Senior Project Officer - MEAL at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Job Summary:

As a monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) Senior officer for the STaR Nigeria project team, you will facilitate the achievement of project objectives through coordinating and reporting on all project MEAL activities and providing MEAL-related technical guidance and advice to staff and implementing partner(s) advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. Your coordination and relationship management skills will ensure that STaR Nigeria project applies best practices in MEAL and constantly works towards improving the impact of its benefits to those we serve.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Organize and lead the implementation of all assigned project MEAL activities as outlined in the detailed implementation plan in line with CRS program quality principles, standards and MEAL policies, procedures, and practices, donor MEAL requirements, and industry good practices.
• Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle. Support accountability through coordinating project evaluation activities and guiding partners in their efforts to reflect on project experiences. Analyze implementation challenges and report any inconsistencies and gaps to inform adjustments to plans and implementation schedules. 
• Lead the roll-out and implementation of the project’s feedback, complaint and response mechanism (FCRM). Support actively seeking and responding to feedback from all members of targeted communities and other stakeholders as defined by the FCRM. 
• Implement monitoring activities and processes according to the project’s Detailed Implementation Plan and MEAL system. Ensure the quality of monitoring data through annual data quality assessments. 
• Coordinate and oversee MEAL-related working relationships with all local project stakeholders and serve as the liaison between them and the project team to mobilize local actors and promote project activities and impact. Identify and respond to key stakeholders’ information needs in MEAL activities, using a range of appropriate communication methods.
• Supervise and perform ad hoc inspections of various MEAL processes and resources at project sites to ensure timely project activities implementation and adherence to established process standards and procedures.
• Support and coordinate MEAL capacity building and technical support activities to ensure assigned project MEAL activities are implemented per project guidelines and standards. Optimize partner participation and capacity development in the implementation of MEAL systems.
• Develop a MEAL system outlining indicators, tools, data sources, data flow, procedures, staffing and statistical procedures required to monitor implementation and assure quality project interventions.
• Coordinate provision of any MEAL-related logistical and administrative support to staff and partners.
• Ensure timely, project documentation for assigned MEAL activities is complete with all required documents and is filed per agency and donor requirements. Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and documentation of case studies and promising practices.
• When required, provide accurate data and information to meet agency (Global and Country Program) information needs and other initiatives.

Required Languages - English and Hausa languages are required. Proficiency in other local languages will be an added advantage.

Travel - Must be willing and able to travel up to 50%.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Analysis and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment
• Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners
• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities.
• Excellent interpersonal skills: must be able to interact in a mature, professional, and friendly manner with local and international colleagues of differing religious and cultural backgrounds.
• Able to work independently, take initiative and be committed with few guidance in the implementation of received directions.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and privacy. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with partners, participatory action planning and community engagement.
• Good technical knowledge and experience in managing MEAL in a Resilience, Developmental or Emergency context.
• Demonstrated experience in database management and appropriateness of quantitative statistical management programs including Microsoft Access, SPSS, EPI-INFO, STATA, and Microsoft Excel. Familiarity with GIS and GPS technology and Knowledge of CommCare and Microsoft Power BI will be added advantages.
• Strong group process design and facilitation skills, including developing and leading workshops.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender-responsive programming.
• Staff supervision experience a plus.
• Experience monitoring projects and collecting relevant data.
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required. Master’s Degree in information and technology management or Statistics/Mathematics, Computer Science, project management, International Relations or in the field of MEAL would be a plus.
• Minimum of 4 years of work experience in project support, ideally in the field of MEAL and for an international NGO.
• Additional experience may substitute for some education.