MERL Officer – Plan International Uganda

The Organization

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

ROLE PROFILE

ROLE PURPOSE

Plan International is an independent child rights and humanitarian organisation committed to children living a life free of poverty, violence and injustice. We actively unite children, communities and other people who share our mission to make positive lasting changes in children’s and young people’s lives. We support children to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to claim their rights to a fulfilling life, today and in the future. We place a specific focus on girls and women, who are most often left behind. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Dimensions of the Role/job purpose

Plan International Uganda (PIU) expects to secure funding from the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation (DGD) of the Kingdom of Belgium, through Plan International’s Belgium National Office (BNO) to implement a project aimed at building resilience and protection of children, adolescents and youth living in refugee settlements, IDSs (Internally Displaced Settlements) and vulnerable communities. The project location is in Bidi Bidi refugee settlement (and some surrounding host communities) in Yumbe district in West Nile, Uganda.

Under the overall guidance of the Project Manager, the M&E officer will be responsible for designing and implementing the M&E activities of the Project; assisting the Project Manager in preparing reports on project progress and monitoring the project activities on a regular basis, maintaining the MIS of the Project and will be responsible for the collection & analysis of different data in relation to the project activities. The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer works in close collaboration with project team and CO program team, district local government departments and the wider MER team.

Accountabilities/roles and responsibilities

Project M&E, documentation and learning

• Design and Implement project monitoring tools as per project M&E plan and ensure use of appropriate tools in collection, compilation, analysis and utilization across the project
• Support the development and rollout of project targets and standards to ensure delivery of quality outputs.
• Provide technical guidance in developing and maintaining the project M&E database, including overseeing and leading the continuous update of project milestones in the PMERL system.
• Conduct routine monitoring field visits of all the project activities, produce and share monitoring reports with project teams to inform adjustments and improvement action plans
• Consolidate, track and share on a monthly basis action points agreed upon in all project review/reflection meetings.
• Regularly track project progress and update the project indicator performance trackers to support the project reporting obligations to different stakeholders
• Quarterly Consolidate, follow up and document best practices, case studies, lessons learnt, Most Significant Change Stories and reflection of the project to provide evidence on project impact including inclusiveness.
• Monitor and consolidate project implementation findings against approved work plans and budgets to ensure timely and quality implementation as per contractual obligation
• Provide leadership in the project’s research, evaluation and learning initiatives including reviewing and validating reports, and leading reflection and dissemination processes
• Plan, facilitate and conduct M&E capacity building activities for the project team and partners to enhance quality reporting and data management.
• Contribute to the country office quarterly and annual reporting requirements by providing timely and quality data to the Program MER Coordinator

Project planning and Implementation

• Participate in and support the development of project outlines including key M&E activities
• Support project team and partners to develop Detailed Implementation Plans in line with the proposal
• Consolidate, track and share on a quarterly basis the Project’s Detailed Implementation Plan to ensure timely implementation of project activities.

Plan system support to ensure compliance

• Ensure Plan International and donor standards such as safeguarding children and young peoples’ policy, research protocols, knowledge management and MER standards and Guidelines are adhered to in the project.
• Support to ensure that the entire project’s programming mainstream Gender, Disaster Risk Reduction and Child Protection.
• Support the project team to ensure that the registered project risks are regularly mitigated, tracked and updated as required.
• In consultation and agreement, perform any other functions as may be deemed appropriate by management.

Child Protection and Gender Equality & Inclusion

Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Key relationships

• Project Manager
• Project Coordinator
• Project Officers
• Program Area Manager
• Program MER Coordinator
• MER manager
• Technical Advisors
• National Offices
• Consultants
• Office of the Prime Minister in Yumbe and Rhino Camp
• UNHCR in Yumbe and Rhino Camp

Leadership and Business Management Competencies

Leadership Competencies

• Set and communicate ambitious but realistic work goals and priorities, explaining how these contribute to Plan International’s purpose.
• Set high standards for self and others’ behavior, inside and outside work. Championing our values and commitment to rights, gender equality and safeguarding. Supporting the health, well-being and both physical and psychological safety of our staff, including their safety to speak out.
• Hold self and others to account for what we have agreed, dealing with poor performance quickly, firmly and constructively.
• Create a positive team spirit, helping people work well together, to reflect and continuously improve the efficiency and quality of what we do.
• Collaborate with team members, colleagues and partners in finding creative solutions to problems by sharing information, experience and ideas and actively seeking their input.
• Motivate and developing others by taking an interest, giving constructive feedback and praise, ensuring they are properly trained and helping them  utilize their potential.
• Accept change and support others in adjusting to it, helping them understand.

Business Management Competencies

• Understand relevant sectoral context including how the sector operates in terms of funding and governance and awareness of Plan’s purpose, values, and global strategy
• Manage legal and reputational risk including risk assessment, communication, risk management and reporting in full compliance with risk-related standards, including in areas such as Child and Youth Safeguarding and Protection, Gender equality and inclusion, Counter Fraud, Safety and Security
• Manage activities and resources including skills in strategic thinking, planning and organising, financial planning and monitoring, negotiation and programme and project management
• Manage people and information including skills in assessment and coaching, evidence-based management, communication skills, both speaking and writing, and digital working, including personal digital skills.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Quantitative Economics, Social Sciences, Social Work, Development Studies or a related field. Additional training at Post-Graduate level in Monitoring and Evaluation, project planning and management or a related field is an asset.
• At least 2 years of experience in providing M&E for Child Protection projects in development and humanitarian contexts.
• Demonstrated skills and experience in report writing, donor compliance and budget management
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with people from diverse cultures
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
• Able to work in teams
• Skills in Research methodology
• Analytical skills
• Demonstrated experience in capacity building, mentoring and coaching staff.
• Proven computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft software including MS Word processing, Power point presentation, Excel spreadsheets, e-mail and web based research
• Ability to work in hard to reach hard to stay areas and familiar with programming for vulnerable children especially young girls and boys.

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximize long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

Physical Environment

Based at the Yumbe Field Office (West Nile) with frequent travel to other project field locations.

Level of contact with children

High level: Frequent interaction with children in the field of project operations.

As a Child Centred Development organisation, Plan International Uganda strives to ensure that children are kept safe in all the areas we operate. The organisation further has a Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy that every staff is required to sign. As a result, this position comes with additional responsibilities for safeguarding children and young people:

Additional Responsibilities:

Child Protection Policy Responsibilities (mandatory for all staff)

• Adhere to the Child Protection Policy, Code of Conduct and reporting any CPP issues.
• Responsible for the implementation of the CPP standards as they apply to area of responsibility plus the development of actions to address identified gaps and monitoring their effectiveness.
• Ensure that all Plan International partners, visitors and associates in his/her area of responsibility are provided with, are made aware off and have signed and returned a copy of the child protection policy. Inform the partners, visitors and associates that they must comply with the policy in all contacts and communications with children during their visit.

Location: Yumbe

Type of Role: 1 year Fixed Term Renewable

Reports to: Project Manager

Grade: C1

Closing Date: 6th September 2021

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

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