ROVING MEARL COORDINATOR

ROVING MEARL COORDINATOR

SUMMARY

26 Mar 2026

8 Apr 2026 - 20:59 UTC

Kenya

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

Full-time

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TITLE:  Roving MEARL Coordinator
Dimensions: 
Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since the 1950s, supporting children through both development and humanitarian relief programs. These initiatives are delivered directly and in collaboration with local partners. Our current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
In 2012, as part of a global reorganization, Save the Children unified the operations of Save the Children UK, Canada, and Finland into a single entity in Kenya. In February 2014, we completed a second transition by merging with the British INGO Merlin, integrating their health and nutrition programs into our portfolio. Today, Save the Children maintains an operational presence in Nandi, Kajiado, Dadaab Refugee Camp, Kakuma Refugee Camp, Garissa, Mandera, Turkana, and Wajir, and works through partners in many other regions across the country. We employ approximately 230 staff, including members of the Global team who are hosted and hired in Kenya, but support Save the Children International (SCI) global operations. In 2025, our annual operating budget was approximately USD 20 million.
ROLE PURPOSE:
The MEARL department is a function within the Programme Development and Quality (PDQ) Department for Save the Children and the role will support execute the MEARL Priorities in line with the Country Office PDQ Priorities. The MEARL Coordinator Role will lead and strengthen the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Research and Learning (MEARL) function for Save the Children. With a primary focus on strengthening Quality Monitoring, Accountability, Knowledge Management and Learnig components of the function.
The Roving MEARL Coordinator is a technical, surge, and systems-strengthening role that supports the delivery of MEARL priorities in line with Country Office PDQ priorities. The role operates across the country office portfolio to provide targeted, high-impact support focused on strengthening systems, building capacity, and improving data quality and use.
The position prioritizes five core areas:

• Capacity development and surge support for MEARL systems set-up and stabilization.
• Quality Uplift through strengthened monitoring systems and quality benchmarks.
• Strengthening accountability through functional and responsive community feedback mechanisms.
• Roll-out and institutionalization of Real-Time Needs Assessment (RTNA) to inform programme design and adaptation.
• Data Quality Assurance to ensure credible, consistent, and timely data.

Working closely with project teams, MEARL colleagues, partners, and stakeholders, the role provides hands-on technical support, coaching, and system diagnostics to strengthen MEARL implementation across projects. It ensures that MEARL systems are harmonized, responsive, and fit-for-purpose, enabling programmes to generate and use real-time, high-quality evidence for decision-making, reporting, and accountability.
The Roving MEARL Coordinator plays a critical role in institutionalizing a culture of data use, learning, and accountability, ensuring that community feedback, real-time evidence, and quality data directly inform programme design, targeting, and adaptive management. The role also contributes to humanitarian MEARL preparedness and surge response as required.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: MEARL Manager.
Staff reporting to this post: None.
Role Dimensions: The role is expected to foster relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders including  National and County Government Teams, Save the Children members, Operation Teams, Programme Development & Quality team, donors etc. as required.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Capacity Development and Humanitarian Surge Support.

• Core Technical Competency Development to strengthen staff capacity in MEARL Components across the field offices i.e. indicator design and IPTTs, data collection and management, and field data analysis for decision-making.
• Rapid MEARL Surge Deployment to provide timely technical support to new project start-ups, underperforming/high-risk projects, and during staffing gaps.
• Start-Up and Stabilization Support to ensure strong MEARL system set-up and stabilization during early project phases or recovery periods.
• Embedded Capacity Strengthening through delivery of hands-on support through on-the-job coaching and direct technical engagement with project teams.
• Structured Mentorship & Skills Transfer to field MEARL Staff, implementing mentorship approaches that build sustainable MEARL competencies within teams.

Quality Uplift Initiative & Monitoring Systems Strengthening.

• Lead Quality Uplift Implementation driving the rollout of Quality Uplift Initiatives across projects to enhance overall MEARL performance.
• Strengthen Monitoring Systems, improve indicator tracking, monitoring frameworks, and routine data review processes.
• Institutionalize Quality Benchmarking through establishment of regular (monthly/quarterly) quality review mechanisms across projects.
• Ensure Action-Oriented Follow-Up, track and enforce implementation of corrective actions from quality reviews.
• Identify and Address Systemic Gaps by diagnosing cross-project weaknesses and implement targeted improvement plans to standardize quality monitoring.

Institutionalize and Operationalize a Real-Time Needs Assessment and Data Collection (Evidence Generation).

• Lead Real-Time Needs Assessments (RTNA) Roll-out & Institutionalization through adoption and integration of RTNA methodologies across projects and programme cycles across the field locations.
• Strengthen Rapid Assessment Design supporting field teams to develop fit-for-purpose, context-specific rapid assessment tools aligned to programme needs.
• Promote and support use of digital platforms (e.g., Kobo, ODK) for efficient real-time data capture and build field team capacity to analyze and translate real-time data into actionable insights.
• Promote and ensure RTNA findings directly inform programme design, targeting, prioritization, and ongoing adaptation.

Community Engagement and Accountability System Strengthening.

• Support the review of the country office accountability function and implement the accountability priority actions and improvement plan in line with the 10-Point Accountability Systems Uplift plan.
• Support development and dissemination of information products (briefs, policy summaries, evidence snapshots) tailored to diverse audiences and community.
• Facilitate the establishment of context-specific feedback and complaints mechanisms, ensuring feedback informs advocacy and programme adaptation.
• Manage the complaints and feedback database, ensuring timely, quality responses and analysis that strengthens the programme.

Systematize Data Quality Assessments (Audits).

• Standardize DQA Frameworks and Processes and lead the implementation of consistent Data Quality Assessment methodologies and tools across all projects across the field locations.
• Strengthen Core Data Quality Dimensions, enhancing systems and processes to ensure data accuracy, consistency, completeness, and timeliness.
• Mitigate Data Quality Risks through identification and resolution of systemic issues including indicator inconsistencies, weak validation processes, and reporting discrepancies.
• Institutionalize Data Validation and Verification across the field locations, embedding routine data verification, cleaning, and validation protocols within project monitoring systems.
• Strengthen documentation and data management practices to meet donor requirements and support internal and external audits.

MEARL Engagements and Coordination.

• Represent Save the Children in relevant MEARL coordination platforms to share evidence and strengthen key systems focused on MEARL as required.
• Facilitate key strategic monitoring initiatives across the field locations as required and support field locations on delegated engagements with stakeholders.
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BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

 
QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in a Relevant Sector; Statistics, Development Studies or Social Sciences preferably with Post Graduate training in M&E or Project planning and Management.
• Minimum of 5 years working experience in monitoring and evaluation working experience (preferably within a humanitarian and development focused organization). 
• Proficient in both quantitative and qualitative data management methodologies with a focus on data systems strengthening and capacity building.
• Skills in data analysis and visualization principles and software (STATA, SPSS, Advanced Ms Excel, NVivo, ATLAS.ti, Power Bi etc.).
• Experience promoting participation of children, community members and leaders and/or facilitating focus group discussions (especially with beneficiaries including children).
• Familiarity with mobile data collection platforms (i.e. CommCare, Kobo Collect, ODK etc).
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation techniques to assess the quality and effectiveness of program strategies for program learning.
• Child Rights: Promotes an enabling environment for participation, and accountability to children 
• Excellent communication skills, results oriented and self-driven.
• Proficient in speaking and writing English

Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
THE ORGANIZATION
We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard. 
 We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday.
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated.

Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best-qualified talent.
Female Candidates are encouraged to apply.
Disclaimer: 
Beware that there are individuals who may take and use SCI’s name in an attempt to solicit fees from interested job-seekers. We do not use recruiting persons or agencies to help us identify candidates for employment. If you’re contacted by a person promising you recruitment or placement at SCI for a charge, do not accept, and please get in touch with us at SCIFraud@savethechildren.org.
 
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  

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