MEAL Lead

Organization Overview

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global humanitarian organization dedicated to helping people affected by conflict and disaster rebuild their lives through health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and empowerment. Established in 1933, IRC operates in over 40 countries and numerous U.S. cities, striving to restore dignity and hope to millions.

Operational Context in South Sudan

Since 1989, the IRC has been actively delivering multi-sector programs in South Sudan across various states and administrative areas, reaching vulnerable populations affected by conflict and climate challenges.

Program Background - Education For All South Sudan (EFASS)

South Sudan faces a dire education crisis with up to 70% of school-age children out of school and critically low literacy and numeracy standards. EFASS is a £27 million initiative running from April 2026 to March 2030, aiming to increase access, retention, and progression for marginalized children, focusing on girls and children with disabilities. The program also seeks to improve foundational learning, enhance inclusive and climate-adaptive education, strengthen data systems, and support sustainable education recovery.

Role Summary

The MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning) Lead is a senior management team member responsible for designing and executing EFASS’s MEAL strategy aligned with IRC and donor requirements. Collaborating with program leadership and technical teams, the MEAL Lead ensures effective data collection, analysis, and usage to guide program decisions and improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and manage a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods across all program components.
• Use data and learning outcomes to inform adaptive program management, including quarterly reviews and iterative model improvements.
• Document evidence on successful models to support future investments and education recovery planning.
• Communicate MEAL findings to stakeholders such as FCDO, the Ministry of General Education and Instruction, and coordination bodies.
• Ensure quality and timely data collection at all activity sites, including data quality assessments and supportive site visits to partners.
• Produce regular reports (monthly to annual) disaggregated by gender and disability using best-practice tools.
• Provide strategic leadership for Outcome 4, guiding evidence generation, managing national learning outcome assessments (LOQA), and overseeing MIS data governance and dashboard development.
• Translate research findings into actionable recommendations supporting implementation and system integration with sector priorities.
• Train and supervise MEAL staff and build partner capacity in MEAL methodologies.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s or higher degree in social sciences, international development, evaluation research, statistics, education, or related fields; equivalent experience acceptable.
• At least 10 years of MEAL experience in education programming within fragile, conflict-affected settings, with preference for South Sudan context familiarity.
• Proven skills in adaptive management and evidence-based programming with data-driven course correction.
• Experience managing monitoring and evaluation activities in remote areas, ideally for FCDO or similar donor-funded projects.
• Knowledge of learning assessments, education data systems, and large-scale diagnostic studies; familiarity with foundational literacy and numeracy measurement is a plus.
• Ability to ensure data disaggregation by gender and disability using recognized tools like the Washington Group questions.
• Experience with monitoring programs involving cash transfers, accelerated or catch-up education, and teacher training.
• Understanding of conflict-sensitive and climate-adaptive programming integration in monitoring frameworks.
• Strong negotiation and relationship-building abilities with governments, donors, and sector partners.
• Experience supervising MEAL teams and enhancing partner capabilities.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and report writing skills in English.

Additional Information

The role is contingent on the successful bid outcome and requires compliance with IRC South Sudan’s security policies. IRC upholds professional standards emphasizing integrity, service, equality, and accountability, enforcing policies on safeguarding, conflict of interest, fiscal integrity, and protection from retaliation to ensure a safe working environment.