Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Learning (MEAL) and Communications Officer

Organization

Help a Child is a Christian international NGO specialized in community development with its headquarters in the Netherlands. Founded in 1968, Help a Child’s mission is to improve the wellbeing of children living in poverty and crisis through supportive communities. Currently, Help a Child is operating in Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, DR Congo, Rwanda, Somalia and India. Help a Child has been operating in Malawi since 2009.

We have been working with our partners in various regions of Malawi to implement community development programs that promote the well-being of children by empowering their families and communities. In cooperation with local NGO partners, Help a Child Malawi improves the resilience of households by implementing the Child Centered Community Development (CCCD) program. In this holistic program, various thematic interventions are combined. They focus on early childhood development, education & child rights, as well as youth development and economic empowerment.

Offer

The MEAL and Communications Officer is responsible for implementing the MEAL systems for the CCCD project. S/he is responsible for providing support in: the development and execution of annual MEAL plans; development  and/or adaption  of MEAL tools; training of staff and communities in key MEAL concepts and skills; documentation  of key learnings from MEAL and research results in support of the project objectives and outcomes; and ensuring that the CCCD project is accountable to beneficiaries and other stakeholders in line with Help a Child and donor policies and practices. The officer is also responsible for evidence generation, documentation and dissemination of project processes and outcomes.

The MEAL and Communications Officer undertakes this role in close collaboration with Project staff and key stakeholders, and in consultation with the PMEAL Coordinator. 

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Monitoring

• Design/ Adopt data collection tools for process and output monitoring of program interventions.
• Build capacity of primary data collectors in data management and data flow maps.
• Design and reinforce quality benchmarks for process and output quality, including quality benchmarks assessment and reporting.
• Administer and update the CCCD PMEAL Framework.
• Conduct routine indicator performance tracking and coordinate evidence-based program design reviews.
• Conduct Data Quality Assessments for program related data and Indicators.
• Coordinate periodic project progress reporting

Evaluation

• Conduct Systematic Outcome Harvesting sessions in line with the PMEAL Framework.
• Support the implementation of program operational research and intervention-based studies.
• Support program evaluation processes such as baselines, midterm evaluations and endlines.

Accountability

• Implement a program grievance and redress mechanism using a Community Based Complaint and Feedback Mechanism (CBCFM)
• Reinforce functionality of the CBCFM framework for all stakeholders
• Facilitate downward and upward accountability by supporting feedback generation across the spectrum.
• Promote accountability in general and to children in particular, through: training, coaching and follow up, establishment and utilization of appropriate child friendly feedback mechanisms to improve child participation in program accountability.
• Develop periodic CBCFM reports

Learning

• Support data collection on key learning questions and learning agendas for the project interventions for project knowledge management.
• Support consistent and systematic integration of MEAL issues and lessons into the CCCD project (identification of gaps in the implementation and facilitating identification of solutions to enhance quality implementation).
• Provide support in regular documentation and sharing/dissemination of lessons learnt, case studies and best practices to inform on-going implementation, advocacy and future programming.

Communications

• Support the development of internal communications tools such as program briefs, brochures, newsletters, presentations, success stories and case studies.
• Support the development of feature stories for online and print media.
• Manage external communications through online platforms.
• Identify issue items/ content ideas and regular generation of issue-based content.
• Support the dissemination of program progress through documentaries.
• Build capacity of stakeholders on branding and monitor adherence to organisational branding requirements
• Support the implementation of periodic organisational advocacy and communications agendas.

Help a Child offers the opportunity to become part of an ambitious, child-centered, and Christian international NGO with a dedicated team of professionals motivated to maximize impact. Help a Child offers a fair pay and benefits package that is justifiable to our donors. Additionally, you will be offered a fixed term one (1) year contract. Depending on funding, performance, and fit with the staff, the contract may be extended. 

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates are kindly invited to apply before DATE 

In your cover letter, please reflect on your motivation for wanting to become part of the Help a Child organization including a reflection on Help a Child being a child-centered and Christian organization. 

The interviews will be at our office in Malawi, plot #14/189,  Area 14 - Lilongwe. 

Help a Child is committed to keeping children safe. All staff is required to sign and adhere to the Help a Child’s Integrity Policy. Recruitment is subject to the successful completion of all applicable background checks, including criminal record checks. In this recruitment process, we ask the candidate for consent for obtaining the Statement of Conduct. We also participate in the SCHR Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.