MEAL Officer

Job Title: MEAL Officer
Location: Soroti, Uganda
Reports to: MEAL Manager

Application Deadline: 30th September 2026

Direct Reports: N/A

 

Program Background

The Green Resilient Enterprise for Empowered NTFP Development Project (GREEN Project) is a 28-month initiative implemented under the ReForEst Uganda Programme with funding from Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the European Union. The project seeks to enhance livelihoods, jobs and ecological resilience through sustainable Non-Timber Forest Product (NTFP) enterprises while contributing to forest conservation, restoration and climate resilience across 16 districts in Eastern Uganda and Napak District in Karamoja. The project focuses on five priority NTFP value chains: bamboo, honey/apiculture, shea, cashew, and wild mango. Through a Green Entrepreneurship Platform (GEP), incubation services, acceleration support, cottage industry, access to finance and market linkages, the project will strengthen 140 enterprises, 50 producer groups and support 10,000 households along these NTFP value chains.

Job summary

The MEAL Officer will support the implementation of a robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system for the GREEN Project. The position will ensure timely collection, verification, analysis and reporting of project data related to livelihoods, enterprise development, environmental restoration, market systems development, and conservation outcomes. The MEAL Officer will support project teams, partners and stakeholders to generate quality evidence for adaptive management, accountability, and donor reporting while promoting learning and continuous improvement.

To be successful in this role, you will need:

Essential 

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Social Sciences, Development Studies or any related field.
• Minimum 2-3 years of progressive experience in Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning.
• Experience supporting large donor-funded development programmes.
• Demonstrated experience with livelihoods, agriculture, forestry, environmental conservation, market systems development or enterprise development programmes.
• Experience conducting surveys, data quality assessments and evaluations.
• Experience using digital data collection platforms such as CommCare, ODK, KoBoToolbox or SurveyCTO.
• Experience working with NGOs, INGOs or consortium-based projects.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to conduct training and capacity-building sessions.

Desirable

• Strong knowledge of MEAL frameworks and results-based management.
• Experience with indicator tracking systems and performance monitoring plans.
• Strong data analysis skills using Excel, Power BI, SPSS, STATA, R or similar software.
• Experience designing digital data collection tools.
• Knowledge of database management and dashboard development.
• Understanding of Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) principles.
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

The key responsibilities of the role will be:

Monitoring and Results Measurement

• Support implementation of the approved GREEN Project MEAL Plan, logical framework, indicator reference sheets, indicator tracking table and field-monitoring calendar.
• Track progress against project indicators, milestones, outputs, outcomes and impact targets.
• Maintain unique-ID based tracking of 140 NTFP enterprises, 50 producer groups and 10,000 participating households, with required disaggregation and controls to minimise duplication.
• Conduct routine monitoring and verification visits to project sites, enterprises, producer groups, cottage-industry facilities and community interventions across assigned districts.
• Verify project achievements through field-based monitoring and independent data validation.
• Collect and verify data related to restoration, agroforestry, sustainable land management and conservation-linked outcomes, including GPS/geotagged evidence where applicable.

Monitor uptake and results of field-based services, incubation, acceleration, finance and market linkages, standards/certification support, cottage-industry use and GEP services.

Data Collection and Management

• Support development and deployment of digital data collection tools using CommCare, ODK, KoBoToolbox, SurveyCTO or similar platforms.
• Maintain participant registration, enterprise and producer-group tracking records, indicator databases and other project MIS datasets in line with agreed data standards.
• Ensure timely, complete and accurate data collection across all implementation districts.
• Perform routine data cleaning, verification and quality assurance checks.
• Manage field-level data securely and comply with GOAL data-protection, confidentiality, retention and access-control requirements.
• Support integration of MEAL data into dashboards and the Green Entrepreneurship Platform reporting system.

 Data Quality Assurance

• Conduct routine Data Quality Assessments (DQAs).
• Implement data verification and validation procedures.
• Support periodic audits of partner and field-level data.
• Ensure data collection methodologies comply with donor and GOAL standards.
• Identify and address data quality gaps through coaching and supportive supervision.

Evaluation, Research and Learning

• Support the GREEN baseline/competitor analysis, final evaluation, five value-chain assessments and other approved outcome assessments, surveys and studies.
• Participate in value-chain assessments, market studies, enterprise diagnostics, household/participant surveys and learning reviews, including enumerator training and field supervision where assigned.
• Support qualitative studies including case studies, outcome harvesting, beneficiary feedback assessments and success stories.
• Contribute to evaluations measuring enterprise growth, income changes, market access improvements, employment creation and conservation outcomes.
• Facilitate After Action Reviews (AARs), reflection meetings and learning events.

Accountability and Feedback Mechanisms

• Support implementation of accountability and community feedback mechanisms.
• Ensure project participants, communities and stakeholders understand available feedback and complaints channels, selection processes and relevant project information.
• Track, document and follow up beneficiary feedback and complaints.
• Support periodic beneficiary satisfaction assessments.
• Promote transparency and accountability across project implementation.

 Reporting and Visualization

• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual MEAL reports.
• Support development and updating of Power BI dashboards, scorecards, maps, infographics and performance summaries.
• Generate donor reporting datasets and indicator verification documents.
• Produce evidence products highlighting enterprise growth, jobs created restoration achievements and household livelihood outcomes.
• Support preparation of donor reports and project review presentations.

Capacity Strengthening

• Train project staff, partners, enumerators and community facilitators on MEAL tools and procedures.
• Strengthen partner capacity in digital data collection, data quality, evidence filing, results reporting and responsible data management.
• Support development of user guides, data collection manuals and reporting templates.
• Provide ongoing mentorship to project teams on results measurement and data use.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Document success stories, lessons learned, innovations and best practices.
• Support production of learning papers, case studies and knowledge products.
• Maintain project learning repositories and evidence databases.
• Promote use of data and evidence for adaptive management and decision making.

Collaboration and Coordination

• Work closely with Project Managers, Technical Specialists, and implementing partners.
• Participate in district, sub-regional and consortium review meetings and support follow-up of MEAL actions.
• Support coordination of MEAL activities with government stakeholders and partner organizations.
• Contribute to donor monitoring visits, audits and evaluations.

General Terms and Conditions

At GOAL we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please just contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment@ug.goal.ie

GOAL Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
GOAL is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees. We foster an inclusive culture where all voices are heard and valued. We know that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

All employees share in the responsibility for fulfilling GOAL’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and equal treatment. GOAL does not discriminate against any employee on the basis of sex, race, color, ethnic background, tribe, birth, creed or religion or social or economic standing, political opinion, disability.

Code of Conduct and Accountability within GOAL

GOAL is an equal opportunities employer and has values and behaviours framework which defines our code of conduct. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability.

• Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, Code of Conduct, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
• Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a GOAL staff or partner.

Safeguarding

Children and vulnerable adults a must be safeguarded to the maximum extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

GOAL 

Established in 1977, GOAL is an international humanitarian agency and works with the most vulnerable communities to help them respond to and overcome humanitarian crises, and to assist those facing poverty and exclusion achieve greater resilience and well-being. GOAL envisions a world beyond humanitarian crises where poverty no longer exists, where vulnerable communities exposed to shocks and stresses are resilient, where barriers to well-being are removed and where everyone has equal rights and opportunities. 

General Description of the Country Programme 

First operational in Uganda in 1979, the current GOAL Uganda country programme focuses on Health, (including WASH, Health Accountability and Nutrition); and a market-based systems approach to improving agricultural livelihoods and WASH. GOAL Uganda mainstreams gender, child protection, social behavior changes and resilience strategies across all programming. GOAL uses a mixture of direct implementation and partnerships with national and international civil society organizations, local government, the private sector and communities to give effect to our mission.  

GOAL Uganda has a skilled team of over 110 personnel and has a head office in Kampala and field offices in 7 locations across Northern, Southwestern and Eastern regions of Uganda.  GOAL Uganda’s donors include the Mastercard Foundation, charity: water, Irish Aid, The Kingdom of Netherland Embassy in Uganda (EKN) and other private donors.  

Interested applicants who meet the requirements should apply through the link with at least 3 professional referees (current or former Line Manager) from the last three employers and daytime contact number by 30th September 2026.