- Key Responsibilities
The Female MEAL Officer will be responsible for the following:
a. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework Development
- Design and implement a comprehensive MEAL plan that aligns with the project’s goals and objectives, ensuring gender-sensitive indicators are incorporated.
- Develop and maintain tools and methodologies for data collection, ensuring they capture gender-specific impacts and outcomes.
- Work closely with the project team to ensure that monitoring systems are in place and functioning at all levels of the project.
b. Data Collection and Analysis
- Lead data collection activities, ensuring they are carried out in an inclusive and culturally sensitive manner, especially when engaging women and marginalized groups.
- Conduct field visits to gather quantitative and qualitative data on the project’s activities, outputs, and outcomes.
- Analyze data to identify trends, assess progress towards objectives, and measure the project’s impact on women, farmers, and the broader community.
- Ensure data disaggregation by gender, age, and other relevant demographics.
c. Accountability Mechanisms
- Develop and manage feedback and complaints mechanisms that are accessible to all community members, particularly women and vulnerable groups, to ensure transparency and accountability in project implementation.
- Regularly engage with project beneficiaries, especially women, to gather feedback on project interventions and adjust strategies as needed.
- Ensure that feedback from the community is documented, responded to, and integrated into project planning and implementation.
d. Learning and Knowledge Management
- Facilitate learning sessions with the project team to review progress, share lessons learned, and adjust project strategies based on M&E findings.
- Document success stories, challenges, and lessons learned, particularly in relation to women’s empowerment and gender-sensitive agricultural practices.
- Promote the dissemination of findings to key stakeholders, ensuring the visibility of the project’s impact on women.
e. Reporting and Documentation
- Prepare high-quality M&E reports, including monthly, quarterly, and annual progress reports, highlighting key findings, gender-specific outcomes, and lessons learned.
- Ensure that all reports and data are documented accurately and submitted to the Project Manager and other relevant stakeholders on time.
- Support the preparation of donor reports, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and project objectives.
f. Capacity Building
- Train project staff and community members on the use of MEAL tools, data collection methods, and gender-sensitive approaches in M&E.
- Build the capacity of women’s groups and local communities to actively participate in the monitoring and evaluation process.
g. Coordination with the Project Team
- Collaborate with project staff, field officers, and the technical team to ensure M&E processes are integrated into day-to-day project activities.
- Attend project coordination meetings to share M&E findings and support evidence-based decision-making for the agriculture project.
- Work closely with other departments, such as finance and programme, to ensure alignment in reporting and documentation.
- Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree or Diploma in Monitoring & Evaluation, Statistics, Social Sciences, Agriculture, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in a MEAL role, ideally in agriculture, rural development, or gender-sensitive projects.
- Proven experience in designing and implementing M&E frameworks, particularly in agriculture and/or women’s empowerment projects.
- Strong knowledge of data collection methodologies, including both qualitative and quantitative research techniques.
- Familiarity with gender-sensitive approaches in M&E and an understanding of issues affecting women in agriculture.
- Strong reporting and documentation skills, with a track record of producing high-quality reports.
- Excellent communication skills, with proficiency in English language and the ability to engage effectively with local communities.
- Skills and Competencies
- M&E Expertise: Strong understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, tools, and methodologies, particularly in the agriculture sector.
- Gender Sensitivity: Ability to integrate gender-sensitive approaches into M&E activities and ensure the inclusion of women in all aspects of the project.
- Data Management: Strong skills in data collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex data in a clear and accessible manner.
- Problem Solving: Ability to analyze M&E data, identify challenges, and propose solutions to improve project outcomes.
- Teamwork: Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with project staff, partners, and target communities.
- Flexibility: Willingness to travel to project sites and work in rural or remote settings.
- Reporting and Supervision
The Female MEAL Officer will report directly to the Project Manager or MEAL Manager in Headquarters and will collaborate with field officers, project staff, and the M&E team to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of the project’s activities.
- Deliverables
- A detailed MEAL plan and tools for the agriculture project.
- Monthly, quarterly, and annual M&E reports documenting progress, challenges, and lessons learned.
- Data collection reports, including disaggregated data by gender and other relevant demographics.
- Feedback reports from women and community members, including actions taken based on feedback.
- Documentation of success stories, case studies, and project impact, particularly related to women’s empowerment.