Organization: Save the Children
Country: Kenya
Closing date:
19 Jul 2015Vacancy Announcement
About us
For over 90 years, Save the Children has been making a difference in children's lives in more than 120 countries. We are the world's largest independent child rights organisation, underpinned by a vision in a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Our mission to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.
Save the Children is an organization for talented people with different backgrounds and perspectives. We are proud that our people are representative of the children we work with and we thrive on our diversity. We are an equal opportunity organisation dedicated to our core values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration. Creativity and Integrity. Our culture is embedded in these values, along with a strong commitment to our Child Safeguarding Protocol, ensuring that all representatives of Save the Children demonstrate the highest standards of behaviour towards children both in their private and professional lives.
The East African Regional Office is responsible for 7 countries in East Africa, including Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia, with a current staff complement of approximately 3500 staff, and current expenditure of approximately $200 million each year.
Save the Children East Africa Regional Office (EARO) is looking to recruit for a position of Roving Technical Specialist: Regional Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (Meal)
ROLE PURPOSE:
This is a regional role covering Save the Children International’s work in the East and Southern Africa Region. The post-holder will be part of a team that has a shared objective of improving program quality in the region. The purpose of the role is to contribute to the development of a strong sustainable culture and practice of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning in countries across the region. It is expected that this role will enable and significantly accelerate rollout of SC MEAL approach and procedures, ensuring cross-learning among projects, creating systems for accountability to beneficiaries, donors and other stakeholders, and to build capacity of MEAL staff.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to:Regional Head of Program Quality
Staff directly reporting to this post: N/A
Regional Dimensions:
· Diverse and complex problem-solving: requiring professional knowledge, field experience in multi-thematic programming as well as an understanding of development and humanitarian work
· Decision-making: requiring significant levels of judgement based on technical and management experience, generally supported within line management or the regional program quality team.
· Result orientation with capability to analyse and turn complex technical information into accessible and usable tools for non-specialists.
· The focus of the role can vary but with well-defined targets and/or minimum standards, is both proactive and reactive.
· Work patterns are not routine and often high pressure. Short, medium and long term planning is required in the context of changing priorities
· Work plans and objectives are developed to contribute to country, region and broader program strategy and can involve collaboration with other program units or departments.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Provide timely, effective and high quality technical supportto country programs in line with agreed SCI regional and country MEAL rollout priorities
- Guide and assist country programs to accelerate MEAL rollout, focusing on developing and implementing country and project-specific MEAL strategies, tools, systems and plans
- Develop regional (cross-country) tools to synthesize and generate practical solutions to support full spectrum programming in countries
- Provide backstopping /gap filling for country programs when MEAL teams are not at full people capacity
- When required, deploy in emergency responses and undertake the development and
Provide timely, effective and high quality technical support to country programs in line with agreed SCI regional and country MEAL rollout priorities
- Guide and assist country programs to accelerate MEAL rollout, focusing on developing and implementing country and project-specific MEAL strategies, tools, systems and plans
- Develop regional (cross-country) tools to synthesize and generate practical solutions to support full spectrum programming in countries
- Provide backstopping /gap filling for country programs when MEAL teams are not at full people capacity
- When required, deploy in emergency responses and undertake the development and implementation of MEAL frameworks, Outputs trackers, M & E plans and data collection and monitoring systems
· Strengthen accountability to children and communities by
o strengthening transparent communication and opportunities for children and community engagement
o setting up responsive complaints and feedback mechanisms
- increasing adherence to internal and external quality standards and requirements
o helping CO’s set up systems to enable them to learn and improve programming based on complaints and feedback
· Work closely with Heads of MEAL in country offices to prepare rollout and support usage of PRIME/ online MEAL system
· Support country teams in developing appropriate approaches, methods and tools to increase partners and beneficiaries involvement and capacity for MEAL
Support the development of in-country MEAL capacity
· Proactively support MEAL staff capacity development on knowledge, skills and leadership necessary for effective MEAL through training, regular coaching and mentoring
· Promote and support country and program management on MEAL and program teams’ ownership and understanding of MEAL as relevant to their roles
· Contribute to development and implementation of SC MEAL strategies, policies and initiatives
Networking and Organisational Learning
· Identify, proactively exchange and promote good MEAL practices with other MEAL staff globally, through formal and informal networks
· Contribute to the regional MEAL Community of Practice and disseminate Agency-wide learning and innovations in the area of MEAL across the region.
Delivering any other responsibility assigned by the line manager
SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our 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
·Creates a managerial environment to lead, enable and maintain our culture of child safeguarding
Ambition:
· Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
· Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale
Collaboration:
· Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to; builds and maintains effective relationships with colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
· Values diversity and different people’s perspectives, able to work cross-culturally.
Creativity:
· Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
· Cuts away bureaucracy and encourages an entrepreneurial approach
Integrity:
· honest, encourages openness and transparency, builds trust and confidence
· displays consistent excellent judgement
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Essential:
- Master's degree or advanced degree in applied science.
- Strong commitment to the values and objectives of Save the Children
- Demonstrated working knowledge and extensive experience in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning, in both development and humanitarian programs; preferably with an INGO.
- Proven strategic and implementation ability with strong conceptual and analytical skills for monitoring and Evaluation, learning & accountability.
- Practical working experience in at least 2 of the five SC thematic areas, i.e.: Education, Health and Nutrition, Child protection, Child Rights Governance and Child poverty
- Proven experience in implementing accountability across the entire program and project cycles
- Experience of gathering, analysing and presenting quantitative and qualitative data including information / data management and beneficiary registration and counting
- Demonstrated ability to lead, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to work in teams sensitively with people from various cultural and social backgrounds.
- Proven ability to advise, train and coach MEAL and non-MEAL staffs
- Ability to plan workload, prioritize, commit to meet deadlines and demonstrate accountability for outputs with minimal direct supervision
- Good organisational skills including accuracy, consistency, attention to detail, tenacity and the ability to work under pressure
- Proven knowledge and skills of statistical packages (SPSS, stata, sphinx etc...)
- Proven ability to learn and adapt to different contexts and programs.
- Ability to read, write, and speak fluent English; proficiency in other major language a plus.
- Demonstrated experience working within a team to complete objectives / activities on time, within budget, while meeting high quality standards.
Desirable
- Good understanding of programmatic application of humanitarian mandate and principles
- Experience of implementing Information and Communication Technology for MEAL (ICT4MEAL)
Work experience in diverse international NGOs at an Advisory role is an asset.
OTHER:Ability and willingness to undertake extensive travel on short notice in the region, approx. 70%
How to apply:Please send a copy of your CV with a cover letter to EA.recruitment@savethechildren.org
Application closes on 19th July 2015 at 5:00pm.
We work with children, communities and governments all over the world and we believe in the right person for the job regardless of where you come from and how you identify yourself. We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to ensuring that only those who are suitable to work with children are considered for these posts. All successful applicants will therefore be required to complete a Police Check and must sign onto our Child Safeguarding Policy and organizational Code of Conduct.