MEAL Specialist - CARE International

CARE Ghana seeks a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Specialist on its anticipated USAID-funded Strengthening Accountability in Ghana’s Education System (SAGES) project. This project aims to improve primary education service delivery through institutionalizing accountability in the Ghanaian primary education system.

The activity will support efforts led by the Government of Ghana (GOG), in particular, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and its agencies/affiliates, to strengthen the enabling environment for education accountability and increase the performance of the education system.

JOB PROFILE

The MEAL Specialist will be responsible for setting up, maintaining and overseeing all project MEAL systems. The Specialist will design the MEAL framework, manage information flows, and report to the COP. They will supervise MEAL reporting functions to systematically generate, share, synthesize and apply data to learning and effective, adaptive management.

This activity is expected to be a five-year program in the $40-$50M range. 

This position is pending donor approval and funding. Ghanaian candidates are encouraged to apply.

Specific duties and responsibilities

• Develop the overall framework for the project’s MEAL systems, including requirements, reporting, baseline, and evaluation surveys. Develop and monitor the project’s Performance Management Plan (PMP) to systematically document outcomes for project technical leads and leadership team.
• Ensure alignment of MEAL activities with program goals and contribute to the development of annual work plans to identify project targets and ensure inclusion of M&E and Learning activities.
• Monitor project activities and track these activities against the results framework.
• Conduct field visits for data validation, to monitor the quality and completeness of data sets. Coordinate data collection at project sites to monitor program development and ensure timely compilation and reporting of data. Capture and document lessons learned, and champion scaling up of best practices.
• Generate monthly indicator reports and track progress against key indicators.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of project activities to donors, including progress against targets set in the award agreement and annual work plan, quarterly, and annual reports.
• Provide technical leadership and support to project and partner staff in planning and implementing MEAL systems and activities, data-based program decision-making, and results reporting.  Supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of project MEAL staff.
• Develop and implement effective monitoring tools and approaches to demonstrate the effectiveness of project interventions.
• Support the Chief of Party in coordinating the mid-term and final project evaluations.
• Ensure implementation of continuous community feedback mechanisms and training.
• Develop and lead knowledge management programs, facilitate communities of practice and social networking, as well as facilitate organizational learning, change, and advancing foreign aid effectiveness.

Required Skills or Experience

Knowledge

• Knowledge of ICT for MEAL and data visualization skills is a plus.

Experience

• Minimum of 8 years of MEAL experience, with experience in technical areas relevant to the solicitation.
• Previous experience managing MEAL on USG-funded programs of a similar size and scope.
• Proven leadership experience in organizational and peer-to-peer learning, capacity strengthening, and the USAID Collaborating Learning and Adapting (CLA) framework. Familiarity with Participatory Learning and Action and other qualitative and quantitative research approaches.
• Experience leading Developmental Evaluation (DE) approaches.

Competencies

• Ability to translate complex ideas into easily accessible and understandable concepts and/or messages for diverse, non-technical audiences; knowledge of tools for communicating program learning.
• Experience leading Developmental Evaluation (DE) approaches.
• Demonstrated presentation skills that can influence decision makers and foster organizational change strategies, and experience implementing them within a complex organizational setting.
• Strong oral and written communication skills; excellent demonstrated interpersonal skills.
• Track record of a strong commitment to sharing knowledge, documenting experiences, supporting creative initiatives, and sharing credit.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain partnerships and productive working relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written) is required.

Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field is preferred; additional years of experience in lieu of a master’s is acceptable.