Area MEAL Officer at CARE

CARE seeks a world of hope, inclusion and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live in dignity and security. CARE provides cross-border humanitarian assistance in Syria, and refugee assistance within southern Turkey to people affected by the Syrian crisis. In response to CARE increased Syrian response cross-border humanitarian works the program is now endeavoring to undertake an inside NW Syria direct implementation to address humanitarian needs, enhance the quality of our programming and maximum response capacity and support to CARE’s partners. We are looking for a trustworthy, dynamic, innovative and resourceful person to join the Area office in the capacity of MEAL Officer to be based in Jarablus, northern Aleppo, Syria.

Job Summary

The Area MEAL Officer will be part of the Area office team and report directly to the Area MEAL Coordinator with technical reporting line to MEAL unit at the country office. The Area MEAL officer is responsible to implement a functional MEAL system at Area level. S/he provides support to the program team in designing, monitoring and evaluating all projects’ interventions. Moreover, he/she works with the direct supervisor in the coordination and/or the implementation of projects’ baselines and evaluations, as well as the implementation of standardized MEAL processes and tools for all sectors at field level.

The post holder under the supervision of the Area MEAL Coordinator will work to continuously improve project level MEAL with specific focus on the following areas; qualitative and quantitative data collection, assessment scheduling and coordination, data analysis and use, and quality monitoring. The MEAL Officer will ensure that all assigned CARE activities in northern Aleppo are continually monitored for their effectiveness and appropriateness and that lesson are documented and communicated to inform on-going implementation and future programming.

The person is expected to have strong interpersonal skills, understanding, cooperative, organized, a high ability to work within a team to take initiative and skills in influencing to support policy and advocacy.

Responsibilities and Tasks

Job Responsibility #1 MEAL System development

• Ensure that the used reporting system is used, maintained, and up to standards in terms of managing quality data.
• Ensure the availability of the needed and updated data collection tools in coordination with the M&E unit in country office
• Support the program colleagues at area office level in identifying the appropriate methodology for data collection activities on outcome level in coordination with M&E unit at country office level.
• Ensure up to date Results workbooks (RWBs) for assigned projects agreed with program teams, as well as the regular tracking of project indicators and progress.
• Ensure SADD data and data on gender dynamics is regularly collected and used in analysis.
• Strengthen data analysis and use across the program by ensuring program teams have the MEAL information they need for program review and design.
• Encourage a culture of data use and evidence-based decision making by using and displaying updated data in the office to demonstrate progress and areas of concern.
• Ensure that all the relevant CARE and program staff know, meet, and apply CARE MEAL minimum standards and requirements.
• Ensure assigned projects indicators including donor & CARE’s indicators is being tracked, reviewed and stored in online platform following CARE’s archiving structure.
• Ensure proper scheduling of monitoring and evaluation activities per project
• Ensure effective scheduling of program assessments as well as the analysis and dissemination of findings.
• In collaboration with project managers, M&E staff and data team, develop all required M&E tools per sector, including but not limited to baseline surveys, M&E frameworks, assessment tools, data collection tools etc.).
• Work with the M&E and program teams on strengthening the use of M&E data across the program through key M&E led reports & products making key information accessible to stakeholders for program review and design

Job Responsibility #2 MEAL Data gathering, Information management and reporting

• Setting the M&E plan for area office in coordination with the program coordinators.
• Tracking that the M&E plans are implemented across the different programs as per the M&E plan
• Participating in grants opening meetings, grants review meetings, and grants closure meeting at area office
• Compile the area office progress and achievement for output and outcome data.
• Consolidate the program monthly achievement against indicators and targets and support in reporting figures for actualized logframes when needed.
• Maximize the use of the data collected from the feedback handling mechanism by sharing trends, findings, and recommendations for programs.
• Conduct routine field visits to ensure data collection quality and M&E ethics.
• Plan and conduct monitoring visits as per M&E work plans per project ensuring that quality data and analysis is submitted to the MEAL Coordinator.
• Conduct interviews with direct and indirect beneficiaries to get feedback on quality of CARE’s programs and suggestions for improvements.
• Ensure all monitoring visits in ending with a report highlight the results and main findings of the trip based on data collected from the field in addition to MEAL officer observations.
• Contribute to program updates for response management and internal information sharing, including 3Ws, communications information.
• Coordinate the application of CARE verification standard operating procedures for all assigned projects.
• In collaboration with the MEAL Coordinator, lead field-level assessments, including baseline, mid-term, end-line, KAP and post-distribution monitoring surveys.
• Work with program staff to ensure quality programming and adherence to minimum standards well as the mainstreaming of cross-cutting themes (Gender, Protection and Disability).
• Ensure MEAL assistants are aware of their monthly responsibilities, field visits has to be planned and coordinated in advance between program MEAL and logistics.
• Ensure positive and effective communication between the CARE MEAL Officers and program team.
• Ensure that MEAL and program staff fully understand the function of MEAL in quality assurance and strengthen a culture of open reflection and improvement.

Job Responsibility #3 Data management

• Work with data team on ensuring the CARE projects are using the right beneficiaries lists and databases and collecting the minimum gender and age disaggregated data as per CARE’s requirement.
• Ensure data management procedures and projects have set timelines and meet established deadlines for Donors and for CARE.
• With the support of the data Officer, maintain and build on existing data approaches for collecting, analyzing and reporting Sector activities and resources, and identifying information gaps.
• Provide statistics and data analysis as required.
• Contribute to data protection protocol and streamline its implementation.
• Work with the data Management team and MEAL Coordinator in order to improve the data management system by revision of data flow, double counting adjustment, revision of databases, review of modality of reporting, review of IT solution etc.
• Work with the Gender & Protection Advisor to mainstream gender and protection into project monitoring and ensure monitoring tools are reviewed by gender lens before finalization.
• Feedback to Data Management team all data related issues and concerns, and work with them on improving the data quality and reliability.

Job Responsibility #4 Evaluation, Learning and other duties

• Ensure all field activities are ending up with final reports.
• Ensure MEAL reports are shared with programs on a timely basis for their review and feedback
• Work with MEAL team on ensure MEAL reports are meeting CARE’s quality standards and program needs
• Flag any issues or MEAL related concerns to the Area manager on timely manner.
• Implement assessments, surveys and evaluations, including facilitating itineraries, training field staff for data collection; facilitate focus groups and other qualitative data collection exercises, under the guidance of the MEAL Coordinator
• Ensure the Area program team learns from all evaluations of completed projects for decision making and improvement of project designs.
• Facilitate all assigned projects based assessments, evaluations and research including planning and reporting on the same, with guidance of the MEAL Coordinator
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability and CARE’s Framework on Accountability to Affected Populations.
• Comply with CARE policies and practices with respect to gender and diversity, child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, and equal opportunities.

Qualifications

*Education/Training***Required**

• University degree in a relevant field (Computer Sciences, Social Work/Social Sciences, Information Management, Statistics etc.) or any other relevant major.

Desired

• Strong data management visualization software (PowerBi & Tablue).
• Certification in project management or MEAL related technical course.

Experience

Required

• At least 3 years of experience in MEAL, data management, with 2 years in MEAL Department.
• Experience of working in camps.
• Experience of working with software or programming.

Desired

• Experience in do-no-harm approaches in a humanitarian context, preferably in Syrian context
• Experience in working with INGOs and fully understand data management system.
• Demonstrated understanding of and experience with policies, protocols, and procedures of international NGO’s and donor agencies

Technical Skills

Required

• Can-Do Attitude
• Excellent proven communication skills, including working with multiple stakeholder groups, including children.
• Excellent computer skills, especially in MS Word, MS Excel, Access and MS Outlook.
• Ability to work both in an advisory and a hands on implementation capacity
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to handle a high workload and to work independently.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Flexibility and ability to multi-task under pressure.
• Ability to work well in unstable and changing security environments.
• Strong organization, multi-tasking and time management skills.
• Strong skills in inter-personal communications, able to work effectively with multiple stakeholders in a complex, multi-actor environment.
• Strong skills in written communication, including effective report writing
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and the ability to work effectively across a wide variety of cultural contexts.
• Ability to communicate ideas in a culturally-sensitive manner and conducive to their practical application
• Strong team player, able to develop and maintain effective working relationships within a distributed and dynamic team.
• Ability to organize and plan effectively
• Competence with MS Office applications, including Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Fluent in Arabic and highly desired to have advanced English language skills.

Child Protection Policy
Child abuse in all forms is unacceptable to CARE Turkey, which recognizes its responsibility to protect children from harm in all areas of its work. CARE Turkey is committed to ensuring a child-safe environment and is applying a zero-tolerance approach towards any kind of child abuse and exploitation.
Discrimination, Abuse, and Harassment Policy
CARE Turkey expressly prohibits and will not tolerate any form of discrimination, abuse, harassment (sexual or otherwise), based upon race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship status, disability, or military status. CARE employees and related personnel must under no circumstances take part in any form of discrimination, harassment, or abuse (physical, sexual or verbal), intimidation or exploitation, or in any other way infringe the rights of others inside or outside CARE.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
A valid identity is required for work possession, and the candidate can start work in CARE only upon delivery of all the required documents, also upon submitting any fake or incorrect document, the job offer will be canceled or the employment contract will be terminated if the falsification of files or certificates is detected. Later.