MEAL specialist in Cesvi

Place of work: Kharkiv region (Kharkov city, Izyum and Berestinsky districts), Sumy region (Okhtyr district)
Expected start date:February 2026
Expected end date: August 2026
Subordination: Local Coordinator

Job Description: The MEAL specialist will lead the development, implementation and oversight of the MEAL system for protection activities, MHPSS and cash payments (cash payments for protection and MPCA) within projects in Ukraine. He/she will ensure effective monitoring, evaluation, accountability and training across all project components and across all partners, and will play a key role in quality assurance, donor reporting and institutional learning, particularly for the AICS project. The incumbent in this position will work collaboratively with program staff and coordinate with partners to establish robust MEAL practices. He/she will ensure that the project takes into account gender aspects and integrates gender issues in all areas of activity. He/she will ensure timely provision of necessary resources to implement activities.

Essential Responsibilities and Functions:

Capacity Building and Coordination

•    Participate in and facilitate regular project implementation meetings conducted by project management, providing all necessary data to support decision making. To do this, develop and regularly update a clear and effective internal reporting presentation (in agreement with project managers and the local coordinator) on data from MEAL activities. reporting.

Monitoring and evaluation

•    Develop, implement and monitor together with project managers and MEAL technical staff a project plan that meets donor and CESVI requirements and complies with data protection requirements.

•    Develop and implement ITT, beneficiary databases and all additional necessary tools related to MEAL plan.

•    Develop data collection tools with guidelines for their administration in collaboration with the technical team.

•    Maintain the KoBo account as directed by head office and with the assistance of the technical team and project managers.

•    Ensure surveys, field monitoring and stakeholder evaluations are conducted with quality, accuracy and timeliness.

•  Consolidation and analysis of data among staff, partners, ensuring timely and accurate reporting.

•    Compile high-quality reports on monitoring and evaluation activities, ensuring accuracy, clarity and compliance with donor and CESVI standards.

•    Manage internal project evaluations and coordinate external project evaluations according to project proposal requirements.

•    Provide monthly reports and analyze data to the project manager.

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•    Provide support to project managers in the development of interim and final reports. 

Responsibility

•  Supporting project managers in ensuring the functioning of accountability systems (mechanisms for feedback and consideration of complaints, consultations with the community).

•  Guarantee compliance of the project with donor requirements and security standards.

Training and knowledge management

•    Assisting in conducting analysis sessions, post-event reviews and workshops to share experiences with project teams and partners.

•    Documentation of best practices and success stories for use in donor reports and CESVI products.

New project proposals

•    Support the development of needs assessment tools.

•    Collaborate in conducting needs assessments.

•    Analysis needs assessment data (qualitative/quantitative) to develop an assessment report

Qualification: Higher education in statistics, social development, demography, public policy, international development, economics or a related field. 

Skills and Competencies:

• Fluency in English and Ukrainian.

• In-depth knowledge of standard indicators and literature relevant to the MEAL sector.

• High level of technical competence in statistics, data aggregation, data analysis and data visualization using Excel, PowerBI, ActivityInfo and similar programs.

• Proven familiarity with data collection software, in particular KoBo Toolbox.

• Experience in qualitative data collection and analysis methodologies.

• Thorough understanding of data protection and privacy issues applied to monitoring and evaluation.

• Experience in evaluation and its methodology.

• In-depth knowledge of project development standards and practices in accordance with various approaches to logical structure and theories of change.

• Excellent communication, facilitation and capacity building skills.

• Strong leadership and team coordination skills.

• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

•  Interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, gender sensitivity, ability to shape and motivate diverse team,

• Obligation to adhere to the principles of transparency, inclusiveness, professionalism and accountability.

Application process:

Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter detailing their relevant experience and qualifications to [email protected] to 04/01/2026. In the subject line of the email, write "MEAL Specialist - [Your Name]".

Deadline: 18:00 January 4, 2026

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Job Title: Protection MEAL officer 

Duty Station: Kharkivska oblast (Kharkiv city, Iziumskyi and Berestynskyi raion), Sumska oblast (Okhtyrskyi raion)

Expected starting date: February 2026

Expected end date: August 2026

Reporting Line: Local Area Coordinator 

Scope of the Position: The Protection MEAL Officer will lead the design, implementation and oversight of the MEAL system for protection, MHPSS and cash (cash for protection and MPCA) activities in project Ukraine. S/he will ensure effective monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning across all project components and partners, and will play a key role in quality assurance, donor reporting, and institutional learning, especially for AICS project. The position will work in collaboration with programme staff and coordinate with partners in building robust MEAL practices. S/he will ensure that the project is gender responsive and integrates gender in all action areas. S/he will ensure that the necessary inputs for implementing actions are delivered in a timely manner.

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

Capacity Building & Coordination

• Participate and contribute to regular project implementation meetings held by project management, providing all needed data to support data-driven decision-making. To do so, design and regularly update a clear and effective internal reporting presentation (to be agreed with project managers and country coordinator) of data from MEAL activities;
• Provide training and mentoring to project and partners staff on MEAL concepts, tools and reporting.
• Work closely with partners to harmonize data collection and reporting formats.

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Develop, roll out and oversee with Project Managers and Technical staff the project MEAL plan aligned with donor and CESVI requirements and compliant with data protection requirements;
• Develop and roll-out the ITT, the beneficiaries’ databases, and all additional required tools linked with the M&E Plan;
• Develop data collection tools with guidelines for their administration in collaboration with technical team in the country;
• Support the KoBo account, according to HQ guidelines and with technical team and project managers; 
• Ensure surveys, field monitoring, and participatory assessments are conducted with quality, accuracy and in a timely manner;
• Consolidate and analyse data across staff, partners and components, ensuring timely and accurate reporting;
• Draft high-quality reporting for M&E Activities, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and alignment with donor and CESVI standards.
• Lead internal project evaluations and coordinate project external evaluations as expected by project proposals.
• Provide monthly follow-up and data analysis to PM 
• Support project managers in the elaboration of interim and final reports data.  

Accountability

• Support PM in ensure accountability systems are in place (feedback and complaints mechanisms, community consultations);
• Guarantee project compliance with donor requirements and safeguarding standards.

Learning & Knowledge Management

• Facilitate reflection sessions, after-action reviews and lessons learned workshops with project teams and partners;
• Document good practices and success stories to feed into donor reports and CESVI knowledge products.

New project proposal 

• Support the elaboration of tools for need assessment 
• Collaborate in doing the need assessment 
• Analyse data of need assessment (qualitate/quantitative) for elaboration of assessment report

Qualifications:

University degree in statistics, an area of social development or equivalent, demographics, public policy, international development, economics, or a related field. 

Skills and Competences:

• Fluency in English and Ukrainian.
• Deep knowledge of sector-relevant standard indicators and literature;
• Advanced technical competences in statistics, data aggregation, data analysis and data visualization with Excel, PowerBI, ActivityInfo and similar;
• Proven familiarity with data collection software, particularly KoBo Toolbox;
• Experience in the application of qualitative data collection and analysis methodologies; 
• Full awareness of data protection and confidentiality issues applied in M&E
• Experience in the field of evaluation and its methodologies;
• Deep knowledge of standards and project design practices according to the different approaches of the logical framework and theory of change;
• Excellent communication, facilitation and capacity building skills;
• Strong leadership and team coordination skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proven interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, gender sensitivity, with the ability to build and motivate diverse teams,
• Commitment to transparency, inclusiveness, professionalism and accountability.

Application Process: 

Interested candidates should submit a CV and cover letter detailing their relevant experience and qualifications to [email protected] by /11/2025. Please include "Protection MEAL officer - [Your Name]" in the subject line.

Closing Date: 6 pm 4th of January 2026