MEAL Officer - Local Hire

Position Summary

Reporting to the MEAL Coordinator, the MEAL Officer supports the design, implementation, and quality assurance of MEAL systems across active projects in Gaza. The role ensures field monitoring, accountability systems, operational performance reviews, and donor-aligned reporting are effectively implemented. This position is being advertised contingent upon award; while the recruitment process will proceed as part of organizational preparedness, no formal offer will be extended until funding is confirmed.

Principal Responsibilities

• MEAL System Implementation
  • Lead the implementation of project-specific MEAL plans, ensuring all field-level activities align with donor and organizational strategies.
  • Develop and regularly update Indicator Performance Tracking Tables (IPTT) and project dashboards to monitor progress against set targets.
  • Set up, maintain, and troubleshoot digital data collection platforms such as KoboToolbox, DHIS2, or ODK.
  • Conduct regular data quality checks, audits, and completeness reviews to ensure that collected information is accurate, consistent, and reliable.
  • In collaboration with program managers, design the overall framework for new project MEAL systems, including logframes, monitoring calendars, and field monitoring plans.
  • Establish and monitor Community-Based Complaints and Feedback Mechanisms (CFM) to ensure beneficiaries have transparent channels for raising concerns.
  • Conduct regular field site visits to verify project implementation and ensure adherence to established quality standards and benchmarks.
• Monitoring & Data Quality
  • Coordinate routine field monitoring, spot-checks, PDMs, and verification visits.
  • Conduct Data Quality Assessments (DQAs), baseline/endline surveys, and internal evaluations.
  • Maintain and update the Indicator Performance Tracking Table (IPTT) to monitor progress against project targets, outcomes, and outputs on a weekly or monthly basis.
  • Monitor operational support functions (logistics, fleet, finance) through structured field reviews and compliance assessments.
  • Perform periodic Data Quality Audits (DQA) and assessments to identify and mitigate data pitfalls, such as inconsistencies, duplicates, or missing information.
  • Ensure all collected data is managed and archived according to internal and donor data protection protocols, maintaining strict beneficiary confidentiality.
• Accountability Systems
  • Ensure effective operation of complaints and feedback mechanisms (CFM).
  • Promote safe, confidential, and culturally appropriate reporting channels.
  • Ensure every piece of feedback is recorded, categorized, and referred to the right department, ensuring a timely response back to the person who raised the concern.
  • Organize regular Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and community meetings to ensure beneficiaries are involved in project design and decision-making.
  • Produce monthly accountability summaries that analyze feedback trends, identify recurring issues, and track "loop closure" rates.
  • Ensure compliance with data protection and Do No Harm principles.
• Learning & Adaptation
  • Identify, document, and disseminate high-quality case studies, "stories of change," and technical briefs that showcase project impact.
  • Draft high-quality monitoring reports that highlight achievements, bottlenecks, and recommendations for project adjustments.
  • Help define the project’s Learning Agenda, identifying key research questions that need to be answered through evaluations or specialized studies.
  • Maintain a structured Knowledge Management (KM) system (e.g., SharePoint, shared drives) where evaluation reports and technical papers are easily accessible.
• Reporting & Proposal Support
  • Contribute to proposal development and donor reporting.
  • Define targets, update logframes, and draft MEAL plans.
  • Draft and review the MEAL sections of progress reports (monthly, quarterly, and annual), ensuring all indicator tables are accurate and up-to-date.
  • Create charts, maps, and infographics for reports and presentations to make complex data easy for donors and stakeholders to understand.
  • Support Baseline Surveys and Needs Assessments to provide the "rationales" and "problem statements" needed for winning new grants.
  • Ensure all reports meet specific donor requirements (e.g., USAID, EU/ECHO, UN agencies) regarding indicator definitions and reporting formats.
• Capacity Building
  • Train staff and partners on MEAL tools and digital systems (DHIS2, Kobo).
  • Promote accurate reporting and data-driven decision-making.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s-level in social sciences, public health, statistics, or international development, with experience or background in M&E, epidemiology, public health, and health information management.
• Master’s Degree preferred.
• 3-5 years of applied experience with a humanitarian organization in designing, implementing, and overseeing monitoring and evaluation tasks.
• Demonstrated experience in managing teams and building staff capacity within complex programing.
• Experience with M&E approaches for key donors such as USAID/BHA, ECHO, EU, DfID, UN.
• Experience in database design and other tools for information management like DHIS2.
• Experience in use of qualitative and quantitative software for data analysis.
• Strong interpersonal skills and commitment to humanitarian principles.
• Fluent knowledge of English and of local language (Arabic).
• Essential computer literacy (word, excel and internet).