Global MEAL Officer

UWS is an award-winning global organisation bringing community-centric education models to the world’s most remote populations. Since 2008, we’ve built and developed 310 schools, trained over 1,300 teachers and provided over 60,000 children across Cambodia, Madagascar, Myanmar and Nepal with a quality education. Shifting focus from delivering change in the short term, to empowering change for the long term, we go beyond educating the future, to changing it.

Our vision is Zero Education Poverty.

Global MEAL Officer

Department: MEAL
Location / Duty Station: Kathmandu, Nepal

Role Purpose / Summary

UWS is looking to strengthen its MEAL systems as we embark on an ambitious 2030 Programme Strategy founded on our mission of empowering children in marginalised rural communities by ensuring foundational learning.

The Global MEAL Officer will be instrumental in assessing progress against the 2030 Programme Strategy, in particular ensuring the robust assessment of student foundational learning outcomes and designing comparison studies with government schools. They will work closely with Country MEAL Leads and the Global MEAL team, across 4 countries: Cambodia, Nepal, Myanmar and Madagascar.

The post-holder should have experience in designing baseline, mid-line and end-line evaluations within the education sector. They will be detail-oriented, a good communicator and have excellent data analytical and visualisation skills. Experience working within diverse and international teams will be an asset.

The introduction of this new role will be a catalyst to improve the impact measurement of the UWS programme. This will drive the quality of programme delivery and also generate evidence to contribute to successful funding proposals – all of which will compound to grow the impact and reach of UWS programmes to help realise our vision of Zero Education Poverty.

Reports To: Global Head of MEAL (based in Cambodia)

Type of Contract: Full Time, Renewable (based on performance review)

Working Hours: 40 hours per week

Remuneration: Negotiable

KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Impact, research and evaluation (50%)

• Oversee the quality of country evaluations on student learning outcomes and teaching quality, ensuring data integrity, accurate statistical analysis and maximum insights
• Oversee the quality of briefs/reports developed by country MEAL teams on key outcome areas (e.g. retention, national assessments, surveys), ensuring they inform programme improvement and learning
• Oversee the development of UWS MEAL quarterly and annual impact reports
• Develop standard procedures, guidelines and training for internal and external MEAL reports
• Introduce regular small-scale qualitative studies to receive feedback and inputs from all stakeholders
• Introduce small-scale multi-arm randomised controlled trial to pilot different education interventions to accelerate improvement of learning outcomes and teaching quality

Knowledge and Learning Management (30%)

• Develop learning briefs on key outcome areas and processes
• Develop learning platforms, in country and globally, to share insights and trends from MEAL data
• Design systems and procedures for high-quality information and knowledge management
• Design and implement feedback and response mechanisms and learning-to-action meetings with project stakeholders

Capacity Building (20%)

• Provide training and capacity building to country MEAL leads
• Strengthen Monitoring & Evaluation practices at the school-level through the development of capacity building programme for school-stakeholder (head teachers) on data collection, verification, usage and EMIS systems
• Please note, this is not an exhaustive list and other duties may be required in agreement with your line manager.

CANDIDATE SPECIFICATIONS

Every individual at UWS needs to be able to:

• Be committed to UWS vision, mission and values and apply them in their daily behaviour and work.
• Be committed to undertaking UWS’s safeguarding training and adhering to relevant policies, to ensure everyone who comes to contact with UWS are as safe as possible.

EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCIES

ESSENTIAL

• Bachelor’s Degree in data analytics, economics, international development, education, computer science or a related field.
• Proficient in data collection, verification, cleaning, and analysis with advanced skills in Microsoft Excel.
• Proven experience in database management.
• Familiarity with Kobo Toolbox and a statistical software (SPSS, STATA, R).
• Proven experience in conducting project baseline, mid-line and end-line evaluations.
• Experience in MEAL/M&E within the education development field.
• Ability to produce high quality reports, proposals, presentations and other communications to a range of current and potential stakeholders.
• Ability to research, set up and train others in new systems and procedures for MEAL/M&E.
• Previous experience working with external consultants.
• Strong relationship building skills with proven ability to liaise with a diverse range of stakeholders and colleagues.
• Ability to think and work strategically, take initiative and lead teams with confidence.
• Able to work under pressure and prioritise tasks to meet tight deadlines.
• Committed to life-long learning and personal professional development.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

DESIRABLE

• Familiarity with PowerBI, canva and statistical software.
• Experience in developing knowledge management systems, learning platforms and community feedback-and-response mechanisms.
• Familiar with Outcome Harvesting and Most Significant Change approaches.

RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and CV of no more than two pages in English by 15-Dec-2024. You should give the names, positions, organisations and contact details of two references, one of whom should be your current (or most recent) employer. References will only be taken once your express permission has been granted. Applications should be made via email to recruitment@uwsglobal.net by 15-Dec-2024.

UWS is committed to the safeguarding of children and ensuring we recruit safely is central to this commitment. All applicants will be required to undertake a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check (or country-equivalent background check) as a condition of employment.

UWS is an equal opportunity employer and commits to treating all applicants fairly. We actively promote diversity and inclusion and encourage applications from under-represented groups. We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We strongly encourage qualified nationals and females from Nepal to apply.

All successful candidates must satisfactorily complete a 3-month probation period.