Uganda MEAL Program Manager Jobs in Uganda

Department: Uganda

Supervisor: Head of Programs
Position Type: Full Time
Area of Interest: MEAL
Job Grade: 10

Background
Catholic Relief Services has worked in Uganda sincei965,initially providing
emergency assistance to Sudanese refugees living in the north. Over the years,
CRS has expanded its programming to also address development needs in western,
central and eastern Uganda. CR5’ projects in Uganda currently include
agriculture, health [including OVC], microfinance, peace building and youth.
CRS Uganda implements its programs through partnerships with local
organizations, including the Catholic Church, other faith-based organizations
and community entities for maximum impact and sustainability. Program
approximately $15 million USD, with funding from USAID, USAID/DCOF, MasterCard
Foundation, DFTD, GAVI Alliance and Ben & Jerry’s ice Cream Corporation.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning [MEAL] is essential to
ensure the quality of any programs by both capturing and understanding project
progress with the aim of monitoring and evaluating project progress toward
goals and objectives, to foster a learning environment and to support adaptive
management through the use of reliable and real-time project information:

Primary role
The MEAL Program Manager will serve as the Head of the MEAL Department in the
Uganda country program [CP], coordinate communication on MEAL/Information
Communication, Technology, for Development [ICT4D] across the CP, liaise with
external MEAL/ICT4D actors, facilitate I capacity building opportunities for CP
staff on MEAL and the integration of ICTAD solutions to support real-time
information management of quality data and play a key role in the hiring of new
department staff and other department related human resources issues. The MEAL
Program Manager will also support new project design efforts, operationalize
MEAL plans and provide additional ad hoc support as requested by specific
programs. The MEAL Program Manager supports program design workshops to
elaborate measurable results frameworks and designs program specific MEAL plans
and MEAL budgets based on the results framework.

The purpose of this position is to coordinate the country programs efforts in
MEAL and ICTAD while strengthening CR5 Uganda’s MEAL capacity ‘throughout the
country program, and to ensure systematic systems for each project that feed V
into a country MEAL system. The ‘MEAL Program Manager will be responsible for
providing guidance, leadership and technical support in strengthening the
management information systems that facilitate accurate analysis of program
performance and impact. S/he will work to improve CRS Uganda programs quality
in utilizing project MEAL tools and standards.

S/he will support the strengthening of CR5 Uganda staff, and indirectly partner
staff, capacity in utilizing project MEAL tools and methodologies. S/he will
keep abreast of MEAL approaches to ensure the use of technically appropriate
monitoring and evaluation models and information systems. S/he will be based in
the Kampala and have an effective coordination of the MEAL Department. The
position will require travel up to 40% of LOE.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

MEAL coordination across the country program

• Lead
  the development and coordination of the MEAL Department in Uganda
• Provide
  guidance to CR5 staff in the design and enhancement of MEAL tools,
  protocols, surveys and evaluation instruments to strengthen quality data
  collection, analysis and reporting on projects indicators in adherence to
  CRS MEAL policies and procedures.
• Actively
  contribute to the recruitment process through participation in job
  description development, shortlisting candidates, interviews and the
  development of written tests for all new MEAL, department staff to ensure
  effective integration of MEAL competencies.
• Coordinate
  the integration of ICTAD in MEAL activities to optimize programmatic
  efficiency and effectiveness through data collection and management, and
  to take advantage of complementary efficiencies gained in program
  implementation.

• Coordinate
  timely needs assessments and provide technical oversight to map needs and
  opportunities in project design.
• Design
  project-level Theories of Change [TOC]. Results Frameworks, Program
  Frameworks [ProFrame] and MEAL narratives and budgets for proposals,
  involving partners.
• Support
  CRS project teams and partners in the development of D|Ps and MEAL
  components (IPPT, PMPI) in alignment with CRS MEAL policies and procedures
  and donor requirements.
• Collaborate
  with program managers and partners to identify their MEAL related needs
  and allocate resources accordingly.
• Adapts
  MEAL principles, approaches, systems and tools in emergency contexts to
  ensure timely data for project decision—making and demonstrating project
  attainment of objectives.

• Leads
  the design and implement monitoring systems according as per CRS MEAL
  policies and procedures and donor MEAL requirements.
• Promote
  the effective use of CRS program quality [PD] tools and manuals.
• Provide
  support to MEAL staff to develop and maintain a MEAL operating manual for
  each project to facilitate timely evidence-based analysis and reporting on
  project data to feed into management decisions to support adaptive
  management strategies.
• Ensure
  the collection and reporting on standard indicators for the regional
  strategy, as well as common indicators for each of the Country Programs
  [CP] sectorial strategies.
• Develop
  terms of reference {TOR} for studies and scope of work [SOW] for
  consultants to conduct~‘ external special studies, reviews and project
  evaluations, review evaluation tools and methodology and ensure the
  necessary, level-of technical’ rigor as per donor and MEAL/policies and
  Procedures.
• Secures
  human resources for evaluations based on profile descriptions, including
  external consultancies, to support quality evaluation and review events as
  per donor requirements and MEAL policies and procedures.
• Coordinates
  administrative and logistical processes of evaluations and reviews.
• Assist
  CRS Uganda staff in writing and reviewing quality, evidence-based MEAL
  reports.
• Ensure
  quality management land archiving} of evaluation data.
• Ensure
  the conduct and implementation of periodic data quality assessments

• Supports
  the CRS Uganda programming team in development and implementation of
  country program learning agenda
• Lead
  PO learning reflections for staff throughout the CP‘-is‘ needs identified
  and liaised on project evaluations and special studies as outlined by
  project MEAL plans. A
• Promote
  and support regular review of project progress via Learning to Action
  Discussions [LAD] and stand—alone learning reflections
• Support
  CRS Uganda units institutional learning through the development of
  effective learning systems and processes. .
• Support
  CRS Uganda ‘ in development and implementation of knowledge management
  systems
• Guide
  CR5 programming team to develop and implement comprehensive accountability
  mechanisms that ensure voices of beneficiary and other stakeholders are
  heard and integrated into programming.
• Facilitate
  sharing of good practices and lessons learned within CR5 at the CP,
  regional and agency levels I

• Manage
  the coordination of the CP MEAL department in alignment with emerging and
  changing agency priorities and the agency strategy.
• Lead
  the CP to develop and operationalize its own MEAL and ICTAD strategies to
  meet CP needs.
• Serve
  as the focal point for ICTAD at the CP to coordinate with GKIM on ICTAD
  integration in CP programming, in particular for MEAL initiatives.

• These
  are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CR5 and used by each
  staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the
  desired results.
• Serves
  with integrity
• Models
  Stewardship
• Cultivates
  Constructive Relationships
• Promotes
  Learning

• MEAL
  in Design: Developing pl”Oj6Cl~lBV6l TOC, Results Frameworks,
  ProFrames, related MEAL system tools and components, and accompanying MEAL
  narratives.
• Monitoring:
  implementing monitoring activities, including timely collection of quality
  data, set up and maintenance of databases, facilitation of participatory
  reflection on monitoring results and submission of timely progress
  reports.
• Evaluation:
  Supporting project and program evaluations and reviews by ensuring the
  quality of evaluation ‘methods, tools and data and facilitating the use of
  evaluation results to inform decision-making and enhance learning
• Accountability:
  Improving our accountability to a range of stakeholders through increased
  participation, transparent communication, responsive feedback mechanisms
  and adherence to internal. and external quality standards and
  requirements. ‘
• Learning:
  Promoting. excellent knowledge management and‘ collaborative learning
  processes at the project, program and institutional levels, generating
  robust evidence, for project and programmatic leaning that leads to
  action. decision-making and influence.
• Analysis
  and Critical Thinking: Engaging with data, challenging biases and
  assumptions, posing thoughtful questions, pursuing deeper understanding of
  evidence through reflection and perspective-taking, and making informed
  programming decisions.
• ICT
  for MEAL: Applying knowledge on information and communication technologies
  [ICT], both hardware and software, for opportune and accurate data
  collection, database management and conducting timely analysis.

• These
  are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each
  program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the
  desired results.
• Sets
  clear goals and manages toward them
• Collaborates
  effectively with staff and Stakeholders
• Manages
  Financial resources with integrity
• Applies
  program quality standards to project design and organizational learning

• Master’s
  degree in one of the» ‘following: international development, international
  affairs, public affairs or related field with an analytic focus leg.
  statistical and economic analysis]
• Ten
  years‘ experience working in a development setting preferably with an
  international NGO, with at least five years of experience working in MEAL
  and at least two years of experience as a supervisor; ICTAD experience
  preferred
• Proven
  ability to establish/maintain and use MEAL systems from project design to
  implementation including work with results frameworks and theories of
  change] as-vi/ell as building staff capacity to utilize systems.
• Knowledge
  of program quality standards, MEAL standards, Catholic Social Teaching and
  the justice lens preferred ‘
• Experience
  in project design, project management and MEAL
• Capacity
  to work closely, understand and support local Church partners
• Familiarity
  with M&E policies, procedures and priorities of USAID, DFID, UN
  agencies and Caritas agencies preferred
• Native
  level English written and oral communication skills
• Experience
  in staff development and partner capacity building required ,
• Experience
  in designing and overseeing the implementation of program evaluations and
  the use of evaluation findings to support program managers with adaptive
  management »
• Detail—oriented
  and excellent time management skills
• Ability
  to meet deadlines and deliver required results in a timely and quality
  manner.
• Strong
  computer skills: Microsoft Suite Word, Excel, Outlook. PowerPoint and
  Publisher, SPSS/ STATA, ACCESS and Visual Basics