Job Description
Job Title: MEAL Director, KIDSS
Job Location: Yaoundé, Cameroon
Job Type: Regular, Full-time
Reports To: Chief of Party, Key Interventions to Develop Systems and Services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (KIDSS)
About CRS:
Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding.
Project Summary:
Funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Catholic Relief Services (CRS) implements the Key Interventions to Develop Systems and Services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (KIDSS) project. The project addresses the challenges of sustainable care and support to Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) by strengthening the capacities of the Government of the Republic of Cameroon (GRC), civil society, communities and households to provide quality care and support to HIV-infected and affected children in Cameroon. KIDSS partners with 24 local implementing organizations, the Government of Cameroon and other stakeholders to reach OVC and their families in 32 health districts across nine regions of Cameroon. The program consists of prevention and case finding activities for OVC as well as ensuring community support for linkage to care and retention among children and adolescents living with HIV.
Job Summary:
The MEAL Director will provide leadership in ensuring high quality monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning within the KIDSS project to assist the achievement of the KIDSS project objectives and strengthen partners’ capacity to assure robust MEAL across the project. The MEAL Director reports to the KIDSS Chief of Party, while coordinating with project staff, sub-recipients and PEPFAR implementing partners; and is accountable for all the monitoring and evaluation, accountability, learning and documentation of technical project related activities, results and program quality. The KIDSS MEAL Director’s project management skills and knowledge of PEPFAR OVC programming will ensure that the KIDSS delivers high-quality programming and continuously works towards improving the impact of this project as well as timely, high-quality, evidence-based reporting to the donor.
Job Responsibilities:
- Lead MEAL-related technical, budget management, monitoring, reporting, and capacity strengthening activities through the project cycle — start-up, implementation and close-out — in line with CRS program quality standards and MEAL Policies, Procedures and Practices (MPPs) and PEPFAR MEAL requirements. Ensures both compliance to auditable requirements and implementation of good practices.
- Effectively manage talent, supervise and provide leadership to a team of about 10 MEAL staff at the central and field levels. Manage team dynamics and staff well-being. Provide coaching, strategically tailor individual development plans, contribute to the recruitment process of project staff, and complete performance management for direct reports.
- Lead the development, management and periodic review of project-level MEAL systems., including MEAL documents and donor deliverables such as Performance Monitoring Plans, Performance Indicator Reference Sheets, Indicator Performance Tracking Tables, data collection instruments, and Detailed Implementation Plans which are appropriate to the scope and context of the KIDSS.
- Provide management, guidance, and technical oversight for the development and use of ICT4MEAL systems, processes and tools for data collection, analysis, visualization and reporting.
- In coordination with program leadership, analyze and evaluate project performance data, including use of differential and inferential statistics (quantitative data), and content and trends analysis (qualitative data). Champion the analysis and use of project performance data with project staff and partner teams to inform decision-making and identify lessons learned. Ensure the quality of monitoring data through regular data quality assessments. Assist with preparation of trends analysis reports and dissemination of results.
- Strengthen program and partner staff capacities in MEAL. Optimize partner participation and capacity development in the implementation of MEAL systems. Working closely with project senior leadership and Partner Capacity Strengthening Manager, ensure that targeted partners’ capacities are strengthened to achieve prime-readiness
- Working closely with project senior leadership and Partner Capacity Strengthening Manager, ensure that targeted partners’ capacities are strengthened to achieve prime-readiness; including the ability to directly implement high-quality MEAL systems and processes and reporting to the donor.
- Champion learning with project staff and partner teams – identify opportunities for learning, research and publications in OVC and implementation of MEAL policy. Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles, encouraging reflection on key issues, assumptions, and themes to identify and address gaps in learning. Promote the application of learning to improve program quality and to strengthen agency influence among external stakeholders. Facilitate the dissemination of promising practices and lessons learned to contribute to the agency knowledge management agenda. Ensure integration of MEAL-related innovations and best practices.
- Ensure learning properly accompanies project activities throughout the project cycle.
- Co-lead the design of the KIDSS feedback and response mechanism (FRM). Co-coordinate the roll-out and implementation of the FRM and other accountability activities for the project(s). Support active seeking and responding to feedback from all members of targeted beneficiaries, communities and other stakeholders.
- Represent the project related to MEAL with USAID, PEPFAR Implementing partners, UN, relevant local partners and relevant local government and community actors for the OVC.
- Coordinate activities required for ensuring the financial, material and human resources for MEAL for the quality implementation of the project.
- Provide leadership support to donor reporting requirements (including quarterly, semi-annual and annual technical reports) in a timely manner in coordination with the Deputy Chief of Parties.
- Review the KIDSS documentation to ensure the KIDSS file is complete with all required MEAL documentation and is filed per agency and donor requirements.
Basic Qualifications (BQs):
Education and Experience
- Master’s Degree in Statistics, Health or related MEAL technical field in the field of MEAL required.
- Minimum of 10 years of work experience in MEAL technical or managerial positions, ideally in the field of MEAL and for an NGO; Recent experience working in PEPFAR pediatric HIV, OVC and adolescent programming required.
- Strong background in PEPFAR program implementation; experience in supervising and providing MEAL technical assistance for PEPFAR HIV, OVC and Adolescent programs.
- 3 to 5 years of supervisory experience, excellent partnership and interpersonal skills to work in a team environment with dependable ability to dialogue, network, and work effectively with senior managers of local and international institutions.
- Proven ability to coach, mentor, and provide effective capacity strengthening to peers, direct reports, and partner staff.
- Experience working with stakeholders at various levels and strengthening community partnerships.
- Ability to contribute to the development of technical proposals, a plus.
- Experience analyzing data and contributing to evaluation reports.
- Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
Required/Desired Foreign Language Fluency in English, Proficiency in French
Travel Required: 25% travel within Cameroon
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Critical thinking and strong logical reasoning skills.
- Creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
- Strong relationship management skills and the ability to work effectively with local stakeholders. Representation abilities.
- Ability to contribute to written reports.
- Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented.
- Able to adapt to change quickly and respond with effective strategies.
- Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities.
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
- Integrity
- Accountability and stewardship
- Builds relationships
- Develops talent
- Continuous improvement and innovation
- Strategic mindset
MEAL Competencies (for CRS MEAL Program Staff):
Each staff member in this position is expected to have solid knowledge and ability and can apply the following competencies with minimal or no guidance, in the full range of typical situations, while requiring guidance to handle novel or more complex situations:
- Monitoring
- Evaluation
- Accountability
- Learning
- Analysis and Critical Thinking
- ICT4MEAL
- MEAL in Management
In addition, each staff member in this position is expected to have basic knowledge and ability and, with guidance, be able to apply the following competencies in common situations that present limited difficulties:
- MEAL in Design
Key Working Relationships:
Reports to: Chief of Party, KIDSS
Internal: Deputy Chief of Party — OVC Program Quality, Deputy Chief of Party — Operations, Partner Capacity Strengthening Manager, Head of Programming, CP MEAL PM.
Supervisory Responsibilities: KIDSS MEAL Staff (Database Manager, Data Quality and Use Manager, Knowledge Management and Learning Manager, etc.)
External: USAID, Government of Cameroon, Local Implementing Partners, Health Facilities
What we offer
CRS offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, life insurance, vision, generous retirement savings plan and the opportunity to work in a collaborative, mission-driven culture that is committed to improving the lives of the poor throughout the world.
****Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.*
(if applicable) NOTE: All interested applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. at the time of application.
Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
EOE/M/F/D/V – CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. (For all US and International positions)
More Information
- Job City Yaoundé
