COUNTRY MEAL MANAGER HAITI

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.

Job Summary:
The purpose of this position is to manage, strengthen, and provide strategic direction to the Haiti Country Program MEAL system, ensuring cross-learning in MEAL among projects, and to build capacity of MEAL staff. The MEAL Manager will be responsible for supervising MEAL activities, particularly during times of emergency, and assessments required for proposal development. The MEAL Program Manager will work closely with CRS program teams and partner staff to develop high quality monitoring systems and tools which address indicators set out in project proposals. He/she will ensure that learning from projects is systematically captured and used throughout the country program. He/she will provide leadership to the Accountability officer and to PMs to ensure that the CP and each project has a robust mechanism to encourage feedback from beneficiaries and to incorporate this into project management. The MEAL manager will provide supervision to the ICT4D manager to identify and implement opportunities to use appropriate technology to improve project results and monitoring.
The MEAL Manager is expected to have a high level of self-initiative and use critical thinking skills to identify and fill gaps and opportunities. The MEAL Manager will also work closely with the Head of Programs (HoP) to ensure that the Haiti program complies with the agency’s regional and global MEAL systems and standards. The MEAL Manager should have the ability to work sensitively and positively with programming teams and promote a learning environment – success of the post relies on this.
Job Responsibilities:
1. MEAL Strategy & Design
• Ensure that the Haiti Country Program MEAL systems are in compliance with CRS’ global and regional policies, procedures, standards, and strategic initiatives
• Provide strategic direction for the development and maintenance of MEAL systems, and the roll-out of new initiatives
• Support Program Managers and MEAL team/working group members in the design and implementation of assessments, gender analysis, stakeholder analysis, organizational capacity assessments, and other pre-program data collection and analysis
• Provide strategic high-level feedback, analysis and interpretation throughout the proposal development process
• Develop and review Results Frameworks, ProFrames, MEAL Plans, and Analysis Plans
• Ensure the consistency of tools and indicators across all offices, sectors, and programs as appropriate, maintaining a bank of key program indicators

• Support MEAL and programming staff to incorporate accountability mechanisms in all projects
  • Collect and analyze lessons learned and best practices from previous and ongoing programs capturing the impact of activities, and ensure that these are incorporated into the design of new projects
  • Leverage lessons learned, best practices, program data, evaluations, and other information to generate donor communication pieces, proposal annexes, success stories, case studies, and other high-quality, results-based documentation
  • Ensure that all programs comply with the CRS Haiti accountability framework and CRS’ MEAL Policies and Procedures
  • Work with senior management to identify and pursue strategic opportunities for program development, expansion, etc.
  2. MEAL Implementation
  • Lead emergency real-time evaluations, internal end-of-project evaluations, needs assessments, baselines, impact studies, case studies, and other evaluation efforts
  • Lead project monitoring design initiatives including: tool design, data collection processes, and analysis methods using the SMILER method
  • Manage agency driven MEAL inquiries, requirements i.e. end of year beneficiary counts, etc.
  • Contribute to donor proposals and reports, through high quality analysis of reports and interpretation of data
  • Support the MEAL team in strategically preparing and reviewing MEAL calendars
  • Develop MEAL operation manuals to ensure that they are complete, up-to-date, high quality, and contain tools, data flow maps, and analysis plans that address all information needed for program quality and donor reporting
  • Support learning-to-action events and reflection sessions to systematically analyze data for programmatic use, and to document and incorporate lessons learned into program design and implementation
  • Ensure that MEAL and program teams regularly review and accordingly adjust MEAL plans and tools in the light of changes and needs in the field context based on monitoring data and reflection sessions
  • Ensure that transparent high quality accountability mechanisms are in place for all programs and are regularly monitored and evaluated
  • Ensure that beneficiary feedback is adequately captured, addressed, analyzed, and utilized by program teams
  • Lead CRS teams in conducting internal impact and sustainability evaluations, and supporting external impact and sustainability evaluations
  3. Capacity Strengthening
  • Lead the CRS Haiti MEAL monthly Community of Practice to share learning, resources, and support across offices
  • Develop and co-facilitate regular MEAL workshops for staff and partners to share country program, regional, and global MEAL tools, processes, and best practices to cultivate a culture of learning
  • Conduct orientations for new MEAL and program staff on CRS systems and key MEAL resources
  Conduct regular reviews of staff capacity in accordance with CRS performance management system and coach/mentor staff to ensure high levels of motivation, commitment, capacity, and teamwork
  • Maintain an updated matrix of MEAL team capacities using the CRS MEAL core competencies, provide training and development as necessary to ensure CP maintains a full roster of skills
  • Provide mentoring/accompaniment to CRS and partner staff to increase capacity and to achieve annual performance and development plans
  • Remain updated with developments among the CRS MEAL community and worldwide MEAL trends and resources, and ensure that the Haiti MEAL team is applying CRS MEAL guidance and policies appropriately and in a timely manner
  • Conduct field monitoring visits events frequently with project teams and implementing partners
  • Provide feedback to senior project and MEAL staff to improve the overall MEAL system and ensure quality implementation of MEAL activities.
• • If selected candidate is international, will lead efforts to localize the position within two years. This involves identifying staff within the MEAL team across the country program who are ready for advancement, investing in their capacity strengthening with clear benchmarks in line with CRS’ Capability Learning Path for MEAL and working with the HoP and regional MEAL TA to organize capacity strengthening activities.
  4. ICT4D
  • Support MEAL and programming teams to develop strong project tracking, record keeping and filing methodologies for all activities
  • Work with MEAL and IT staff to maximize the value and utility of ICT4D initiatives including the use of CommCare, PowerBi, and/or the roll out of new initiatives
  • Analyze ways to effectively integrate new ICT4D methods into new and existing projects beyond just applications for M&E and data collection

  Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:
  Education and Experience
  • Master’s degree in a field related to international development, statistics or similar
  • Minimum 7 years’ experience in M&E for development programs in a position of responsibility (experience with INGO preferred)
  • Experience working with large donors i.e.: USAID, EU, and IDB
  • Familiarity with principles and current approaches to MEAL of development programs using both quantitative and qualitative methods, especially those of USAID
  • Experience with participatory MEAL systems
  • Proficiency in database development/management, SPSS, EPI-Info, Access, Excel and skills in analyzing, interpreting and communicating information to various stakeholders
  • Experience using ICT for data collection
  • Significant experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative assessments and surveys (including sound understanding of sampling issues)
  •Previous experience with leading and managing studies and consultants
  • Experience with facilitation, capacity strengthening and partnership building, with the capacity to empower staff through opportunities for growth & development
  •Supervisory experience and management and team building skills

  Key MEAL Competencies (specific for this position):
  • MEAL in Design: Developing project-level Theories of Change, Results Frameworks, Proframes, related MEAL system tools and components, and accompanying MEAL narratives.
  • Monitoring: Implementing monitoring activities, including timely collection of quality data, set up and maintenance of databases, facilitation of participatory reflection on monitoring results, and submission of timely progress reports.
  • Evaluation: Supporting project and program evaluations and reviews by ensuring the quality of evaluation methods, tools, and data and facilitating the use of evaluation results to inform decision-making and enhance learning
  • Accountability: Improving our accountability to a range of stakeholders through increased participation, transparent communication, responsive feedback mechanisms and adherence to internal and external quality standards and requirements.
  • Learning: Promoting excellent knowledge management and collaborative learning processes at the project, program and institutional levels, generating robust evidence for project and programmatic learning that leads to action, decision-making and influence.
  • Analysis and Critical Thinking: Engaging with data, challenging biases and assumptions, posing thoughtful questions, pursuing deeper understanding of evidence through reflection and perspective-taking, and making informed programming decisions.

• ICT for MEAL: Applying knowledge on information and communication technologies (ICT), both hardware and software, for opportune and accurate data collection, database management, conducting

  Personal Skills
  •Ability to transfer knowledge through formal and informal training
  •Excellent planning and organization skills
  • Flexibility to work both in a team and independently
  • Demonstrated personal accountability and driven to serve others
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills, ability to work well with people, good judgment and commitment to CRS’ mission
  Required/Desired Foreign Language
  • Fluency in English and French (written and spoken) required. Kreyol and Spanish a plus.
  Travel Required (include percentage of required travel, if applicable)
  • Travel inside and outside of the country according to the CRS Haiti annual MEAL action plan and other request from CRS (Haiti, LACRO, HQ).

  Key Working Relationships:
  Supervisory: Direct supervision of Senior Accountability Officer, ICT4D Manager
  Internal: Head of Program, Heads of Program Sections (Education, Child Protection, Youth, Agriculture, Emergency & Resiliency), MEAL Officers and Senior Program Officers, Project and Program Managers, LACRO & HQ MEAL staff, Operations and HR department
  External: Other NGOs and MEAL Networking group, project consultant (if applicable)

  Agency REDI Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
  Agency competencies clarify expected behaviors and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. 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.
  • Personal Accountability – Consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
  • Acts with Integrity – Consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission. Is considered honest.
  • Builds and Maintains Trust – Shows consistency between words and actions.
  • Collaborates with Others – Works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
  • Open to Learn – Seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.
  Agency Leadership Competencies:
  • Lead Change – Continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
  • Develops and Recognizes Others – Builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
  • Strategic Mindset – Understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team priorities.