About the Role

The Regional MEAL and Learning Specialist will provide strategic leadership and operational management for the consortium’s monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning function across Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti.

Based in Nairobi and reporting to the Regional Consortium Coordinator, this role will design and oversee a rigorous, adaptive, and regionally consistent MEAL system aligned with DG ECHO requirements and the learning priorities of IGAD, ICPAC, and SCALAA.

The Specialist will lead the program Results Framework, baseline, mid-term, and endline evaluations, data-quality assurance, accountability mechanisms, After-Action Reviews, donor evidence packages, and regional learning products. The role will directly manage the Data Analyst, provide technical guidance to country MEAL focal points, and carry direct responsibility for MEAL data management for the Somalia component.

This position is ideal for an experienced regional MEAL professional with strong mixed-methods research expertise, institutional donor experience, and technical knowledge of anticipatory action, disaster preparedness, early-warning systems, or climate-informed humanitarian programming.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the consortium-wide MEAL system across Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti.
• Develop and maintain the program’s Results Framework, Theory of Change, indicator matrix, targets, data sources, disaggregation requirements, and responsibility assignments.
• Design and manage the program MEAL Plan, including data-collection schedules, quality-assurance protocols, accountability mechanisms, reporting responsibilities, and the regional learning cycle.
• Establish consistent MEAL governance and standards across country teams, implementing partners, program staff, and regional technical teams.
• Lead quarterly and annual program reviews and ensure monitoring findings inform adaptive management, program planning, and decision-making.
• Provide technical leadership for baseline, mid-term, and endline evaluations using rigorous mixed-methods approaches across all three program countries.
• Develop evaluation methodologies, research questions, sampling strategies, data-collection tools, analytical frameworks, and reporting structures.
• Manage external evaluation consultants when independent evaluations are required, including developing terms of reference and reviewing technical proposals and deliverables.
• Directly oversee the Somalia evaluation and MEAL component, working with country teams and local partners to ensure consistent data quality and conflict-sensitive data collection.
• Establish consortium-wide data-quality standards, verification procedures, source-data archives, and auditable evidence trails for donor-reported results.
• Ensure ethical and responsible data management, including informed consent, confidentiality, anonymization, secure data storage, access controls, and compliance with relevant data-protection standards.
• Oversee digital data-collection and management systems, including KoboToolbox, ODK, dashboards, validation controls, and real-time data monitoring.
• Design and oversee accessible Complaints and Feedback Mechanisms that enable affected communities to provide feedback safely and confidentially.
• Ensure accountability systems are inclusive and accessible to women, persons with disabilities, older people, displaced populations, refugees, people with low literacy, and other marginalized groups.
• Lead After-Action Reviews following simulations, pilot activations, and Crisis Modifier responses, ensuring operational lessons are documented and incorporated into program improvements.
• Work with the Regional Climate and Anticipatory Action Modeling Specialist to assess trigger accuracy, lead times, false-alarm rates, and activation decision quality.
• Produce regional learning briefs, evidence papers, case studies, evaluation reports, and knowledge products on anticipatory action, trigger systems, urban preparedness, and cross-border coordination.
• Serve as the quality-assurance authority for quantitative data, indicator results, disaggregation tables, progress narratives, and evidence included in DG ECHO reports.
• Lead MEAL capacity strengthening for country teams, government counterparts, and implementing partners across the program.
• Directly manage and mentor the Data Analyst and provide technical guidance to MEAL focal points in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti.
• Develop and manage the program’s MEAL budget and approve MEAL-related expenses within authorized thresholds.

Requirements

Who We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Development Studies, Social Research Methods, Statistics, Public Policy, Humanitarian Action, or a closely related field.
• Additional professional certification in program evaluation, results-based management, research methods, or a related discipline is a strong advantage.
• Minimum seven years of progressively responsible MEAL experience within the humanitarian or international development sector.
• At least three years of experience in a senior regional or multi-country MEAL coordination position.
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing comprehensive MEAL systems for complex, multi-year, multi-country programs.
• Strong experience managing Results Frameworks, formal evaluations, data-quality assurance systems, accountability mechanisms, and institutional donor reporting.
• Experience working with DG ECHO or a comparable institutional donor is strongly preferred, including knowledge of donor logframes, evidence requirements, and reporting conventions.
• Technical experience in anticipatory action, disaster preparedness, early-warning systems, climate-risk management, or climate-informed humanitarian programming is required.
• Proven experience leading baseline, mid-term, and endline evaluations using quantitative and qualitative research methods.
• Advanced skills in survey design, sampling, statistical analysis, qualitative research, data interpretation, and evidence-based reporting.
• Proficiency with KoboToolbox, ODK, or comparable digital data-collection platforms.
• Experience designing MEAL approaches for trigger-based programs, simulation exercises, After-Action Reviews, pilot activations, or Crisis Modifier responses.
• Experience working in at least two of the target countries—Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti—or in comparable Greater Horn of Africa contexts is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of accountability to affected populations, inclusive feedback mechanisms, PSEA, data protection, safeguarding, and responsible humanitarian data practices.
• Demonstrated ability to translate field-level evidence into clear program insights, donor reports, learning products, and strategic recommendations.
• Strong leadership, team management, facilitation, communication, and stakeholder-engagement skills.
• Full professional fluency in written and spoken English is required. Working knowledge of French, Somali, or Amharic is a strong advantage.
• Ability and willingness to travel across Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and other regional locations, including travel to challenging or high-risk operating environments.

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the consortium-wide MEAL system across Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti.
• Develop and maintain the program’s Results Framework, Theory of Change, indicator matrix, targets, data sources, disaggregation requirements, and responsibility assignments.
• Design and manage the program MEAL Plan, including data-collection schedules, quality-assurance protocols, accountability mechanisms, reporting responsibilities, and the regional learning cycle.
• Establish consistent MEAL governance and standards across country teams, implementing partners, program staff, and regional technical teams.
• Lead quarterly and annual program reviews and ensure monitoring findings inform adaptive management, program planning, and decision-making.
• Provide technical leadership for baseline, mid-term, and endline evaluations using rigorous mixed-methods approaches across all three program countries.
• Develop evaluation methodologies, research questions, sampling strategies, data-collection tools, analytical frameworks, and reporting structures.
• Manage external evaluation consultants when independent evaluations are required, including developing terms of reference and reviewing technical proposals and deliverables.
• Directly oversee the Somalia evaluation and MEAL component, working with country teams and local partners to ensure consistent data quality and conflict-sensitive data collection.
• Establish consortium-wide data-quality standards, verification procedures, source-data archives, and auditable evidence trails for donor-reported results.
• Ensure ethical and responsible data management, including informed consent, confidentiality, anonymization, secure data storage, access controls, and compliance with relevant data-protection standards.
• Oversee digital data-collection and management systems, including KoboToolbox, ODK, dashboards, validation controls, and real-time data monitoring.
• Design and oversee accessible Complaints and Feedback Mechanisms that enable affected communities to provide feedback safely and confidentially.
• Ensure accountability systems are inclusive and accessible to women, persons with disabilities, older people, displaced populations, refugees, people with low literacy, and other marginalized groups.
• Lead After-Action Reviews following simulations, pilot activations, and Crisis Modifier responses, ensuring operational lessons are documented and incorporated into program improvements.
• Work with the Regional Climate and Anticipatory Action Modeling Specialist to assess trigger accuracy, lead times, false-alarm rates, and activation decision quality.
• Produce regional learning briefs, evidence papers, case studies, evaluation reports, and knowledge products on anticipatory action, trigger systems, urban preparedness, and cross-border coordination.
• Serve as the quality-assurance authority for quantitative data, indicator results, disaggregation tables, progress narratives, and evidence included in DG ECHO reports.
• Lead MEAL capacity strengthening for country teams, government counterparts, and implementing partners across the program.
• Directly manage and mentor the Data Analyst and provide technical guidance to MEAL focal points in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Djibouti.
• Develop and manage the program’s MEAL budget and approve MEAL-related expenses within authorized thresholds.

• Mixed-methods research expertise
• Institutional donor experience
• Technical knowledge of anticipatory action, disaster preparedness, early-warning systems, or climate-informed humanitarian programming
• Quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Survey design, sampling, statistical analysis, qualitative research, data interpretation, and evidence-based reporting
• Proficiency with KoboToolbox, ODK, or comparable digital data-collection platforms
• Experience designing MEAL approaches for trigger-based programs, simulation exercises, After-Action Reviews, pilot activations, or Crisis Modifier responses
• Strong knowledge of accountability to affected populations, inclusive feedback mechanisms, PSEA, data protection, safeguarding, and responsible humanitarian data practices
• Demonstrated ability to translate field-level evidence into clear program insights, donor reports, learning products, and strategic recommendations
• Strong leadership, team management, facilitation, communication, and stakeholder-engagement skills
• Full professional fluency in written and spoken English
• Working knowledge of French, Somali, or Amharic (strong advantage)

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Development Studies, Social Research Methods, Statistics, Public Policy, Humanitarian Action, or a closely related field.
• Additional professional certification in program evaluation, results-based management, research methods, or a related discipline is a strong advantage.