Program Manager II - BMU MEAL Manager (Filipino Nationals Preferred)

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in around 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, agriculture, education, water and sanitation, climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, capacity strengthening, social cohesion and justice and health. 

CRS Philippines, established in 1945, is the longest running, continuous CRS country program in the world with extensive programming in emergency response and recovery, and disaster risk reduction, climate resilience and livelihoods. The Philippines country program has over 60 staff members spread across project locations. CRS Philippines is committed to collaborating with our strong network of church partners, national and subnational government agencies and secular NGOs throughout the country.

In the North Pacific, CRS has a Program office in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) implementing community-based disaster risk reduction, emergency response and early recovery projects. Currently, there are 14 staff members located in three islands in FSM, i.e. Pohnpei, Chuuk and Yap.

Recently, Philippines and FSM were combined as one Business Management Unit (BMU) under the new Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) regional structure. This integration envisions shared services and management oversight across the two countries, with Philippines as BMU lead country, having overall responsibility for MEAL, Finance, Human Resources, among others. 

Job Summary

The Program Manager II - BMU MEAL Manager will lead and provide strategic direction of the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and learning for various projects implemented by CRS in the Philippines and FSM ensuring effective systems and processes are in place that support high-quality programming advancing Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) work in serving the poor and vulnerable. The BMU MEAL manager will advance accountability and contribute to business development initiatives. The BMU MEAL Manager will be responsible for coordinating and supervising MEAL activities, working closely with CRS program teams and partner staff to develop and implement high-quality monitoring systems and tools for evidence-based monitoring of indicators. The BMU MEAL Manager will supervise project MEAL officers across the two countries.

Roles and Key Responsibilities

MEAL Strategy and Design

• Provide input into the design and strategic direction of the overall MEAL system of the various projects across the BMU following the CRS MEAL Policies and procedures and donor requirements.
• Support the project team in the design and implementation of vulnerability assessments, stakeholder mapping and analysis, gender analyses, and other pre-program data collection and analysis.
• Collect and analyze lessons learned and best practices from previous and ongoing programs capturing the impact of carbon sequestration activities to ensure they feed into program strategies as appropriate.
• Leverage lessons learned, best practices, program data, evaluations and other information to generate donor communication pieces, success stories, case studies and other high-quality, results-based documentation.
• Work with the senior management team to identify and pursue strategic opportunities for program expansion.

MEAL Implementation

• Lead mandated evaluations, needs assessments, annual surveys, case studies and other research efforts and CRS global reporting requirements.
• Develop and manage the countrywide accountability tracking system across the BMU that supports project decision making and risk management.
• Ensure that transparent high-quality accountability mechanisms, including beneficiary feedback and response mechanisms, are in place and are regularly discussed at the appropriate level with necessary responses and feedback documented.
• Support learning-to-action events, cross learning and reflection sessions to systematically analyze data to promote adaptive management and to document and incorporate lessons learned into program design and implementation.
• Develop tailored MEAL operating manual to ensure complete, up-to-date, high quality MEAL system, containing essential data collection tools, data flow maps and analysis plans to address need-to-know information for program quality and donor reporting. Contribute to donor reports through high quality project data interpretation and report inputs and reviews.
• Ensure MEAL and program teams regularly review and adjust MEAL plans and tools as needed by the project context.
• Work with MEAL and IT staff / GKIM to maximize the value and utility of ICT4D in MEAL initiatives.

MEAL Capacity Building

• Provide training, mentoring, and ongoing technical assistance to CRS program teams, MEAL teams and implementing partners in the Philippines and FSM to ensure effective implementation of MEAL methodologies and tools and high-quality data.
• Support partners to incorporate participatory methods into community-level MEAL systems and tools.
• Conduct field monitoring frequently with project teams and implementing partners.
• Conduct periodic data quality audits and provide technical assistance to address any issues identified.

MEAL in Business Development

• Lead MEAL design for proposals by developing results frameworks, indicators, monitoring systems, and learning approaches aligned with donor and CRS requirements.
• Provide technical inputs to project design through contributions to theories of change, logframes, assessments, evidence generation, and measurement methodologies.
• Serve as the MEAL focal point during business development by drafting MEAL sections, developing required annexes, and ensuring accountability, learning, and data quality mechanisms are integrated into proposals.

Basic Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Master's degree in statistics, biostatistics, economics, agriculture, environmental sciences or other relevant subject with strong quantitative background. Additional experience may substitute for some education.
• Five years' experience working in a development setting preferably with an international NGO, with experience of progressively increasing MEAL responsibility in international development projects particularly in Landscape Management and Restoration, Climate Smart Agriculture or Sustainable Agriculture Practices or other relevant areas.
• At least three years of supervisory experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in developing and operationalizing routine monitoring systems designed to track both output and outcome indicators (including work with logical frameworks and theories of change) 
• Strong ICT4D skills and GIS mapping experience; familiarity donor (USG, FCDO, UN) MEAL guidelines and policies.
• Experienced in developing data quality assurance strategies, data management and data visualization, including proficiency in database development/management, Stata, SPSS, EPI-Info, Access, Excel and skills in analyzing, interpreting and communicating information to various stakeholders.
• Demonstrated expertise and experience in data utilization strategies and can creatively think about active data sharing techniques.
• Experience with facilitation, capacity strengthening and partnership building through formal and informal training, with the capacity to empower staff through opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Experience engaging with partner organizations and the Government of the Philippines at national and local levels.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make sound judgment and decisions and offer innovative solutions
• Strong relations management abilities. Ability to relate to people at all levels internally and externally. Strategic approach to relationships and ability to influence results.
• Consortium management experience preferred.
• Good presentation and facilitation skills
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-oriented and results-oriented
• Experience using MS Windows and MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information management systems.

Required languages – English; Filipino

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 30% 

Supervisory Responsibilities: MEAL Officers 

Key Working Relationships: 

Internal: Head of Programs; Project Managers, Program Managers; MEAL officers; Head of Country Office (FSM);

External : Implementing partner, government and sector stakeholders

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Integrity  
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Catholic Relief Services works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality.  Catholic Relief Services’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding.  We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

CRS welcomes candidates from the countries and regions in which we work. In the event the successful candidate is an expatriate, the anticipated duration of the assignment is informed by a term limit, based on the type and level of the job and the needs of the agency.

CRS is committed to safeguarding program participants, community members, staff and volunteers from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  The successful candidate is expected to sign and adhere to CRS´ Code of Conduct.

CRS talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding the rights and dignity of all people - especially children and vulnerable adults - to live free from abuse and harm.

Disclaimer:  This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position. 

CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

General Requirements

CRS offers are contingent on the selected candidate’s ability to legally work where the position is to be performed. Every government has a unique set of work permit eligibility requirements.  All positions requiring residence or frequent travel outside a home country must undergo and clear a pre-employment medical clearance; some work permit processes require clearing a separate government administered medical examination.

CRS prioritizes candidates who are citizens/ permanent residents of the countries where we have CRS offices.