JD Unique ID: 72780
Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Assistant Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Assistant – Youth in Work Project
Company: Self Help Africa
Location: Sokoto
Contract type: Fixed term contract, full-time (local recruitment)
Period: 22 months (subject to donor contract)
Reports to: Senior Officer, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
Organisation overview:
About Self Help Africa:
Self Help Africa (SHA) is an international development organisation headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and dedicated to the vision of ‘Sustainable livelihoods and healthy lives for all in a changing climate’. Founded in 1969 and working across 17 countries, 15 of which are in sub-Saharan Africa while subsidiary organisations, ‘Self Help Brazil’ and ‘Self Help Bangladesh’, have been created for our programmes in the two countries where we are working outside of Africa. SHA has been operating in Nigeria for over 25 years (formerly as United Purpose and Concern Universal).
Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries: Partner Africa – which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, TruTrade – an innovative trading platform in East Africa, and CUMO – Malawi’s largest micro-finance provider.
In early 2023, we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which outlines our mission of alleviating hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise-focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.
Our three core values are:
▪ Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.
▪ Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing world.
▪ Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.
To achieve our organisational mission, we work across numerous sectors, such as Agriculture, Climate & Environment, Energy, Enterprise, Nutrition, and Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH).
Project Description
SHA is partnering with the World Food Programme to implement the Strengthening Food Systems to Promote Increased Value Chain Employment Opportunities for the Youth in Nigeria-Northwest (Sokoto and Zamfara). The project aims to strengthen food systems that promote increased value chain employment opportunities for the youth; sustaining and improving on-farm and off-farm job opportunities for 25,000 young women and young men engaged in the different nodes of sorghum, millet, soya bean, groundnut, and horticulture value chains.
The project will focus on capacity building interventions for existing enterprises, using this as an avenue to create employment opportunities for youth and women in Sokoto and Zamfara States.
Job Purpose:
SHA is looking for a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Assistant who will support the implementation of MEL activities in Kano, Sokoto and Zamfara states with support from the MEAL Coordinator. The Assistant will ensure effective monitoring of project outcomes, promote data-driven decision-making, and strengthen accountability to stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities:
Monitoring and Evaluation System Implementation
- Support data collection, analysis, and reporting in the assigned states (Kano, Sokoto and Zamfara).
- Support the adaptation and implementation of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) tools in collaboration with the MEAL Coordinator.
- Conduct regular field visits to monitor project activities, process monitoring and verify data accuracy.
- Assist in developing and refining project indicators and log frames.
Data Management and Reporting
- Maintain up-to-date and accurate project databases.
- Analyse data to generate weekly and monthly reports for internal and external stakeholders.
- Provide timely feedback to the project team to inform implementation adjustments.
- Report output indicators monthly on SUDACOM.
Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building:
- Train enumerators and field staff on M&E tools and protocols.
- Coordinate with local stakeholders, including community groups and government agencies, to ensure alignment with project goals.
- Support the establishment and management of feedback and complaints mechanisms.
Learning and Adaptation:
- Facilitate periodic reflection sessions to evaluate project progress and challenges.
- Document and share lessons learned and best practices to improve project delivery.
- Contribute to strategy reviews and the design of future projects.
Transparency, Compliance and safeguarding:
- Employ the highest standards of openness, transparency and accountability to ensure good financial management in line with SHA’s zero-tolerance approach to fraud, bribery and corruption.
- Demonstrate commitment to safeguarding, protection, gender mainstreaming and inclusion of vulnerable population including people with disabilities.
- Provide support to establish feedback, complaints and response mechanism across communities of implementation to ensure programmatic and operational decisions are informed by local perspectives and priorities, and contribute to the protection of program participants at the LGA level.
Key Relationships:
Internal: Global M&E, Programme, Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning, Finance & Admin, Operations & Procurement and Communications teams.
External: WFP, MCF M&E teams and other stakeholders.
Knowledge, Experience and Other Requirements
Educational qualifications and requirements:
- University degree in Statistics, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field.
- 2 – 4 years’ work of experience in an M&E/MEAL or research role, preferably in an INGO.
- Familiarity with the terrain (Sokoto and Zamfara)
Experience and Skills:
- Experience working in rural areas and engaging with diverse stakeholders.
- ICT operation, and proficiency in MS Office.
- Proficiency in M&E tools and software (e.g., Kobo Collect, DHIS2, CommCare).
- Strong skills in data analysis and reporting using tools like SPSS, R, or STATA.
- Experience in participatory evaluation techniques.
- Excellent coordination skills (and ability to coordinate several tasks at once and managing priorities)
- Effective communication, problem solving and decision-making skills
- Networking, facilitation and mobilisation.
- Organisational development
- Reporting and documentation
Desirables:
• Gender and intercultural sensitivity
• Positive outlook and team spirit
• Adaptable and responsive disposition relative to the demands of the Project
• Women are strongly advised to apply.
Language Requirements:
Excellent written and oral proficiency in English language is required and working knowledge of Hausa language is required.
Application Procedure:
Fill and send the attached Self Help Africa application form and also send your cover letter and CV in a single document (of not more than 6 pages) to the link provided on the website.
Email title must be the same as the position you are applying for and the location of the position.
In the cover letter, please ensure to explain the following:
- Why you are applying for the position.
- How do your skills and experiences meet the job’s specification
- When will you be able to take up the position if successful.
The deadline for this application is 28th March, 2025 at 5pm. You are advised to apply early, as applications will be treated on rolling basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
All candidates offered a job with Self Help Africa will be expected to sign our Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. Specific roles may require Police/DBS/ [relevant police authority] vetting.
Self Help Africa strives to be an equal opportunity employer.
