Project MEAL Lead

Organizational Overview

ORDA Ethiopia is a national non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1984 and duly registered by the Authority for Civil Society Organizations (Registration in 2019 with registration No. 0607. ORDA Ethiopia has over 42 years of humanitarian and development experience, which applies a humanitarian-development nexus approach, seamlessly integrating emergency response with sustainable, long-term interventions.

Tthe organization is deeply rooted in the Amhara Region and has expanded its geographic reach to neighbouring regions, including Tigray, Afar, and Benishangul-Gumuz.

ORDA Ethiopia is currently preparing to implement five years’ project titled "Sustainable Transformation through Resilient WASH and Private Sector Engagement for Conflict-Affected areas with Integrated Natural Resource Management" (STREAM) funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN).

The STREAM project is designed to achieve a sustainable and climate-resilient transformation of WASH systems. It ensures inclusive, community-owned, and market-supported access to safe WASH services and livelihood opportunities, ultimately benefiting over 500,000 people across 20 conflict- and climate-affected woredas in four regions of Ethiopia: Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, and Benishangul-Gumuz.

To ensure the successful, high-impact implementation of the STREAM project across all four regions, ORDA Ethiopia is seeking a competent, and committed professional for the role of MEAL Lead

Job Description and Job-holder Attributes

Job Title

Project MEAL Lead

Program/Unit

Environment and Infrastructure

Reports to

National Hub Director

Salary

Negotiable

Terms of Employment

Fixed Term (One year with possibility of extension based on performance)

Location

Bahir Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

1. Position Summary:

The MEAL Lead will design, coordinate, and oversee the STREAM Project's monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems to ensure effective results-based management, reliable data, evidence-based decision-making, adaptive programming, and timely reporting. The MEAL Lead will ensure that project performance is measured against the approved results framework, Theory of Change, indicators, targets, and donor requirements, while strengthening accountability to affected populations and the learning capacity of ORDA Ethiopia and its implementing partners.

The M&E Lead will be responsible for designing, implementing, and overseeing the project's overall M&E framework, ensuring data-driven decision-making, results-based management, and transparent reporting to the donor and key stakeholders.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

M&E System Design and Management

• Lead the finalization and implementation of the project’s Results-Based Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning framework, aligned with Dutch government reporting standards and Theory of Change (ToC).

• Develop and maintain the Project Performance Measurement Framework with clear indicators, baselines, targets, and means of verification.

• Coordinate baseline, mid-term, end-line, outcome monitoring and other assessments in collaboration with project partners and relevant stakeholders.

• Oversee data collection, validation, analysis, and storage using robust digital data gathering tools such as Kobo Tool Box and others.

• Ensure regular data verification, quality assessments, analysis, and secure storage of project information.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• Prepare and implement the project monitoring and evaluation plan, including monitoring schedules, assessment methodologies and reporting timelines.

• Conduct field monitoring visits to verify implementation progress, output delivery, outcome achievement and compliance with agreed standards.

• Produce timely, accurate and evidence-based MEAL reports, analytical briefs and performance updates for project management, implementation partners and the donor.

• Identify implementation gaps, emerging risks and deviations from targets, and recommend corrective actions.

• Support evaluations, reviews, audits and donor monitoring missions by providing reliable data and supporting documentation.

Learning, Accountability, and Knowledge Management

• Facilitate regular learning cycles, reflection sessions, with project teams and local partners to adapt implementation strategies based on evidence.

• Ensure compliance with donor standards regarding Accountability to Affected Populations and gender equality/social inclusion mainstreaming in data collection.

• Document best practices, lessons learned, and human-interest stories for communication products and donor reporting.

• Improve quality of data through data verification procedures, including routine data quality audit.

• Support the documentation and dissemination of lessons and good practices and facilitate the use of such data for project improvement.

Capacity Building and Team Leadership/Quality Assurance

• Supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of project M&E staff, field officers, and implementing partner organizations.

• Conduct regular data quality assessments to ensure accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of reported data.

• Ensure the PMEL staff good understanding of feedback mechanism to spot and cases with in the existing system as well as clear understanding of data protection.

• Developing the beneficiary data base for the STREAM project in consultation with the national hub and IPs.

• Ensure that a robust risk identification and management framework for the project is built and monitored.

• Report safeguarding concerns through designated organizational channels in accordance with ORDA Ethiopia's policies and procedures.

• Ensure Organization Safeguarding policy is effectively implemented and report any form of abuse to the safeguarding officer.

Job Requirements

Education Background

• MSc/MA in Monitoring and Evaluation, Economics, Developmental economics, development studies, statistics.

Work Experience

• At least eight years of relevant experience in monitoring and results reporting for development sector, with a thorough understanding of international best practices in a wide range of quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods and data analysis.

• At least five years of experience in a managerial or supervisory positions

• Proven record in the design of effective monitoring systems, data collection tools, building staff capacity in monitoring, reporting and consolidating data from multiple locations, organizations for results reporting at hub level.

• Experience in project management; need assessment, planning, monitoring, evaluation and Accountability is required.

• Work experience in international NGOs Experience working with international NGOs and donor-funded projects; consortium or multi-partner programme experience is an advantage.

Skills/Knowledge and competencies

• Strong skills in the development and use of data bases and systems of visualizing, entering, processing/cleaning and extracting data, including experience in web based monitoring and reporting systems-

• Advanced computer and data analysis skills (SPSS, spread sheet and other applications including Kob Tool Box)

• Strategic thinker, with well-developed analytical skills and thorough attention for details.

• Ability to train and motivate project and implementing partners staff on MEAL system monitoring and result reporting and using of online reporting tools.

• Excellent communication, facilitation and report writing skills in English.

• Strong leadership, facilitation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across multicultural teams and government stakeholders.

• Ability to frequently travel to the operational areas

• Other duties as assigned.

Personal Attributes and Values

• Integrity, honesty and professional accountability

• Hard working Strong work ethic, reliability, and attention to detail.

• Firm belief in gender equality, disability inclusion, team work, transparent and participatory management.

• Collaborative, transparent, and participatory working style.

• Commitment to learning, evidence-based decision-making, and continuous improvement.

1. Equal Opportunity Statement:

ORDA Ethiopia is committed to equal employment opportunity and an inclusive workplace.

How To Apply

• Interested and qualified candidates are invited to submit their updated CV, application letter, and supporting credentials in a single merged PDF file, compressed into a ZIP archive, to info@ordaethiopia.org within seven (7) working days from the date of the announcement., indicating the Job Title “Project MEAL Lead” in the application letter.  

• Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

• Only short listed applicants will be contacted.  

Note: References will be taken and background checks will be carried out in conformity with the ORDA Ethiopia’s code of conduct (Child safe guarding, Inclusion of persons with differently abled and adults at risk, Prohibiting of sexual exploitation & abuse, trafficking in persons as well as child labor) in general. We operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all persons meeting the skills and experience required but with due convergence of the code of conduct aforementioned above.