MEAL Manager (National Contract)

General Description

WeWorld is an independent Italian organization that has been working in international cooperation and humanitarian aid for 50 years. Present in 27 countries with more than 120 projects, WeWorld operates in the following areas of assistance: human rights (gender equality, prevention and combating violence against children and women, migration), humanitarian aid (prevention, emergency relief and rehabilitation), food security, access to water, health and hygiene, education, global citizenship education, quality teaching and international volunteering. WeWorld works mostly with girls, boys, women and youth, actors of change in every community for a fairer and more inclusive world. WeWorld supports people overcoming emergencies and guarantees a life with dignity, opportunities, and a better future through human and economic development programs, in the framework of the 2030 Agenda. Joining WeWorld team means being part of the development of a dynamic organisation where the contribution of each staff member is promoted and valued, working together towards the collective achievement of shared goals and vision.

WeWorld in Lebanon

WeWorld has been working in Lebanon since 2006 and is currently supporting vulnerable populations through multi-sectoral emergency responses as well as water governance, livelihood, and local development interventions in the governorates of Akkar, North Lebanon, Baalbek-Hermel, and Bekaa. WeWorld interventions aim to increase the populations’ resilience, enhancing the communities’ capacity to find, within its fabric, the skills and resources necessary to grow in a self-sufficient manner. WeWorld Lebanon counts more than 40 employees, divided into four offices (Beirut, Zahle, Ain, Kobayat). The main donors of the mission are EU, OCHA, ECHO, AICS, DANIDA and AFD.

WeWorld Lebanon Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) department ensures the effectiveness and assesses the impact of project and programs. The department is tasked with the systematic tracking and monitoring of project activities, capturing both qualitative and quantitative data. Additionally, it actively supports the mission’s programs and departments by ensuring the delivery of high-quality services, leveraging knowledge, Ensuring Accountability to Affected Population, coordinating and assessing the efforts of local Implementing Partners. The MEAL department also contributes to grant management by providing support in reporting and proposal development.

Purpose of the Role

The main purpose of this role is to oversee and enhance the quality and accountability of WeWorld Lebanon mission. The MEAL Manager will be responsible for leading the in-country MEAL department: managing MEAL and data management activities, formulating and following-up on the MEAL budget, recruiting MEAL staff, overseeing the mission’s Accountability system, conducting needs and feasibility assessments, coordinating learning activities, and providing support in proposal writing and project development. Additionally, the MEAL Manager will take a lead or supportive role in building the capacity of WeWorld staff and local Implementing Partners. Ensuring accountability, effectiveness, appropriateness, and quality of WeWorld programming in Lebanon will be a key aspect of the MEAL Manager responsibilities. Lastly, the MEAL Manager support is critical in ensuring that projects and programs produce evidence-based knowledge to guide programming decisions and inform WeWorld Lebanon higher management staff, while coordinating with the regional MEAL unit.

Main functions and duties

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Lead the implementation of the in-country MEAL systems to collect and analyse program performance data for evidence-based decisions.
• Monitor the progress on the implementation of MEAL activities and procedures at mission level to ensure compliance with WeWorld’s and donors’ requirements.
• Oversee data analysis and visualization activities to provide evidence-based knowledge that informs programming.
• Manage MEAL systems and tools reviews to ensure compliance with donor requirements.
• Design key indicators protocols that can apply to selected programmes.
• Oversee regular MEAL activities and systems within consortia and with local Implementing Partners.

• Lead or support internal and external evaluations of the mission’s projects and programs.
• Maintain up-to-date project MEAL SharePoint and repository with all M&E tools and MEAL produced material.
• Work closely with program and other relevant mission departments to ensure quality and data driven programme planning and implementation.
• Maintain close coordination with the regional MEAL unit to assure the harmonization of MEAL practices and capitilization of

Accountability and Learning

• Lead the systematization of the in-country MEAL systems, including the development of MEAL Standard operating procedures (SOPs), manuals, toolkits, etc.
• Support Program Managers and Project Officers to process, analyze, and use information collected to assess trends, improve management, and adjustments as necessary.
• Support in tracking donor and WeWorld’s reporting requirements and deadlines and provide MEAL information to Program Managers for drafting reports.
• Contribute to grant management by providing support in proposal development.
• Support other departments in designing research and data collection methodologies.
• Oversee and/or support research and learning activities at mission level.
• Oversee capacity building activities for quality programming through training and capacity development of all WeWorld staff in MEAL, including areas of program assessment, design, monitoring & evaluation methodologies.
• Elaborate and lead MEAL capacity building plans for partner organizations.
• Facilitate proper communication with the program team, making sure that the MEAL strategy, decisions, and future endeavours are shared in a transparent manner.
• Abide by, enforce, and disseminate WeWorld global policies (Code of Ethics and Conducts, PSEAH, Child Safeguarding, Data Protection Protocol etc.) at mission level.

HR and Budget Management

• Manage and oversee the work of at least 3-6 MEAL staff members and interns/volunteers on an ad hoc basis.
• Oversee and lead the recruitment, selection, and training of MEAL staff.
• Manage MEAL staff to ensure consistency of standards, harmonization of information and input collection from beneficiaries as well as sharing of learnings.
• Oversee the MEAL department budget, ensuring consistency and financial sustainability.
• Ensure that staffing of the MEAL department is appropriate to program needs and to budget availability.

Job Specifications

Essential Requirements

• An advanced university degree, master or equivalent in the field of Social or Political Science, Development Studies, Economics, Data Science, Information Management, Project Management, or similar.
• 3-5 years of experience in MEAL/M&E in an emergency/development/protracted crisis context.
• Previous experience in the MENA region, in particular, Lebanon.
• MEAL principles and current approaches expertise, in humanitarian, development and nexus programs.
• Previous experience in supervising, mentoring, and managing a team in a cross-cultural setting.
• Experience with both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including survey development, conduct assessments, collect and analyze primary and secondary data.
• Experience with Mobile Data Collection and related software & language (e.g. OKM, Kobo, STATA, SPSS).
• Experience with proposal and grant development.
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Arabic.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft 365.

Skills and Abilities

• Proven communication, interpersonal, negotiation, and diplomacy skills.
• Proven organizational skills and ability to effectively manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to multi-task and cope with competing demands under tight deadlines.
• Ability to think strategically and conceptually and to translate these into concrete results.
• Capacity to work autonomously and in problem prevention/resolution.
• Integrity in line with Humanitarian Principles and ethical standards.
• Cultural, gender, religion, age, disability sensitivity and adaptability.
• Strong commitment to WeWorld mission and values.

Desirable Requirements

• Knowledge of GIS, QGIS, ARCGIS, OpenStreetMap.
• Knowledge of Inter-Agency in Lebanon systems and platforms (RIMS, Activity Info, RDMS etc.).

WeWorld is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status prohibited by applicable law. WeWorld has also a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a child or a vulnerable adult by any of our staff, related persons or partners. Safeguarding checks are part of the selection process. WeWorld commitment to being a safe organization begins with the staff recruitment process which includes meticulous checks, such as criminal records checks or check disclosure of previous convictions, to ensure children and vulnerable people are safeguarded and abuse is prevented. WeWorld promotes a welcoming, diverse and discrimination- and harassment-free workplace and expects the highest standards of behaviour from all its staff, who are requested to adhere to the principles and behavioural rules defined in the CoEC and the Organisational Policies. The CoEC and all the internal policies can be found here: https://www.weworld.it/en/about-us/transparency.