MEAL Officer

Job Posting Organization:
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a global humanitarian organization established to assist people forced to flee due to conflict and crises. Founded in 1946, NRC operates in multiple countries around the world, focusing on providing high-quality aid and defending the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons. The organization is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, fostering a supportive culture that encourages professional growth and innovation among its employees. NRC has been active in the Central African Republic since 2014, addressing significant humanitarian needs resulting from years of conflict and displacement. The organization aims to maintain a strategic presence in the country while adapting its operational model to enhance cost-effectiveness and sustainability as it transitions to an integrated operational presence under the Cameroon country office by 2027.

Job Overview:
The MEAL Officer position is crucial for strengthening the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) system within NRC's operations in the Central African Republic. This role involves implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for MEAL at both the country office and area office levels. The MEAL Officer will ensure that feedback channels are safe, accessible, reliable, and effective, facilitating the timely and confidential handling of feedback received. The position also requires the collection, cleaning, and synthesis of data in a safe, inclusive, and ethical manner, supporting the use of monitoring and evaluation results for accountability, reporting, and programmatic learning. The MEAL Officer will contribute to the overall quality of humanitarian response through robust MEAL systems that align with organizational standards.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the implementation and strengthening of MEAL systems and the Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) at the country and area office levels, ensuring adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Manage, clean, and organize MEAL and CFM databases, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance with NRC's data management standards.
• Lead or support the collection of quantitative and qualitative data for assessments, result monitoring, programmatic analysis, and community feedback analysis.
• Analyze and synthesize MEAL and CFM data to inform programmatic decision-making, reporting, and learning. Maintain MEAL databases and ensure proper documentation (both digital and paper copies).
• Update and maintain MEAL and CFM data management systems, including beneficiary databases, activity tracking tools, and feedback management systems.
• Support data verification and quality assurance related to project activities, including distributions and participant lists.
• Analyze trends from community feedback and regularly share insights with program teams to enhance accountability and improve interventions.
• Assist in capacity-building activities for staff and partners on MEAL processes, CFM, and safe feedback management, ensuring ethical and confidential handling of sensitive feedback.
• Ensure compliance with NRC policies, guidelines, and procedures related to MEAL and CFM, including safeguarding, community engagement, and accountability.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree (BAC+3) in social sciences, statistics, or a related field.
• At least two (2) to three (3) years of experience in MEAL and CFM, or data management experience, preferably in humanitarian or development contexts.
• Strong knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
• Solid database management skills and proficiency in Excel and digital data collection tools (Kobo/ODK).
• Proficiency in French, both spoken and written.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) is required; experience with Microsoft 365 (SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Planner) is an advantage.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a minimum of a Bachelor's degree (BAC+3) in social sciences, statistics, or a related field. This educational background is essential for understanding the complexities of data collection, analysis, and the implementation of MEAL systems in humanitarian settings.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of two (2) to three (3) years of relevant experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) and Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) or data management, particularly in humanitarian or development contexts. Candidates should have a proven track record of working with data collection and analysis, as well as experience in managing databases and ensuring data quality.

Languages:
Proficiency in French is mandatory for this position, both orally and in writing. Knowledge of English is considered an asset, as it may facilitate communication and collaboration in diverse teams and with international stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
The contract duration for this position is 12 months, with the possibility of renewal based on funding availability. The work location is primarily in Bouar and Paoua, with approximately 40% of the time spent traveling to field sites. The salary and benefits are based on NRC's Grade 5, Step 1 of the salary scale for the Central African Republic. The desired start date for this position is January 202

• It is important to note that these positions are reserved for Central African nationals and foreign candidates with the legal right to work in the Central African Republic. NRC actively promotes diversity and inclusion and adheres to the principle of equal opportunity in recruitment. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.