ROLE PURPOSE:

The Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) is a critical position in Save the Children Ukraine that requires a unique blend of strategic vision, accountability focus, and strong managerial capabilities and abilities to build organizational culture. The Head of MEAL oversees implementation of a quality, comprehensive and integrated MEAL System that meets SCI standards. The Head of MEAL manages, mentors, and supports the development of MEAL staff in both the country office (CO) and Area Offices (AOs). The role ensures strategic and annual planning, adequate MEAL resourcing. internal reporting, as well as contribution to new programme development.

Save the Children Ukraine MEAL capacity consists of approximately 40 staff, mostly based in field offices (currently Chernivtsi, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Mykolaiv and Kyiv). The Head of MEAL must ensure direct line-management MEAL Managers across the existing AOs, through a blend of remote and in-person support by ensuring frequent field visits. This implies managing and mentoring a team of MEAL professionals, ensuring a cohesive and high-performing team that delivers quality results: leadership skills and the ability to develop and support high-performing staff are crucial capabilities of the Head of MEAL.

The Head of MEAL is responsible for maintaining and improving the monitoring system, with a particular focus on hard-to-reach areas. This involves designing and implementing innovative monitoring methodologies that can effectively capture data in challenging contexts. The role requires ensuring that monitoring activities are inclusive and representative of all communities, especially those in remote or insecure locations. By leveraging technology and community-based approaches, the Head of MEAL enhances the quality and reach of our monitoring system, ensuring that accurate and timely data are obtained to inform programmes.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Strategically and operationally lead the MEAL function

• Lead the MEAL system, in line with SCI MEAL standards and procedures to ensure that Save the Children Ukraine MEAL capacity is diverse and flexible, supportive of humanitarian programming – including rapid response to a changing context – and of long-term recovery and resilience programming.
• Design, resource and implementation Save the Children MEAL strategy, including scaling up accountability to children and communities (including child participation), learning objectives, high-calibre monitoring standards, needs assessments and evaluation, as well as a clear approach to localisation and working with partner organisations.
• Promote all aspects of MEAL to support the creation of an organisational culture in SC and partner organizations which prioritizes data for decision-making and quality programming.
• Work closely with wider PDQ team to ensure that MEAL becomes an integral element of project design and implementation leading to enhanced quality, accountability, management and impact.
• Lead use of monitoring frameworks, tools and processes to measure performance and quality. This includes supporting thematic and operational staff to develop and monitor Quality Benchmarks.
• Lead MEAL emergency preparedness and response within existing country MEAL frameworks.
• Ensure that expected standards (including Key Performance Indicators) related to MEAL activities are regularly met through institutionalisation of robust systems for tracking, reporting and following up improvement actions.
• Ensure external reporting and representation as needed.
• Ensure that the MEAL system is safe for children and communities we work with, including leading on, and promoting the use of risk assessments for MEAL activities, including safeguarding and safe programming considerations in MEAL tools, and building strong relations with safeguarding department.
• Ensure timely and high quality information for reporting on SCI Country Annual Report and quarterly Key Performance Indictors (KPIs) reports and required CSP reports (including reporting against Humanitarian Indicators).

Programme Design and MEAL Resources

• Ensure project proposals include relevant MEAL approaches.
• Develop log-frame and other MEAL sections or requirements in project proposals, using donors and/or SC’s internal formats.
• Lead the roll out and use of PRIME system in MEAL practices.
• Ensure that the Master Logframe is regularly updated and used across the programme to assist strong and consistent programme design aligned to the CSP.
• Promote the uptake of Save the Children Global Indicators as relevant.
• Ensure that MEAL resources are included in proposal development and work creatively to secure funding from diverse sources, to ensure that MEAL is integrated in emergency and development programmes in a sustainable way.
• Effectively manage the MEAL budget.

Promote use of evidence and learning for strategy development and decision-making

• Lead on the use of evidence and learning for strategy development and decision-making (learning agenda, learning workshops, After Action Reviews, action planning and tracking of learning uptake).
• Promote and lead on the systematic identification, documentation, sharing and use of learning from Save the Children and others’ work, to continuously adapt and improve programming, in close collaboration with other key stakeholders.
• Design, implementation and use of high-quality needs assessments, evaluations and research, in line with an identified Learning Agenda. Where relevant, manage external companies conducting such processes on behalf of Save the Children.
• Ensure that data brought together and findings from across themes and AOs are used to form a coherent basis for analysis of impact which promotes learning and strategy development.
• Ensure that high quality analysis reports to illustrate SC’s impact and assessment findings are produced, including evidence of good practice and replicable programmes, and that they are communicated as appropriate.
• Communicate top level learning/analysis reports and monitoring data to ensure that management can make informed decisions on a timely basis to scale up and address operational challenges.
• Ensure synthesised data is available to support progress measurement against the Country Strategic Plan (CSP) and support relevant stakeholders to apply data for decision-making.
• Initiate research to test new innovations**,** identify opportunities to build relationships with local institutions to develop an evidence base to support the Country Strategic Plan.

Strategically lead Accountability to Children and Communities

• Promote a culture supportive of Accountability to Children and Communities, including ethical and meaningful child participation and child rights more broadly.
• Manage the Accountability System and approaches – information sharing, participation and Feedback and Reporting – and provide technical support to Accountability staff, to ensure it is appropriate, inclusive, safe, and child-friendly.
• Ensure plans to promote accountability and child participation are aligned to the global strategy around ‘Shifting the Power’ to children and communities, are clearly documented in the Country Strategic Plan and are adequately budgeted for in the Country Office master budget.
• Ensure Accountability data is strategically informing decision-making at Area Office and Country Office level influencing other humanitarian actors and advocacy with children and communities.
• Promote child participation in all aspects of work – MEAL, programming and Advocacy and Communication..

Staff management, mentorship, and development

• Lead the MEAL Unit forming a solid team and creating cohesion between team members working in different geographic areas, by defining expectations, providing coaching and technical support as needed so that MEAL staff are able to perform their roles as required.
• Directly line-manage MEAL staff in the Unit to ensure that the MEAL system operates effectively with the support and resources required and that there are clear links and reporting lines between AO and CO level and between PDQ and other Departments.
• Strengthen the capacity of MEAL staff in SC, based on an analysis of technical knowledge gaps, in line with Save the Children MEAL Technical Competency Framework.

Supporting partner organisations

• Lead the development and implementation of capacity-building initiatives for local partners, ensuring they have the necessary skills and tools to effectively monitor, evaluate, and report on program activities.
• Establish and maintain strong collaborative relationships with local partners, facilitating regular communication and coordination to ensure alignment of MEAL activities with program goals and standards.
• Oversee the quality and integrity of data collected by local partners, providing guidance and support to ensure accurate reporting and adherence to accountability frameworks, ultimately enhancing the impact of Save the Children’s programs.

Cross-cutting

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to safeguarding (child safeguarding and PSEA), code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures, in order to advance SCI’s global priorities, such as (but not limited to) gender equality, disability inclusion, safe programming and safeguarding, child participation.
• Actively contribute to strengthening team spirit and cooperation within the PDQ Department Team.
• Promote accountability and high performance, encourage a culture of learning, creativity and innovation, support staff and colleagues in efforts to deliver outstanding results for children in Ukraine.
• Ensure adaptability, flexibility, and ability to work on a wide range of tasks in a wide range of contexts with impeccable attention to detail and accuracy.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Masters degree in an area of social development or equivalent.
• Fluency in English (necessary), Ukrainian and Russian, both verbal and written
• Commitment to Save the Children values

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Recommended a minimum of eight years management and/or MEAL experience in a both emergency and development contexts, preferably with solid experience in more than one of the Save the Children priority sectors: education, protection, rights governance, food security and livelihoods, health and nutrition, and emergencies. Experience in setting up a MEAL system in CVA programming a plus.
• Professional proficiency in MS Office suite
• Proven experience designing and conducting quantitative surveys and qualitative studies, including calculating sample sizes, selecting a sampling methodology, developing data collection tools and training enumerators
• Proven experience conducting quantitative and qualitative data analysis and interpreting results, and experience using statistical software
• Experience using KoBo Toolbox, ODK or other mobile data collection software
• Experience implementing and operationalizing child-friendly and inclusive Accountability to Children and Communities (ACC) systems, including feedback and reporting systems
• Willingness and ability to travel to emergency contexts.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind-sets
• Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies

Desirable

• Experience working in Ukraine.
• Work with partner organizations.