Officer – MEAL

• At least 4 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): College, NGO

• Master of Social Science (MSS) in Social Work, Education
• Master of Science (MSc) in Psychology

• Master's degree in social work, social pedagogy, psychology, education or a related social science, with demonstrated M&E skills

• At least 4 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): College, NGO

Experience Requirements:

• Minimum 4 years of relevant experience in MEAL, preferably in child care, child protection, alternative care or family strengthening programmes

• The applicants should have experience in the following area(s): MEAL Officer/Manager; outcome-level monitoring; mixed-methods data collection and analysis; participatory or child-friendly research

Project Name: ALO (Advancing Lives through Optimal Care)

Project Duration: 1 January 2027 – 31 December 2028

Location of job: Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Kurigram, Bagerhat, and Bogura with travel as required

Nature of Job: Multi years Project, Fixed Term Contract for One year (Yearly renewable based on performance)

Mission of the Position:

The Officer - MEAL is responsible for establishing and running functional monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL) systems at location level under the ALO (Advancing Lives through Optimal Care) project, funded by Children's Villages Worldwide (CVW). The position ensures that changes in the well-being of children and young people in Alternative Care (Family-Like Care, Small Group Homes, Supervised Independent Living) and Family Strengthening are measured at outcome level, that data are analysed and used for decisions, and that children and young people help shape what is measured and how.

Reporting to the Head of Programme Quality and MEAL and working closely with the location Programme Manager, the Director - Youth, case managers, caregivers and MHPSS Officers. The role involves simplifying tools and workflows, maintaining data in the Programme Quality Tracker, PDB2 and ProDIGI, implementing the Programme Quality & MEAL Strategy for Bangladesh, and running a quarterly data-to-action learning cycle. Working with youth co-researchers, the Officer will apply child-friendly, participatory and trauma-informed methods so that MEAL focuses on what matters for children rather than on checklists.

Job Responsibilities:

MEAL Systems and Strategy:

• Implement the Programme Quality & MEAL Strategy for Bangladesh and the ALO logframe at location level, and contribute to their development and approval.

• Critically review existing MEAL tools (Programme Quality Tracker, PDB2/ProDIGI indicators, case-file and observation checklists) together with youth co-researchers.

• Simplify M&E tools, reporting formats and workflows.

• Progressively take over MEAL-related tasks currently undertaken by programme staff and caregivers, while supporting programme staff to generate and use programme information within their roles.

Data Collection and Analysis:

• Lead routine and periodic monitoring, including staffing and workload assessments, staff surveys on workload, supervision, training and well-being, staff time-use surveys, case-file quality checks and observation of caregiver practice (including structured child feedback).

• Track recruitment and staffing progress against both the agreed project-minimum ratio and the SOS standard.

• Apply mixed-methods measurement of child and youth well-being and child-centred quality care, combining age-adapted pulse surveys with qualitative methods (most significant change stories, participatory ranking, observation, reflection circles, photovoice), and pilot all tools with children before use.

• Ensure data quality, accuracy and timeliness, and disaggregate all data by sex, age band, disability, care type and location.

• Apply the safeguarding and referral protocol for sensitive questions, referring any disclosure of distress to the MHPSS Officer or the child safeguarding focal person.

Outcome Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:

• Support the baselining of priority outcome, well-being and participation and contribute to the outcome-level reports.

• Prepare timely location-level monthly, quarterly and annual reports in line with SOS and CVW requirements, moving beyond activity and output reporting towards outcome-level results.

• Support the participatory mid-term review, including a lighter-touch repeat of the Rapid Capacity Assessment, as well as the final review and the end-of-project impact evaluation.

• Maintain well-organised MEAL records, documentation and lessons learned in line with SOS data protection, confidentiality and child safeguarding standards, and support internal and external audits.

Capacity Building:

• Train and coach programme staff and caregivers on simplified MEAL tools, data quality and the use of data for decision-making.

• Support location teams to use the Programme Quality Tracker, PDB2 and ProDIGI effectively.

• Take part in training on child-friendly, participatory and trauma-informed data collection and apply these approaches in all MEAL activities.

Quality Assurance, Safeguarding and Compliance:

• Ensure that MEAL activities comply with the SOS Care Promise, child safeguarding, PSHEA, data protection and consent requirements, including for photos, photovoice and digital tools.

• Conduct regular field visits to verify data, monitor implementation quality and provide feedback to location teams for improvement.

• Monitor that MEAL and reporting requirements relieve rather than add to caregiver and staff workload, and flag any unintended negative effects.

Collaboration and Coordination:

• Work closely with the location Programme Manager, case managers, caregivers, MHPSS Officers and the location participation focal person to integrate MEAL into project planning and implementation.

• Coordinate with the Head of Programme Quality and MEAL and the PQML Unit on consolidated analysis and reporting to CVW, and with the MHPSS Officers to bring anonymised MHPSS trends into the learning cycle.

• Coordinate, as required, with local child protection authorities, the Department of Social Services and service providers on data relevant to referral and quality of care.

Data-to-Action Learning and Adaptive Management:

• Analyse data quarterly and prepare findings for the quarterly learning sessions chaire by the location Programme Manager with caregivers, case managers, MEAL and MHPSS staff and youth council representatives.

• Record agreed actions in the decision and action log with a named owner and deadline, and follow up on their completion.

• Track learning measures, including the frequency of learning sessions, the proportion of priority findings informing programme decisions and the proportion of agreed quality-improvement actions completed, and document lessons for national steering.

Child and Youth Participation and Accountability:

• Work with youth co-researchers and the Director Youth Development to co-define child-centred quality care indicators and to revise the Child and Young Person Wellbeing Framework.

• Hold youth data sessions at the location to interpret results together with children and young people.

• Monitor participation and log feedback and 'you said, we did' responses.

• Co-produce child-friendly results reports with young people at least twice a year.

Salary: Gross monthly salary will be BDT 53,130.00 (CTC BDT 70,010).

Other Benefits: Complimentary Lunch, Contributory Provident Fund (15% + 15%), Gratuity, Festival Bonus, Insurance.