The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC began planning to reopen an oPt country program in mid-2022 and launched an emergency response in Gaza in October 2023. The organization is currently supporting a network of local partners in both Gaza and the West Bank to sustain critical health, protection, food security, cash, education, and early childhood development interventions. The IRC is also deploying emergency medical teams to provide surge clinical capacity in hospitals and other health facilities. 

The IRC is working to scale its emergency response while building a longer-term oPt country program in parallel. This effort is being jointly managed by the Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit (EHAU) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a view to eventually transition the country program fully under the MENA region.   

Position overview

The Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) Officer supports the quality preparation and implementation of IRC’s direct implemented and partner programs across oPt response in Gaza and West Bank. The MEAL Officer will support the MEAL Coordinator proposal development, participate in partners pre-award due diligence processes (including review or partner M&E systems), lead reviews of partners’ report data and verification, and provide guidance and training related to MEAL/Client Responsiveness and Accountability (CRA) to sub-awardees in order to strengthen their capacity, as required. 

The MEAL Officer reports to the MEAL Coordinator for oPt response but will work very closely with Field Coordinator, Partnership and Technical team.

Responsibilities

Monitoring and Accountability System set-up and implementation for IRC direct implementation

• Collaborate with MEAL and non-MEAL staff to ensure that data is collected, compiled, checked for its quality and completeness in compliance with IRC and donors’ standards for data quality

• Develop and/or update M&E Plans, tools, databases, and monthly reporting formats in close collaboration with the MEAL Coordinator and Thematic sector leads.

• Work with project staff to monthly update the project Indicator Performance Tracking Table (IPTT) and Project Indicator Dashboard (PID) and summarize project monthly achievements/gaps and help identify and alert critical gaps in a timely manner.

• Develop mobile data collection tools on Commcare, KoBo or any IRC’s data collection applications

• Conduct field or onsite monitoring exercise and produce regular performance and quality monitoring of implemented project(s), share findings/gaps from field monitoring visits with project respective staff and agree and document actions for improvement.

• Conduct data audits and analysis to ensure high quality data, compile a report with relevant indicator data per grant, showing targets versus actuals and an action plan and send this to the Field Coordinator, MEAL Manager, and Technical Managers and Coordinators monthly.

Client Responsiveness set-up and implementation.

• Work with MEAL Coordinator to establish client feedback mechanisms to ensure IRC is meeting its internal and external accountability commitments through the implementation of sound accountability, client feedback, and response mechanisms

• Update/Review the SOPs and Feedback Plans together with the MEAL Coordinator

• Update/Review the feedback register and develop regular summaries to share with RMT.

• Lead and coordinate processes to collect, review and respond to client feedback at field level.

• Set up feedback mechanisms to collect and respond to client feedback – both proactive and reactive channels

• Conduct regular FGDs and meetings with different stakeholders including clients to solicit feedback on IRC’s work.

• During distributions, establish a help desk/information table for the community members to answer beneficiary comments/questions. After the distribution, prepare help desk reports on the distribution.

• Prepare CRA reports based on consolidated analysis of client feedback recorded via proactive and reactive channels, to be discussed at field meetings, project review meetings for analysis and decision making at the provincial level.

Partners MEAL support

• Participate in the Partner's Project Capacity Review (PPCR) of potential partners as appropriate and contribute to efforts to collaboratively analyze and manage material risks identified.

• Work collaboratively work with Partnerships Managers and partners to develop and finalize logframes, indicators, and MEAL tools. 

• Participate in Partnership Project Opening, Review and Closure Meetings, including to review successes and challenges with the partner, and capture effective MEAL/CRA practices for future partnerships.

• Collaborate with partners to ensure completeness, correctness, and accuracy of beneficiary reach data and ensure databases and up to date and accurate.

• Review partner narrative reports, ITTs, and supporting documents to ensure compliance with the partnership agreement, donor regulations and IRC policy, and provide feedback to the partner as appropriate.

• Work with partners to ensure appropriate Client Feedback Mechanisms (CFM) are established and functioning.

• Work with technical teams to review partner MEAL documents and provide appropriate feedback, along with input into IRC prime award reports.

• Participate in the review of the performance of the partner, of the IRC, and of the partnership, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.

• Provide the link between Third Party Monitoring service provider and partners to coordinate field assessments, report review and action planning.

Program Support & Capacity Sharing

• Provide MEAL/CRA training and mentoring support to IRC staff, partners, in accordance with partner project support plans, with a focus on supporting the partner to strengthen Monitoring, CFMs approaches.

• Other

• Any other duties as assigned by the MEAL Coordinator.

Key working relationships

Position reports to: MEAL Coordinator Opt response

Other Internal and/or external contacts: 

Internal: Field Manager, Thematic Technical Coordinators, Partnership Coordinator

External: partners, governments, clients.