MEAL Manager At Hope for Haiti

Position Title: MEAL Manager

Start Date: March 4, 2024

Status: Full-time, 2 year contract, renewable

Reports to: Chief Program Officer

Supervises: MEAL Coordinator, ICT4D Officer

Mission Statement: To improve the quality of life for the Haitian people, particularly women and children.

Vision: Our vision for Haiti: Joyful children, healthy families, thriving communities, and the resources to make it so.

Brief Organizational Summary: Hope for Haiti is an innovative and creative international development organization that has been working in Haiti for 34 years. The organization partners with private donors to create community-based sustainable change through a grassroots and strategic holistic approach. Hope for Haiti is an action-oriented and fast-paced organization that believes in partnership solutions to poverty alleviation. Hope for Haiti’s vision for the future is one of strategic growth in creating healthy, sustainable communities. Hope for Haiti has a distinguished and well-established Board of Directors that provides the organization with strong governance, oversight, and strategic direction. Building upon the organization’s proven track record of success, Hope for Haiti stays true to its mission and founding principles while offering a dynamic and supportive work environment. For more information about Hope for Haiti, please visit www.hopeforhaiti.com.

Scope of Work: The MEAL Manager plays a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s humanitarian impact. Reporting directly to the Chief Program Officer, this strategic position oversees the comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) framework for Hope for Haiti’s multifaceted programs, including Education, Healthcare, WASH, and Economic Development. S/he will provide technical guidance and oversight for designing and implementing MEAL plans and assessments to track program activities, outputs, and outcomes effectively.

The MEAL Manager will help develop the Monitoring and Evaluation (MEAL) Plan and systems to monitor and track progress against the program’s indicators, perform quality assurance checks, ensure beneficiary accountability, and evaluate the program. S/he will ensure integrity and sound design for the collection, storage, and analysis of data required for the MEAL Plan, program reporting, and other information needs. S/he will collaborate across all programs and departments.

The MEAL Manager is a National position. This position is located in Les Cayes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Oversight: Lead the development and continual refinement of a robust MEAL strategy in alignment with Hope for Haiti’s overarching mission and objectives. This involves mapping out key performance indicators, forecasting trends, and identifying potential growth or improvement areas.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as the linchpin between various program managers, ensuring seamless communication and effective integration of MEAL deliverables across all projects. Engage with departments to instill a culture of data-driven decision-making.
• Technical Expertise: Provide top-tier guidance on the design, execution, and refinement of MEAL plans. This includes ensuring state-of-the-art data collection, storage, and analysis methodologies, emphasizing actionable insights.
• Quality & Integrity Assurance: Implement stringent protocols for quality assurance, emphasizing transparency, accuracy, and validity in data management. Ensure that Hope for Haiti’s humanitarian initiatives maintain the highest standards of beneficiary accountability.
• Evaluation & Reporting: Direct the analytical process, turning raw data into coherent narratives and clear visualizations that guide the organization’s strategic choices. Lead the compilation of periodic performance reports, ensuring stakeholders are well-informed of program outcomes and impact.
• Capacity Building: Champion the professional growth of team members, facilitating training sessions, workshops, and other learning opportunities to keep Hope for Haiti at the forefront of MEAL best practices.

Strategic Leadership

• Oversee MEAL department, ensuring strategic enhancement of systems and staff capacity.
• Serve as primary MEAL contact within Hope for Haiti.

Management & Oversight

• Directly manage tasks, monitor outputs, and provide technical guidance.

Data Analysis & Interpretation

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative data analysis, offering actionable insights.

Capacity Building

• Foster a shared MEAL understanding among staff and partners.
• Continuously improve team skills in data gathering and reporting.

Strategic MEAL Design

• Lead the creation and implementation of MEAL strategy aligned with donor requirements.
• Incorporate collaboration, learning, and adaptation (CLA) mechanisms.

Evidence-based Reporting

• Provide data-driven insights for progress reporting with gender-sensitive indicators.

Quality Assurance

• Oversee all MEAL documentation, ensuring data quality and adherence to best practices.

Research & Best Practices

• Identify barriers and opportunities in fragile contexts.
• Stay updated with innovative methodologies and best practices.

System Development & Maintenance

• Establish robust systems for capturing, storing, and interpreting data.
• Implement quality control mechanisms for data integrity.

Training & Development

• Offer practical MEAL training to program managers.
• Enhance MEAL staff skills through capacity-building initiatives.

Knowledge Dissemination

• Document and communicate key findings and lessons.
• Foster a continuous learning culture within Hope for Haiti.

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE

• Previous MEAL Manager or MEAL Specialist experience preferred
• Bachelor’s degree from a 4-year college or university in Economics, Statistics, Monitoring and Evaluation, or related field of study (required).
• 6+ years of experience in Monitoring and Evaluation and serving in MEAL management roles (preferred).
• Good knowledge of project cycle management and development.
• Strong working knowledge of at least one statistical software package, including R, STATA, SPSS, SAS, Epi Info, Excel, etc.
• Experience conducting project evaluations, including using Cluster and LQAS survey methodologies.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office programs and have strong mathematical and reasoning abilities.
• Demonstrated strength in cross-cultural staff management. Ability to work with culturally diverse groups of people.
• Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity
• Critical analysis and strategic thinking skills.
• Ability to travel and work in difficult conditions under pressure. Will travel to the fields periodically to provide support.
• Strong communication, organizational, and analytical skills. Proven ability to work creatively and independently in the office and the field. A strong team player and adept at creating a solid team spirit.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT ALIGN WITH CORE VALUES

Resiliency

• Ability to respond appropriately and sensitively to cultural differences as they arise among the organization’s service population
• Flexible, adaptable, patient, and accepting of the fact that Hope for Haiti and its activities are constantly evolving in line with its resources and goals.
• Ability to adapt to and make level-headed decisions in stressful situations
• High energy and strong physical condition, including but not limited to the ability to hike distances over 5 kilometers and lift at least 30 lbs over the shoulders

Empower

• Ability to conduct and participate in staff meetings and strategic planning professionally and to represent Hope for Haiti’s mission to team members and colleagues

Accountable

• Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize assigned tasks.
• Personal commitment to the mission and vision of Hope for Haiti and a desire to help the most vulnerable population
• Maintains the highest level of confidentiality with sensitive information

Collaboration

• Ability to effectively work with a team
• Ability to resolve interpersonal conflict while preserving a team-oriented outlook

Hope

• A shared belief that there is always a pathway to improvement despite the challenges that lie ahead.
• Positive outlook and ability to work through difficult situations knowing that achieving desired outcomes is possible.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

National candidates only. This is a full-time position based in Les Cayes, Haiti. This position is NOT accompanied, and the organization provides no relocation, logistics, or housing packages. Compensation is based on Hope for Haiti’s Compensation Scale.