Senior Project Officer MEAL

Senior Project Officer MEAL - Marsabit & Turkana

Kenya

(On-site)

Job Description

Job Summary

As the County Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Lead for the project, the Senior Project Officer MEAL will coordinate and oversee implementation of the project MEAL system in the assigned county, advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work serving the poor and vulnerable. Working under the technical leadership of the Program Manager - MEAL, the position will lead county level monitoring, data management and quality assurance, accountability, learning and reporting; provide technical guidance to project and partner teams; and ensure that reliable performance information and participant feedback inform timely decisions, corrective action and continuous improvement. The position will work closely with county project leadership, implementing partners, government counterparts, community representatives and relevant technical and operations teams to promote harmonized MEAL approaches, compliance with CRS and donor requirement, and high-quality delivery of food assistance, food for assets and nutrition related project activities.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• County MEAL Planning and Performance Monitoring

• Lead and coordinate implementation of county-level MEAL activities in line with project implementation plans, CRS program quality standards, donor requirements, and established best practices.

• Coordinate the collection, validation, consolidation, and analysis of performance data from CRS and implementing partners, ensuring accurate and timely reporting.

• Monitor progress against approved indicators, targets, and milestones, identify gaps and risks, and communicate findings and corrective actions to the Program Manager - MEAL and county leadership.

Support county teams and partners in the consistent application of approved indicators, tools, methodologies, data collection processes, and reporting requirements to ensure data quality and program performance.

2. Data Management, Digital Systems and Data Quality

• Coordinate and oversee county-level data management processes, including data entry, cleaning, validation, storage, analysis, reporting, and maintenance of indicator tracking tools, databases, dashboards, and supporting documentation to ensure accurate and timely performance reporting.

• Manage the effective use of digital MEAL systems, including participant registration and verification, QR-coded participant tracking, commodity and food distribution monitoring, accountability mechanisms, and performance reporting systems.

• Conduct routine data quality checks, verifications, and assessments, monitor resolution of identified issues, and ensure compliance with data quality standards.

Collaborate with MIS, Digital Programming/ICT4D, accountability, supply chain, and compliance teams to address system, device, and data flow challenges while ensuring the secure and responsible management of participant information.

3. Field Monitoring, Accountability and Corrective Action

• Lead and coordinate risk-based field monitoring, spot checks, verification visits, and routine monitoring activities across project sites to assess implementation quality, compliance with established standards, and performance of key interventions including participant targeting, food distribution, commodity management, food-for-assets activities, nutrition services, and market systems.
• Support the implementation of accessible and responsive Feedback, Complaints and Response Mechanisms (FCRM), including analysis of feedback trends, documentation of findings, and prompt referral of sensitive complaints and safeguarding concerns through established CRS procedures.
• Ensure monitoring findings, observations, post-distribution monitoring results, and verification outcomes are documented, communicated, and translated into corrective actions, while tracking resolution of issues with project, partner, supply chain, accountability, and compliance teams.

4. Learning, Assessments, Reporting and Resource Coordination

• Lead county-level learning and reflection processes by using monitoring findings, performance data, participant feedback, and contextual insights to inform adaptive management and improve project implementation.
• Support the implementation of baselines, endlines, assessments, surveys, and learning studies through tool review, enumerator preparation, field supervision, data quality assurance, and validation of findings.
• Ensure timely submission of accurate and validated county MEAL data and reports for CRS, partners, and donors, while producing dashboards and performance summaries to support management decision-making.
• Document and share lessons learned, promising practices, implementation adaptations, trends, and case studies, ensuring supporting evidence for reported results is properly maintained in line with donor and CRS requirements.
• Support county MEAL work planning, budgeting, and the responsible management, tracking, and safeguarding of MEAL equipment, devices, and other resources

5. Partner Coordination, Capacity Strengthening and Team Supervision

• Build and maintain effective relationships with implementing partners, county government counterparts, community representatives, and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration, accountability, data sharing, and the use of MEAL findings for decision-making.
• Coordinate county-level MEAL priorities and promote consistent application of approved indicators, tools, data quality standards, and reporting requirements across project stakeholders and partners.
• Assess and strengthen MEAL capacity through training, coaching, technical support, and follow-up mentoring for project staff, partner teams, frontline data collectors, and relevant county government systems.
• Supervise county MEAL staff and coordinate temporary enumerators and other short-term personnel, providing performance management, workload planning, professional development, and operational support for monitoring and assessment activities.

Required Languages: Fluency in English and at least one local language

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 60%, with regular travel to project implementation locations in Marsabit and Turkana.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Analysis and problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment
• Strong data management, database and data quality assurance skills.
• Good relationship management skills and the ability to work closely with local partners
• Proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Monitoring and Evaluation, Statistics, International Development, Public Health, Food Security, Economics or another relevant field.
• Experience supporting MEAL for food assistance, food for assets, nutrition, resilience, or humanitarian programming.
• Experience working with county governments and local partners in arid and semi-arid contexts, preferably in Marsabit
• Experience with institutional donor funded programming, preferably in food security, nutrition, resilience or humanitarian assistance.

Supervisory

Responsibilities

• Project Officer Accountability (Marsabit)

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: PM - MEAL; County based technical and operations staff; MIS/Data Manager; Accountability staff; Compliance staff; Supply chain and commodity management teams; Digital Programming/ICT4D staff

• External: Implementing Partner staff; County government counterparts and relevant county departments; Community representatives and Project Accountability Committees; project participants; and relevant coordination and technical stakeholders.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Statistics, International Development, Public Health, Food Security, Economics, Social Sciences, or a related field, with additional relevant experience considered in lieu of some educational requirements.
• Minimum four years of NGO experience in MEAL, with demonstrated expertise in indicator tracking, routine monitoring, data management and analysis, reporting, and data quality assurance.
• Proven experience using digital MEAL and information management systems, including mobile data collection platforms, participant registration and verification systems, commodity and food distribution tracking, post-distribution and market monitoring, reporting, and data visualization tools.
• Experience supporting assessments, surveys, baselines, endlines, evaluations, and other learning initiatives, with the ability to analyze and use data to inform program decisions and improve performance.
• Demonstrated ability to work with implementing partners and communities, strengthen MEAL capacity through training and coaching, and supervise staff, enumerators, or