MEAL Officer - Health at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: MEAL Officer - Health

Requisition ID: req29325
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Health
Employment Type: Full-Time
Employment Category: Regular

Contextual Background

• The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In February 2014 the IRC moved into Adamawa State in NE Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict affected populations. IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja and field offices in Mubi and Yola of Adamawa State, Maiduguri and Monguno of Borno state and Damaturu of Yobe State. 
• Currently, IRC Nigeria implements programs primary health care, nutrition, environmental health, women’s protection and empowerment, protection, child protection, education, food security & livelihoods

Job Overview / Summary

• The purpose of the Health MEAL Officer position is to coordinate the collection, compilation, consolidation, and analysis of data to track programs/ projects activities, monitor progress and support impact measurement.  
• S/he will also conduct development research, engage in reflective practice, and generate lessons from projects/program and prepare MEAL plans for the Health sector.  
• S/he is responsible for establishing and ensuring better field level data management systems for the core program s/he assigned to and coordinates the proper and timely evaluation of project objectives/impact. 
• S/he will contribute to the existing client response mechanisms and ensure program staff participation in MEAL activities.  
• The position holder will closely work with sector manager(s), front line staff, and community/facility volunteers.  
• S/he also will work closely with the MEAL unit on technical matters and reports to the Health and Nutrition MEAL Manager and the Health Manager(s).

Major Responsibilities
Program/project design and learning (20% of time):

• Participate in program/ project design especially in developing Health logframes and also contribute learning from previous projects
• Responsible for the development and continuously update Health project MEAL, and impact measurement tools and systems on timely fashion.
• Support to develop and make sure all the projects in the Health sector has tested monitoring tools that capture both program activity and indicators progress;
• Take part in diagnostic studies, evaluations and surveys;
• Responsible for organizing periodical ongoing Health level data review, reflective practice, evaluation and progress monitoring events;
• With support from the Health and Nutrition MEAL Manager, Health manager(s) and coordinator, establish and maintain project level information management system;
• Contribute to designing Health strategy to collect field level information required by IRC, donors and/or stakeholders;
• Responsible for proactively ensuring networking and sharing of lessons from the Health core program with strategic partners and other stakeholder including government;
• Responsible for coordinating synergy and cross-learning among different projects;
• Responsible for cross fertilizing learning among projects by regularly producing (compiling) summary monitoring reports and sharing to Health staff and partners.

Monitoring and evaluation (50% of time):

• Responsible for tracking Health progress against monitoring work plans;
• Responsible for ensuring the on-time execution of Health projects major monitoring and evaluation events including but not limited to baseline survey, mid-term evaluation, final evaluation, data quality audit and field supervision;
• Responsible for providing technical support to Health staff and partner organization on information management system, proper data collection and record keeping;
• Responsible for updating Health MEAL plan timely and provide feedback to program staff on status and quality of implementation.
• Responsible for Health monthly and/or quarterly performance indicator analysis, including generation of reports as well as presentations for staff related to on-going performance;
• Responsible for conducting Health regular data verification exercises to ensure reporting and collection of quality data;
• Responsible for verifying Health entered data for completeness, correctness, and consistency and follow up on any data quality issues;
• Responsible for documenting findings from Health data quality audits and store in project files to ensure collective and sustainable access;
• Actively participate in and contribute to MEAL team activities, system assessments, development and implementation of new systems and/or tools aimed at strengthening overall MEAL practices at IRC Nigeria;
• Accountable for the recruitment of enumerators and support in other survey including engagement of consultants;
• Contribute to providing MEAL inputs for Health report writing during project implementation;

Information management and reporting (10% of time):

• Support in establishing and maintaining Health project information management system;
• Responsible for submitting Health dataset to update country office wide program database on monthly basis;
• Responsible for compiling Health regular project monitoring report, including lessons learned, prepared by different projects and application of evaluation recommendations;
• Support to ensuring all projects have downward/ forward client responsiveness mechanisms and works with project Health staff to make sure its implementation;
• Responsible for compiling monthly, quarterly, biannual and annual tabular, and narrative Health reports (as required by project stakeholders) on projects’ accomplishments by cost and alert the management for special deviations from the plan:

Capacity building and supervision (10% of time):

• Responsible for providing assistance to Health local partners in designing monitoring and reporting tools and establishing database management systems.
• Responsible for the orientation of Health front line staff, partners’ staff and volunteers on the monitoring tools and train them how to use data for decision making;
• Accountable for coaching, mentoring, and supervising Health Facilities MEAL focal persons/Recorders,
• Responsible for her/his subordinate/s in completing performance management activities including: performance planning, monitoring, and annual performance appraisals;

Perform other duties assigned by the supervisor (10% of time):

• Perform other task related assignment proposed by his/her supervisor

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to: Health and Nutrition MEAL manager, Health/Reproductive Health manager(s)
• Position directly supervised by: Health and Nutrition MEAL manager
• Indirect Reporting: MEAL coordinator, Health coordinator, SAM/FC

Qualifications

• Degree in Statistics, Computer Science/Information Management/or any other related field;
• Excellent computer skills are required (particularly Advanced Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Kobo toolbox, commcare);
• At least three years’ experience working in monitoring and evaluation preferred;
• Strong data collection, analysis, and report writing skills required;
• Ability to work independently, think analytically and take initiative in solving problems;
• Ability to communicate technical issues effectively;
• Familiarity with log frame analysis and MEAL plan;
• Experience in conducting assessments;
• Must be willing to travel to other LGAs to work

Desirable:

• Health background and working with highly vulnerable and displaced people would be added advantage;
• Good verbal communication skills in local languages and working knowledge of English;
• Most importantly, commitment to IRC values and principles;
• A strong team player with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with groups of diverse backgrounds.

Standards of Professional Conduct 

• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality: 

• IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.