Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager

Purpose

The coastal regions in West Africa are facing various challenges associated with climate change, including coastal erosion and alterations in rainfall patterns. Rising sea levels and more frequent storms are causing destruction of important ecosystems such as beaches, dunes and coral reefs, which protect the coasts from flooding and erosion. The changes in rainfall patterns are causing more frequent and intense droughts and floods, affecting agriculture, fisheries, and water supply. The challenges are also damaging infrastructure, housing, and agricultural land.

In partnership, UN-Habitat, University of Twente, HFHI and Abidjan Convention designed a project with three different but complementary components: spatial planning, concrete interventions, and coordination and governance. The project goal is to improve adaptation of small to medium coastal settlements of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire by reducing climate change impact and establishing resilient economies and communities. The project proposal was approved by the Adaptation Fund in August 2023.

HFHI will be in charge of the implementation of various climate adaptation activities at the field level, with a focus on early warning systems, awareness raising, green and blue infrastructure development, mangroves reforestation, climate-resilient agriculture and other livelihoods opportunities.

To ensure the effectiveness, accountability, and learning throughout this multi-country initiative, HFHI is recruiting a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Manager. The MEAL Manager will be responsible for designing, adapting, and operationalizing a comprehensive MEAL framework that supports evidence-based decision-making, tracks progress against project outcomes, ensures compliance with Adaptation Fund requirements, and promotes continuous learning. This role will also oversee data quality, support impact assessments, and facilitate knowledge sharing across teams and stakeholders in both countries, contributing directly to the project’s overall effectiveness, sustainability, and replicability.

Duties

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning

• Lead the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) processes for the Adaptation Fund Project, ensuring timely measurement of results and adherence to required standards.
• Regularly update MEAL guidelines, standards, and tools to ensure their effectiveness and that they surpass donor expectations.
• Maintain strong MEAL systems that capture relevant data, ensuring compliance with both internal and donor reporting requirements in accordance with established frameworks.
• Compile project data to support management decision-making, including regular reporting on MEL targets, and oversee quality control and approval.
• Manage the MEAL work plan and budget, ensuring that project milestones and annual expenditures are achieved according to the project’s log frame.
• Coordinate with implementing partners to plan and budget MEL activities on an annual basis.
• Communicate MEAL processes with partners and stakeholders, addressing issues emerging from project progress and evaluation reports, and coordinating the development and follow-up of action plans based on recommendations.
• Conduct regular training and capacity-building sessions on MEAL for HFHI staff, partners, and relevant stakeholders.
• Stay current with developments in MEAL systems and best practices to ensure the project’s evaluation processes remain effective.
• Adapt or establish accountability mechanisms that promote transparency, ensuring that project activities align with the needs and expectations of the local community.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Reporting, Learning, and Knowledge Management

• Cultivate a culture of learning within the project by identifying lessons learned and best practices, integrating them into project activities to drive continuous improvement.
• Guide the program team and stakeholders in conducting lessons-learned analyses.
• Work closely with the technical team to ensure that the experiences from the Adaptation Fund project are effectively evaluated, documented, and shared through appropriate knowledge products.
• Facilitate ongoing sharing of experiences across the project.
• Assist partners and stakeholders in identifying and documenting learning to improve future processes.
• Support the organization of specific events, such as learning weeks, bi-annual and reflection sessions, to capture, manage, and disseminate project learning.
• Produce regular progress reports for project reviews and knowledge management activities.

Data Collection and Analysis

• Oversee the collection and analysis of relevant data to inform decision-making, identify best practices, and address challenges as they arise.
• Coordinate with partners and consultants to manage mid-term and annual data collection, ensure proper data cleaning, and review draft reports to ensure quality analysis.
• Implement monitoring systems and tools to capture both quantitative and qualitative data for the project
• Analyze monitoring data and share valuable insights with the project team and stakeholders, facilitating necessary project adjustments.
• Plan and coordinate data quality assurance activities per the project’s work plan, including frequent survey audits and consistency checks.

Impact of Results

• Ensure greater transparency and accountability by tracking, analyzing, and reporting relevant information and data throughout the project lifecycle.
• Contribute to systematic and professional management, functioning as a performance management tool that helps gather, disseminate, and utilize data to improve operations and add value.
• Promote learning and data-driven decision-making by providing measurable results that allow stakeholders to learn from both successes and challenges, enabling adaptation as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field (e.g., monitoring and evaluation, development studies, data management and minimum seven (7) years of relevant experience in leadership roles such as MEAL Manager
• Fluency in English and French

Experience

• Proven experience in designing and implementing M&E frameworks and data collection methodologies for development projects.
• Experienced knowledge of Adaptation Fund policies, procedures, and reporting requirements.
• Experience working in the Cote ‘d’Ivoire and Ghana will be an added advantage.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong leadership and management skills, with the ability to motivate and lead a team of technical experts with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural background and experience.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain relationships with a variety of stakeholders such as consortium partners private sector, government officials, donors, etc.
• Strong data analysis and reporting skills, with proficiency in data management software and tools.
• Knowledge of climate change adaptation issues, particularly in coastal areas.
• Commitment to transparency and accountability in project implementation.
• Ability to adapt to changing project needs and drive continuous improvement
• Extensive hands-on experience on designing and implementing impact-focused reporting and evaluation methodologies based on LogFrame / Results framework matrices.
• Proven analytical capability and strengths in aggregating data from diverse sources into consolidated, synthesized documents.

How to apply

Send a cover letter and a resume at: hfhcirecrutement@habitatci.org

For more detailed information about this, call us at (225) 27 22 41 97 75.