The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfilment of the wish to return home.
The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956, and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced.
All of our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.
In 2003, following the start of foreign military operations in Iraq, DRC became one of the first organisations to provide humanitarian assistance in the country, and now operates in 11 governorates, including Anbar, Baghdad, Babel, Diyala, Duhok, Erbil, Karbala, Kirkuk, Najaf, Ninewa and Salah-al-Din.

Overall purpose of the role and project:

The Cash Consortium for Iraq (CCI) was established in 2015 to better meet the needs of conflict-affected households by harmonizing approaches to multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) and improving data collection and analysis. Using the power of its unique structure the CCI has created new modalities for cash leadership and NGO-UN coordination. More recently, the CCI has added work with the World Bank and the Government of Iraq to link humanitarian cash transfers to the government social payments system and in 2019 broadened its scope to better support a comprehensive and integrated response to the variety of needs faced by the Iraqi population, including addressing livelihoods, employment, and ongoing social support needs. CCI maintains a Relief portfolio, focused on humanitarian MPCA, and a Recovery portfolio, focused on integrated livelihoods and resilience. With a cumulative budget estimated at 140M$ and a reach of 400,000 people, the CCI is led by Mercy Corps in partnership with 4 international organizations: Danish Refugee Council (DRC); International Rescue Committee (IRC), Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC); and Oxfam.

In early 2017, the CCI expand the scope of its activities beyond MPCA to include early recovery (ER) programming in accordance with the evolving context and needs. This will entail community-oriented programming with integrated activities focusing on livelihoods, rehabilitation of shelter and public infrastructure, local governance, social cohesion and protection.

Since its establishment, the CCI has worked to harmonize program design for unconditional cash programming including targeting, monitoring and evaluation, accountability and delivery mechanisms. With that, the MEAL Specialist – in collaboration with the CCI MEAL Manager and relevant CCI focal points – will support CCI efforts on harmonization and implementation of M&E tools, methodologies and approaches, in line with reporting requirements. S/he will work in partnership with CCI member organizations to ensure technical input is provided into tool development and coordination efforts. The main objective of this position is to ensure that data on program beneficiaries, processes, progress and performance are effectively collected, entered, analyzed and documented, in a way to inform timely decision making and the adoption of sound corrective measures, and to ensure coordination of all processes across CCI and interagency processes. A broader objective is to support the design and production of information management tools and products to support evidence-based programming across all CCI partners.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience in monitoring and evaluation, information management and research, preferably with experience in cash and livelihoods programming, and experience with multi-stakeholder arrangements. The MEAL Specialist will be recruited and hosted by the DRC Iraq, but will be seconded, full-time, to the CCI, reporting to the MEAL Manager of the CCI.

Responsibilities:

Technical Monitoring & Evaluation

• Contribute to proposal development processes with design of logical frameworks and MEAL inputs as needed.
• Ensure timely development, refinement and effective implementation of MEAL frameworks for CCI programs.
• Support the development and implementation of CCI performance monitoring plans (PMPs) for each program in partnership with CCI program and M&E focal points; ensure regular tracking of progress on all targets and indicators, communicating progress and flagging concerns to the CCI Management Unit where necessary.
• In consultation with CCI Technical Working Group (TWG) and Management Unit colleagues, develop data collection tools and methodologies for each CCI program as needed, including data collection instruments and analysis plans.
• Follow-up with CCI partners to provide support and ensure adherence to CCI’s MEAL frameworks, including the MEAL Guidelines and Accountability Guidelines, implementation of PMPs and data collection tools and methodologies; conduct regular reviews, provide structured training and feedback sessions as needed.
• Conduct trainings for enumerators, M&E and program staff at partner agencies on M&E tools and methodologies, mobile data collection, database management, accountability mechanisms, and related topics.
• Participate in CCI TWG meetings and other interagency meetings as needed, ensuring coordination and communication on tools, processes and troubleshooting. Engage with the Cash Working Group and Emergency Livelihoods Cluster as opportunities arise for strategic harmonization of tools or sharing of lessons learned.
• Support quarterly CCI MEAL coordination meetings with focal points from each partner organization.
• Coordinate with relevant focal points across CCI partners to ensure robust channels for feedback are in place, and that feedback or complaints related to CCI programming is properly reported to the CCI Management Unit.
• Develop and maintain schedule for Peer to Peer monitoring visits across partner organizations.
• Perform regular field monitoring visits.
• Support development of culture of learning with establishment of learning agendas, facilitating lessons learned reviews, documenting and sharing key learnings.
• Any other MEAL related task as required by supervisor.

Analysis and Reporting

• Support CCI analytical processes and timely product development to inform CCI program implementation and the broader community of humanitarian and development actors, such as vulnerability analyses, post-distribution monitoring reports, and all M&E reporting.
• Support culture of evidence-based programming and access to data across CCI team in contributing to development of and encouraging use of interactive data visualization dashboards.
• Coordinate with Data team to provide necessary figures for donor reporting.
• Contribute to and review reports.
• Liaise with Third Party Monitors and lead review of Third Party Monitoring reports with CCI partners.
• Evaluations and Research
• As and when necessary, lead on and/or support the development of evaluations of the CCI’s work, including drafting TORs and managing consultants as needed.
• Support CCI research exercises in partnership with CCI Research & Advocacy Coordinator to inform CCI programming and contribute to cash and livelihoods programming evidence-base in Iraq, the region and globally.

About you

Experience and technical competencies:

• Experience in working within partner networks or consortia.
• Certification or specific training in Statistics and/or Data Management highly preferred, but can be supplemented with practical experience of information management in humanitarian settings.
• Experience using mobile data collection platforms (ODK, Kobo, SurveyCTO) & developing XLS forms
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in developing and managing databases. Excellent coordination, negotiation, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, ability to collaborate and build consensus.
• Demonstrated experience in the use of statistical methods for socio-economic research in humanitarian settings, with emphasis on advanced and applied quantitative and research methods.
• At least 3 years of relevant working experience in the areas of data science, information management and assessments, M&E, socio-economic research, in humanitarian emergency settings preferred
• Excellent communications skills, experience planning and conducting capacity-building trainings in M&E, mobile data collection, or related topics
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementation of assessments, with strong emphasis on the research cycle (methodology and sampling design, research question development, questionnaire development, etc.).
• INGO experience in humanitarian settings. Demonstrated experience and capacity in coordinating field-level data collection and team management and oversight across multiple geographies.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and problem-solving capacities.
• Ability to manage stress, multi-task and take decisions.
• Proven ability to work in insecure and hardship environments.

Education:

University degree or higher education in Politics, Social Sciences, Peacebuilding, or similar relevant field, or significant additional demonstrable past professional experience gained through field work

Languages: (indicate fluency level)

• Fluency in English (written and spoken),
• Arabic language skills desirable;

Source:https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx?cid=1036&ProjectId=158125&uiculture=eng&MediaId=5