MEAL Coordinator

Position Title: Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Coordinator



TEAM/PROGRAMME: Programme Development and Quality (PDQ)



LOCATION: Kosova/o



GRADE: 3



Contract Length until: December 31st, 2026 with possibility of extension.



POST TYPE: National



Child Safeguarding: Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.



ROLE PURPOSE:

The MEAL Coordinator is responsible for working with the Program Development and Quality (PDQ) Manager to provide strategic leadership and oversight to thematic programme and project teams to achieve effective monitoring, evaluation, impact assessment, review, reporting, and accountability towards the beneficiaries of our interventions. The MEAL Coordinator will design, oversee and ensure implementation of the National Office MEAL strategy and systems, ensuring alignment with Save the Children global frameworks and national priorities.

The MEAL Coordinator will lead organizational learning, evidence generation, and policy influence through robust research, evaluations, and knowledge management.

In coordination with Thematic Experts, Programme managers, the MEAL Coordinator will be responsible to foster a culture of adaptive learning and evidence-based programming across the Office, guiding programme teams and partners in strengthening MEAL systems.

Other key areas include:

• Leadership in the development and institutionalization of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) systems for the Country Office and across all projects.
  
• Driving the compilation, analysis and strategic use of program outcomes, data and learning for decision-making and advocacy.
  
• Providing technical oversight and quality assurance of complex studies, evaluations, and research initiatives.
  
• Ensuring robust accountability mechanisms are in place, with a strong focus on safeguarding and inclusive programming.
  
  The position will be required to travel 30-40% of the time to Save the Children field locations/municipalities.
  
  
  
  SCOPE OF ROLE:
  
  Reports to: Programme Development and Quality Manager
  
  
  
  KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
  
  Planning and Reporting:
  
• Participate in programme development and planning activities, including budget planning with respect to MEAL activities.
  
• In coordination with Business Development Coordinator and Thematic Experts, lead the development of SMART outcomes and indicators during project design and proposal development in alignment with global MEAL standards and frameworks, and lead the adaptation of these to the national context.
  
• Facilitate engagement of Thematic Experts, Programme Managers, and partners in the process of setting targets for indicators, ensuring they are both ambitious and realistic, and aligned with global standards and contextual realities.
  
• Lead the MEAL roll out plan and of each award, in alignment with field context of SCIK geographical footprint and lessons learned.
  
• Provide leadership to program teams and partners on strengthening data systems, ensuring consistency, reliability, and strategic application of evidence.
  
• Ensure indicator data quality and consistency by developing standardized Performance indicator reference sheet (PIRS) for each award.
  
• Establish plans and ways of working of data collection and data reporting for all awards.
  
• Produce MEAL summaries for reporting as required by donors and SCI.
  
• Ensure all projects meet SC MEAL essential standards and are gender-transformative at the relevant extent for each intervention.
  
• Responsible to consolidate data from other staff members and report to PDQ Manager the quality Key Performance Indicator report on quarterly basis.
  
• Identify MEAL objectives, priorities, and activities required for effective CO and partner Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans.
  
• Ensure timely development of internal and external MEAL reports and related deliverables; verify accuracy, timeliness and appropriateness of information, by working closely Programme Implementation (PI) staff.
  
• Ensure compliance with recommended MEAL guidelines, formats and standards of SCI, including testing and roll-out of new tools for project management with all staff.
  
• Track MEAL reporting deadlines for active awards; in conjunction with PI team and Awards, review as a final means of quality assurance donor reports.
  
• Prepare consolidated annual program reports and organize appropriate learning to disseminate key achievements and lessons learnt.
  
• In humanitarian response situations, provide support for one or more rapid assessments (inter-agency or independently if necessary) to be carried out within the first 48-72 hours.
  
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergency.
  
• Lead collection of Total Reach data for Country Annual Reporting.
  
• Represent Save the Children in external fora, working groups, and donor meetings on MEAL, evidence, and learning.
  
• Effectively use the PRIME (Project Reporting, Information Management and Evidence) system to support monitoring, evaluation, and reporting activities across the project lifecycle, ensuring that quality data is consistently captured, analysed, and used for reporting, decision-making and adaptive management.
  
  
  
  Quality Monitoring:
  
• Ensure the development and monitor Programme Quality Benchmarks, with input from the programme team (project managers, technical experts).
  
• Use process, output and outcome level quality benchmarks as reference to undertake field monitoring visits, focusing on program quality aspects and accountability to beneficiaries, discuss with relevant staff and share reports with relevant colleagues.
  
• Support the programme team to develop and comprehend data collection tools.
  
• Support and work with program team to regularly collect data related to project indicators in collaboration with Programme Implementation team, geographical coordinators.
  
• Perform regular field visits to ensure the quality of data collected by program staff and to verify the accuracy of reported data.
  
• Support the preparation of country level analytic reports on the status of child rights issues when opportunities emerge to influence developmental and social policies.
  
  
  
  Accountability:
  
• Serve as Accountability Focal Point for the office with 25% LoE.
  
• Lead collection of accountability data from field, analyse it and share with the National Office, Regional Office and Centre teams.
  
• Compile and analyse data on a monthly basis and share it with program teams at various levels.
  
• Ensure safe and meaningful children’s participation, reporting back to children, and child-led MEAL.
  
• Support the programme team to maintain Complaint and Feedback Mechanism and other Feedback Collection tools within various awards to respond to complaints/concerns/feedback from beneficiaries and maintain the database of responses.
  
• Ensure MEAL systems capture inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable groups (e.g., children with disabilities, ethnic minorities) and are sensitive to climate-related risks and resilience factors.
  
  
  
  Evaluations and Research:
  
• In collaboration with program staff, lead the design and coordinate evaluations and research activities and ensure effective and ethical data collection.
  
• Ensure adherence to data protection standards, including informed consent, confidentiality, and secure storage of data in line with SCI policies and international good practices.
  
• Lead the development of baseline, midline and endline Terms of Reference, in close coordination with project and award teams.
  
• Supervise the development of data collection tools proposed for evaluation activities and develop & adapt tools where needed.
  
• Perform all types of quantitative analyses (descriptive and inferential analyses) using appropriate software (SPSS and/or STATA) as necessary for project research and evaluations.
  
  
  
  Learning:
  
• Work with program teams to utilise data from trackers for quality improvement;
  
• Set up Learning tools for periodic tracking and reporting, in line with PMM requirements; Document good practices, lessons learned and feedback captured from program participants (adults and children) and other stakeholders to influence and guide the design and implementation of our programmes - (action research);
  
• Organize learning events and workshops for program units to document lessons learnt, good practices and areas for improvement.
  
• Facilitate structured learning sessions such as after-action reviews meetings to translate data insights into program adaptations.
  
  
  
  Capacity Building and Partnership:
  
• Identify capacity gaps and work with the PDQ manager to build the capacity of the program staff, especially the PI team, to ensure smooth implementation of quality MEAL systems for the office programming .
  
• Provide technical assistance and support to regular inquiries of partners, across all awards, on MEAL-related issues to ensure effective data collection and tracking, quality reporting, participatory evaluations and improved partner capacity over time.
  
  
  
  Knowledge Management and Evidence-Building:
  
• Under the direction of the PDQ Manager, develop and implement a strategy for knowledge generation and evidence building for identifying, generating, sorting, retrieving, validating, sharing and disseminating information in a more efficient and effective manner.
  
• Ensure that research and evidence building activities are comprehensive and cover overall advocacy and reporting needs of the programme. Ensure research findings are communicated to Save the Children International and other partners to strengthen evidence-based programming.
  
• Ensure the establishment of systems that will enable Save the Children staff to access a centralized information system and maintain a resource library in conjunction with other staff.
  
• Ensure that children’s involvement in monitoring and evaluation is both pragmatic and meaningful
  
• Work with Advocacy and Communications colleagues to translate monitoring and evaluation findings into accessible messages to inform advocacy and public engagement.
  
  
  
  Innovation
  
• Ensure that the office MEAL system is in line with latest SCI requirements and tools for efficient MEAL processes.
  
• Lead the testing and piloting of new program interventions and innovations and documenting their results, to support adaptations to innovative ways of conducting MEAL.
  
• Support SC to build the global evidence base about how to achieve important changes for children through piloting initiatives supported by the office.
  
• Promote and support the use of digital data collection and visualization tools for real-time monitoring and learning.
  
  Additional: Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to Child Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, Personal Safety and Security, other relevant policies and procedures.
  
  SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (our 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 others to do the same.
  
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
  
• Future orientated, thinks strategically.
  
  
  
  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.
  
  
  
  QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
  
• Master's Degree in Social Sciences, Statistics, International development or related field
  
• A minimum of 5-7 years experience in designing, implementing, and overseeing MEAL systems in international development or humanitarian contexts.
  
• Strong experience in leading research and evaluations, including design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination.
  
• Demonstrated experience in applying gender-sensitive and inclusive approaches to MEAL, including the ability to analyse and report on sex- and age-disaggregated data and intersectional vulnerabilities.
  
• Knowledge of donor arena in the development sector and experience of developing proposals (logframes).
  
• Experience with digital data collection, management, and visualization tools such as KoboToolbox, Power BI or similar platforms.
  
• Excellent IT [Microsoft Office] skills.
  
• Demonstrated experience in evidence-based advocacy and influencing through MEAL.
  
• Proven ability to mentor, coach, and build capacity of national staff and partners.
  
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
  
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills.
  
• Ability and willingness to travel to all parts of the country.
  
• Commitment to and understanding of Save the Children’s aims, values and principles including rights-based approaches.
  
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
  
  
  
  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 SCiK 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.
  
  
  
  Health and Safety:
  
  The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCiK Health and Safety policies and procedures.