MEAL Officer at Oxfam

OBJECTIVE OF THE POSITION

• The MEAL Officer will support the EU-funded SOSAN Project in Kebbi State by implementing monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning activities, ensuring high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting. The role contributes to evidence-based decision-making and supports the Consortium Manager in liaising with government ministries, NGOs, private sector actors, and research institutions involved in the project.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

MELSA Systems Management & Programme Support

• Support the development and strengthening of the participatory MELSA system within the EU-SOSAN Project, ensuring it incorporates MELSA principles and aligns with both international and Oxfam programme standards.
• Assist in the timely implementation of monitoring frameworks and tools to ensure consistent and high-quality information is available on project performance and impact.
• Manage specific MELSA processes, methodologies, and tools, including indicator tracking through project management information systems (MIS) and reporting.
• Support the review of MELSA data quality, reports, evaluations, baselines, and surveys, and contribute to improving data quality and reporting from the field.
• Participate in programme/project planning processes, particularly developing logical frameworks and MELSA plans, ensuring adherence to Oxfam’s programme quality standards.
• Support the planning of programme/project learning review meetings.
• Provide technical and specialist advice to the EU-SOSAN Project team, both proactively and on request.
• Assist in conducting outcome harvesting to track impacts of EU-SOSAN Project interventions.
• Work with ICT4D consultants to periodically update the project management information system (MIS)
• Capacity Building for Partner and Oxfam Staff
• Support EU-SOSAN Project teams in establishing knowledge creation, sharing, and learning loops, including producing case studies, presenting key results, and facilitating learning workshops.
• Contribute to enhancing the skills and knowledge of Oxfam staff and implementing partners in planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
• Facilitate MELSA learning events and processes and help ensure a strong ongoing learning network across the EU-SOSAN Project.
• Support the development of MELSA plans for implementing partners.
• Train Oxfam and partner staff on MEL for influencing tools.

Partner Management

• Review partner reports periodically to ensure compliance with Oxfam policies and procedures on partner management.
• Develop templates for partner activity reporting.
• Participate in partner risk management processes (PRISMA).
• Attend regular meetings with partner organisations to understand their context and operating environment and ensure positive, open, and productive working relationships.
• Establish and strengthen the complaints and response mechanism (CRM) at each project location to ensure beneficiaries can safely and confidentially provide feedback.
• Monitor complaints received and follow-up processes through a tracking mechanism.

ESSENTIAL

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Statistics, Economics, Business Administration, or other relevant qualifications.

Experience

• Minimum of 4 years’ hands-on experience designing learning and monitoring systems and implementing programme activities, including experience with EU-funded, bilateral, or other institutional donor programmes.
• Good knowledge and experience of learning, and capacity development/transfer in relation to managing donor grants or donor funded programmes.
• Critical focus on providing a superior service level to managers and colleagues and delivering agreed results within time and budget constraints and to expected standards.
• Good organizational and personal management skills, with ability to priorities work issues to meet deadlines with minimal supervision and adjust to constantly changing situations while maintaining focus on delivery and follow-through.
• Well-developed conceptual, critical, and analytical thinking with the ability to convey complex information in a straightforward, interesting way, and influencing this to a wider audience.
• Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English.
• Proven awareness of professional standards, trends and issues affecting this set of responsibilities, demonstrating continuous learning.
• Ability to represent Oxfam in a professional and competent manner with external individuals and organizations.
• Proven experience working with partner organizations and helping them develop their independent expertise and ability to deliver results, through effective capacity building and learning and development activities.
• Strong analytical skills and experience using a Computerized information management system (Ms. Word, Excel, Statistical analysis software etc.)
• Tech savvy with a strong level of IT Expertise and use of mobile survey/field data collection tools ODK, Kobo Toolbox, GIS mapping, etc.)
• Excellent in various statistical packages and software, including SPSS, STATA, Excel, Access, etc.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies and experience of promoting women’s rights and the interests of marginalized people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work.
• Knowledge or appreciation of Nigeria in terms of its political, economic, and social trends, plus a good understanding of the key development and humanitarian issues in the region.