Senior Officer, MEAL at International Medical Corps (IMC)

International Medical Corps (IMC) is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and Nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in under-served communities worldwide.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Officer, MEAL

Job ID: 3704
Location: Kano
Category: Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)

Program Description (Background)

• In Kano, IMC is a consortium member of the Core Group Partners Project in Nigeria and IMC is implementing this project in partnership with Local CBOs in Kano.
• IMC  is  utilizing  a  three-pronged  strategy  to  implement  the  Project  to  increase  rates  of  routine immunization  and  supplementary  immunization  activities  for  children  under  5  years  of  age, focusing  especially  on  polio  vaccination. 
• The  project  1)  re-enforces  the  Ministry  of  Health’s routine  immunization  program  to  improve  its  performance,  2)  strengthen  supplemental  polio immunization efforts, and 3) improves community mobilization in support of child immunization and   acute   flaccid   paralysis   surveillance.  
• This   is   to   improve   the   Expanded   Program   on Immunization   services   contributing   to   CGPP’s   goal   of   polio   eradication   in   hard-to-reach communities.

Job Summary

• The role of the Senior Officer Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) is to implement the MEAL work plan and contribute to achieving and improving the quality of the program/project.
• The Senior Officer MEAL will provide the support by collecting and managing the program's/project's output and outcome data.
• The Senior Officer MEAL also plays an important role in data analysis and carrying out MEAL activities in the field.
• The Senior Officer MEAL will provide support to the program’s MEAL function in the field through working closely with the field staff to ensure the quality of the program/project.
• The role holder will also work on ensuring that Community-Based Feedback and Response Mechanisms (CBRFMs) are in place across the mission.

Main Task and Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation:

IMC’s policies, guidelines, and procedures:

• Actively promote Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) standards within IMC and amongst its beneficiaries.
• Contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of the Code of Conduct, ethics, values, and standpoint with regards to internal and external actors.
• Apply the basic monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning concepts and the purpose of MEAL, with a specific focus on accountability to affected populations (AAP).
• Support the implementation of policies and procedures for monitoring, evaluation and reporting in the country specific to AAP and CHS commitments.

Project design and planning:

• Participate in needs assessments by organizing trainings for enumerators, methodology, tools, respondent selection, and supervise field team to ensure field level data integrity.
• Ensure that MEAL activities are participatory and uphold accountable and useful MEAL systems.
• Develop or adapt data collection tools and facilitate translation if needed
• Support in developing results framework and logframe, including indicators, for simple projects.

MEAL system:

• Develop guidance, standards, and methodologies for the collection and analysis of data against outcome indicators to allow for comparison and aggregation across time and the different projects.
• Ensure that different components of the MEAL system are functional and relevant and maintain IPTT to track output, outcome, and impact indicators and their measurement in the different sectors of relevance.
• Support MEAL department in development of databases for all programs by using available technologies.
• Organize and lead data collection activities following the data collection and reporting flow put in place for a project.
• Design and use tools for tracking project's progress and bottlenecks and develop simple data collection tools based on monitoring indicators.
• Maintain effective M&E system (ensure data collected translates to the M&E Framework/IPTT).
• Conduct regular field visits.

Data quality management:

• Conduct periodic data quality audits to assess the quality of collected data for indicators.
• Mitigate data pitfalls, issues, and ensure that strategies for quality data are in place.
• Report data quality issues to the MEAL Manager/Coordinator.
• Conduct on-site routine data quality audits at community levels.
• Provide supportive supervision on data quality at facility and community-levels.

Sampling:

• Apply the concept of ‘random sampling’ and ‘systematic random sampling’ as well as complex sampling strategies.
• Develop sampling frame and use proper sampling (probability and non-probability) techniques as per MEAL Managers/Coordinator’s instructions taking into consideration and ensure adherence to prescribed methodologies of sampling, data collection, and data entry.

Qualitative and quantitative techniques:

• Use different qualitative and quantitate methods of data collection including structured/ semi structured interviews, key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, group discussions, focus group discussions and direct observations as an M&E tool. 
• Conduct trainings on qualitative and quantitative techniques for data collection for MEAL, program and interviewers.
• Develop and use key qualitative tools (observation checklists, guide for group discussion and interviews) for monitoring purposes.
• Engage with communities on accountability and conduct community consultations.
• Keeping the social dynamics, manage errors/bias and strategy to minimize them and to ensure the data collected is representative of populations without power (avoiding over dependence on community leaders, local authorities, and/or government authorities as primary sources for defining communities' needs and preferences).
• Apply the different interview techniques (structured/semi-structured).

Mobile and manual data collection:

• Determine the appropriate data collection platform based on the purpose, feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of mobile data collection techniques.
• Install and configure mobile data collection tools (OKD collect, Kobo collect, ONA collect, etc.) on smart phones or tablets
• Design simple questionnaires using XLS form or interactive interface (e.g. Kobo Toolbox) 
• Provide technical support and troubleshooting for all aspects of mobile data collection. Ensure all data is transferred from devices. Ensure proper utilization of the devices and storage. Ensure devices are charged.

Data analysis, including use of statistical software:

• Perform data cleaning and ensuring data integrity before data analysis.
• Perform descriptive univariate and bivariate data analysis using Excel Pivot tables or statistical software.
• Conduct of qualitative analysis   using appropriate methodologies.
• Interpret statistical data for use in decision-making and synthesize quantitative and qualitative information for write-up/reports and decision making.

Evaluation design:

• Apply the fundamental principles of evaluation (concepts, purposes and types of evaluations, contribution versus attribution, and counterfactual).
• Contribute to the preparation of project evaluation and supervise field level activities.
• Support in the administrative and procurement process of evaluations involving external evaluators.
• Train and supervise data gathering of internal performance evaluation and design and synthesize the findings from participative evaluation techniques (actively involving affected communities in the evaluation exercises).

Techniques for presenting information:

• Communicate clearly the findings of monitoring activities and reviews against targets set by the project.
• Compile data and indicators at the project's level for reporting in a clear and concise manner, providing all required information.
• Use Power Point or similar tool to share results of data analysis and monitoring.
• Prepare clear progress reports.

Capacity development and training:

• Deliver basic training to teams on MEAL technical and conceptual areas.
• Support program teams in assessing knowledge change by analyzing pre/post-test training data.
• Support in identifying training needs.
• Deliver basic training to teams on MEAL concepts.
• Provide training to MEAL staff and enumerators on mobile data collection mechanisms and software.

Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Contributing to learning initiatives such as lessons learned workshops, case studies, and other
• Preparing relevant data to consolidate success stories.
• Collaborate with program staff for strengthening cross‐ sector learning and support the utilization of lessons learned.

Community Based Feedback and Response Mechanism

• Adhere to key concepts and commitments regarding accountability to affected populations (AAP), including IASC CAAP, CHS, and Sphere Humanitarian Charter.
• Ensure that all data collected via the CBFRM has been reported to the manager in a timely manner, by creating a complaints database.
• Support Accountability officer and/or MEAL Manager/Coordinator in implementing and monitoring the CBFRM, accountability initiatives, and practices across the Mission.
• Support the implementation of methodologies to consult communities on their preferences based on the operational context.

Cross cutting themes:

• Monitor the general context through regular field visits and report issues affecting beneficiaries and intra-community relations.
• Conduct community consultations and engage with communities to ensure accountability by applying different interview techniques (structured/semi-structured).
• Ensure data collected is representative of population and demonstrate an understanding of social dynamics.
• Promote and incorporate considerations to the different needs of vulnerable groups, including people of different sex, age, and disability status, into all MEAL systems and activities. 
• Support or lead in the implementation of gender analyses and gender assessments as required, including staff capacity building on tools and protocols; data collection; data analysis; and report writing.
• Perform other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed in this document are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and not necessarily all inclusive.

Job Requirements
Minimum Qualifications:

• Typically, Bachelor’s Degree or a Higher Degree in Social Sciences, Public Health, Statistics, or International Development, with good experience in M&E, epidemiology, public health, and health information management. Equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate. 
• Typically, 4+ years of experience with a humanitarian organization in designing, implementing, and overseeing monitoring and evaluation tasks in relevant sectors.
• Demonstrated experience with field data collection, sampling methods, and data quality auditing in field locations.  
• Experience with M&E approaches for key donors such as USAID, BHA, ECHO, EU, FCDO, UN, etc.
• Experience in using data management software such as PowerBI, and DHIS2.
• Ability to analyze data using different software such as Excel, Epi Info, SPSS and STATA.
• Possess the skills in mobile data collection platform and tool such as Ona, KoboToolBox, ODK and XLSFORM coding.
• Understand key concepts and commitments regarding accountability to affected populations (AAP), including IASC, CAAP, CHS, and Sphere Humanitarian Charter
• Strong training facilitator/presentation skills.
• Knowledge of commonly used probability and purposive sampling techniques and different methods of qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Demonstrate an understanding of social dynamics and ensure data collected is representative of populations.
• Use PowerPoint or similar tools to communicate clearly the findings of MEAL activities.
• Possess the skills to write full narrative reports (needs assessments, internal reviews, progress reports) and executive summaries.
• Possess the skills in qualitative data analysis such as basic thematic analysis techniques
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Understand the fundamental principles of evaluation (concepts, purposes, and types of evaluations, contribution versus attribution, and counterfactual).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Have the analytical, conceptual, and strategic thinking skills.
• High-level English proficiency (Speaking – Reading –Writing.
• High-level MISSION’S LANGUAGE proficiency (Speaking – Reading – Writing).

Additional Technical or Language Requirements:

• Hausa

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online