MEAL Assistant

Role Overview

This position keeps the learning loop of a programme running, turning raw field data into evidence that colleagues can act on. The post-holder builds and maintains the tools, databases and records behind monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL), while spending part of the working week in the field collecting information from the communities the programme serves. The role matters because credible reporting to donors, partners and participants rests on data that is complete, timely and trustworthy.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, review and roll out monitoring instruments and data collection tools used across programme activities.
• Gather, enter, clean and organise programme data, keeping databases and MEAL records accurate, current and easy to trace.
• Work alongside programme teams to track indicators, targets, outputs and outcomes against work plans.
• Run routine data quality checks, identify gaps, inconsistencies and errors, and follow up until they are resolved.
• Participate in field monitoring visits, surveys and assessments, administering both digital and paper-based tools.
• Shape data into usable analysis — tables, summaries and simple visualisations — and contribute to donor, internal and programme monitoring reports.
• Document lessons learned, good practices, success stories and emerging findings, and help teams apply monitoring evidence to strengthen implementation and decision-making.
• Log feedback, complaints and responses in line with organisational procedures, and travel within Kenya when required to support monitoring and data collection, plus any other MEAL duties assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A diploma or degree in monitoring and evaluation or a closely related discipline.
• Roughly three years of practical, hands-on experience in monitoring, research, data collection or programme support — a strong advantage rather than an absolute bar.
• Solid planning and time-management habits, with a track record of juggling competing tasks and meeting deadlines.
• Willingness and ability to travel to field locations across Kenya for monitoring, data collection and programme activities.
• A firm commitment to confidentiality, ethical data management and the responsible handling of programme and participant information.
• Familiarity with KoboToolbox or comparable digital data collection platforms (an advantage).
• Working knowledge of Google Forms, Google Sheets, Power BI, SPSS, R, Stata or similar tools for data management, analysis and visualisation (an advantage).
• Prior exposure to surveys, assessments, research, field-based data collection or MEAL databases, and ideally to youth-focused, governance, development or civil society programmes (an advantage).
• A demonstrable appetite for learning new tools and adapting within a dynamic programme environment.