MEAL Expert in Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe

Location: Kyiv, Ukraine, with travels to partner offices and project locations in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and Moldova

Period:            2 years  

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) is a German non-government organization (NGO) that renders humanitarian aid in 31 countries with 13 offices across the world. DKH supports people who are affected by crisis related to natural hazards, war, and displacement and focuses on locally-led responses by working in collaboration with a global network of partner organizations. Fostering localized humanitarian action and a long-term equal partnership approach lies at the very core of our work.

Continuously striving to facilitate mutual learning and capacity exchange, DKH aims to identify innovative and customized programmatic approaches and cooperation models. The organization actively seeks to shift power to local partners and communities through the transfer of decision-making opportunities to directly address their own priorities. DKH is part of the Protestant Agency for Diakonie and Development (EWDE) based in Berlin, Germany.—this statement is the most crucial as it not only outlines the unit/ department where the position is situated and how its objectives and deliverables align with the organization's mission, but also provides a concise overview of the job's role in contributing to and supporting that mission, referencing the expected grade level and key attributes of the employee needed for successful execution of responsibilities.

DKH Ukraine Country Office has been established towards the middle of 2023. Currently DKH Ukraine has seven partner organizations (PO) in Ukraine and seven PO in neighboring countries. While DKH Ukraine is not planning to direct implement humanitarian projects, it wants to ensure that the partner organisations in Ukraine and the neighboring countries have the administrative and technical capacities to implement their projects and programs according to highest quality standards possible. DKH wants to ensure that the humanitarian response in Ukraine and the neighboring countries is meeting expectations in all relevant aspects, that DKH can fully rely on the partner organizations, and an added value becomes visible through the own presence on the ground. 

DKH`s Ukraine working fields are Basic Needs, Shelter, Winterization, Protection/MHPSS, Livelihood, Humanitarian Demining.

Position Objective

The Project MEAL Expert, by working closely with the MEAL officers and Project Coordinators of each partner organization, will ensure that project achievements at Activity, Output, Outcome and Impact levels are monitored appropriately by all project partners. In order to facilitate this, harmonization of the MEAL framework, tools, methods, and timelines will be ensured by the MEAL Expert throughout the project lifecycle. In collaboration with the partner MEAL counterparts, MEAL Expert is responsible for the monitoring of the project progress through monitoring of indicators and synchronization of achievements of MEAL milestones.

DUTIES & RESPONSABILITIES

Design and Manage Monitoring & Evaluation Framework

• Ensuring project M&E systems, frameworks, methodologies, tools for analysis and reporting are in line with donor requirements and the project’s intervention logic.
• By working closely with MEAL officers and Project Coordinators of each implementing partner; refining the project’s MEAL plan, including preparation of a MEAL Calendar and ensuring that the calendar is adhered to by all implementing partners.
  •  Actively coordinating implementing partners’ predesignated data entry and analysis tasks.
  • Refining the information management system to accurately reflect the minimum data requirements of the project.
  • Liaising with each project manager to check progress on the implementation of MEAL activities.
  • Assisting implementing partners in overcoming technical and methodological challenges and constraints during monitoring activities, adapting the MEAL framework in the light of unanticipated changes.
  • Scheduling field visits for process monitoring.
  • Developing streamlined data collection systems and processes for project data and activity/output tracking.
  • Strengthen the capacity of the implementing partners (where needed) on accurate tracking of indicators and other MEAL aspects.

Implement and Monitor Accountability and Learning Systems

• Ensuring the MEAL findings and learning of the program are appropriately documented and disseminated at the different levels; capturing learning and indication of outcome and impact changes of the targeted communities.
• Ensuring regional accountability measures are adhered to by all implementing partners.
• Setting up and overseeing the project-bound complaint and feedback mechanism.
• Promoting the participation of beneficiaries in project monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning processes.
• Help foster a culture of mutual learning across all project partners by ensuring that lessons learned and challenges overcome are documented
• Representation & Coordination
• As needed, participate in Information Management working groups at Country and Regional levels.
• Ensure that project activities of implementing partners are reported to the RRP and HRP mechanisms.

Other Functions

• To attend meetings related to his/her areas of responsibility.
• To perform any other work-related duties as required

QUALIFICATION, EXPERTISE, AND SKILLS

Education

• • BA Degree in political or social science, or a related field
• • Post-graduate qualification in a related field or experience in conducting MEAL activities of large-scale programs

Working experience

• • Minimum 5 years of field experience in MEAL positions in INGOs monitoring and evaluating complex humanitarian projects
• • Exposure and experience in successfully monitoring and evaluating consortia or multi-sectoral projects with several partners is a strong advantage
• • Knowledge of cash transfer programming including practical experiences in monitoring of CVA activities is a strong advantage
• • Broad working knowledge and experience of working with backdonor funded projects

Skills and Abilities

• Proven ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines and work with limited supervision.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations at all levels
• Demonstrated skills in developing an effective MEAL framework for multi-sectorial projects.
• Experience in setting up and managing a feedback and complaint mechanism is an advantage.
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Ukrainian.
• Willingness to travel to ‘insecure areas within the constraints DKH security policy
• Computer literate with significant experience in Microsoft Office and proficiency in MS Excel
• Experience in application of ACTIVITYINFO is a strong added advantage.
• Experience in capacity strengthening is an added advantage.
• Previous work experience in a hostile environment and certified attendance of a personal security course (HEIST, HEAT, etc.) is an advantage
• Ability to work in a team-based environment and achieve common goals
• Experience working with partners and in consortia is an advantage

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES

DKH team members are expected to support all efforts for increased accountability towards the beneficiaries while actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of projects.

To apply for this position, please submit a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three professional references to  [email protected]. Please indicate "MEAL Expert Application" in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 31th of July, 2024.

DKH Ukraine  is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.