MEAL Manager – Iraq At Danish Refugee Council

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfilment of the wish to return home.
The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.
All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.
In 2003, following the start of foreign military operations in Iraq, DRC became one of the first organisations to provide humanitarian assistance in the country, and now operates in 11 governorates, including Anbar, Baghdad, Babel, Diyala, Duhok, Erbil, Karbala, Kirkuk, Najaf, Ninewa and Salah-al-Din.

Overall purpose of the role: The MEAL manager will work closely with the Head of Programmes (HoP) to strengthen DRC Iraq monitoring, evaluation, learning, accountability systems. Ensuring that the country office is compliant with Core Humanitarian Standards 4 (Humanitarian response is based on communication, participation and feedback), 5 (Complaints are welcomed and addressed) and 7 (Humanitarian actors continuously learn and improve).

Responsibilities:

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Assist the Programme Development department in developing strong indicators and logical frameworks for new projects (Master List of Indicators)
• Support in the creation of project, programme and country based logframes and M&E plans, ensuring that indicators are SMART
• Support the Technical Coordinators and Project Managers with the active implementation of their M&E plans, ensure M&E plans are updated timely and M&E findings are in place for all donor reports
• Coordinate with field staff to develop tools and methods to improve data collection for example, surveys, assessments, and beneficiary data
• Link with data and grants management tools developed to collect information and profiling. Support team to use these tools on all projects activities levels. (Excel, SPSS, ODK, SurveyCTO, etc)
• Organize, participate, and collect field data and process / analyse this data
• Take part and carry out assessments, evaluation and any other form of survey or review of projects. Undertake field trips and do physical observation on on-going projects
• Guide the regular sharing of the outputs and the M&E findings with projects staff and implementing partners
• Undertake in-depth internal evaluations, especially on projects which will not have any external review
• Lead the implementation of Information Management (IM) platform and securely transfer large program field data, capacity build, train and support sectors and field staff to improve the field monitoring or any other monitoring needs
• Provide suggestions for information management solutions, including design, key features, user interfaces, automatic analysis, data mining and automated reports
• Finalise data collection tools, such as surveys and questionnaires developed by the MEAL team
• Develop and strengthen DRC’s MEAL department including coordinating recruitments, capacity building and performance management
• Ensure that DRC’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Minimum Operating Practices (MELMOPs) are understood and adhered to, completing the annual compliance check, and ensuring areas of weakness are incorporated into country-wide policy and/or practice
• Take the lead in recruitment, supporting and management of all external evaluation consultancies of large DRC projects implemented in Iraq, ensuring all projects are complaint with HQ guidelines on evaluations (thresholds plus post evaluation efforts)
• Liaising with the HQ MEAL department to ensure compliance and understanding with all global standards, while at the same time, promoting to HQ experiences from the field to influence HQ policy and practice
• Create a MEAL strategy in line with country needs and best MEAL practice, with practical guidelines which can be used and followed by the team and non-MEAL specialists
• Collate all project indicators and support Technical Coordinators to use pre-agreed indicators for core areas of work

Accountability

• Coordinate the design and implementation of accountability systems for DRC projects working closely with Area Managers and Technical Coordinators
• Build the capacity of staff to plan and implement effective accountability systems for the country programme
• Strengthen the country program’s beneficiary and feedback complaint mechanism and set-up new systems as the program extends to new geographical areas
• Organisational focal point on Core Humanitarian Standards, ensuring local compliance and reviews across all standards. Liaising with regional colleagues responsible for accountability, compliance, and risk management.

Learning and project quality

• Donor focal point for M&E components of projects
• Participate in project Kick-off meetings, Grant Review meetings and Close-out meetings in order to highlight cross-project components aimed at replicating good practices and strengthening synergies between projects or programmes
• Regularly present key M&E findings to the Senior Management Team for further development
• Support DRC’s aim for further strengthened integrated programming and actively propose ways of achieving this, using M&E findings
• Provide capacity building to MEAL and non-MEAL staff in key areas of project planning, M&E, Accountability, Qualitative and Quantitative research techniques, and analysis.
• Technical management of all senior members of the MEAL team, creating a suitable MEAL structure across all areas and the Country Office to ensure adequate MEAL support
• Support to DRC’s national partners around capacity building for MEAL.

Budget management

• Budget holder of MEAL budgets. Ensuring all projects have adequate MEAL budget for effective MEAL work, and prioritizing spend according to core needs

Other

• Perform other duties as directed by the Head of Programmes.
• Ensure adherence to DRC national staff policy guidelines and Code of Conduct.
• Ensure compliance with DRC AGD policy and AGD programmatic minimum standards.
• Ensure compliance with the zero-tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policy

Experience and technical competencies:

a) Essential

• Experience working with International NGO’s, UN agencies, line ministries and/or local authorities, preferably in migrants/refugee settings in complex emergencies;
• Experience working in monitoring and evaluation of Protection, Shelter and Settlements, Economic Recovery, Humanitarian Disarmament and Peacebuilding, and WASH sectors
• Experience in developing/ guiding information management systems for large humanitarian programs
• Experience in participatory assessment and community-based monitoring approaches;
• Clear understanding of Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS);
• Experience with capacity building of staff around MEAL, and in convening and facilitating trainings and workshops
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills (English)
• Knowledge of gender and protection mainstreaming; a commitment to apply an age, gender and diversity (AGD) approach to monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning.

b) Desirable

• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relations with local staff and other stakeholders;
• Experience living and working in a cross-cultural, multi-sector, insecure, remote area environment, under team condition

Education:

• A bachelor’s degree in relevant field (development, social research preferable with a focus on monitoring and evaluation as well as compliance issues).
• Master’s degree in relevant field will be an asset.

Languages:

• English (fluent)
• Kurdish (desirable)
• Arabic (fluent)

Key stakeholders:

• Senior Management, including SMT
• Area Management
• Technical Coordinators
• National Partners
• MEAL peers in other INGOs and NGOs

DRC as an employer
By working in DRC, you will be joining a global workforce of around 8000 employees in 40 countries. We pride ourselves on our:

• Professionalism, impact & expertise
• Humanitarian approach & the work we do
• Purpose, meaningfulness & own contribution
• Culture, values & strong leadership
• Fair compensation & continuous development