Action For Nepal Vacancy for Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Manager
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Manager
Organization: Action for Nepal (AFN)
Department: Program/MEAL
Duty Station: Kathmandu, with frequent travel to project districts and field sites
Reports to: Program Director
Supervises: MEAL Officers/Associates
Type of Job: Full time
Action for Nepal
AFN is a high performing, community-centric organization building healthy, educated communities in Nepal through effective projects, sound strategies, efficient processes and successful partnerships. AFN is committed to respecting, protecting and promoting internationally recognized human rights including civil and political, economic, social and cultural rights, with particular emphasis on gender equality, the protection of children, people with a disability and the rights of minorities and vulnerable and marginalized groups.
AF Nepal is seeking a qualified and experienced MEAL Manager to strengthen its organizational MEAL system. The position will provide technical leadership in results-based monitoring, data management, evaluation, data quality assurance, reporting, accountability, learning, and evidence generation across AF Nepal's projects.
Position overview:
The MEAL Manager will lead and strengthen AF Nepal’s organizational MEAL system by establishing and maintaining effective MEAL frameworks, tools, and processes to ensure that project performance is systematically monitored, quality data are collected and managed, results are measured and documented, and evidence is effectively used for decision-making, program improvement, accountability, and organizational learning. The position will work closely with program and project teams, management, field staff, implementing partners, government stakeholders, and donors to integrate MEAL into project design, proposal development, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and learning. Key responsibilities will include overseeing baseline, midline, end-line, and other assessments and studies; ensuring data quality and timely analysis; strengthening digital data management systems; supporting evidence-based donor reporting; documenting lessons and good practices; and promoting a culture of accountability, learning, and continuous improvement across the organization.
Duties and Responsibilities:
A. MEAL System Development and Management
Lead the development, implementation, review, and strengthening of AF Nepal's organizational MEAL framework and systems.
Develop and maintain appropriate MEAL plans, indicator tracking systems, performance monitoring tools, reporting templates, and data management systems.
Ensure that project indicators are clearly defined, measurable, realistic, and aligned with project objectives, log frames, theories of change, and donor requirements.
Support project teams to develop project-specific MEAL plans, indicator reference sheets, data collection tools, data flow mechanisms, and reporting schedules.
Establish systematic processes for collecting, compiling, validating, analyzing, and reporting project data.
Ensure that monitoring systems capture both quantitative and qualitative information, including outcome-level changes and lessons learned.
Regularly review project progress against planned targets and provide timely feedback to project teams and management.
B. Data Quality Assurance and Management
Establish and implement data quality assurance mechanisms across projects and field locations.
Conduct or coordinate routine data quality assessments (DQAs), data verification, and field-level monitoring visits.
Ensure data are accurate, complete, consistent, reliable, timely, and properly documented.
Identify data gaps, inconsistencies, duplication, and reporting errors and work with project teams to address them.
Develop and maintain databases and indicator tracking tools using appropriate digital platforms.
Strengthen data management systems, including Excel/Google Sheets, electronic data collection platforms, and other relevant systems.
Ensure proper documentation, storage, confidentiality, and security of project data.
Support project teams in using government health information systems, including HMIS/DHIS2, where relevant.
Ensure appropriate disaggregation of data by sex, age, disability, ethnicity, geography, and other relevant characteristics according to project requirements.
C. Monitoring and Performance Tracking
Develop and oversee routine monitoring systems for all AF Nepal projects.
Track project outputs, outcomes, indicators, milestones, targets, and implementation progress.
Develop and maintain project performance dashboards and indicator tracking matrices.
Analyze progress against targets and identify implementation gaps, trends, and areas requiring corrective action.
Conduct regular field monitoring visits to assess the quality, relevance, effectiveness, and progress of project activities.
Develop monitoring checklists and tools for health facilities, schools, municipalities/rural municipalities, community structures, and other project sites.
Ensure monitoring captures qualitative information and the experiences and perspectives of project participants in addition to quantitative results.
Support project teams to document success stories, case studies, good practices, challenges, and lessons learned.
D. Baseline, End-line, Assessments and Research
Lead or coordinate baseline, midline, end-line, needs assessments, feasibility studies, and other project-related assessments and researches.
Support the development of study designs, methodologies, sampling strategies, data collection tools, protocols, and analysis plans.
Review and improve data collection tools before field implementation and coordinate pre-testing where appropriate.
Coordinate with external consultants, researchers, and assessment teams when required.
Ensure ethical, inclusive, and high-quality data collection processes.
Analyze and interpret assessment findings and translate them into practical recommendations for program improvement.
Ensure baseline findings are used to establish realistic project targets and benchmarks.
Support pre- and post-test assessments for training, capacity-building, and knowledge improvement activities.
E. Data Analysis and Evidence Generation
Analyze quantitative and qualitative project data using appropriate statistical and analytical methods.
Produce tables, graphs, dashboards, summaries, and other data visualizations for program management and reporting.
Identify trends, patterns, achievements, gaps, and emerging issues from project data.
Support project teams to interpret data and use evidence for programmatic decision-making.
Conduct comparative analysis of baseline, routine monitoring, midline, and end-line data where applicable.
Generate evidence demonstrating project outcomes, effectiveness, relevance, sustainability, and impact.
Promote the use of data and evidence rather than assumptions in program planning and decision-making.
F. Reporting and Donor Compliance
Provide technical support to program teams in preparing high-quality donor reports.
Ensure that reported achievements are supported by verified and traceable evidence.
Review quantitative and qualitative information before inclusion in donor reports.
Ensure consistency between narrative reports, activity and indicator tracking sheets, monitoring data, and supporting documentation.
Support preparation of quarterly, semi-annual, annual, and final project reports.
Develop and maintain an organizational reporting calendar and ensure timely submission of MEAL-related inputs.
Support donor and partner reporting requirements, including indicator definitions, targets, disaggregation, means of verification, and results documentation.
Ensure that donor feedback related to monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning is addressed systematically.
G. Accountability and Community Feedback
Establish and strengthen appropriate community accountability and feedback mechanisms across projects.
Ensure that project participants have accessible channels to provide feedback, suggestions, complaints, and concerns.
Support project teams to document, analyze, respond to, and appropriately close feedback and complaints.
Ensure that accountability mechanisms are inclusive and accessible to adolescents, women, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups, and other vulnerable populations.
Regularly analyze feedback trends and use findings to improve program quality and responsiveness.
Promote meaningful participation of project participants in monitoring and program review processes.
H. Learning and Knowledge Management
Develop and promote a systematic organizational learning mechanism.
Facilitate periodic project reflection, review, and learning meetings with program teams and stakeholders.
Document lessons learned, good practices, challenges, and evidence from project implementation.
Support the development and dissemination of learning briefs, case studies, success stories, technical reports, and other knowledge products.
Ensure lessons from one project are shared and applied across other AF Nepal programs where relevant.
Facilitate learning from monitoring and evaluation findings and ensure recommendations are translated into action.
Maintain an organized repository of MEAL tools, datasets, reports, assessments, learning products, and evidence.
I. Program Design and Proposal Development
Provide MEAL technical inputs during the development of new project proposals and concept notes.
Support development and review of log frames, theories of change, results frameworks, indicators, targets, assumptions, and means of verification.
Ensure that proposed indicators are practical, measurable, and supported by realistic data sources and collection mechanisms.
Support development of baseline plans and target-setting approaches during project design.
Review project activity plans and budgets from a MEAL perspective.
Ensure MEAL costs are appropriately incorporated into project budgets.
J. Risk, Stakeholder and GEDSI Analysis
Lead and support the integration of risk analysis, stakeholder analysis, and GEDSI analysis across project design, implementation, monitoring and review processes.
Conduct and regularly update project specific risk analyses, identifying programmatic, operational, financial, environmental, safeguarding, contextual and other emerging risks that may affect project implementation and results.
Work with project teams to develop appropriate risk mitigation measures, assign responsibilities, and monitor the implementation and effectiveness of mitigation actions.
Facilitate and periodically update stakeholder mapping and analysis to identify key stakeholders, their roles, interests, influence, relationships, and level of engagement in project implementation.
Support the integration of GEDSI considerations into project design, indicators, data collection, monitoring, evaluation, reporting, and learning processes.
Assess and document whether project interventions are reaching and benefiting vulnerable, marginalized, disadvantaged, and underserved groups.
Support project teams to identify and address barriers to participation, access, and equitable benefits for women, girls, persons with disabilities, marginalized communities, adolescents, and other vulnerable groups.
Ensure that risk analysis, stakeholder analysis, and GEDSI findings are documented, regularly reviewed, updated, and reflected in project plans, activity plans, monitoring tools, reports, and learning products.
Maintain an organized repository of updated risk matrix, stakeholder analyses, GEDSI assessments, and related documentation for organizational learning, reporting, and decision-making.
K. Capacity Building and Technical Support
Build the capacity of project staff in monitoring, data collection, data management, analysis, reporting, and learning.
Conduct training and orientation on data collection tools, indicator definitions, data quality, reporting, and monitoring processes.
Mentor MEAL Officers/Assistants and other staff responsible for data-related functions.
Strengthen the capacity of health workers, teachers, community structures, and partners where their role includes project monitoring or data collection.
Develop user-friendly guidance, SOPs, checklists, and tools to standardize MEAL practices across projects.
L. Safeguarding and Ethical Responsibilities
Ensure that data collection and evaluation processes follow ethical standards and protect the rights, privacy, safety, and dignity of participants.
Promote gender equality, disability inclusion, social inclusion, and equitable participation in MEAL processes.
Ensure confidentiality and responsible management of personal and sensitive project data.
Comply with AF Nepal's safeguarding, child protection, PSEAH, code of conduct, and other relevant organizational policies.
Required Qualifications and Experience
Education
Master's degree in Public Health, Development Studies, Statistics, Social Sciences, Population Studies, or a related field.
Professional Experience
At least 5-7 years of relevant professional experience in monitoring, evaluation, research, data management, program quality, or MEAL, preferably within the development/(I)NGO sector.
Experience in managing MEAL functions across multiple projects is highly desirable.
Experience in health, RMNCAH, ASRH, school health, community development, or health-system strengthening projects will be an advantage.
Demonstrated experience in baseline/end-line assessments, surveys, qualitative research, data analysis, and report writing.
Experience working with donors and meeting donor-specific MEAL and reporting requirements.
Experience with government health information systems, particularly HMIS/DHIS2, is an advantage.
Technical Skills and Competencies
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning systems.
Results-based management and performance monitoring.
Logical frameworks, Theory of Change, results frameworks, and indicator development.
Quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
Data quality assurance and verification.
Survey design, sampling, and assessment methodologies.
Baseline, midline, end-line, and other assessment methodologies.
Data visualization, dashboards, and performance tracking.
Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets, including advanced functions, pivot tables, and data analysis.
Statistical software such as SPSS, STATA, R, or equivalent.
Digital data collection platforms such as KoboToolbox, ODK, or similar platforms.
HMIS/DHIS2 and other government reporting systems, where relevant.
Strong Report writing, data interpretation, and presentation.
Development and management of databases and information systems.
Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills.
Problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities.
The MEAL Manager may be assigned other reasonable duties and responsibilities by the supervisor or senior management in accordance with AF Nepal's organizational priorities and program needs.
Inclusive Policy: AF Nepal encourages applications from women, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and marginalized communities.
Application Process: Interested candidates meeting the above requirements are encouraged to submit their CV and a cover letter explaining their suitability for the position to actionfnepal@gmail.com by 8 August, 2026.
Action for Nepal is an equal opportunity employer. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further assessment.
For more information on Action For Nepal please visit our website: