MEAL Coordinator at Oxfam

CONTEXT

The MEAL Coordinator will ensure that project activities in Kebbi State are evidence-driven, accountable, gender-responsive, and results-oriented. The job holder will work with the team to develop and maintain monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems, enabling adaptive management, quality delivery, and continuous learning across consortium partners, government actors, and communities.

OBJECTIVE OF THE POSITION

• The Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Coordinator provides strategic and technical leadership for Oxfam in Nigeria's MEAL function. The role ensures programmes, projects, and influencing initiatives are evidence-driven, gender-responsive, inclusive, and results-oriented by designing, implementing, and overseeing robust MEAL systems. These systems align with Oxfam's Programme & Influencing Lifecycle (PIL), the Global Output & Outcome Indicator Framework, donor requirements, and Nigeria country strategic framework, fostering accountability, learning, and adaptive management for impactful interventions.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strengthen and Coordinate EU-SUSI Project MEAL Systems

• Lead the development and harmonization of MEAL systems and minimum standards, ensuring alignment with organizational MEAL frameworks, CHS commitments, and donor requirements.
• Integrate global indicators, gender markers, protection principles, and influencing indicators into MEAL plans, baselines, and evaluations.
• Support proposal development with logical frameworks, results chains, MEAL budgeting, indicator reference sheets, and data management plans.
• Oversee routine programme monitoring systems, ensuring timely, quality evidence for decision-making and reporting.
• Coordinate analysis, consolidation, and reporting of performance data for internal use, donors, and organizational platforms.
• Provide technical leadership on evaluation designs, ToRs, procurement of evaluators, and quality assurance of deliverables.
• Lead Baselines, operational research, learning studies, and impact assessments informing programme design and influencing strategies.
• Support annual reporting cycles and ensure compliance with data quality, data protection, and safeguarding standards.
• Provide regular technical backstopping to MEAL Officers through field visits, coaching, and peer learning sessions.
• Ensure all activities adopt robust accountability systems, including community feedback mechanisms and do-no-harm approaches.

Capacity Building and Technical Support

• Develop and implement a MEAL capacity strengthening plan for project staff and implementing partners.
• Deliver practical training on MEAL fundamentals, data quality assurance, gender-sensitive MEAL, safeguarding integration, digital data collection tools (e.g., Kobo), and data visualization techniques.
• Provide mentorship to partners in developing and implementing their MEAL systems, reporting structures, and adaptive management practices.
• Support programme teams in creating MEAL guidance notes, field monitoring checklists, and standardized data collection tools.
• Strengthen staff and partner capacity to analyze MEAL findings, interpret data, and use evidence for adaptive programming and informed decision-making.

Accountability, Learning and Knowledge Management

• Lead implementation of CARM for the EU-SUSI Project, ensuring accessible, safe, confidential, and responsive feedback channels.
• Promote knowledge generation, cross-project learning, and documentation of good practices, case studies, and evidence for influencing.
• Establish and maintain knowledge hubs, learning platforms, and communities of practice across thematic areas relevant to Projects.
• Work with Advocacy & Communications to translate project evidence into high-quality knowledge products, newsletters, presentations, and policy briefs.
• Support periodic learning reviews, after-action reviews, and programme reflection processes to drive adaptive management and innovation.

Partnerships, Collaboration and Representation

• Coordinate with Oxfam affiliates, regional MEAL Advisors, global MEAL networks, and peer organizations to ensure alignment and knowledge exchange for Projects.
• Build relationships with research institutions, universities, consultants, and sectoral networks to advance Oxfam’s research and learning agenda.
• Participate in inter-agency MEAL forums and working groups relevant to Projects.
• Represent Oxfam in donor MEAL meetings, technical working groups, and consortium-level MEAL structures for Projects.

People Management

• Line-manage Project MEAL Officers and any temporary MEAL staff, providing coaching, performance management, and development plans.
• Build a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive working environment that promotes teamwork and continuous learning.
• Ensure timely submission of staff timesheets, performance appraisals, and training plans.

Resource Mobilization Support

• Contribute to Project proposals with strong MEAL narratives, indicator frameworks, learning agendas, and MEAL budgets.
• Review donor contracts to ensure MEAL commitments, reporting timelines, and compliance obligations are fully understood by programme teams.

Other Duties

• Perform any other tasks assigned by the Consortium Project Manager or senior leadership to support high-quality MEAL delivery for Oxfam Projects.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Education/Knowledge & Experience:

Education:

• Master’s degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Statistics, Knowledge Management or other related fields.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in MEAL roles within international NGOs, ideally in multi-sector humanitarian and development programmes.
• Strong experience with both qualitative and quantitative methods, research design, surveys, sampling, and participatory MEAL approaches.
• Demonstrated experience establishing or strengthening MEAL systems, data management systems, accountability mechanisms, and learning systems.
• Proficient in digital data collection platforms (Kobo, ODK), database management, Excel, data visualization tools (Power BI/Tableau), and statistical tools (SPSS, STATA, R—added advantage).
• Strong capacity-building, facilitation, and training skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender justice, protection mainstreaming, and inclusion.
• Excellent report-writing, communication, and analytical skills.
• Experience working in at least one of Oxfam’s thematic areas: Gender Justice, Humanitarian Response, Resilient Livelihoods, WASH, Governance/Influencing, Climate Resilience.

Desirable

• Experience working on MEAL for donors such as: ECHO, EU, GAC, FCDO, UN Agencies, BHA/USAID, Dutch MFA, SIDA, AFD.
• Experience supporting MEAL for advocacy and influencing programmes (policy engagement, campaigns, behavioral change).
• Experience designing or implementing MEAL systems in consortium settings.

Competency

• Influencing: To engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organization. To spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities, to have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.
• Self-Awareness: To develop a high degree of self-awareness around your own strengths and weaknesses and your impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.
• Humility: To put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of everyone. we are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.