CLOSED: Join Salanga as our Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) Manager!

Are you excited about monitoring, evaluation and learning for international development projects? Does a community-led development speak to you?

 Join our team!

A full-time contract position, manager level, ideal for professionals with 5+ years of hands-on experience in monitoring, evaluation and learning in the development context

Who we are

Salanga is a values-based company providing tools, training and technology services in monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) to humanitarian, development and social service organizations around the world.

We are passionate and committed to creating positive change. We believe in community-led approaches, which underpins all of the work we do. We bring a tech-savvy side with rich experience in data collection, analysis, and database design. Our multi-talented and diverse team is comprised of top experts in international development, participatory and feminist methods, results-based management, gender-equality and inclusion, and information technology. We live and work around the world and have two main offices: in Ottawa, Canada and Prague, Czech Republic (www.salanga.org).

We are a thought-leader and innovating practitioner of Community-Led Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (CoLMEAL) as part of the global movement of community-led development. CoLMEAL is an approach that supports diverse community members, including those who are facing social, political or economic exclusion, to continually monitor, analyze, share, and reflect on progress towards their community development plans based on outcomes and indicators they define, enabling them to take action to achieve their own goals.

Salanga is also the creator of Kinaki (https://www.kinaki.ca) – a collaborative, web-based monitoring, evaluation and learning software built for humanitarian, development and social service organizations of all sizes (www.kinaki.ca).

Our clients range from small, inspiring non-profits to large, robust organizations with thousands of staff and wide geographic coverage. We work with a broad range of governmental, NGO and private sector clients.

What this Position is all about

Salanga is seeking a highly motivated team member for our globally positioned team.  As the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning Manager you will lead the MEAL of a multi-country, gender-transformative 6-year project focusing on the health and rights of girls and women operating in Cambodia, the Philippines, Kenya and Uganda (currently at the mid-term stage).

This exciting project is a multi-stakeholder initiative (funded by Global Affairs Canada) which focuses on increasing prevention of and improving response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), improving equitable access to and use of health care services, and emphasizing preventative care. The project relies on established in-country partner organizations and grassroots women’s organizations to deliver its results and is designed to impact close to 200,000 girls, women, boys and men across the project countries.

As the MEAL Manager, you will engage in the design, creation, and streamlining of the Project MEAL System and most importantly in capacity building and support to the implementation teams and the project management team. A significant part of your job will be dedicated to in-person and remote MEAL capacity building for global implementing partners.

This project integrates the CoLMEAL Methodology and approach. While another Salanga team member will be driving the implementation of ColMEAL within this project, the selected MEAL Manager will also support the CoLMEAL process.

You will also learn and use Kinaki (Salanga’s MEAL online tool), to help shape Kinaki improvements and support Kinaki users from the global MEAL community.

About the Project

Salanga is a MEAL technical partner in a soon-to-start, 6-years, a multi-country project that is a multi-sectoral, multi-level and multi-stakeholder initiative contributing to poverty reduction by increasing prevention of and improving response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), improving equitable access to and use of health care services, and emphasizing preventative care in Cambodia, Kenya, Uganda and the Philippines. The project will rely on established-in-country partner organizations and grassroots women organizations to deliver its results and will impact 194,920 girls, women, boys and men across all project countries.

How we support Community-led Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

Community ownership is a core principle of Salanga’s practice and work with its partners. We support development organizations in the practical implementation of MEAL systems and enhancing their capacity in MEAL through partnerships in project implementation, training, consultancy and technology. To support organizations in adopting the CoLMEAL approach, Salanga partners with organizations to develop joint proposals for/advise on CoLMEAL integration into project design – including consideration for structure, systems, and accountability, provide capacity building for project staff to implement CoLMEAL, and facilitate reflective processes to ground and mainstream CoLMEAL into their organization. See more about our ColMEAL work here: https://salanga.org/colmeal/

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Lead and oversee the MEAL Processes in the multi-country project; This includes for example:
  • Periodical review of country-specific PMF, indicators and results
  • Planning and Scheduling of MEAL Activities together with the in-country teams
  • Support in the design of Data Collection Tools for outcomes and outputs.
  • Planning for and remote support during surveys and similar data collection efforts
  • The data review process, learning from data and feedback loops
• Conduct in-person and virtual capacity building for in-country implementation teams and Canadian Partners. Train and support in-country MEAL focal points;
• Support in-country partners in their donor reporting efforts
• Regularly report to project management from the project lead organization
• Provide leadership and support to in-country full-time MEAL Officers
• Participate in Salanga’s internal learning and knowledge-sharing processes
• Learn, use and train Kinaki and other commonly MEAL tools (Kobo Toolbox etc.)
• Contribute to Onboarding & Support to various Kinaki clients and users with their day-to-day MEAL tasks
• Occasionally represent Salanga at various virtual or in-person events and conferences
• Administration related to the above
• Maximum twice-a-year visit to the 4 project teams in (Kenya, Uganda, Cambodia and the Philippines) for up to 2 weeks per country

Job requirements:

1. Passion for evidence-based programming and MEAL – our team members are passionate about the work we do. You are keen to search for more inclusive, community-led, practical, gender-transformative and useful ways of implementing and supporting MEAL.
2. Responsibility and Independence – You can work independently and within our global, remote team. You are a self-motivator, with the ability to assume responsibility and work under your initiative, coping with a demanding workload and isolation of working from home and prioritizing effectively. You have the flexibility to adapt to new situations that arise when working in a small, dynamic team.
3. Experience and Understanding – You have solid experience (5+ years) in MEAL and preferably with funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) for development or humanitarian projects, with experience in survey design, data collection and analysis; project-level, hands-on experience in MEAL is a big plus.
4. Language & Communication – You have excellent written and spoken English (French would be an asset). You are a great communicator through in-person and online communication.
5. Technical Skills & Knowledge –You have a strong knowledge of the Theory of Change, Results-Based Management (RBM), Logic Model (LM), and Performance Measurement Frameworks (PMF). Advanced Excel skills and previous experience with data collection/analysis are also required. Experience with designing project and MEAL methodology and working on Global Affairs Canada projects is a major asset.
6. Facilitation and Training – You are skilled and comfortable training, facilitating and presenting both online and in person. You have experience with the design of capacity building and training, ideally for Monitoring, evaluation and learning or community engagement. You must be comfortable and experienced in talking to both public and professional audiences.
7. Travel – This position includes international travel (depending on the location of the selected candidate, to a maximum of 35% LOE). You are excited about working with partners in different countries and traveling to support the MEAL work and relationship building.
8. The existing ability to legally work in Canada or the EU is an asset, but not a must
9. Education – You have completed a degree/post-graduate degree in a related field such as international development, monitoring and evaluation, data management, etc.
10. Availability – the ideal candidate should be available to start as soon as possible, not later than April 10, 2024.

What Salanga Offers:

• Opportunity to work with and learn from senior staff on meaningful international projects for Canadian international development and humanitarian organizations
• Potential for professional development
• Opportunity to learn and build your skills in a MEAL online software for easy data collection, analysis and learning
• Experience with major Canadian and possibly also global donors
• Generous flexibility on working hours, location and other working conditions and vacation
• Excellent contacts and professional networking
• Fantastic, friendly and experienced team
• The successful candidate will work from a home office.

How to apply:

Please send your resume (or a link to a virtual resume) and cover letter which outlines exactly how your skills and experience match (or exceed) the job requirements (Resume and cover letter all together should be no longer than 5 pages) to  jobs@salanga.org. You will need to include your expected compensation range in your cover letter.

If you want to really stand out from other candidates, send us a video or a voice recording, where you introduce yourself and tell us why you are interested in this job and why we should be interested in you as a candidate.

Note: After shortlisting candidates, we will be requesting three references from your previous professional or school experience (this reference can be a previous employer, colleague, etc.).

The deadline for the posting is March29th, 2024.

Candidates will be screened continuously and the position may be filled prior to the deadline.

Strong candidates with live-in experience in indigenous, visible minority or in-country settings will be given priority.

Please note that Salanga provides a welcoming, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment. Candidates identifying with any minority or belief group, indigenous identity, with any kinds of disabilities or inabilities, with children or no children, of any gender or non-binary, are welcomed on our team.