Avis de recrutement: MEAL Officer – ONG IRC

• Position Title: MEAL Officer
• Job ID: req57905
• Location: Buea, South-West Region
• Country: Cameroon
• Category: Data & Analytics
• Employment Type: Fixed Term
• Work Schedule: Full-Time
• Open to Expatriates: No
• Compensation: Monthly (Currency: CFA Franc BCEAO)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO) is recruitng a MEAL Officer for its activities in Cameroon.

About the IRC:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises, working to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and empowerment to individuals affected by conflict and disaster. Established in 1933 at the initiative of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the largest global humanitarian NGOs, operating in over 40 countries and 29 cities across the United States. We help people survive, rebuild their lives, and strengthen their communities. If you are driven by purpose and passionate about creating meaningful change, join us in making a difference in the lives of millions around the world.

Position Overview – Purpose of the Role:

The MEAL Officer is responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) activities within the Sida project. This includes the continuous review and refinement of MEAL frameworks, tools, and partner MEAL plans to ensure alignment with IRC’s standards, donor requirements, and the local operating context.

Key responsibilities include the design, execution, and oversight of MEAL-related surveys and activities, as well as the regular monitoring of project implementation across sites in the Northwest and Southwest regions. The role also involves enhancing data visualization and reporting systems to improve data-driven decision-making.

In addition, the MEAL Officer will actively contribute to IRC’s research initiatives, coordinate closely with project partners, and lead capacity-building efforts for IRC and partner field staff. This position is vital in supporting IRC and its implementing partners to meet reporting obligations, drive accountability, and ensure that project activities are aligned with IRC’s mission, ultimately maximizing the impact of interventions.

Specific Responsibilities

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Contribute to the design of project logical frameworks and results frameworks; develop and refine project monitoring tools to effectively track activities and progress against indicators.

• In collaboration with the MEAL Manager, support the planning and execution of baseline, midline, and endline assessments. This includes tool development, identification of data gaps, and providing recommendations for adaptive project management.

• Facilitate periodic project reviews and performance monitoring, actively engaging beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders in the process.

• Monitor program/project performance against predefined targets and benchmarks, ensuring timely tracking and reporting.

• Provide technical support and regular, supportive supervision to project and partner staff on data management systems, proper data collection, and record-keeping practices to meet monitoring objectives.

• Ensure timely updates of the MEAL plan and indicator tracking tools; provide constructive feedback to program teams regarding implementation progress and quality.

• Produce accurate, timely, and analytical MEAL reports on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis, or as per project requirements.

• Conduct routine data verification exercises to ensure the collection and reporting of high-quality data.

• Document findings from data quality assessments and maintain comprehensive project files to ensure accessible, sustainable record-keeping.

• Contribute to the preparation and submission of high-quality program reports by reviewing and validating data provided by program officers and partner MEAL staff.

• Collaborate with the Client Responsiveness Team to ensure that all projects incorporate accountability mechanisms; support project staff in implementing and maintaining these systems effectively.

Information Management and Reporting

• Establish and maintain a comprehensive project information management system.

• Submit relevant datasets monthly to update the country-level program database.

• Ensure systematic storage of project documents and data on digital platforms such as Box.

Capacity Building and Supervision

• Organize training sessions and orientation for project staff and enumerators on the use of monitoring tools and data collection methodologies.

• Provide training, mentoring, and coaching on MEAL practices to strengthen the capacity of project teams.

• Carry out other duties as assigned by supervisors, contributing to team and organizational objectives.

Coordination and Collaboration

• Assist in drafting detailed budgets for MEAL activities and ensure alignment with the overall project budget.

• Support the financial monitoring and management of project budgets to ensure alignment with MEAL requirements.

• Maintain regular oversight of budget execution, ensuring adherence to unit costs and designated budget lines.

Client Responsiveness and Accountability

• In collaboration with the MEAL Coordinator, review and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Client Feedback Plans to ensure relevance and effectiveness.

• Lead and coordinate the collection, analysis, and response to client feedback across IRC project implementation areas.

• Train partner staff on the established feedback and complaint mechanisms, ensuring alignment with IRC’s accountability framework.

• Design and implement client feedback mechanisms—both proactive and reactive—in partnership with IRC implementing partners.

• Support the documentation of success stories and lessons learned to inform ongoing program improvement and knowledge sharing.

• Establish help desks and feedback/complaint management committees within target communities to enhance accessibility and client trust.

• Maintain and regularly update the client feedback registry; categorize and analyze feedback and complaints in line with internal protocols.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Statistics, Public Health, Economics, Public Administration, or a related field.

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience in designing and implementing Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) frameworks, including baseline, midline, and endline assessments in humanitarian or development settings.

• Prior experience in food security & livelihoods, environmental health, and mainstreaming protection within M&E practices is highly desirable.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Certifications in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) strongly preferred.

• Proficiency in digital data collection and analysis tools such as ODK, CommCare, Power BI, NVivo, Excel, SPSS, Tableau, and QGIS.

• Demonstrated expertise in quality assurance for program delivery through regular monitoring and data validation.

• Strong negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence decision-making and promote accountability.

• Solid technical knowledge in the design and implementation of M&E systems and tools.

Language Proficiency:

• Full fluency in English (oral and written) is required.

• Working knowledge of French and fluency in the local dialect (Pidgin) is a strong advantage.

Key Working Relationships

• Reports to: MEAL Program Manager

• Collaborates with: Sida Project Officers, Senior Officers, Assistants, Partner MEAL Focal Points, and other M&E Unit Staff

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The International Rescue Committee is deeply committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage applications from qualified individuals, regardless of gender, ethnicity, nationality, or background, including people from minority or indigenous communities, and persons with disabilities. All applications will be treated with strict confidentiality. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Additional Information

Application Deadline: April 23, 2025

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Standard of Professional Conduct

All IRC employees are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct as outlined in The IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. This includes a commitment to the core values of:

• Integrity

• Service

• Accountability

• Equality

These principles guide our actions and relationships, both internally and with the communities we serve.

How to apply

Click here to apply