Assistant Manager - MEAL

Brief description of JAAGO Foundation Trust

JAAGO Foundation Trust is a non-profit development organization with a mission to eradicate poverty in Bangladesh through education and positive change. JAAGO focuses on various sectors, including education, youth development, women empowerment, climate change, and governance. JAAGO provides free, high-quality education to children through conventional and digital schooling programs, serving 4500 students currently. Our Youth Development Program empowers 50,000 young citizens with skills and resources for national development. JAAGO addresses challenges faced by women and girls, offering alternative learning opportunities in underrepresented communities. JAAGO actively collaborates with local communities, women, youth, and marginalized groups to develop climate resilience and sustainable livelihood options. JAAGO promotes civic education to enhance youth civic participation, collective action, and leadership for effective societal change.

Position Summary

The incumbent for the position Assistant Manager – MEAL will bring significant experience and fresh ideas to lead on MEAL system implementation, review and evaluations, budgeting, recruitment, as well as support to proposal writing and log frame development. An experienced and detail-oriented professional with expertise in monitoring, evaluation, and reporting for development projects. This role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to communicate complex information effectively.

The post holder will ensure that JFT and Partner projects are supported to ensure quality, effectiveness and appropriateness of their projects. It will be important for the post-holder to capture lessons learned and communicate this information in various capacities to improve on-going and future projects, S/he will guide JFT and Partner teams to maintain an effective monitoring system across all sectors, including the use of beneficiary feedback data, to assure the quality of interventions.

Ultimately, s/he will ensure that the projects have evidence-based knowledge to inform the direction of the project from assessment and regular project monitoring documents. This analysis will need to be made available to all project staff and external stakeholders where appropriate.

Job Responsibilities

A. Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Assist in development and implement a robust monitoring and evaluation framework for the project.
• Design data collection tools and methodologies to assess project impact.
• Conduct regular field visits to monitor project activities and gather relevant data.

B. Data Analysis and Reporting:

• Analyze project data to derive actionable insights and recommendations
• Prepare regular reports on project progress, outcomes, and challenges
• Collaborate with M&E Sr. Manager and Project managers to ensure accurate and timely reporting

C. Quality Assurance:

• Ensure data quality through regular checks and validation processes
• Provide guidance to project officers and data collectors on best practices
• Implement corrective measures to address data discrepancies or inconsistencies

D. Internal Reporting:

• Responsible to ensure that the organization delivers on all internal M&E requirements in emergency and development programs in a timely manner and with high quality information, including reporting on SCI global indicators and quarterly reports, total direct and indirect reach data.
• Identifies and introduces new elements (systems, tools, processes) required under the MEAL system and project manages development by MEAL team members
• Receive regular field monitoring and accountability reports from MEAL Coordinators and circulate to the country office teams, ensuring that action plans are included and followed up and that SMT reviews reports regularly

E. Learning and Improvement:

• Ensure that data brought together and findings from across thematic and operational regions to form a coherent basis for analysis of impact which promotes learning and strategy
• Utilize monitoring and evaluation findings for continuous project improvement.
• Identify opportunities for learning and adaptation based on project data.
• Facilitate knowledge-sharing sessions within the project team.

E. Coordination with Stakeholders:

• Collaborate with M&E Sr. Manager and Project managers, officers, and external partners on data needs.
• Respond to data requests from donors, government bodies, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure that project reporting complies with organizational and donor standards.

F. Capacity Building:

• Provide training and capacity-building support to project staff on monitoring and reporting.
• Foster a culture of learning and accountability within the project team.
• Stay updated on best practices in monitoring and evaluation in the development sector.

Skills and Other Competencies

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling JFT values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

Education

• Master’s degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, or a related field (e.g., Statistics, Development Studies, Social Sciences)

Experiences

• 3-4 years of experience in monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, preferably in development projects. Extensive experience in MIS will be preferred.

Skills

• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in data collection and analysis tools (SPSS, STATA, Kobo Toolbox, Etc.)
• Excellent organizational and written and verbal communication skills.
• Detail-oriented with a commitment to data accuracy and transparency.