Country MEAL Manager

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) – Yemen Mission

1. Main mission

Reporting to the Technical Head of Programme of the HI Yemen mission, the Country MEAL Manager is responsible for ensuring the proper implementation of monitoring and evaluation, accountability and learning, and information management systems for the projects of the Yemen programme to which he or she is assigned. The post holder is the direct line manager of the MEAL and Information Management teams in his or her geographical area.

2. Key responsibilities

2.1 Strategy and steering

• Contributes to defining the MEAL and Information Management action plan, implements this action plan and monitors its progress.
• In close collaboration with the programme and operations teams, ensures the implementation of systems for monitoring, data collection, information management, evaluation, accountability to affected populations, learning and knowledge management that are adapted to the intervention context and compliant with HI standards.
• Forwards to the programme any information or difficulties that could help improve these systems.
• Helps drive MEAL department performance.
• Participates in strengthening the MEAL and Information Management skills of partners.

2.2 Operational implementation

a) Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) processes

• Supports project managers and partners to implement the minimum project management processes described in HI’s PME policy and guidelines:
• Trains and accompanies project managers in the PME methodology and guidelines and their application within the programme.
• Ensures the proper planning and implementation of essential project management processes on each project.

b) Outcome monitoring and survey standards

• Sets up systems for monitoring outcomes and ensures compliance with methodological standards when conducting surveys:
• Ensures the systematic drafting of monitoring plans and the regular monitoring of project indicators.
• Provides project managers and partners with technical support and trains project teams and surveyors in monitoring methods and survey implementation, in particular supporting the design of questionnaires and survey protocols.
• According to needs and monitoring plans, contributes to surveys or monitoring activities through supervision or direct implementation.

c) Data and information management systems

• Where there is no Database Officer in the mission, implements the data and information management systems defined at programme level:
• Develops databases as required and ensures the recording and processing of data for the surveys implemented.
• Contributes to the compilation of data analysis needs and to the creation of dashboards.
• Ensures access to relevant internal and external operational information for all staff.

d) Project evaluations

• Ensures compliance with the HI standards applicable to project evaluations:
• Ensures that evaluation activities are carried out, including annual self-evaluations and follow-up to internal evaluations.
• Ensures that feedback sessions on evaluation findings are held with project participants and other stakeholders.

e) Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)

• Ensures the application of the mechanisms defined by the programme to provide accountability to affected populations:
• Helps define accountability mechanisms and is responsible for their facilitation.
• Provides regular feedback to the programme and operations teams on the accountability mechanisms in place to enable the continuous improvement of interventions.

f) Learning and continuous improvement

• Contributes to learning and the continuous improvement of HI’s interventions:
• Implements processes and methods for collecting, analysing, modelling and ensuring ownership of the knowledge produced, in accordance with the frameworks defined by the programme.
• Contributes to the analysis of information collected and knowledge produced to strengthen collective learning.
• Ensures the sharing of knowledge produced within the programme and more broadly at organisational level through the HI Library.

g) External representation

• Contributes to the external representation and promotion of HI’s MEAL expertise:
• Represents HI’s MEAL and Information Management expertise in all relevant networks and coordination forums within his or her geographical area of intervention.

2.3 Team management

• Manages the MEAL team (3–4 staff) in accordance with the mission’s HR policy, including daily management, performance appraisal, leave management and Individual Action Plans.
• Supports the MEAL team’s progress on specific projects, providing management oversight and problem-solving when challenges arise.
• Defines expectations and provides leadership and technical support so that MEAL staff are able to perform their roles as required.
• Manages the performance of direct reports through performance management, coaching, mentoring, training and development.
• Leads the recruitment of MEAL staff and the identification of external MEAL resources, and proposes relevant adjustments to the MEAL team set-up to the line manager.
• Ensures the appropriate induction and integration of newly arrived staff.

2.4 Emergency preparedness and response

• Contributes to the programme’s emergency preparedness actions and, in an emergency, adapts his or her working methods to contribute to an effective humanitarian response by HI.

Qualifications and experience

Qualifications-Essential    

• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, social sciences, international development, humanitarian affairs, public health, economics, project management or another relevant field.

Qualifications -Desirable    

• Master’s degree in one of the above fields.
• Recognised professional training or certification in MEAL, research methods, data management or information management

Experience- Essential    

• Minimum five (5) years of progressive professional experience in MEAL within humanitarian programmes.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience in fragile, conflict-affected or emergency contexts.
• Demonstrated experience designing and operationalising project MEAL systems, including logical frameworks, indicators, MEAL plans and indicator tracking tools.
• Proven experience planning and supervising quantitative and qualitative surveys (baseline, endline, post-distribution monitoring, needs assessments), including tool design, sampling, enumerator training and data quality assurance.
• Practical experience with digital data collection platforms (e.g. survey CTO) and data analysis and visualisation tools (advanced Excel and Power BI).
• Experience establishing or managing Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) mechanisms, including complaints and feedback mechanisms.
• Working knowledge and application of operational data protection principles, including informed consent and confidentiality of personal data.

Experience – Desirable    

• Previous experience with an international NGO in Yemen or region
• Experience in multi-sector programming (e.g. health, rehabilitation, protection, mine action, livelihoods).
• Experience collecting and analysing disability-disaggregated data, including use of the Washington Group Questions.
• Experience coordinating project evaluations and facilitating learning and knowledge management processes.
• Familiarity with the MEAL and reporting requirements of institutional donors and UN pooled funds (e.g. ECHO-SDC, BMZ, GAC FCDO, YHF).
• Experience strengthening the MEAL capacity of local partners and representing an organisation in MEAL/IM coordination forums or clusters.

4. Language Requirements

• Fluency in Arabic (spoken and written).
• Good working knowledge of English (spoken and written).

5. Personal Qualities

• Strong planning, organisation and problem-solving skills.
• Clear and responsible communication in an intercultural environment.
• Ability to coordinate multidisciplinary teams and work collaboratively with technical and support functions.
• Active listening, negotiation and conflict-management skills.
• Pragmatism, agility and ability to adapt to volatile and changing contexts.
• Resilience to stress and uncertainty.
• Commitment to humanitarian principles, HI values, safeguarding, inclusion and accountable programming.

6. Required Skills Profile
6.1 Sectoral Skills – MEAL and Information Management

6.2 Shared and Cross-Sector Skills

Job Conditions

• The salary will be defined according to HI’s existing salary scale
• Based in Sana’a with frequent field visits.
• 30 days leave/year + benefits (transport allowance, health insurance, life insurance)
• The working hours are the following: 8:00 to 16:30 (with 30 minutes lunch break) 5 days per week.
• Note that working time can go up to 48 hours per week (according to the Yemen labor law) if it is required by the volume of activities and by the line manager.