MEAL Adviser

ROLE PURPOSE:

The MEAL Adviser provides strategic oversight and operational leadership for MEAL through technical national guidance inside awards. The role will work under the supervision of the Head of MEAL to continue to support and assure the technical quality of projects inside the response, providing guidance regarding MEAL systems, data management consolidation with projects, logframe analysis and application, MEAL Plans initial structure and follow up and general technical assessment in MEAL for all the MEAL Area Managers and MEAL team. The MEAL advisor will also support in capacity strengthening for the MEAL team.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Work closely with the Head of MEAL to ensure the implementation of MEAL strategy in Ukraine. 
• Support in MEAL staff capacity building through regular training, mentoring, and coaching. 
• Strengthening outcome level measurements through working closely with MEAL team and lead on updating the assessment and the evaluation tracker. 
• Support in data analysis and visualization.
• Support MEAL team in providing quality inputs for donor reports.    
• Design and follow the structure of MEAL Plans for awards, including MEAL action plans, MEAL budget plans, evaluation plans for baseline and endlines, partner agreements reviews, divided MEAL Plans for partners and areas, and other planning MEAL processes in the initial award phase.
• Supervise the quality in the technical execution of MEAL tasks inside the MEAL Plans in all the related awards, directly supporting MEAL Area Managers, Coordinators, and Officers if it is required.
• IPTT and Output tracker design for all the related processes, including MEAL team training and support during the following process.
• Periodic update and report of IPTT, Output trackers, 5W per award, and any other required reporting tool inside the response. 
• Conduct the initial design and organization of the verification list for all projects, alongside the MEAL team inside the areas, and support follow-up and design process during the course of the project.
• Consolidate and validate awards data in a national approach, designing and using the actual tools to collect through our MEAL teams the required information to offer homogeneous and single IPTTs, database, and information regarding awards.
• Support the follow-up of awards evaluation plans for baseline, endline, and outcomes measurements, guiding the MEAL team, and providing them with the templates and the schedule to be followed according to donors and awards dates.
• Provide consolidated data about multi-sectorial and multi-area projects during reporting process (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports).
• Provide training and capacity-building processes for the MEAL team in different areas and projects (about PIRS, Handbook indicators, donor’s requirements, special projects requirement). Alongside the project’s plan and the needs identified by the MEAL Area Managers or MEAL coordinators.
• Design and follow up on the learning agendas of related awards and guidance for the MEAL team to accomplish agenda tasks and activities. Promotion of learning activities and assurance of learning requirements for all related awards.
• Alongside the accountability coordinator and head of MEAL support and assure the compliance of all programmed accountability activities inside the MEAL Plan and the requirements of the award. 
• Support related MEAL team to projects in the guidance and follow up of MEAL Plans related to partners.
• Supervision and is responsible to guide Quality benchmark applications and review inside-related awards.

QUALIFICATIONS

• BSc/ MSc degree in an area of social development or equivalent
• Fluency in Ukrainian, Russian and English, both verbal and written, preferred
• Commitment to Save the Children values
• Experience working with monitoring, evaluation, learning, and accountability with International Organizations or inside SC, preferred. 

EXPERIENCE

• Previous 5 years of experience in a lead MEAL role, adviser/coordination for a humanitarian response
• Recent experience with Save the Children and understanding of SC MEAL systems, asset.
• Strong experience in evidence generation and analysis during humanitarian crisis
• Excellent understanding of different components of MEAL and skills in leading MEAL systems 
• Experience of, and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
• Experience working with donors such as ECHO, BHA, NMFA, UN and others. 
• Experience in MEAL related to Education, Protection, CVA, Nutrition, Health, Gender, WASH, Shelter, FSL and others. 
• Previous experience supporting local partners to develop MEAL systems
• Experience with donors reports and data consolidation for reports and studies
• Demonstrated skills in oversight of research, assessment, and evaluations
• Hands on experience in strategic planning processes
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work independently with very limited oversight and support
• Proven capacity to supervise, train and coach staff
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tactic and diplomacy
• Adaptability and flexibility: be adaptive, flexible and accommodative in difficult and insecure operating environment
• Adherence to aims and principles of SC: good understanding of SC mandate and commitment to child participation.