MEAL Officer 

Job Description

FAWE SIERRA LEONE JOB ADVERT INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL 

General 

The Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) Sierra Leone chapter is a national organization  established in Sierra Leone in March 1995 with branches throughout the 16 districts in the country. Our  target beneficiaries and constituency are primary marginalized girls and women. Our Mission is to  promote gender responsive policies, practices and attitudes and foster innovations that will provide  opportunities for Sierra Leonean girls and women to prosper in all realms of their lives. Our Vision is to  have a just and inclusive society in which all Sierra Leonean girls and women have access to quality  education and training to achieve their full potential.  

FAWE Sierra Leone is working in collaboration with Comic Relief, an INGO based in the UK, to deliver  the “Girls Access to Education Project” (GATE). for 36 months in three districts (Port Loko, Karene and  Kambia), northwestern Sierra Leone. The GATE project was developed in alignment with the FAWE  Sierra Leone strategic plan 2024-2028 business case, which seeks to improve learning outcomes for  boys and girls at school level and increase their enrolment, retention and well-being. The main focus of  the GATE project is to ensure that a greater number of girls transition to and complete secondary  schools. The project primarily focuses on ensuring that girls stay in schools and are safe, which will not  only positively contribute to the improvement of their retention but also their learning outcomes.  

The programme in Port Loko, Karene and Kambia, districts ‘ Girls Access to Education’, aims to enable  15,000 children from 60 target schools to access and participate in better quality education through two main components:  

1. Improved and safe learning environments for girls in 60 Schools  

• Training of school leadership: 120 school heads and deputies from 60 schools will be trained on  school leadership to make them change agents for girls’ participation and safety in school, who  will monitor and enforce the school safety guide developed under the GATE project.  
• Community of practice meetings: Heads of schools and school mentors will meet on a quarterly  basis to facilitate shared learning among schools and leaders on best practices and measures  taken to ensure girls’ participation and safety in school;  
• School Safety Guide: A School Safety Guide for ending School-Related Gender-Based Violence  (SRGBV) and promoting a safe environment for girls in school will be developed. The guide is a  tool to establish child-friendly reporting mechanisms and address SRGBV impunity in schools by  setting simple requirements of schools to ensure safety of girls. 
• Training of school and peer mentors: Training of 120 school and peer mentors to facilitate girls’  and boys’ clubs in school to encourage girls to speak up and out about the issues affecting them  as well as to encourage boys to support their female peers and make them champions for gender  equality. 

2. Community based platforms including school structures actively engaged to promote girls’  safety and participation in school 

• Engaging community leaders: Engaging Village Development Committees (VDCs), religious  and traditional leaders to intensify and re-enforce the community wide efforts to promote  girls’ education and safety in schools and communities; 
• Engaging men and boys in the communities: Engaging men and boys in the communities  with support from the male school mentors to promote gender equality, make them  champions for girls’ participation and safety in school and create positive role models; 
• Documentation of best practices and role models: At the end of the project, best practices of  men and boys promoting girls’ education, participation and safety in schools and  communities as well as male role models will be identified, documented and shared to  encourage more men and boys to follow these positive examples.  

FAWE-SL is looking for committed, experienced individuals to make up the project team to  manage and implement this exciting new programmes in Port Loko, Karene and Kambia districts.  The project will start in October, 2024 and runs for 36 months until September 2027. Positions  being recruited are listed below. 

Applicants should send a covering letter explaining why they are suitable for the position and a  CV either: 

• by e-mail to recruitmentfawesl@gmail.com 
• or deliver in person to the FAWE National Secretariat, 4 Hill Street, Freetown 

All applications should be addressed to: 

The Acting National Coordinator FAWE Sierra Leone Chapter.  

Closing date for applications: Friday 11th October, 2024. Only short-listed candidates will be  contacted.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Officer MEAL 

Position Title: MEAL Officer 

Location: Freetown 

Period: Full-time post; October, 2024 – September 2027 

Supervisor: Project Manager 

Positions Supervised: None  

Salary: Depending on experience and qualifications 

JOB SUMMARY 

The purpose of this position is to manage, strengthen, and provide technical direction to the GATE MEAL  system, ensure learning, build the capacity of project staff, and support the implementation of FAWE-SL  MEAL policies and procedures. The MEAL Officer will support the program team to develop high quality  monitoring systems and tools which measure progress towards indicators. He/she will ensure that  accountability and learning are systematically captured and used. 

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES 

1. a) Manage and implement all MEAL activities throughout the project cycles – project design, start up, implementation, and close-out to ensure efficient and effective implementation in line with  FAWE-SL program quality principles and standards, donor requirements, and good practices.  Ensure project staff use the appropriate systems and tools.  
2. b) Champion learning with project staff  
3. c) Analyze and evaluate project performance data following MEAL policy.  
4. d) Proactively identify issues and concerns and use participatory processes to overcome  implementation obstacles.  
5. e) Act as a MEAL resource person in design and proposal development for new funding  opportunities. 
6. f) Coordinate the identification of MEAL needs of partner organizations and capacity strengthening  and required interventions to support quality project implementation. 
7. g) Compile, analyze and present summary data and progress reports to Project Manager to  generate progress update for reporting to the Donor. 
8. h) Conduct data verification exercise in the field to ensure data and reporting are of high quality and  data reported is accurate. 
9. i) Implement activities according to MEAL detailed Implementation Plan (DIP). j) Document lessons learned, best practices and conduct Learning to Action reviews. k) Actively contribute to the growing FAWE-SL Community of Practice in MEAL. l) Monitor the use of standardized FAWE reporting forms and suggest adaptations as required. m) Developed new reporting forms as needed in consultation with Program Manager n) Establish strong working relationships with MBSSE, TSC and MGCA and districts councils.  o) Carryout other relevant task that may be assigned from time to time by the Project Manager or  National Coordinator. 

Non-Specific Responsibility 

Perform any other assignments reasonably associated with but not listed in this Job Description as and  when assigned by the Project Manager. 

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES: 

• At least 5 years relevant experience in related field. 
• Experience working with UK based charities and foundations.
• Familiarity with principles and current approaches to MEAL of development programs using both  quantitative and qualitative methods. 
• Proficiency in database development/management, Access, Excel and skills in  analyzing, interpreting and communicating information to various stakeholders.
•  Significant experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative assessments and surveys  (including • sound understanding of sampling issues). 
• Experience with facilitation, capacity strengthening and partnership building, with the capacity to  empower staff through opportunities for growth & development. 
• Ability to meet deadlines in multiple tasking environment. 
• Experience in using Digital Data Gathering (DDG) tools (Kobo collect) 
• Experience in participating in baseline, midline, and end line surveys a plus
•  Experienced in developing MEAL training guides, presentations, and facilitation.
•  Good knowledge of local community, culture and the complexities of working in a post conflict  environment. 
• Ability to work both independently (self-motivation) and as a team (cooperative and  communicative) 

Education  

• A Bachelor Degree in Social Sciences or in the field of Statistics, Mathematics or Computer  Science required. 

Institutional Core Values 

• Commitment to community development and local capacity building 
• Commitment to and demonstration of interest in the education of children and empowerment of  resource poor families and communities 
• Demonstration of respect for colleagues and community members  
• High degree of integrity in discharging roles and responsibilities