MEAL Assistant

Action Against Hunger is a leading humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide. Our mission is to save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection, and treatment of malnutrition, especially during and after emergency situations of conflict, war, and natural disaster. In Kenya, we are committed to enhancing compliance and accountability in all our operations to ensure the efficient and ethical use of resources. Action Against Hunger has been present in Kenya since 2001 and is a transformative leader in Food security and nutrition for improved quality of life among vulnerable communities. The organization recognizes gender equality as central to its core strategy towards realization of effective and sustainable outcomes on nutrition, health, WASH and surveillance interventions. Action Against Hunger is currently implementing activities in West Pokot, Mandera, Samburu, Isiolo, Tana River, Nairobi and Baringo counties.

1. Summary of position

Action Against Hunger is looking to fill the position of a MEAL assistant in liaison with the M&E Manager, the holder of this position will be to provide technical backstopping on Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) for the Action Against Hunger project implementation in the mission with a roving function. The position holder will participate in project design specifically in the development of M&E frameworks for the projects within the targeted areas. The position holder will also collaborate with communications focal person in supporting the documentation of human-interest stories, lessons learnt and best practices, ensure implementation meets the key standards and as per the budget, work-plan and on scope. The MEAL Assistant will spearhead surveys and surveillance activities in collaboration with key stakeholders, conduct routine project monitoring and spearhead project final evaluation. The MEAL Assistant will also be responsible for support of data management cycle in the bases.

The MEAL assistant the role has the following purpose, engagement and delivery: -

• Purpose: To support the generation of evidence at the base level in Program Monitoring process, Evaluation activities, Accountability mechanisms and Learning products across different field bases in the mission.
• Engagement:
• Representing Action Against Hunger in various county level external meetings on information management, monitoring and evaluation
• Work in collaboration with relevant county government in conducting joint surveys, surveillance, evaluation and monitoring
• Provide technical support to program team on MEAL Aspects.
• Liaise with MEAL Manager for technical support and exchange of information, collaboration and coordination of MEAL activities
• Program Manager/ Field Coordinator for hierarchical relationship and project management
• Delivery:

The MEAL Assistant is responsible to coordinate aggregation and analysis of routine quantitative reports, design and maintain performance dashboards and other visualization tools in use, design data collection tools, generate post distribution monitoring reports, baselines and endlines reports. The MEAL Assistant will manage the routine MEAL data management cycle at capital office and share updates to the MEAL manager for dissemination.

I. Essential job functions

Survey and surveillance Activities

• Implementation of the integrated nutritional surveys and other survey activities in collaboration of the local authorities and relevant govern procedures/protocols adherence to Government of Kenya procedures / protocols / guidelines designed methodology, reporting process, etc.
• Support in Strengthening the capacity of staff, Ministry of Health, and other partners in surveys methodologies, processes to include sampling, data collection, analysis and report writing skills

Project Monitoring

• Develop, create a framework and procedures for MEAL and strengthen monitoring and evaluation of the framework and procedures for all project activities and progress towards achieving the project output;

• Develop and Maintain Dashboard in Power BI to reflect on program progress

• Monitoring and conducting review meeting on the Detailed implementation plan (DIP), jointly with the programs at the bases supported by this position.

• Define and implement the key project performance indicators (KPI) as well as monitor them throughout the duration of the projects cycle.

• Provide feedback to the Project Managers on project strategies and activities to include suggesting strategies to the Project Management for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the project by identifying bottlenecks in completing project activities and developing plans to minimize or eliminate bottlenecks.

• Assist in Monitoring and Evaluating program progress, costed work plans and targets accordingly throughout project implementation.

• Contribute towards the operationalization of internal project feedback mechanism and project related accountability mainstreamed in all project and dissemination done to key stakeholders on quarterly basis

  Data Management

• Management of data reporting cycle by generating internal data reporting calendar, data collection process, data analysis and data sharing/dissemination.

• Assist the project managers in collating quantitative and qualitative reports generated monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and annual on the progress of the project activities.

• Maintain project specific databases and ensures all MEAL related data, reports, and records are clearly organized archived in a central location for future reference.

• Ensure the quality of data (timeliness, integral, reliable, valid and complete) shared/disseminated and that it is verifiable.

• Aggregation, collation and analysis of incoming data coming from the field bases.

• Analyze data submitted on a monthly basis and develop key descriptive statistics from each group’s activity and their progress.

• Conduct spot-checks to confirm reported activities, reported datasets as a means of program implementation quality assurance. This can be done collaboratively with partners or local government officials where applicable.

• Work with MEAL Manager to ensure data management during the data cycle that will be within relevant timelines so that the information can be useful for programmatic and strategic decision making for Program staff, support staff, partners, local government officials and regional utilization

• Work with MEAL Manager to design relevant surveys and routine surveillance activities. This includes and not limited to Baselines, Edline, context monitoring and post distributing monitoring surveys and dissemination of the findings to key stakeholders at the bases

• Conduct data review meeting to reflect on the program progress performance at the base level on quarterly level.

• Support and participate in the project inception and close out meetings at the national and county level.

• Work with the MEAL Manager in capacity building of the program staff on data management and report writing.

II. Supervisory Responsibilities

• Coordinate delivery of MEAL objectives with data collectors.
• Initiate training packages on basics of MEAL to be used by data collectors routinely or on demand.

III. Fiscal Responsibility

• Track Mission level MEAL activities monthly budget requests.
• Participate in development of assessment budget plans.
• Track/analyze at Mission and base level, all Project budget expenditure versus performance.
• Track performance against the Mission strategy targets.

IV. Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

V. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the country offices if appropriate. Based on the country office needs, the time spent on field trips will be a minimum of a 70% of his/her working time. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well is to infectious diseases.
• The employee will regularly travel to various bases in the mission as scheduled in his/her roving function.

VI. Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.

VII. Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, Epidemiology, Public Health, International Development or another field of social sciences.
• Minimum 2 years work experience on similar position with similar setting and responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience in developing project monitoring and evaluation systems.

VIII. Required Skills & Competencies

• Demonstrated analytical skills both qualitative and quantitative approaches (data analysis, documentation, interpretation and reporting).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Experience developing and deploying feedback mechanism for multi-sector program working through county and national systems.
• Proven skills in statistical analysis using Excel and Epi-Info / ENA, as well as at least one other software platform such as Power BI, Nvivo, DHIS 2, ODK/Kobo collect, SPSS, STATA, or PSPP.

X. Preferred but not mandatory;

• Previous experience in Arid and Semi-Arid lands of Kenya
• Knowledge/Use/Experience of Power BI,
• Experience in GIS and with a mapping software such as QGIS or Google Earth will be an added advantage Extensive.
• Experience in Nutrition and food security surveillance including collection and management of anthropometric and mortality data.

How to apply

The position is open on a rolling basis. Action Against Hunger-USA provides all staff with an attractive salary & benefits package. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees & qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Action Against Hunger-USA complies with all applicable laws governing non-discrimination in employment.