Senior M.E.A.L Coordinator

Job Role: Senior MEAL Coordinator

Job purpose: To be part of a team coordinating the design and delivery of Monitoring, Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) deliverables in MapAction programmes including the programme enhancing Geospatial Information Management for anticipatory action (AA) decision makers.

Start date: June, 2024

Location: Hybrid, United Kingdom

Contract: Substantive position until end of June 2025, 30 hours per week over 4 or 5 days.

Salary: £35,750 pro rata

Responsible to: Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

The Opportunity

To use your MEAL and people skills to make a positive difference in the world! The Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning function within MapAction has grown significantly over the last few years and we plan to expand this further as part of our current strategy. MapAction is embarking on a new phase of work delivering Geographic Information Management expertise in different programmatic fields; including Anticipatory Action (AA) and Health. As part of this, you will help deliver externally facing MEAL projects, help deliver the results framework for programmes and contribute to our cross-organisational MEAL.

Working closely with the Head of MEAL, the Project Management Coordinator and Programme Managers, this role will coordinate and co-deliver support to organisations which are working in AA to develop results and evidence frameworks, and sustainability planning to improve longer term efficacy. Beyond this, the role also includes working on programme wide MEAL activities and contributing to MapAction internal MEAL systems and processes. You will have the chance to work with a diverse group of technical specialist volunteers, colleagues and partner organisations.

You’ll be joining at an exciting time for the organisation, with plenty of opportunities to develop and learn more about the role of data and Information Management (IM) in the Anticipatory Action and humanitarian sector. If you care about our mission, have great facilitation, monitoring and evaluation skills and enjoy working with people, then this is the role for you!

Why MapAction?

MapAction is a leading humanitarian mapping charity delivering information services and products to enhance decision making in disasters and conflicts. In collaboration with our partners, this mapped information helps responders understand vulnerabilities and target their response effectively, contributing to saving lives and minimising suffering. We work through a team of technical expert volunteers and a small paid staff team.

We have built a strong reputation in the humanitarian sector and are a technical partner of the United Nations, Non-Government Organisations and Civil Society Organisations, the Red Cross, Red Crescent Movement, regional entities and national authorities.

The humanitarian sector is evolving, and technical expertise such as GIS, mapping, information management, data processing and visualisation are becoming increasingly utilised for improving decision making in complex humanitarian response. MapAction and our partners are uniquely positioned to provide technical expertise in support of this.

We have an exciting and ambitious new strategy which will see us help reduce vulnerability in emergencies for those at greatest risk through supporting local technical and emergency leadership and promoting the exchange of well analysed data. A particular area of focus will be in support of Anticipatory Action.

About you

You are a doer, passionate about working with others to use your MEAL expertise for continuous improvements in humanitarian work. You have experience designing and implementing programme level results frameworks for institutionally funded initiatives and are able to work to deadlines, in a fast-paced environment. You will have sound organisational and interpersonal skills, and are committed to using your skills for good in a humanitarian context. You will also have project management experience and skills.

You are comfortable designing and facilitating workshops on MEAL topics, experienced co-creating results frameworks and have worked on sustainability considerations of programmes. Ideally you have experience working on Anticipatory Action or data and IM in a humanitarian context, although this is not essential. You must be happy to take the initiative, problem solve and think outside the box and show a commitment to the vision of the organisation. You want to work in a diverse organisation that is concerned about minimising its environmental impact, and cares about everyone in the team. Be assured, you will be supported in your role as you grow.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead on the design and delivery of workshops which co-create results and sustainability frameworks for MapAction programmes and projects
• Provide mentoring and support to organisations in the implementation of results and sustainability frameworks
• Lead on the delivery of programme MEAL frameworks, by working cross-departmentally and with Programme Managers
• Keep internal monitoring systems up to date
• Support the design, delivery and dissemination of internal programme evaluations and learning reviews
• Support the monitoring of strategic key performance indicators
• Contribute to institutional reporting
• Conduct internal debriefs, end of project reporting and continuous learning processes
• Contribute to biannual, cross- organisational process to collect and communicate results and insights
• Help maintain oversight of following good quality project management

Key Competencies (Essential and Desirable)

We have identified some essential competencies but, in understanding the role, you might have skills and experience we did not think of to supplement this list. If you think you do, please tell us about them. This role includes opportunities to develop and grow your competencies over time.

Essential

• Strong commitment to MapAction’s mission, values and volunteer ethic
• At least four years experience working in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL)
• Experience reporting to donor requirements
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to coordinate with multiple stakeholders, build and maintain relationships
• Strong workshop design and facilitation skills
• Good IT skills and experience of Microsoft Office, Google applications and electronic record keeping
• Ability to travel internationally, with several trips a year, for up to a week at a time. We anticipate this will be no more than six trips.

Desirable

• Experience of designing and conducting internal evaluations for external audiences
• Experience working in international development and/or humanitarian response
• Project management qualifications or experience
• Experience using project management software
• Knowledge of additional languages, especially French and Spanish would be desirable

Additional Information

• This position is contracted till the end of June 2025 with the possibility of an extension to be confirmed in the first quarter of 2025
• Must have the right to live and work in the UK. MapAction is unable to consider candidates who do not already hold appropriate right to work permissions
• MapAction has a flexible working environment tailored to your requirements by agreement
• This is a hybrid position with regular remote work and the requirement to attend team days once a month, near the MapAction office in Oxfordshire at own expense
• 30 days holiday (pro rata) with a workplace pension and also paid training opportunities to help further your career

Please note: this is an operational role in a small, highly specialised charity and an appreciation of, and affinity with the humanitarian purpose of the charity is essential, as well as a willingness to take up additional tasks outside of the normal role when needed.

Equal opportunities policy

MapAction is an Equal Opportunities employer. All employees have a personal responsibility to promote and support measures designed to create a working environment which is free from harassment or discrimination on the grounds of gender, marital status, age, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, membership of the Traveller community of HIV & AIDS status. MapAction also positively encourages women and those from the BAME community to apply.