools linked to datasets
- Update skills requirements to work with other consortium platforms such as Mshule, Survey CTO and other tools used by partners for ease of data sharing
Leadership and Partnership
- Represent the MEAL team in MEAL technical meetings within the consortium and other bilateral engagements on a need basis
- Disseminate learnings and feedback to partners
- Provide technical supervision and support to the MEAL Officers
- Coordinate MEAL activities with MEAL counterparts at IRC for harmonized implementation
- Provide secretarial support and follow-up to the MEAL sub-working group
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Education, Statistics, Economics or related Social Sciences. A Post Graduate qualification in Education Statistics or Research, Measurement, Assessments, Evaluation or Data Science is preferred.
- The candidate must have a minimum of 3 yrs of MEAL experience in the education sector with a strong bias towards quantitative data management skills.
- At least 5 years of concrete experience in MEAL and/or Research, data management; collection and analysis, storage and reporting.
- Personal qualities: promote collaboration and coordination within and across teams, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, extremely flexible and adaptable, ability to contribute across multiple activities and departments.
Required Experience & Competencies:
- Good knowledge of Monitoring and Evaluation technologies, techniques, approaches and methodologies in Education Programmes software and methodology along with key platforms (CommCare, ONA, Power BI, KOBO and/or ODK).
- Proficiency in use of Stata, SPSS, R or other statistical software
- Demonstrated experience to develop and apply tools for measurement of progress in Education projects
- Experience working in consortium projects preferred
- Strong ability to work independently, organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.
- Strong presentation, facilitation and capacity sharing skills
