MEAL MANAGER
Yaoundé | Bamenda
- Organization: IRC - International Rescue Committee
- Location: Yaoundé | Bamenda
- Grade: Mid level - Mid level
-
Occupational Groups:
- Education, Learning and Training
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Managerial positions
- Closing Date: 2025-12-07
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
The employees of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) intervene in the world's worst humanitarian crises in a wide variety of roles. They are a true source of humanity and hope. If you're qualified and passionate, we'd love to work with you!
IRC is one of the world's largest humanitarian organizations, providing relief, rehabilitation, and post- conflict support to victims of natural disasters, oppression, and violent conflict. As an organization, we are committed to innovation and to developing creative partnerships to increase the scale, access, and impact of our work.
We are active in many areas, including public health, resettlement/reintegration, education, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and the protection and promotion of human rights. We help people through many types of crisis in over 40 countries. IRC leads the way "from harm to home".
BACKGROUND
International Rescue Committee (IRC), one of the world's largest humanitarian agencies, provides emergency relief, rehabilitation, and post-conflict reconstruction to victims of natural disasters, oppression and violent conflict in 42 countries. IRC is committed to bold leadership, innovation and creative partnerships. Active in public health, education, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and the protection and promotion of rights, IRC helps people find their way home.
COUNTRY CONTEXT:
IRC began operations in Cameroon in 2016 to address the growing concerns of populations affected by Boko Haram-related violence in the country's Far North. Assistance to displaced populations extends across the Far North, including Mayo Sava, Mayo Tsanaga and Logone & Chari, delivering life-saving program to increase access to water and improve hygiene practices in vulnerable displaced and host communities, cash program to enable poor families to meet basic needs and improve food security, and protection program, including to address the specific needs of women and girls. Following the worsening crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, IRC expanded its operations to the South West region in August 2018, providing vital humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced population.
IRC field offices are located in Maroua and Kousseri in the Far North, Buea in the South-West, as well as a representative office in Yaoundé.
IRC Cameroon has committed in its Strategic Action Plan 100 to continue providing essential humanitarian services, focusing on community security and ensuring that affected populations can meet their basic needs, while building the resilience of beneficiaries, particularly women and girls.
POSITION OVERVIEW: Reporting directly to the MEAL coordinator CAR-CMR, you will strengthen MEAL efforts, approaches and systems to optimize means and opportunities for monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning in the region (Far North or SWNW) and in the Economic Recovery and Development (ERD), Protection and Empowerment of Women (PAF), Protection and Rule of Law (PRoL), Environmental Health (EH), Education and Child Protection sectors of IRC's mission in Cameroon. You will also support the overall ambitions of IRC's Strategy100, in particular the "Data" ambition and the country's strategic action plan. You will supervise the MEAL officer functions of projects or technical within the Cameroon
MEAL team for the region(s) of assignment.
RESPONSIBILITIES :
Management and partnership
- To manage all technical aspects and MEAL actions relating to IRC's sectors of intervention in Cameroon; to respond to the needs of the program; to promote the application of norms and standards in terms of data quality, analysis and reporting. Ensure accountability to clients, partners and donors; Support the design and implementation of MEAL systems and approaches, in line with IRC standards and practices, that meet the needs of projects and program, enable accountability to our clients, partners and funders, and promote learning in program.
- Representing IRC at technical meetings, forums and other events and developing partnerships within IRC and with other areas of expertise. Promote access to and use of data by IRC leaders and partners for shared learning and evidence-based decision making; to this end, there should be a learning database that is updated and shared periodically (monthly) to promote learning management.
- Harmonization of MEAL teams within and outside IRC to support the harmonization of MEAL systems and approaches, sharing capacity and experience.
Technical supervision
- Lead the MEAL system and processes for the program (all IRC intervention sectors in Cameroon in its area of competence) in line with the country strategy and the overall MEAL strategy throughout the project cycle, from the design and implementation phases to the closure and learning capitalization phases, including: Use learning, evidence, and data from previous projects to provide sufficient information for project proposal design, knowledge management and capitalization of data and good practices.
- Develop logical frameworks, MEAL plans, digital data collection tools and online data management processes adapted to the various donors and internal and external procedures.
- Set up data flows and ensure that quality controls, audits and data dashboard updates are carried out on an ad hoc basis and on a regular basis.
- To supervise MEAL field activities and propose strategic guidelines to improve program implementation within deadlines.
- Undertake regular analysis of real-time monitoring data and work closely with program coordinators and managers to facilitate decision-making and program adaptations.
- Produce quality reports and update dashboards with key results to support learning and decision-making. These dashboards will be shared at project cycle management meetings, at team meetings and at any time as required by the hierarchy.
- Identify, document, and share learning on a regular basis in order to improve services and results for our customers.
- Ensure that the following documents or files are regularly updated and share them with the MEAL Coordinator: PID data, progress of project indicators, project beneficiaries’ data, all databases by project and/or by intervention sector, data collection tools, BOX archiving link. The frequency of updating will be defined according to each file and the urgency of use.
- Engage in the design, methodology and conduct of surveys through simple statistical methods of first, second degree (including cluster sampling method) such as baseline and final surveys, as well as commissioning external evaluations in coordination with program colleagues, MEAL coordinator and partners.
- Advocate and support the expansion of technologies (CommCare and Power BI) that encourage the standardization of mobile data and online dashboards to improve the speed and quality of data collection, analysis, and visualization.
- Adhere to and participate in IRC's efforts to meet its internal and external accountability commitments through the implementation of robust customer accountability, feedback, and response mechanism.
Human Resources
- To coordinate, lead, coach and support a small to medium-sized dynamic team of MEAL employees; to promote quality, timely delivery, and an inclusive, respectful team environment.
- Ensure that objectives are set for supervisees and evaluated at the appropriate time, as set by the Human Resources SOPs.
- Promote staff growth and development within IRC and partner teams in the MEAL area: lead and develop high quality technical training and learning materials for partners, colleagues, and junior staff.
- Participating in the recruitment and induction of MEAL officers and assistants and (where appropriate) external consultants.
Main working relationships:
- The post reports directly to the MEAL coordinator CAR-CMR or to a partnership between the MEAL coordinator and the program coordinator.
- The post directly supervises the MEAL officers and assistants, as well as other internal and/or external staff.
Other internal and/or external contacts:
Internal: working with MEAL staff, technical coordinators/program managers for the entire country program, partnership managers or focal points, HR officers, the compliance coordinator and the Field Coordinator.
External: working with customers, supervising external consultants in partnership with technical coordinators (where applicable).
REQUIREMENTS
MEAL managers have :
- A Master's level 2 university degree in a relevant field (such as statistics and data management, social sciences, public health, development economics or a related field) - a technical diploma and additional relevant work experience in data collection, analysis, processing and reporting may be substituted for the studies.
- A minimum of 3 years' professional experience in roles related to monitoring, evaluation, taking responsibility and learning in projects.
- Technical skills in setting up high-quality MEAL processes and creating logical frameworks and data analyses that provide learning and lead to action.
- Proficiency and proven experience in the use of mobile data collection software such as Kobo, CommCare, ODK Collect is essential, as is proficiency in Microsoft Excel, SPSS, STATA, or similar software. Knowledge of Tableau, PowerBI or GIS software and tools are additional assets.
- Demonstrated skills in analysis, systematic and systemic thinking and problem-solving.
- A proven ability to transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through training, mentoring and other formal and non-formal methods, as well as presentation and reporting skills, are important assets.
- Proven ability to lead, coach and empower a small to medium-sized professional team.
- A self-starter with excellent organizational and planning skills, including prioritizing and multi-tasking with attention to detail and deadlines.
- A strong understanding of accountability and a proven ability to set up feedback and accountability systems for customers is a definite advantage.
- Willingness and ability to travel and work in the field (30%).
- Language: ability to read, speak and write English and French. Knowledge of a local language in the areas where IRC operates is an asset.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.