JD Unique ID: 74087

Job title: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager

Company: Self Help Africa
Location: Abuja
Contract type: Fixed term contract, full-time (local recruitment)
Period: 2 years
Reports to: Head of WASH

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 these countries 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 implementing in Nigeria for 25 years (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 defines shared mission as the alleviation of 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). Our global WASH portfolio currently spans 10 countries, 25 active projects, and has to date reached over 10 million people with safe water and sanitation till date.

In Nigeria, we have built a strong reputation in the WASH sector, particularly in rural sanitation. Notably, we achieved the country’s first Open Defecation Free Local Government Area (LGA) in 2016. Our systems-strengthening approach to sustainable WASH service delivery model supports government efforts to meet SDG6.

Programme description

SHA has been awarded a £5m programme focused on WASH systems strengthening, covering Nigeria and Sierra Leone by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). We would lead the overall consortia, and the work in Nigeria, whilst GOAL would lead the work in Sierra Leone, under SHA’s overall consortia leadership.

The aim of the programme is to strengthen the systems needed to establish and sustain reliable, resilient and inclusive WASH services. The programme will be for a duration of 4 years in Kano and Cross River States with a national coordination base in Abuja. This role is based in the Abuja.

The three broad focus areas of the programme are:

Priority 1: Strategic planning and budgeting for sustainable service delivery using defined Service Delivery Models and strengthening capacities and processes for accountable and inclusive planning and budgeting for WASH.

Priority 2: Support decentralised implementation of the Clean Nigeria Campaign in pursuit of the elimination of open defecation nationwide, demonstrating effective approaches to ODF, Market-Based Sanitation and ODF sustainability, in target LGAs, for scaling.

Priority 3: Facilitate systems leadership and support the mobilisation of a network of WASH champions by strengthening nationwide non-governmental sector organisations and networks, and their respective capacities and mentoring processes.

Job purpose
SHA is looking for a Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager who will be responsible for leading the FCDO funded WASH Systems for Health (WS4H) Programme’s MEAL functions as well as leading the SHA Nigeria MEAL team. The post holder will assist in the finalisation, consolidation, implementation and monitoring of SHA’s MEAL strategy in the country; providing effective and timely support (including capacity building) to programme staff and partner organisations to ensure quality and accountability of our work.

The MEAL Manager will bring significant experience to lead on MEAL system implementation, review and evaluations, MEAL budgeting, recruitment, as well as support to proposal writing and log frame development. The post holder will ensure that all Self Help Africa (SHA) and consortium partners are supported to ensure quality, effectiveness and sustainability of their programmes. It will be important for the post-holder to capture lessons learned and communicate this information in various capacities to improve on-going and future programming. S/he will guide SHA and partner teams to maintain an effective monitoring system, including the use of participant feedback data, to assure the quality of interventions. The MEAL Manager will lead on building capacity of staff and partners on MEAL but particularly on accountability and participation, with a specific focus on impact. 

Ultimately, s/he will ensure that the WS4H programme has evidence-based knowledge to inform it’s direction from baseline assessment to regular programme monitoring, research and learning activities to endline assessments.

Key Responsibilities

System Design and Promoting MEAL

• Lead on strengthening and oversee the roll-out of an organisational MEAL system, ensuring accountability to donors and beneficiaries.
• Promote all aspects of MEAL to support the creation of an organisational culture which prioritizes quality programming.
• Build strong relationships with colleagues and provide support as required to ensure MEAL system is understood and supported by the country team.
• Work closely with the programme teams to ensure that MEAL becomes an integral element of project implementation leading to enhanced quality, accountability, management and impact.

Programme Design and MEAL Resources

• Ensure that MEAL is an integral part of the programme design stage and features in all proposal development. 
• Ensure that MEAL resources are included in proposal development and work creatively to secure funding from diverse sources, to ensure that MEAL is integrated in programmes in a sustainable way. 
• Responsible for effectively managing the MEAL budget.

Knowledge Management (KM)

• Establish and promote systems for capturing, documenting, and disseminating lessons learned, best practices, and evidence from MEAL activities.
• Ensure effective use of MEAL data for adaptive learning and strategic decision-making across programmes.
• Strengthen internal and external knowledge-sharing mechanisms to improve organisational learning and innovation.
• Support capacity building for staff on KM tools, methodologies, and best practices to enhance organisational learning.

Staff Management, Mentorship, and Development 

• Head the MEAL team in the country programme, forming a solid team identity within the organisation and creating cohesion between team members working in different geographic areas.
• Oversee the recruitment of appropriate MEAL staff in the country.
• Manage the MEAL team to ensure that the MEAL system operates effectively with the support and resources required and that there are clear links and reporting lines between field and country office level and between MEAL and other country departments.
• Support the MEAL team progress on specific projects, providing management oversight on progress and problem-solving in case of challenges.
• Define expectations, provide leadership and technical support as needed so that MEAL staff are able to perform their roles as required.
• Manage the performance of direct reports in the MEAL unit through performance management, coaching, mentoring, training and development. 
• At the organisational level, devise and manage a MEAL training programme with the goal of increasing capacity and awareness of MEAL for all staff.
• Assess training needs and engage MEAL team staff to roll-out the training programme.

Complaints Response and Feedback Mechanism (CRM):

• Continue and consolidate the set-up of relevant contextualized feedback and complaints infrastructures, mechanisms, and approaches to receive feedback and complaints from beneficiaries.
• Collect and manage complaints and feedback in close coordination with Programme team. Track timeliness of response to complaints and maintain an updated Programme complaints tracker.
• Review regular field monitoring and accountability reports from MEAL Coordinators and circulate to the country office teams, ensuring that action plans are included and followed up and that CMT reviews reports regularly.

Promoting Learning for Strategy Development and Decision Making

• Ensure that data brought together and findings from across thematic and operational regions to form a coherent basis for analysis of impact which promotes learning and strategy development for the whole organisation.
• Lead on monitoring and improving the synergy and integration of thematic programmes to enhance delivery of outstanding results for the targeted communities.
• Communicate top level learning / analysis reports and monitoring data to ensure that management is able to make informed decisions on a timely basis to scale up and face operational challenges.

Key relationships

Internal:   SHA Programme, MEAL, Procurement, Finance & Admin and Security teams.
External: WS4H Programme Consortium members, the WASH Facility, Ministry of Water Resources & Sanitation, Ministry of Budget & Planning, development partners and professional networks.

Knowledge, Experience and Other Requirements

Education and other qualifications:

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in Social Sciences, Public Health, Environmental Sciences, Statistics, Research, or Data Science.
• Professional certification in MEAL.

Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) across both development and humanitarian contexts.
• At least two years of experience at the management level.
• Solid experience in the WASH sector is highly preferred.
• Experience designing and managing complex MEAL frameworks and processes in complex programmes involving several actors.
• Experience in solving complex issues through analysis, defining a clear way forward, and ensuring buy-in.
• Experience in designing and implementing data management systems, including data quality assurance and data validation processes.
• Experience in donor-funded projects or working with international NGOs and understanding of donor reporting requirements.
• Experience in conducting field-level assessments, including baseline, mid-term, and end-of-project evaluations.
• Experience undertaking area wide (LGA wide) assessments in health or WASH programmes.
• Experience in managing or supporting cross-functional teams across various sectors (e.g., WASH, health, education) to integrate MEAL activities within the project cycle.

Skills:

• Advanced data analysis skills, with proficiency in tools like R, Python, Stata, SPSS or others for analyzing complex datasets.
• Expertise in survey design and using various qualitative and quantitative research methods to capture programme impact.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of accountability and participatory approaches, particularly in humanitarian and development contexts.
• Strong presentation skills, including experience presenting to senior management, stakeholders, and donors.
• Proficiency in MEAL-related software and tools, such as Salesforce, Kobo Toolbox, mWater, Comcare, or Open Data Kit (ODK).
• Proven ability to integrate gender-sensitive and inclusive monitoring systems into MEAL processes to ensure equity in data collection and analysis.
• Strong capacity for analytical thinking to identify trends, patterns, and lessons from data that will guide project decisions.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, including influencing, negotiation, and coaching.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work effectively in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets.
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.

Language Requirements:

Written and oral proficiency in English is a must for this role.

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 same as the position you are applying for and the location of the position.
Job description is available for download here.

In the cover letter, please ensure to explain the following:

1. Why you are applying for the position
2. How do your skills and experiences meet the job’s specification
3. When will you be able to take up the position if successful.

The deadline for this application is 4^th March, 2025. 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.