Responsibilities
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The MEAL Manager provides strategic leadership for Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning across humanitarian, early recovery, and development programmes. The role ensures high programme quality through robust MEAL systems, results-based management, data quality assurance, and evidence driven decision-making. Key responsibilities include leading programme monitoring and evaluations, strengthening accountability to affected populations, overseeing information management and reporting, and promoting organizational learning for adaptive programming. The MEAL Manager supports programme design through assessments, results frameworks, and indicator development, while building the capacity of staff and partners in MEAL standards and practices. The role also fosters collaboration with donors, government institutions, UN agencies, NGOs, and internal stakeholders to ensure compliance, knowledge sharing, and impactful, accountable programming.
MEAL Technical Leadership and Management:
In coordination with the DCD-P, work with the Program Quality team to develop a culture of programme quality and knowledge-driven programming within Oxfam and partners, and actively participate in senior management meetings, providing support to evidence-based decision-making processes.
Lead on the MEAL component of the Oxfam Country Strategy and on learning and review opportunities for progress made in the OCS.
In coordination and collaboration with the DCD-P, provide leadership and quality assurance on the planning, preparation, and implementation of annual Programme Quality (PQ) Reviews that inform PQ improvement plans, and support country and program management to establish PQ priorities.
Lead on the Oxfam Common Approach to MEL and Social Accountability (CAMSA) roll out in the Syria Office, including on the development and implementation of programme and project improvement plans.
Lead and manage the MEAL Unit, including work planning, staff supervision, coaching, and performance management.
Programme development, design and planning:
In close collaboration with the Funding Team, Thematic Leads and Area Managers, support programme teams in planning for programme, project, and proposal design. This includes promoting and supporting early engagement and active participation of partners and primary change agents in programme and project identification and design.
In collaboration with thematic leads and DCD-P, provide guidance to and support developers and authorisers in ensuring that programme quality is embedded in new programmes and projects and that developed programmes and projects meet Oxfam quality standards. Influence funding and decisionmaking processes to ensure adequate resource allocation for MEAL.
Advise and support Oxfam and partner teams on quality data gathering and analysis at community, local and national level to facilitate informed programme and project design.
Proactively lead/ support the development of sound programme logic and objective setting that is informed by contextual information, learning, and knowledge.
Lead the design and management of baseline, midline, endline, evaluations, assessments, and operational research.
Ensure that Information Management products (monthly reports, dashboards, etc) are actively used by program teams and supporting Area Managers and other field teams in the using data collected to make decisions on planning and programming.
Programme and Project Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning:
Proactively support Oxfam and partners in designing and ensuring the operationalization and implementation of effective and participatory MEAL strategies and plans at all levels in line with Oxfam standards.
Provide technical advice and support in designing and implementing relevant programme and project MEAL systems, including the definition of specific processes, methodologies and tools for needs assessments, baselines, PDM, DDM, Action Reviews, etc, and other MEAL exercises.
Identify, test and roll-out innovative MEAL approaches and methods – particularly for monitoring, accountability and beneficiary feedback in remote programming settings.
Provide assurance and control of the quality of programme and project MEAL that is appropriate to the context and in line with Oxfam standards.
Ensure compliance with Oxfam’s beneficiary counting methodology, and lead on initiatives to strengthen data and information management.
Lead / support on the design and management of evaluations in compliance with Oxfam’s evaluation policy.
Lead on the definition of country knowledge and learning agenda and provide methodological guidance / leadership on the design and organization of programme reviews and learning events.
Oxfam and partner staff resourcing and capacity development:
Facilitate identification of needs, planning, and implementation for country team capacity building in MEAL, and build capacity of Oxfam staff to deliver MEAL, including through induction, training, and coaching. This includes mobilizing of internal and external resources as relevant in close coordination with the regional programme quality team.
Provide effective performance and development management of supervised staff (line and matrix), utilising Oxfam’s people management tools and approaches.
Support to effective performance management and development of country staff by contributing to objectives development and review in the area of MEAL.
Ensure adherence to Oxfam guidance and policies relevant to consultancies related to MEAL. Provide overall quality assurance and quality control of MEAL consultancy-related work, and support in the design and management of consultancies as required.
Partnership Strengthening
Build the MEAL capacity of implementing partners through training, mentoring, and coaching.
Support partners in developing MEAL plans, indicators, and reporting systems.
Monitor partner compliance with MEAL standards and donor requirements.
Reporting and Evidence
Lead preparation of high-quality donor reports and organizational performance reports.
Produce regular monitoring reports, dashboards, and management briefs.
Support evidence generation for fundraising, advocacy, and communications.
Prepare data-driven presentations, dashboards, and analytical reports.
Internal and external coordination, representation, and networking:
Promote and facilitate the identification of learning from MEAL practices by Oxfam and partners, ensure that knowledge and learning is shared internally and externally, and promote replication of good practices across the country programme.
Ensure that Oxfam’s MEAL system is linked to wider inter-agency M&E initiatives and developments and liaise with technical teams to ensure coordination with sectoral working groups and processes.
Contribute to and support implementation of regional and global Oxfam programme quality strategies, processes, policies, and initiatives. This includes contributing to effective corporate processes and reporting (e.g. Output reporting, indicative outcome areas, Program Quality Reviews etc).