Senior MEAL Officer

The role

We are currently looking for Senior MEAL Officer based in Vientiane Capital.

Role Purpose

The Senior MEAL Officer leads monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning for the ECHO-funded Lower Mekong Early Warning and Anticipatory Action programme in Lao PDR, ensuring quality data collection and analysis, robust indicator tracking, functioning accountability mechanisms and the generation of evidence and learning. The post-holder ensures data are disaggregated and inclusive and that feedback from communities, schools and children directly informs adaptive management across all four Results.

This position will be supervised by the Senior Project Coordinator and will work closely on the technical related with country/regional MEAL; ADPC; SCI technical advisors. This position has good work relationship with project field staff; communities, schools and children; OPDs; Lao Red Cross; provincial district government authorities.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Ensure they fully understand the provisions of the Child Safeguarding Policy, the Code of Conduct and Local/Country Procedures.
• Conduct themselves in accordance with the rules of the Child Safeguarding Policy, in their personal and professional lives – which includes reporting suspicions of child abuse.

Key responsibilities:

MEAL Systems and Planning

• Establish and maintain the country MEAL plan aligned with the project results framework and indicators.
• Working closely with project Sinor Coordinator and reginal/CO MELA manager on MEAL plan.
• Mentor and build capacity of project officers and government staff at district and provincial level to ensure timely quality data collection, data analysis and reporting.
• Maintain the Indicator Performance Tracking Table (IPTT) and Performance Indicator Reference Sheets (PIRS and manage MEAL information in PRIME system.
• Plan and support baseline, midline and endline data collection.

Data Collection, Quality and Analysis

• Develop and apply data collection tools (household and school surveys, FGDs, quality-benchmark checklists).
• Ensure data entry and validation timely and of participant tracking list and data disaggregation by sex, age, disability, ethnicity and location, using inclusive methods.
• Conduct data quality assurance and analyse quantitative and qualitative data to track progress and outcomes.
• Support the technical team with access to data sources, for data analysis and decision making.

Accountability (Feedback and Complaints)

• Establish and manage accessible, child- and disability-sensitive feedback and complaints response mechanisms (FCRM).
• Ensure feedback and complaints are recorded, categorised and followed up within agreed timeframes.
• Ensure affected populations, including children, can safely raise concerns.
• Regular travel to project sites.
• Involvement of Incident Management System relates to feedback from communities, children, affected population.

Learning, Evidence and Reporting (Result 3)

• Generate evidence, case studies and learning briefs and support after-action and learning reviews.
• Contribute MEAL data and country case studies to national dissemination workshops and regional learning under Result 3 (R3.A4, R3.A6).
• Promote use of evidence for adaptive management; uphold data protection, safeguarding and ethical standards.

Crisis Modifier Monitoring (Result 4)

• Support rapid needs assessment and post-activation monitoring when the Crisis Modifier is triggered.
• Ensure feedback and complaints mechanisms remain functional and accessible during emergency response, and that response data are captured for accountability and learning.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, Statistics, Development Studies, Monitoring & Evaluation or a related field (Essential)

Advanced degree or formal training in M&E / research methods (Desirable)

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Minimum 4 years of MEAL experience in humanitarian or development programming.
• Demonstrated experience in survey design, mobile data collection and quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining relational databases.
• Experience ensuring data disaggregation (sex, age, disability) and inclusive data collection.
• Experience establishing and managing feedback and complaints mechanisms (accountability).
• Strong data analysis and reporting skills
• Good working English both written and spoken.
• Commitment to safeguarding, disability inclusion, gender equality and data protection.

Contract length: Fixed term (1 year with the possibility of extension)

The Organisation

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:

Interested candidates please submit a full application using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document including contact details of three professional referees (current and last line managers and HR department). Please also include details of your salary expectations and a copy of your ID card. Please note that we will require a copy of your Criminal Records (ໃບແຈ້ງໂທດ) later.

Save the Children International is a child-rights based organization. Safe recruitment is central to the safeguarding of children and young people that we come into contact with, and support through our programmes.

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.

Save the children is an equal opportunities employer, qualified females, persons with disability and candidates from diverse cultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.