MEAL Manager - Consortium (ECHO BR)

TITLE: MEAL Manager - Consortium (ECHO BR)
TEAM/PROGRAMME: REALM LOCATION: SCI CO, Afghanistan
GRADE: NAT 2 CONTRACT LENGTH: Fixed term

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:
Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g., four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process for staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:
The Consortium Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager will provide technical oversight for the design, implementation, and continuous strengthening of a harmonised consortium wide MEAL system across all four consortium partners which includes Save the Children International (lead), Solidarités International, Handicap International, and INTERSOS. The role responsible for ensuring a harmonised, high quality MEAL system across all consortium partners. .

The post holder chairs the consortium MEAL Technical Working Group (TWG), interfaces directly with the MEAL Managers of partner organisations, and drives the design and rollout of the consortium’s ICT4D systems, including digital data collection, dashboards, and integration with inter-agency data platforms and shared feedback mechanisms. The role works closely with the Senior Programme Manager, partner MEAL leads, thematic technical specialists, and SCI MEAL and IT teams.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Senior Programme Manager, ECHO Portfolio (Consortium Lead)
Staff reporting to this post: Consortium MEAL Coordinators and Officers (as assigned)
Close working relationships: Partner MEAL Managers (SI, HI, INTERSOS), SCI MEAL and IT teams, thematic technical specialists, Awards, and Programme Operations
Budget Responsibilities: MEAL budget lines as delegated

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

MEAL System Design and Support for Implementation

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the consortium-wide MEAL framework, MEAL plan, and indicator performance tracking table across SCI, Solidarités International, Handicap International, and INTERSOS.
• Ensure harmonised MEAL approaches, methodologies, indicators, and reporting systems are implemented consistently across consortium partners.
• Chair the consortium MEAL Technical Working Group (TWG), setting agendas, tracking action points, and driving harmonisation of tools, methodologies, and reporting formats across partners.
• Interface directly with the MEAL Managers of partner organisations to agree common standards and resolve data and methodology issues, while allowing partner-specific approaches where these strengthen the programme.
• Flag indicator under-performance and data gaps early to the Senior Programme Manager and consortium governance structures.

Monitoring, Data Quality and Information Management
• Oversee routine monitoring, data quality assessments, and field verification across consortium locations.
• Consolidate, quality assure, and validate partner MEAL data for ECHO reporting, ensuring accuracy and consistency of figures across all partners.
• Ensure required disaggregation of data, including disability disaggregation using the Washington Group Short Set, across partner datasets.
• Ensure responsible data management, data protection, and information sharing protocols are in place and observed by all partners.
• Drive the design, rollout, and adoption of consortium ICT4D systems, including digital data collection, dashboards, and data visualisation for programme decision making.
• Lead consortium integration with inter-agency data systems, including returnee tracking and shared feedback mechanisms operated with IOM and other actors.
• Manage ICT4D consultancies and vendors, ensuring deliverables meet consortium requirements, timelines, and data protection standards.

Accountability and Community Engagement
• Ensure functioning and harmonised community feedback and response mechanisms across all partners and locations.
• Promote accountability to affected populations by ensuring feedback is systematically collected, analysed, responded to, and incorporated into programme decision-making.
• Prepare and share feedback and response snapshot report with all Consortium Partners

Evaluation, Learning and Adaptive Management
• Coordinate the planning, design, and implementation of baseline, mid-term, endline evaluation studies in accordance with consortium and donor requirements.
• Lead internal monitoring survey which includes post-distribution monitoring, assessments, and and coordinate third-party monitoring where applicable.
• Lead lessons-learned and after-action reviews, and ensure findings inform programme adaptation and modification requests.
• Document case studies, success stories, and evidence products for learning, visibility, and donor engagement.

Internal and external Reporting
• Contribute MEAL sections, annexes, and consolidated data to donor reports and modification requests.
• Contribute SCI CO level reporting (KPI, PRIME, annual report etc) by providing timely information
• Support audits, verification missions, and donor monitoring visits with complete and traceable MEAL documentation.
• Represent the consortium in inter-agency MEAL and information management forums, clusters, and working groups.
• Caapcity Building
Capacity Strengthening and Technical Support
• Build MEAL capacity of Consortium partner MEAL staffs through training, coaching, and joint field work.
• Promote and ensure compliance with Save the Children’s Child Safeguarding, PSEA, and Gender Equality policies.
• Ensure all project staff and partners are aware of SCI’s safeguarding principles and reporting mechanisms.
• Ensure all project activities adhere to SCI and donor compliance frameworks.
• Any other tasks assigned by the line manager.

Child Safeguarding Responsibilities
• Ensure that child safeguarding is integrated into all M&E frameworks.

Any other job assign by supervisor

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving, and role modelling Save the Children values.
• holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance, and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their personal development, and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares their vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• future-oriented, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
• builds and maintains effective relationships with their team, colleagues, Members, and external partners and supporters
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor’s degree in statistics, social sciences, information management, data science, development studies, or a related field; a Master’s degree in a relevant field is an advantage.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Essential
• At least 5 years of MEAL experience in humanitarian or development programmes, including at least 2 years in a management or coordination role.
• Demonstrated experience leading MEAL in a consortium or multi-partner programme, including harmonising tools and consolidating data across organisations.
• Experience chairing or facilitating technical working groups and coordinating with peer MEAL Managers across agencies.
• Strong knowledge of ECHO or comparable institutional donor MEAL and reporting requirements, including logframes, indicator tracking, and results reporting.
• Proven ability to design and manage digital data collection and ICT4D systems (e.g., KoBoToolbox, ODK, CommCare), including form design, data pipelines, and quality assurance.
• Strong data analysis and visualisation skills, including advanced Excel and at least one of Power BI, Tableau, R, or Python, with the ability to build and maintain dashboards.
• Working knowledge of responsible data management and data protection principles in humanitarian settings.
• Experience establishing and managing community feedback and response mechanisms.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills, with the ability to drive consensus among partners without direct line authority.
• Excellent report writing skills in English; fluency in English and in Pashto and/or Dari.
• Ability to work under pressure, manage competing deadlines, and deliver to donor reporting timelines.
• Ability and willingness to travel within Afghanistan, including consortium field locations.

Desirable
• Experience with inter-agency information management systems (registration or referral platforms, shared feedback mechanisms), ICT4D vendor or consultancy management, and data standards such as the Washington Group questions or CPIMS+.
• Previous experience in returnee, displacement, or border response programming with INGOs, NNGOs, or UN agencies in Afghanistan.

Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within the reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties by the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe, so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties according to SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Organization context

The Organization
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:
· No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
· All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
· Violence against children is no longer tolerated
We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.
Application Information:
Please apply using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document. Please also include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations. A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/jobs We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.