MEAL Coordinator – Iraq At INTERSOS

INTERSOS is an independent humanitarian organization that assists the victims of natural disasters, armed conflicts and exclusion. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people.

Terms of reference

Job Title: MEAL Coordinator

Code: SR-29-2790

Duty station: Erbil -with regular visit in all the field bases at level of KRI and GOI areas

Starting date: 20/03/2023

Contract duration: 6 months

Reporting to: Head of Mission

Supervision of: MEAL Department (1 MEAL Manager and Officers)

Dependents: Accompanied duty station

General context of the project

INTERSOS has been present in Iraq since 2003 and currently operates across Ninewa, Salah Al Din (SAD), Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah Governorates. INTERSOS thematic sectors of intervention are Protection, Education and Health. The INTERSOS coordination office is in Erbil with bases located in Tikrit, Mosul, Telafar and Sulaymaniyah and programming presence in other areas of Ninewa, SAD and the Kurdistan region. As of mid-2022, INTERSOS Iraq has 300 national staff, 18 expat staff and 200 volunteers. By applying an integrated programmatic approach, INTERSOS provides lifesaving services and supports durable solutions for women, men, girls and boys in IDP, refugee and host communities in its areas of intervention.​

General purpose of the position

Under the supervision of the HoM, the MEAL Coordinator will supervise the MEAL Unit in the INTERSOS Iraq Mission, ensuring strong coordination with Program and technical units.

S/he will accomplish this through leading the development and implementation of an integrated MEAL framework for the Program implemented in Iraq, focusing on mentoring and/or building capacities of relevant programme, M&E and Accountability staff, as well as promoting and fostering a culture of shared learning and accountability, and promoting innovation within the programme. This includes the development and integration of accountability, learning and programme quality standards in programme assessments, design, monitoring, review and evaluation as well as consistent documentation of learning and progress in this area.

The MEAL Coordinator is expected to lead on MEAL system implementation and improvement including monitoring, accountability initiatives, support evaluations, compile lessons learnt, MEAL budgeting and recruitment.

Main responsibilities and tasks

Under the supervision of INTERSOS Head of Mission, the MEAL Coordinator will be responsible of the following:

• MEAL Strategy at Mission Level and Programme Support:
• Support HoM in mainstreaming MEAL elements in the Country Strategy and recommendations for the organisation’s strategic direction.
• Support all programme teams in the design of SMART indicators, targets, and MEAL systems/activities for project proposals
• Liaise with HQ focal points on the improvement and use of MEAL tools, including the Project Appraisal Tool, integrated into MEAL systems at mission level

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning:

• Finalize the piloting and roll out of a vulnerability scoring system at mission level
• Supervise MEAL officers in developing and implementing project level MEAL plans, and providing regular monitoring data through M&E activities, including site visits, distribution and post distribution monitoring, satisfaction surveys, etc.
• Design and manage the implementation of internal evaluations or baseline assessments and lead workshops with programme teams for learning
• When relevant, draft TORs and liaise with third party providers for external evaluations
• Continue and increase use of visualizations as a means of analysis of regularly collected data for monitoring and learning (either directly or through MEAL team)
• Develop and roll out mechanism for programme and mission level monitoring of relevant trends using existing and regularly collected beneficiary data
• In collaboration with the Mission’s Community Engagement Specialist, Gender Specialist and other relevant colleagues, develop and strengthen Mission assessment tools focusing on promoting an integrated approach with a strong focus on community consultation.

Information Management:

• Continue to develop and roll out beneficiary databases and platforms within active sectors (e.g. legal platform)
• Collaborate with programme teams through integration and regular updating of dashboards and development of innovative solutions to data management and flow
• Supervise monthly reporting of mission data through INTERSOS online reporting system
• Maintain and expand use of internal information management website

Accountability:

• Responsible for supervision of the INTERSOS complaint and feedback response mechanism (CFRM), with a focus on improving equitable access and timely processing of complaints
• Lead and participate in investigations into alleged misconduct, when delegated to do so by the HoM, in a confidential, sensitive, and ethical manner in line with INTERSOS SOPs
• Manage the implementation refresher trainings at mission level on the CFRM and contribute to fostering a commitment to accountability across the all levels of the mission
• Provide regular analysis of complaints and feedback to programme teams to foster organizational learning and improvement
• Support programme unit to ensure that the overall program includes strategies and mechanisms for promoting high level of community participation.

Management and Capacity Building:

• Support in the recruitment and management of staff (induction, performance management and training)
• Identify learning and training opportunities for MEAL staff and work as a mentor for both senior and less experienced staff
• Conduct technical trainings on MEAL topics, e.g. data collection tools, research methods, analysis, and accountability, for all MEAL staff
• Strengthen organizational capacity to manage, use, and analyse data through trainings of field staff on information management and data analysis

Required profile and experience

Education

A university degree at the postgraduate level in: Statistics, Information management, Social Science, Demography, Social studies or other relevant field​

Professional Experience

• At least 3 years of experience of working internationally in humanitarian programmes;
• Significant years of experience in MEAL-related roles

Professional Requirements

• Previous experience of managing a team
• Experience of training and capacity building, preferably in supporting nationalizations of senior MEAL positions
• Experience in establishing and supporting systems of community participation and accountability
• Strong reporting skills and excellent communication (written and verbal) abilities
• Excellent use of Excel and Microsoft Office and other IT tools

Languages

• Fluency in English with excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Arabic language skills are a considerable asset

Personal Requirements

• Problem solver, dynamic, mature
• Pro-active approach to work
• Able to work independently as well as being a strong team player
• Flexible, stress-resilient and able to work under pressure
• Ability to communicate effectively with variety of people, and express oneself in a clear and concise way
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills, and ability to work in a multicultural environment.