Role Description

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer

Play it Forward Zambia works with over 2,500 young people each year through education, health, and sport programmes. Our focus is on delivering practical and measurable impact - from improving school attendance and digital skills to supporting wellbeing and pathways into employment. As we grow, we are strengthening how we measure, evidence, and communicate impact to improve programme quality and meet donor requirements.

The MEAL Officer will lead the development and day-to-day implementation of simple, effective MEAL systems across all programmes. This is a hands-on role focused on ensuring data is accurate, useful, and actively used to improve delivery and demonstrate impact.

About Us

Our mission is to empower young people in Zambia to develop sustainable livelihoods through education, health, and football programmes.

We work with young people from disadvantaged communities, delivering initiatives including health education, digital skills, and pathways into further education and employment - helping them build the skills and confidence to succeed in life.

UK Charity Registration Number 1108821

Zambia Non-Profit Registration No. 120170010072

Job Details

Location: Play it Forward Office, Livingstone, Zambia

Type:Full-time

Contract:One year (minimum), subject to a 3-month probation

Salary:Competitive

Reports to: Head of Programmes

Essential skills and experience

• Degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Social Sciences, Project Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in MEAL within the development sector (Sport for Development desirable).
• Proven experience designing and implementing practical, field-ready MEAL systems.
• Strong skills in data collection, analysis (quantitative & qualitative), and reporting.
• Experience conducting assessments/surveys and meeting donor reporting requirements.
• Excellent communication skills and confident use of data tools (e.g. Excel, Kobo, Google Forms).

Main duties and responsibilities

1. Monitoring & Data Systems

   Key Output: Reliable, consistent, and user-friendly data systems used across all programmes.

   • Design and implement simple, practical data collection tools (e.g. attendance tracking, outcome indicators, surveys) that can be easily used by programme staff
   • Ensure all programmes are consistently tracking clear, relevant indicators aligned to organisational priorities and donor requirements
   • Maintain a centralised, simple, and well-organised MEAL system (e.g. Google Drive, Kobo, Excel), ensuring data is accurate, up to date, and accessible
   • Establish and carry out regular data quality checks to verify accuracy, completeness, and consistency across programmes
   • Support the transition from ad hoc data collection to standardised systems and processes across the organisation

2. Reporting & Analysis

   Key Output: Clear, insight-driven reporting that demonstrates impact and supports decision-making.

   • Lead the preparation of high-quality donor reports (e.g. FIFA Foundation, DOT), ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timely submission
   • Analyse programme data to identify key trends, outcomes, and insights (not just raw data)
   • Translate data into clear, concise insights, reports and presentations for internal teams, management, and external stakeholders
   • Work closely with programme staff to ensure data collected is relevant, complete, and aligned with reporting requirements
   • Support the development of impact summaries, case studies, and success stories for fundraising and communications

3. Field Monitoring

   Key Output: Regular field insights that improve programme quality and ensure data reflects reality

   • Conduct regular visits to programme sites (schools, pitches, community sessions) to observe delivery and verify data accuracy
   • Work alongside programme staff during visits to check data collection tools are being used correctly and consistently
   • Document findings from visits, including strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement
   • Provide practical, actionable feedback to programme teams to strengthen delivery and data quality
   • Ensure safeguarding, attendance, and programme data reported aligns with what is observed in the field

4. Accountability & Feedback

   Key Output: Effective feedback systems that strengthen accountability and improve programme quality.

   • Design and implement simple, accessible feedback mechanisms (e.g. surveys, suggestion boxes, focus groups) for participants and communities
   • Ensure feedback systems are safe, inclusive, and aligned with safeguarding standards
   • Regularly collect, review, and analyse feedback to identify trends, concerns, and opportunities for improvement
   • Work with programme teams to ensure feedback is acted on and informs programme delivery
   • Maintain clear documentation of feedback and responses to support accountability to participants and donors

5. Learning & Improvement

   Key Output: Clear evidence of learning being used to improve programme quality and impact.

   • Lead regular reflection sessions (e.g. quarterly) with programme staff to review data, outcomes, and key learnings
   • Support teams to identify and apply practical improvements based on data and field insights
   • Document lessons learned, best practices, and challenges across programmes
   • Contribute to the development of case studies, impact stories, and internal learning briefs
   • Promote a culture of continuous learning and evidence-based decision making across the organisation

6. Capacity Building

   Key Output: Confident staff who can effectively collect, understand, and use data.

   • Train programme staff on data collection tools, basic MEAL principles, and reporting requirements
   • Provide ongoing, hands-on support to ensure staff can accurately and consistently collect data
   • Develop simple guidance and templates to support standardised MEAL practices across programmes
   • Mentor staff to improve their ability to use data for planning and decision-making
   • Identify capacity gaps and support continuous improvement in MEAL across the team

To learn more about the work we do visit our website:

https://play-itforward.org/

• Design and implement simple, practical data collection tools (e.g. attendance tracking, outcome indicators, surveys) that can be easily used by programme staff
• Ensure all programmes are consistently tracking clear, relevant indicators aligned to organisational priorities and donor requirements
• Maintain a centralised, simple, and well-organised MEAL system (e.g. Google Drive, Kobo, Excel), ensuring data is accurate, up to date, and accessible
• Establish and carry out regular data quality checks to verify accuracy, completeness, and consistency across programmes
• Support the transition from ad hoc data collection to standardised systems and processes across the organisation
• Lead the preparation of high-quality donor reports (e.g. FIFA Foundation, DOT), ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timely submission
• Analyse programme data to identify key trends, outcomes, and insights (not just raw data)
• Translate data into clear, concise insights, reports and presentations for internal teams, management, and external stakeholders
• Work closely with programme staff to ensure data collected is relevant, complete, and aligned with reporting requirements
• Support the development of impact summaries, case studies, and success stories for fundraising and communications
• Conduct regular visits to programme sites (schools, pitches, community sessions) to observe delivery and verify data accuracy
• Work alongside programme staff during visits to check data collection tools are being used correctly and consistently
• Document findings from visits, including strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement
• Provide practical, actionable feedback to programme teams to strengthen delivery and data quality
• Ensure safeguarding, attendance, and programme data reported aligns with what is observed in the field
• Design and implement simple, accessible feedback mechanisms (e.g. surveys, suggestion boxes, focus groups) for participants and communities
• Ensure feedback systems are safe, inclusive, and aligned with safeguarding standards
• Regularly collect, review, and analyse feedback to identify trends, concerns, and opportunities for improvement
• Work with programme teams to ensure feedback is acted on and informs programme delivery
• Maintain clear documentation of feedback and responses to support accountability to participants and donors
• Lead regular reflection sessions (e.g. quarterly) with programme staff to review data, outcomes, and key learnings
• Support teams to identify and apply practical improvements based on data and field insights
• Document lessons learned, best practices, and challenges across programmes
• Contribute to the development of case studies, impact stories, and internal learning briefs
• Promote a culture of continuous learning and evidence-based decision making across the organisation
• Train programme staff on data collection tools, basic MEAL principles, and reporting requirements
• Provide ongoing, hands-on support to ensure staff can accurately and consistently collect data
• Develop simple guidance and templates to support standardised MEAL practices across programmes
• Mentor staff to improve their ability to use data for planning and decision-making
• Identify capacity gaps and support continuous improvement in MEAL across the team

• Proven experience designing and implementing practical, field-ready MEAL systems.
• Strong skills in data collection, analysis (quantitative & qualitative), and reporting.
• Experience conducting assessments/surveys and meeting donor reporting requirements.
• Excellent communication skills and confident use of data tools (e.g. Excel, Kobo, Google Forms).

• Degree in Monitoring & Evaluation, Social Sciences, Project Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in MEAL within the development sector (Sport for Development desirable).