Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

The MEAL Officer will provide technical and operational support in the design, implementation, coordination, and continuous strengthening of an integrated Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning system for the FIYMA Programme. The role will serve as a critical link between strategic MEL leadership and operational execution by ensuring consistent application of robust MEAL systems, tools, standards and partner staff capacity across assigned partners organizations.

The MEAL Officer will ensure that high-quality, reliable, and timely data flows from field operations into centralized systems to support evidence-based decision-making, donor compliance performance and adaptive management.

Responsibilities or duties

MEAL System Development and Management:

• Participate in the design and operationalization of the FIYMA MEAL system development, result framework, tools, and SOPs across assigned programme staff and partners.
• Support in the design and maintenance of core MEAL documents, including results frameworks, MEAL plan, data quality assurance mechanisms, database management system, tools and reporting schedule.
• Facilitate harmonization of MEAL approaches, tools, and methodologies across all programmes implementing partners and staff.
• Ensure adherence to consortium-wide MEAL standards, operating procedures, data-sharing agreements, and reporting protocols.

Programme Monitoring, Evaluations and performance management:

• Plan, coordinate, and participate in routine monitoring missions, joint field visits, and implementation reviews.
• Ensure systematic tracking of programme outputs and outcomes related to youth financial inclusion, MSME growth, and agricultural enterprise performance.
• Analyze programme monitoring data to assess progress against targets, identify implementation bottlenecks, and inform corrective actions.
• Prepare periodic performance briefs, dashboards, and management summaries to support strategic decision-making.
• Initiate the planning and coordination of programme evaluations, including baseline, midline, endline, and thematic evaluations.
• Ensure availability of high-quality datasets and documentation for evaluation purposes.
• Support synthesis, dissemination, and utilization of evaluation findings for programme improvement and accountability.

Data Management, Quality Assurance and Compliance:

• Support in deployment, and management of a centralized, secure, and scalable FIYMA programme database.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date databases for programme beneficiaries and outputs.
• Monitor adherence to standardized procedures for data collection, cleaning, validation, storage, and backup across programme partners.
• Strengthen digital data collection and reporting tools to support real-time monitoring and analysis across programme partners.
• Support implementation of a comprehensive Data Quality Assurance (DQA) framework for the FIYMA Programme.
• Conduct routine data quality checks, verification exercises, and spot audits to ensure data accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timeliness.
• Identify data quality risks and support partners to implement corrective action plans.
• Ensure compliance with data protection, confidentiality, ethical data use, and donor reporting standards.

Capacity Strengthening and Technical support:

• Provide day-to-day technical guidance and mentorship on adherence to MEAL procedures and standards by programme staff and partners.
• Support training of programme staff and partners on MEAL tools, data quality, and reporting processes.
• Identify MEAL capacity gaps at field and partner level and propose targeted support measures.
• Support in execution of regular MEAL coordination meetings to review performance, data quality, and emerging learning.
• Ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act and MESPT

Reporting, Learning and Knowledge Management:

• Prepare monthly and quarterly MEAL reports and submit to the MEAL Manager.
• Support preparation of dashboards, performance briefs, and narrative reports for donor and management reports.
• Ensure proper documentation and filing of MEAL records, tools, and datasets.
• Support documentation of lessons learnt, good practices, case studies, and success stories from programme implementation.
• Support in joint reflection and learning sessions amongst consortium partners.
• Support implementation of beneficiary feedback, reporting, and complaints-handling mechanisms.
• Report accountability concerns and risks to the MEAL manager and programme director.
• Ensure ethical data collection practices, informed consent, confidentiality, and data protection at field level

Key Deliverables

• MEAL system established and functioning across the programme
• Quality and timeliness of routine monitoring and field reporting
• Progress tracking against FIYMA results framework (outputs/outcomes)
• Data quality assurance performance (accuracy, completeness, consistency, timeliness)
• Reporting compliance and quality (monthly/quarterly/donor reports)
• Operational MEAL database/data management performance
• Partner MEAL capacity strengthened through coaching and training
• Evaluations supported and delivered (baseline/midline/endline/thematic)
• Evidence-based learning documented and used for programme improvement
• Accountability mechanisms functioning (beneficiary feedback/complaints addressed)

Any other duties as assigned by the MEAL Manager from time to time

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Knowledge, Experience & Skills

• Minimum of 2 years of progressive MEAL experience in donor-funded development programmes.
• Demonstrable experience in designing and implementation of monitoring systems, survey techniques incl. qualitative investigation, and statistical analysis for community development programmes.
• Strong experience in conducting baseline, evaluations, and /or thematic studies especially for programmes working on youth, MSME, financial inclusion, or Agri-enterprise development programmes
• Extensive experience in managing database for large scale / complex programmes using digital applications/ systems.
• Demonstrated expertise in statistical analysis of large data sets using statistical packages and applications such as SPSS, R, Power BI etc.
• Demonstrated Experience using digital data collection tools (Kobo Toolbox, ODK, TARO works).
• Practical experience in data management, quality assurance, and reporting.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• High level skills and experience in training & capacity building in MEAL
• Excellent coordination, supervision, and mentoring abilities.
• Strong presentation, report writing and communication skills.
• High attention to detail and commitment to data integrity.
• Ability to work effectively in multi-partner and field-based environments.
• Strong ability to work with diverse groups, including youth, women, PWDs, and refugees.

• Participate in the design and operationalization of the FIYMA MEAL system development, result framework, tools, and SOPs across assigned programme staff and partners.
• Support in the design and maintenance of core MEAL documents, including results frameworks, MEAL plan, data quality assurance mechanisms, database management system, tools and reporting schedule.
• Facilitate harmonization of MEAL approaches, tools, and methodologies across all programmes implementing partners and staff.
• Ensure adherence to consortium-wide MEAL standards, operating procedures, data-sharing agreements, and reporting protocols.
• Plan, coordinate, and participate in routine monitoring missions, joint field visits, and implementation reviews.
• Ensure systematic tracking of programme outputs and outcomes related to youth financial inclusion, MSME growth, and agricultural enterprise performance.
• Analyze programme monitoring data to assess progress against targets, identify implementation bottlenecks, and inform corrective actions.
• Prepare periodic performance briefs, dashboards, and management summaries to support strategic decision-making.
• Initiate the planning and coordination of programme evaluations, including baseline, midline, endline, and thematic evaluations.
• Ensure availability of high-quality datasets and documentation for evaluation purposes.
• Support synthesis, dissemination, and utilization of evaluation findings for programme improvement and accountability.
• Support in deployment, and management of a centralized, secure, and scalable FIYMA programme database.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date databases for programme beneficiaries and outputs.
• Monitor adherence to standardized procedures for data collection, cleaning, validation, storage, and backup across programme partners.
• Strengthen digital data collection and reporting tools to support real-time monitoring and analysis across programme partners.
• Support implementation of a comprehensive Data Quality Assurance (DQA) framework for the FIYMA Programme.
• Conduct routine data quality checks, verification exercises, and spot audits to ensure data accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timeliness.
• Identify data quality risks and support partners to implement corrective action plans.
• Ensure compliance with data protection, confidentiality, ethical data use, and donor reporting standards.
• Provide day-to-day technical guidance and mentorship on adherence to MEAL procedures and standards by programme staff and partners.
• Support training of programme staff and partners on MEAL tools, data quality, and reporting processes.
• Identify MEAL capacity gaps at field and partner level and propose targeted support measures.
• Support in execution of regular MEAL coordination meetings to review performance, data quality, and emerging learning.
• Ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act and MESPT
• Prepare monthly and quarterly MEAL reports and submit to the MEAL Manager.
• Support preparation of dashboards, performance briefs, and narrative reports for donor and management reports.
• Ensure proper documentation and filing of MEAL records, tools, and datasets.
• Support documentation of lessons learnt, good practices, case studies, and success stories from programme implementation.
• Support in joint reflection and learning sessions amongst consortium partners.
• Support implementation of beneficiary feedback, reporting, and complaints-handling mechanisms.
• Report accountability concerns and risks to the MEAL manager and programme director.
• Ensure ethical data collection practices, informed consent, confidentiality, and data protection at field level

• Demonstrable experience in designing and implementation of monitoring systems, survey techniques incl. qualitative investigation, and statistical analysis for community development programmes.
• Strong experience in conducting baseline, evaluations, and /or thematic studies especially for programmes working on youth, MSME, financial inclusion, or Agri-enterprise development programmes
• Extensive experience in managing database for large scale / complex programmes using digital applications/ systems.
• Demonstrated expertise in statistical analysis of large data sets using statistical packages and applications such as SPSS, R, Power BI etc.
• Demonstrated Experience using digital data collection tools (Kobo Toolbox, ODK, TARO works).
• Practical experience in data management, quality assurance, and reporting.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• High level skills and experience in training & capacity building in MEAL
• Excellent coordination, supervision, and mentoring abilities.
• Strong presentation, report writing and communication skills.
• High attention to detail and commitment to data integrity.
• Ability to work effectively in multi-partner and field-based environments.
• Strong ability to work with diverse groups, including youth, women, PWDs, and refugees.

• Minimum of 2 years of progressive MEAL experience in donor-funded development programmes.