Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Coordinator job at GOAL

Program Background

The Agrifood System Transformation for Youth Employment (ASTYE) Uganda program

ASTYE is a 5-year transformative initiative designed to enable dignified and fulfilling work opportunities primarily for financially disadvantaged young women, refugees, and vulnerable groups by addressing structural barriers in Uganda's Agrifood system. Aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040, the National Development Plan and Government of Uganda Agriculture Value Chain Development Strategy, the program will contribute to national efforts toward poverty alleviation, economic growth, as well food and nutrition security. Additionally, ASTYE is part of the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy in Uganda, which aims to empower 4.3 million young Ugandans, particularly young women, by addressing structural barriers to employment and providing them with the skills and resources to succeed.

Specifically, GOAL will implement component one to reach 500,000 financially disadvantaged young people, with 400,000 transiting into work and 320,000 securing dignified and fulfilling work. As the program is young women-centric, 80% of the total outreach target will be young women within Uganda's agrifood ecosystem. Furthermore, 3% of the total youth in work target will be refugees, and another 3% will be people with disabilities.

Job summary

The MEAL Coordinator role for ASTYE is a strategic position based in Fort Portal, Uganda, responsible for overseeing the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning systems for the programme. The MEAL Coordinator will design and implement a comprehensive MEAL strategy, review/develop results frameworks and monitoring plans, establish management information systems and ensure quality data collection and analysis using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies including outcome harvesting and systems change measurement.

The role requires leading all aspects of MEAL implementation including conducting baselines and evaluations, managing databases, ensuring accountability through community feedback mechanisms, and facilitating organizational learning through regular events and high-quality communication materials. The coordinator will provide capacity building and technical support to GOAL and partner teams, manage the MEAL team and budget, conduct field visits for quality assurance, and ensure all data management complies with protection and compliance measures. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, proficiency in statistical software and data visualization tools, and excellent team management and communication skills.

Job Functions

Strategic MEAL Leadership

• Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative (outcome harvesting) methodologies, individual case management at scale and systems change measurement to inform the design of a comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, adaptation and learning strategy for the ASTYE programme.
• Build/review the ASTYE MEAL systems in line with both the Mastercard Foundation and GOAL priorities in collaboration with the Programme Management Unit.
• Draft/review ASTYE MEAL Strategy, results frameworks, monitoring plans, indicators, data collection tools and plans.
• Provide capacity building, technical support, and training to ASTYE’s programme teams and partners on all areas of MEAL.
• In coordination with Head of MEAL, support the design, implementation and quality assurance of ASTYE Programme Management Information System (MIS) and SCORE- GOAL's system for consolidating and reporting MEAL information.
• Lead the establishment and implementation of Programme Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) ensuring accessible, safe, confidential and responsive feedback channels.
• Establish and lead learning capture processes with ASTYE programme teams and partners, including facilitating regular forums to discuss lessons learnt and their application to future programming.
• Monitor and report on program progress, providing feedback to the GOAL country Head of MEAL and the PMU.

ASTYE MEAL System

System research

• Provide technical backstopping to the design and collection of any agrifood system mapping and analysis

Monitoring

• Train and mentor, the GOAL and partner teams in the monitoring systems and provide technical backstopping on a regular basis.
• Ensure standardization of MEAL tools used by ASTYE programme and MEAL teams, including monitoring and reporting tools, SoPs, Data Aggregation tools and guidelines,
• Lead on training and orientation sessions to ensure harmonization of and monitoring systems.
• Conduct data quality assessments to ensure accuracy and reliability.
• Conduct regular field visits to assess the utilization of MEAL systems and identify areas for improvement.

MIS Management

• Ensure data management & storage complies with GOAL's global policies, data protection, and compliance measures.

Adaptation

• Ensure that program data is fed back to the GOAL and partner teams on a monthly basis in a format that they can engage with for adaptive program management.

Accountability

• Develop and implement ASTYE programme accountability strategy aligned with GOAL and donor requirements
• Ensure effective oversight and smooth running of ASTYE programme Community Feedback Mechanism.
• Ensure communities are well informed about project objectives, entitlements, complaint and feedback channels.

Evaluation

• In coordination with Head of MEAL, lead the design and analysis of data from baselines, annual and end-line surveys and assessments.
• Lead on the development of Terms of Reference (TOR) and implementation of studies, surveys and assessments (rapid and comprehensive) ensuring the effective participation of all project stakeholders.
• Coordinate/support processes of all (internal and external) field surveys, baseline studies, mid-term and terminal evaluations.
• In collaboration with the Head of MEAL, ensure that the results of surveys and ongoing monitoring, including consultations with beneficiaries, is made available in a user-friendly format for informed program design and decision-making.

Learning

• Enhance programme learning through analysis of relevant programme data and presentation using suitable data visualization techniques to support the evidence-based decision making for programme development and planning purposes.
• Support periodic learning reviews, after-action reviews, and programme reflection processes to drive adaptive management and innovation.
• Ensure that Lessons generated from programme and MEAL activities are tracked and addressed and promote effective participation of the MEAL team in Programme Review and Planning meetings

Internal and External Communications

• Development and implementation of a communication strategy in line with the ASTYE program priorities
• Ensure the development and dissemination of high-quality communication and learning materials, such as learning briefs, case studies, success stories, newsletters, blogs, photo journals, and videos in cooperation with the PMU and partners.
• Ensure compliance with ASTYE programme and GOAL Global communications and branding protocols and standards.
• Facilitate cross-departmental learning events, including regular learning events.

Budget management

• Work closely within the PMU and lead the development of MEAL budgets that relate to annual work plans.

People Management

• Inspire and empower when managing relationships up, down and horizontally.
• Build skills and confidence in the MEAL systems across the program team and partners.
• Strengthen the capacity of partners MEAL teams acro

• Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative (outcome harvesting) methodologies, individual case management at scale and systems change measurement to inform the design of a comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, adaptation and learning strategy for the ASTYE programme.
• Build/review the ASTYE MEAL systems in line with both the Mastercard Foundation and GOAL priorities in collaboration with the Programme Management Unit.
• Draft/review ASTYE MEAL Strategy, results frameworks, monitoring plans, indicators, data collection tools and plans.
• Provide capacity building, technical support, and training to ASTYE’s programme teams and partners on all areas of MEAL.
• In coordination with Head of MEAL, support the design, implementation and quality assurance of ASTYE Programme Management Information System (MIS) and SCORE- GOAL's system for consolidating and reporting MEAL information.
• Lead the establishment and implementation of Programme Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM) ensuring accessible, safe, confidential and responsive feedback channels.
• Establish and lead learning capture processes with ASTYE programme teams and partners, including facilitating regular forums to discuss lessons learnt and their application to future programming.
• Monitor and report on program progress, providing feedback to the GOAL country Head of MEAL and the PMU.
• Provide technical backstopping to the design and collection of any agrifood system mapping and analysis
• Train and mentor, the GOAL and partner teams in the monitoring systems and provide technical backstopping on a regular basis.
• Ensure standardization of MEAL tools used by ASTYE programme and MEAL teams, including monitoring and reporting tools, SoPs, Data Aggregation tools and guidelines,
• Lead on training and orientation sessions to ensure harmonization of and monitoring systems.
• Conduct data quality assessments to ensure accuracy and reliability.
• Conduct regular field visits to assess the utilization of MEAL systems and identify areas for improvement.
• Ensure data management & storage complies with GOAL's global policies, data protection, and compliance measures.
• Ensure that program data is fed back to the GOAL and partner teams on a monthly basis in a format that they can engage with for adaptive program management.
• Develop and implement ASTYE programme accountability strategy aligned with GOAL and donor requirements
• Ensure effective oversight and smooth running of ASTYE programme Community Feedback Mechanism.
• Ensure communities are well informed about project objectives, entitlements, complaint and feedback channels.
• In coordination with Head of MEAL, lead the design and analysis of data from baselines, annual and end-line surveys and assessments.
• Lead on the development of Terms of Reference (TOR) and implementation of studies, surveys and assessments (rapid and comprehensive) ensuring the effective participation of all project stakeholders.
• Coordinate/support processes of all (internal and external) field surveys, baseline studies, mid-term and terminal evaluations.
• In collaboration with the Head of MEAL, ensure that the results of surveys and ongoing monitoring, including consultations with beneficiaries, is made available in a user-friendly format for informed program design and decision-making.
• Enhance programme learning through analysis of relevant programme data and presentation using suitable data visualization techniques to support the evidence-based decision making for programme development and planning purposes.
• Support periodic learning reviews, after-action reviews, and programme reflection processes to drive adaptive management and innovation.
• Ensure that Lessons generated from programme and MEAL activities are tracked and addressed and promote effective participation of the MEAL team in Programme Review and Planning meetings
• Development and implementation of a communication strategy in line with the ASTYE program priorities
• Ensure the development and dissemination of high-quality communication and learning materials, such as learning briefs, case studies, success stories, newsletters, blogs, photo journals, and videos in cooperation with the PMU and partners.
• Ensure compliance with ASTYE programme and GOAL Global communications and branding protocols and standards.
• Facilitate cross-departmental learning events, including regular learning events.
• Work closely within the PMU and lead the development of MEAL budgets that relate to annual work plans.
• Inspire and empower when managing relationships up, down and horizontally.
• Build skills and confidence in the MEAL systems across the program team and partners.
• Strengthen the capacity of partners MEAL teams acro

• Strong expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies
• Proficiency in statistical software
• Proficiency in data visualization tools
• Excellent team management skills
• Excellent communication skills

• Experience in designing and implementing MEAL strategies
• Experience in developing results frameworks and monitoring plans
• Experience in establishing management information systems
• Experience in quality data collection and analysis
• Experience in outcome harvesting
• Experience in systems change measurement
• Experience in conducting baselines and evaluations
• Experience in managing databases
• Experience in community feedback mechanisms
• Experience in facilitating organizational learning
• Experience in developing high-quality communication materials
• Experience in capacity building and technical support
• Experience in managing MEAL teams and budgets
• Experience in conducting field visits for quality assurance
• Experience in data management compliance with protection and compliance measures