Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager

Job title: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager

Line Manager:

Tdh Kenya Head of Programmes (50%)

CRB Specialist (50%)

Functional Link:

Quality & Accountability Global Advisor

Quality & Accountability Regional Coordinator

Tdh Kenya Project managers

Activity rate:   

50 % Tdh Kenya Delegation

50% Child Right In Business (CRB) portfolio

Line management (direct):

MEAL officers

Functional link:

MEAL Focal points of implementing partners

Workplace

The position will be based in Nairobi with occasional travel to Tdh Kenya delegation's geographical locations across Kenya, Tdh/CRB and non-Tdh countries of operation.

Overarching responsibilities “Main goals”

In Kenya, Tdh works in contexts affected by poverty, conflict, and disasters, aiming to ensure children’s survival, protection, and development. Tdh adopts a rights-based and child-centered approach, promoting participation, safeguarding, and accountability to affected populations. Through partnerships with governments, civil society, and communities, Tdh strives to create sustainable impact and strengthen systems that uphold children’s rights amongst refugees and host communities. Regionally,

Terre des hommes (Tdh) engages and works with public and private actors to strengthen child protection and promote children’s rights in business strategies, operations and value chains. As part of the Child Protection (CP) sector, a Child Rights and Business team, led by the Global Child Rights and Business (CRB) Advisor based in Tdh’s country office in Nairobi, Kenya provides expertise and implements initiatives on CRB globally.

Tdh, local civil society, and coffee supply chain partners are joining forces in a multistakeholder 2-year initiative aimed at strengthening the protection of children within the coffee sector in the Veracruz and Chiapas states, in Mexico. This public-private initiative is supported by the Swiss Sustainable Coffee Platform (SSCP) Collaborative Impact Funding and co-financed by the coffee sector partners and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO

Under the dual supervision of Tdh Kenya delegation Head of Programmes (HoP) and the CRB Specialist, working within the framework established by the organization, the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager ensures the consistency and quality of the Tdh Kenya Delegation and CRB MEAL strategies and activities. He/she coordinates and takes responsibility for decisions and actions in the MEAL field operations in coordination with the Tdh Kenya delegation programmes teams, project Implementing partners, CRB programmes implementing and Information Management (IM) teams.

The manager will ensure quality and accountability, apply robust monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning (MEAL) frameworks, and adhere to international humanitarian standards and donor requirements of the Kenya delegation portfolio. The Manager ensures that the CRB team is given appropriate and effective methodological support consistent with the approaches, methods and tools used within the delegation and HQ in the MEAL field. 

He/she ensures that MEAL applies to and is an integral part of all Tdh departments, and that the MEAL department plays a support role for the rest of the organisation and responsive to coalition requirements

He/she ensures that a consistent approach to MEAL is adopted in Kenya delegation and in CRB regional (multi-country) projects, large-scale projects and/or integrated programmes.

He/she supports an institutional culture that encourages critical thinking, collective learning and teamwork, as part of the organisation’s focus on quality and accountability.

He/she helps develop a dynamic approach to MEAL inside and outside Tdh (as part of Kenya delegation and CRB team, regional partnerships, networks, centres of expertise, working groups, etc.)

He/she will also provide technical review and alignment support to the in country- teams, local implementing partner’s MEAL systems to ensure coherence, quality, and consistency in data collection and reporting.

Overall, the MEAL Manager will lead the design, strengthening, and institutionalization of MEAL systems across Kenya delegation and  Child Rights & Business programs and partnership initiatives.

 He/she will serve as the primary focal point for coordination with Tdh Head Quarters on reporting requirements, indicator harmonization, and performance tracking.

The MEAL Manager strengthens accountability and learning by ensuring effective feedback mechanisms, ethical and participatory data practices, development of knowledge products and documentation of lessons learnt.

Specific Responsibilities/Context of “tasks”

Strategic management

·       Helps develop and implement the CRB’s strategic MEAL orientations in coordination with the programme coordinators and the Global Q&A advisor in HQ.

·       Helps implement an appropriate and effective MEAL system that brings together project and programme implementing partners during the monitoring plan design phase and during the sharing and using of data.

·       Ensures ethical principles related to MEAL are respected, especially those concerning gender equality, fairness and “do no harm”. Protects confidential data, applies the principles of informed consent, and protects children during the collection, processing, analysis and use of MEAL data.

Management 

·       Ensures the optimal allocation and proper management of the Kenya delegation and CRB MEAL resources and MEAL budgets monthly.

·       Ensures project and programme teams take part in monitoring projects and works towards optimal cooperation within the delegation in the MEAL and IM fields.

·       Plans MEAL activities and oversees their implementation; manages and supervises related resources.

Technical support

·       Ensures MEAL standards, directives, methodological guidelines and tools are understood and implemented at Kenya delegation and CRB as per Tdh’s guidelines.

·       Monitors developments in the MEAL field for CRB thematic issue while building the knowledge among CRB team and capitalizing on lessons learned in this area.

·       Helps develop and write MEAL related sections for project proposal, and support technically on defining indicators, MEAL budget and Accountability and learning approaches, MEAL activities for the project.

·       Take lead during the development of MEAL systems and plans, and ensures a consistent approach is adopted across all CRB projects.

·       Support evaluations, baseline studies, and assessments in Countries of Kenya delegation and CRMRs Implementation.

·       Provides support during the collection of data for programme indicators and development of programme steering summaries. Identify data gaps, inconsistencies, or risks and provide recommendations.

·       Helps ensure that MEAL data is used optimally during operational and strategic decision-making by Kenya delegation programme and CRB teams  in accordance with Tdh’s and donor requirements, especially with respect to institutional reporting.

·       Ensures MEAL tools are relevant and operate correctly.  He/she will develop data collection tool, data storage tools, cleaning and analysis, enter data and prepare visual reports with descriptive analysis.

·       Informs the Implementation Coordinator(s) and Project managers of any unmet targets, contextual changes (risks and opportunities) and potential unintended negative effects on beneficiaries.

·       Provides advice and methodological support during the recruitment of experts for MEAL projects (by drafting terms of reference and recruiting and supporting consultants).

·       Serves as the primary focal point for Tdh organizational MEAL tasks and  ensures that all relevant Tdh programme indicators are systematically integrated into the Kenya delegation M&E systems and the logical frameworks of Child Rights in Business (CRB) projects and data captured in Tdh organisational tool.

Partner MEAL Alignment & Review

·       Assess Partners capacities in terms of MEAL, review Partners MEAL systems and provide technical expertise, and training.   Support alignment of partner indicators with consortium and organizational requirements/Standards

·       Review partner progress reports and, and phrase recommendations for ensuring data quality

Learning/training

·       Responsible for planning, providing technical support, and moderating the production of learning pieces, while contributing to learning briefs, case studies, and other evidence products. Participate in community of practices led by donors, in-country,  Tdh region and HQ

Security and child safety

·       Understands and applies Security, Safeguarding and Fraud Prevention policies, Data Protection policy, and Ethical Guidance on collecting data from children.    

Skills

This position will be recruited as MEAL Manager and will require:

Competencies: This position requires personal, social and leadership competencies (PSLC) and technical and methodological competencies (TMC), and managerial and strategic competencies (MSC)

In particular:

·       Ability to work independently and make decisions, as well as to provide support and advice

·       Ability to create a cooperative and collaborative environment

·       Command of support and advice roles and competencies

·       Excellent conceptual and strategic analysis skills

·       Discipline, precision, transparency and intellectual honesty

·       Excellent oral and written communication skills (in constructive negotiations) in all areas (internal and external), active listening skills

·       Flexibility, availability and adaptability

·       Results-oriented focus and problem-solving abilities

·       Ability to learn from negative experiences, capitalizing on errors and seizing opportunities

Other professional skills required:

·       Expertise in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning theory, with strong ability to design and implement MEAL frameworks.

·       Expertise in developing, planning and implementing MEAL systems, procedures and tools in in the field of child protection and in particular Child Rights in Business.

·       Familiarity with ASAL (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands) contexts, refugee settings (e.g., Kakuma, Dadaab), urban vulnerability, and/or fragile communities.

·       Experience integrating cross-cutting issues such as gender, inclusion, and safeguarding into MEAL systems

·       Experience in data management & analysis setting up and managing digital data collection systems (e.g., Kobo, ODK) ensuring data quality, integrity and validation process.

·       Practical experience establishing and managing Feedback and Complaint Response Mechanisms (FCRM)

·       Strong background in donor reporting, indicator tracking, and compliance requirements.

·       Understanding of humanitarian-development nexus programming.

·       Ability to design MEAL systems in rapid, volatile contexts

·       Knowledge of and experience with quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods in the humanitarian aid/development sector.

·       Awareness and knowledge of ethical issues related to MEAL: do no harm and sensitivity to gender and diversity

·       Experience in leading participatory processes and empowering MEAL approaches including Participatory Action Research and including with children, moderation skills,

·       Written and oral communication skills,

·       Training skills

Required conditions

Training/Qualifications

·       Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, International Development, Statistics, Monitoring & Evaluation, Child Protection, Human Rights, or a related field.

·       A master’s degree in development studies, Child Protection, Human Rights, or MEAL is an advantage

·       Knowledge in child protection/human rights, corporate social sustainability, and agricultural supply chains would be an added advantage.

Experience

·       5+ years of experience in MEAL or similar functions within humanitarian, development, or child protection programs.

·       Experience in monitoring, evaluation, and reporting in multi-stakeholder or consortium settings, preferably with refugee, host communities and private sector engagement.

·       Working experience oversees – in African countries (essential) and other continents (asset)

·       Remote working experience in an advisory function with partners.

Languages             

·       English,

·       French is an added advantage.

General Code of of Conduct and Tdh’s Risk Management Policies

Commits to complying with the General Code of Conduct and systematically reports any breach of the Code through the Tdh warning procedure raises the awareness within the Foundation on violence and abuse and the rights that derive from them regarding children, community members and our own employees.

Commits to complying with the Risk Management Policies, including Safeguard policies (the policy of Safeguarding Children, the Policy of Protecting against Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, the Guideline on Abusive Behaviour at Work), the Safety/Security Policy and Anti-Fraud/Corruption Policies and the Prevention of Funding Criminal Activities.

Commits to reducing the risk of abuse by developing an open and informed culture of management within the organization and in our work with children and the communities where we work.

Tdh’s organizational values

Our organizational values guide us in our operational and strategic choices and are the foundation of all decisions made by us. Those five values are incorporated into each process connected to the staff. All collaborators are assessed according to the organization’s values.

PARTICIPATION AND EMPOWERMENT

• 
  
• We promote and enhance participation and empowerment.
  
• We create the space for active participation and embrace inputs from others.
  
• We are sensitive about others’ needs to influence.
  
• We share and delegate power and responsibilities.
  

PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION

• 
  
• We trust the capacities of our key actors as primary responders and agents of change. We build on their strengths and on their needs.
  
• We champion co-creation and value complementarity.
  
• We appreciate other points of view and seek collectively for pragmatic and innovative solutions.
  
• We manifest humility, respect, fairness and see others as equal partners.
  

INNOVATION AND LEARNING

• 
  
• We promote a culture of innovation.
  
• We value curiosity, welcome new initiatives, and foster creativity.
  
• We embrace voluntary learning and are ready for trial and error.
  
• We foster knowledge sharing, learning and strive for sustainability.
  

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

• 
  
• We celebrate Diversity and Inclusion of people.
  
• We genuinely commit to diversity and inclusion and see it as a wealth in all our activities.
  
• We understand the cultural contexts and value differences.
  
• We are truly committed to an equal treatment.
  

LEADERSHIP AND EXCELLENCE

• 
  
• We thrive to offer our best, we think ahead, and are ready and willing to go the extra mile for the well-being of children.
  
• We provide quality programming and support. We are accountable and transparent. We use power responsibly.
  
• We position ourselves through our expertise and savoir-faire.
  
• We advocate for the rights of children whenever possible and seek actively opportunities to do so.
  

Application modalities:

Interested candidates who meet the criteria above are encouraged to send their applications letter and detailed CVs to KEN.recruitment@tdh.ch Candidates are required to indicate the position title and location on the subject line of the email when applying.

Kindly note only applications sent to this email address will be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

This position will close on 4th August 2026. 

Tdh’s recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protect children’s rights, which includes the prevention of all forms of child abuse.

Tdh is an equal opportunity employer