Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer

DUE: 14 JUN 2026

TITLE:  Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Green Climate Fund (GCF) Adolescents and Youth for a Sustainable Future (AY4SF) project LOCATION: Gweru, Zimbabwe
GRADE: 4 CONTRACT LENGTH: 2 (two) years

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:
Level 3: The postholder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work therefore a police check will be required.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The MEAL Officer will work as a member of GCF AY4SF project based in Gweru Office. He/she will coordinate and provide technical guidance on the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation/research of the AY4SF Project in all 6 districts, across the 3 provinces. The MEAL Officer will report directly to the AY4SF MEAL Manager.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager
Staff reporting to this post: None
Context: Development and Development-Humanitarian Nexus
Primary Technical area: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning
Role Dimensions: The role is expected to work collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including AY4SF implementing partners, communities, adolescents and youth.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Design and Implementation of a MEAL System that meets SCI standards.
Support the development and implementation of a MEAL System for the AY4SF project. This requires close collaboration with the Programs and Partnerships Department and must be in line with SCI’s Quality Framework. The AY4SF Project-specific MEAL systems needs to meet demands and standards of the Green Climate Fund.
Ensure the use of monitoring frameworks, tools and processes to measure performance and quality. This includes supporting thematic and operation staff to develop and monitor Quality Benchmarks.
Ensure digitalisation and use of Accountability and Quality Benchmarks for easy capturing and Reporting
Lead routine collection, analysis and use of evidence, including disaggregation for gender, disability and the most marginalised and deprived, to document impact, innovate and learn what work for children, and inform management, policy and programme solutions.
Working under the supervision of the MEAL Manager and collaboratively with the Zimbabwe Office Programs and Partnerships Department and colleagues, supports needs and baseline assessments, feasibility studies, evaluations and research conducted under the AY4SF project.
Support the use of systems that safely and appropriately ensure accountability to children and communities with whom we work by building trusting and collaborative relationships through information sharing and two-way communication, participation, and feedback and reporting mechanisms.
Assist to identify, document, share and use learning from Save the Children and others’ work, to continuously adapt and improve our programming. This includes learning agendas, learning workshops and after-action review, action planning and tracking of learning uptake.
Where relevant and assigned support the MEAL Manager in emergency preparedness and response within existing country MEAL frameworks, systems, tools, and processes, adhering to the Core Humanitarian Standards, Sphere Charter, and Red Cross Code of Conduct.
Ensure the championing of knowledge management through the development and use of platforms that store and display evidence and learning that is made accessible and actively used between countries, regions, and the Centre.
Explore innovative opportunities to pilot approaches that are new or could expand to further areas of programming.
Ensure that KPIs related to MEAL activities under the AY4SF project are regularly met through institutionalisation of robust systems for tracking, reporting and following up improvement actions.
Work closely with the PRIME MEAL lead in the cluster and the AY4SF MEAL Manager to promote the update and use of PRIME in the AY4SF project.
Assist the MEAL Manager in developing and/or revising AY4SF project MEAL Plans, logic models, MEAL frameworks and annual/quarterly reports
Develop and/or provide technical support to the maintenance of the AY4SF program databases.

MEAL Structure and Capacity
Assist to identify capacity gaps and design and deliver MEAL capacity building for MEAL, programme and partner staff and foster an organizational culture which prioritizes MEAL leading to quality programming

Knowledge Management
·Work with Advocacy and Communications department to ensure that all evidence generated through SCI implementations research and evaluation work is well packaged for internal and external use.
·Support programmes on all learning process including strategic learning events.
·Assist with designing lessons learnt capturing tools for programmes process documentation.
·Support the process of lessons learnt capturing while projects are ongoing ensuring that lessons learnt for programmes are documented, presented and used to inform future
·Support the Country office use of Community of Practices across all thematic areas under the AY4SF project for learning on innovative approaches as well as to facilitate sharing of ideas among internal teams and external partners.
·Support the tracking of project research and evaluation activities for wider reviews.
·Ensure effective storage of assessment, surveys and evaluations and/or organizational knowledge on the shared folders for the AY4SF project, and to use this knowledge base to promote learning across the organisation.
·Ensure that data/information collected from MEAL function informs the AY4SF programming and project-based decision making.

Strategic Planning
Assist to ensure that evidence and learning is brought together for the AY4SF project and operational area feeding into the Country Strategic Plan (including participating in a Child Needs Situational Assessment).
Support the development of the AY4SF Annual Plan (CAP) including identifying future evaluations and ensure that data is accurate.
Support Programs and Partnership staff to analyse progress against organisational objectives and strategies.

Internal Reporting
Support the accurate data collection and processing for all regular reporting including internal reports such as the Country Annual Report, the Programme Quality KPIs, categorised emergency Sitreps, and “Total Reach”.
Ensure all the programme data for the AY4SF project is captured and reported using SC Project Reporting, Information Management & Evidence (PRIME) System
Support MEAL aspects of donor reporting, including review of baseline, mid-term, endline or any other donor/project specific studies.
Respond to any internal or SC member request for specific information including production of geographic, thematic or programme-specific data.
Assist to ensure that regularly updated MEAL mechanisms are in place for each project including technical reports and MEAL tracking tools that identify necessary future actions.
Ensure data quality and accuracy (including for external reporting as needed).

Programme Development and Partnerships
Support the AY4SF Programme Implementation team to ensure MEAL plays an integral role at every stage of the project lifecycle, leading to enhanced quality, accountability, management, and impact.

Advocacy & Representation:
Support CO advocacy efforts by providing real time evidence-based data in line with identified priority advocacy objectives and assist to identify key opportunities for Save the Children Zimbabwe to position itself as the leading organisation for championing children’s rights in Zimbabwe.

Child Safeguarding:
Ensure that Child Safeguarding mainstreaming is integrated in all MEAL frameworks through measurable output and outcome indicators
Ensure Accountability systems are in place in all projects
·Staff inform people who come into contact with them of the conduct to expect of SC staff
·Report any Child Safeguarding concerns to the focal person

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:
Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:
Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:
Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:
Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:
Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

The post holder must commit to work in an international agency that respects racial diversity and fights racism in all forms; and to model positive behaviours and respect to all colleagues, partners and communities.

QUALIFICATIONS
A minimum of a first degree in Social Sciences/ Monitoring and Evaluation, Mathematics, Statistics, Biostatistics or in any relevant field.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential
Minimum of 5 years of programming experience within the aid sector, preferably linked to one of Save the Children’s priority technical sectors (Child Poverty, Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Education, Health & Nutrition), nature based solutions, climate change adaptation and with the majority of that time focused on overseeing comprehensive MEAL systems that ensure programme effectiveness and quality.
Understanding of development and humanitarian contexts in Zimbabwe, with a preference for experience in both contexts.
Experience adhering to international quality standards (Red Cross Code of Conduct, Sphere, CHS) or equivalent.
Experience and knowledge of monitoring systems, including robust and responsible data collection and use.
Experience and knowledge of evidence generation and learning on what works (and doesn’t work) for children, including designing/commissioning, implementing and applying: needs assessments, baseline studies, evaluations and research, learning workshops and learning agendas.

Experience and knowledge of systems for accountability to children and communities, including information sharing, participation of adults and children, and feedback and reporting mechanisms. Ability to prepare and facilitate technical MEAL trainings and workshops across countries in the region (including remotely). Direct experience working with communities in participatory activities.
Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets
Demonstrable analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability and willingness to be flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure contexts, including flexibility to work with incoming emergency response teams.

Proficiency in relevant qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis software.
Proficiency in mobile based data collection systems (Kobo/ODK/Survey CTO) including design of data collection tools.
Strong remote-working abilities and self-motivation.
Willingness to travel to field sites.
Proficient in speaking and writing English.
Knowledge in GIS Mapping.

Desirable
Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant region/context
Experience of promoting quality and impact through at least one cross-cutting area: gender equality and inclusion, adaptive and safer programming; child rights; disability; migration and displacement.
Experience and knowledge of Save the Children’s structure, mandate and child focus.

Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:
The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

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