1. Programme Context

The CREATE Programme is a three-year initiative delivered by a consortium led by Bayimba Cultural Foundation, alongside the International Trade Centre (ITC), NextCom, Steadman Global and other downstream partners. The Programme engages over 84,000 financially disadvantaged young women (aged 15–35), including persons with disabilities and refugees, and directly enable 40,000 of them to access dignified work in Uganda’s creative economy, across fashion/textiles and handicrafts, audiovisual and digital media, and performing arts and theatre.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) for the Programme is led at consortium level by ITC, which appoints a 3rd-party M&E service provider to design the MEAL system, clean and analyze data, and support quarterly learning. However, responsibility for data collection, quality, and use sits with each implementing partner. Bayimba requires a dedicated MEAL Lead to own this responsibility for its own Direct Programme Activities and to coordinate MEAL performance across its Sub-Contractors (NextCom, Wowzi, and Steadman).

2. Purpose of the Role

The MEAL Lead is responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously strengthening Bayimba’s monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning systems for the CREATE Programme. The role ensures that high-quality, gender- and disability-disaggregated data is collected, verified, and used to track progress against Programme indicators and targets; that Programme Participants and communities have meaningful channels for feedback and complaints; and that evidence and lessons generated through the Programme inform ongoing decision-making. The MEAL Lead is Bayimba’s primary technical liaison with ITC’s consortium-wide MEAL framework and its appointed 3rd-party M&E service provider.

3. Key Roles and Responsibilities

3.1 MEAL System Design and Alignment

• Adapt and operationalize the consortium-wide MEAL framework and indicators – as defined by ITC and aligned with the Programme logframe and Theory of Change – for use across Bayimba’s Direct Programme Activities and its Sub-Contractors.
• Develop and maintain a Bayimba-specific MEAL plan, including indicator definitions, data sources, collection frequency, disaggregation requirements (gender, disability, age, location, entrepreneurial persona), and clear roles and responsibilities.
• Design, pilot, and adapt data collection tools (surveys, registration forms, attendance/participation templates, tracer/outcome tools) in coordination with the 3rd-party M&E service provider, ensuring tools are fit for purpose across all three creative sub-sectors (fashion/handicrafts, audiovisual/digital media, performing arts).
• Lead Baseline Assessments across all Bayimba-led programme streams at Programme start-up, and support endline/evaluation exercises at key milestones and Programme close-out.

3.2 Data Collection, Quality Assurance, and Management

• Data collection oversight: Ensure Bayimba and its Sub-Contractors (NextCom, Wowzi, Steadman) collect and submit accurate monthly/quarterly data on schedule, in the formats required by the consortium MEAL system.
• Data quality assurance: Conduct regular data quality checks, spot-checks, and field verification visits; support the 3rd-party service provider’s data cleaning, verification, and analysis processes; lead or contribute to the annual mid-year data quality audit.
• Data management: Maintain secure, well-organized MEAL databases/files for Bayimba’s activities, ensuring data protection and confidentiality of Programme Participant information at all times.
• Capacity building: Train Bayimba staff and Sub-Contractor MEAL focal points on MEAL tools, data collection protocols, and reporting expectations, and provide ongoing coaching and troubleshooting support.

3.3 Indicator Tracking and Reporting

• Indicator tracking: Track progress against Programme indicators and Bayimba’s specific share of Programme targets – including outreach (78,000), youth in work (43,850), and youth in dignified and fulfilling work (31,949) – as well as MSME, financial inclusion, and quality-of-life indicators relevant to Bayimba’s activities.
• Reporting support: Compile MEAL data and analysis to feed into Bayimba’s quarterly fund-utilization and narrative reports and annual narrative reports to the Fund Manager and ITC, ensuring data is submitted in time for the reporting schedule (quarterly reports due the last day of the month following each quarter-end, beginning with the quarter ending 30 November 2025).
• Aggregation: Aggregate and synthesize Year 1 (and subsequent year) findings to support Programme-level end-of-year reporting and donor reviews.
• Evidence products: Document success stories, case studies, and human-interest content that capture Programme outcomes, in support of the Programme’s “SEE HER BE HER” communications approach.

3.4 Accountability to Programme Participants and Communities

• Feedback and complaints mechanisms: Establish, promote, and manage accessible, safe, and confidential feedback and complaints channels for Programme Participants, ensuring young women, persons with disabilities, and refugees can safely raise concerns or provide input.
• Responsiveness: Ensure feedback and complaints are logged, triaged, and responded to in a timely manner, and that safeguarding-related complaints are escalated immediately in line with Bayimba’s and the Foundation’s safeguarding policies and reporting requirements.
• Compliance tracking: Maintain ongoing compliance tracking for safeguarding, disability inclusion, and accountability frameworks across all Bayimba-led and Sub-Contractor activities.
• Inclusion monitoring: Work with the Programme’s disability inclusion and gender/safeguarding functions to monitor inclusion metrics and adapt activities accordingly, ensuring training, mentorship, and financial support activities remain accessible and appropriate for all target personas (Gig Creators, Invisible Creators, Bootstrapper Creators).

3.5 Learning and Adaptive Management

• Learning sessions: Organize and facilitate Bayimba’s participation in quarterly learning and feedback sessions with the wider consortium, sharing findings, challenges, and good practice.
• Adaptive management: Translate MEAL findings into practical recommendations for the Programme Manager and Programme team, supporting continuous MEAL system adaptation based on learning and feedback loops.
• Knowledge management: Maintain an organized repository of MEAL tools, reports, baseline/endline data, case studies, and lessons learned for internal use and donor/audit purposes.

3.6 Risk Management and Coordination

• Contribute MEAL and accountability-related risks to Bayimba’s Programme risk register, and participate in quarterly risk monitoring and review with the Fund Manager and ITC.
• Act as Bayimba’s primary point of contact with ITC’s MEAL function and the appointed 3rd-party M&E service provider, ensuring smooth two-way flow of data, guidance, and technical support.
• Coordinate with the Programme Manager, Finance team, and Sub-Contractors to ensure MEAL requirements are reflected in workplans, budgets, and subcontract deliverables.

3.7 Team Leadership and Capacity Building

• Supervise and mentor Bayimba’s M&E Officers/Assistants and field enumerators/data collectors, setting clear expectations and providing regular feedback and performance management.
• Provide technical MEAL guidance (matrix support) to MEAL focal points within NextCom, Wowzi, and Steadman and other downstream partners promoting consistent standards across the consortium.
• Champion a culture of evidence use, ethical data practice, and participant-centered accountability across the Programme team.

4. Key Working Relationships

• Internal: Programme Manager, Bayimba Director, Finance team, Programme Officers, and field/community teams.
• External: ITC’s MEAL function, the Programme’s 3rd-party M&E service provider, the Fund Manager, NextCom, Steadman Global, Other downstream partners and community-based organizations.

5. Person Specification

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in monitoring and evaluation, statistics, social sciences, development studies, or a related field; a postgraduate qualification or recognized M&E certification is an added advantage.
• At least 5–7 years’ experience leading MEAL functions for donor-funded development programmes, ideally involving youth livelihoods, gender-focused programming, skills development, entrepreneurship, or the creative/cultural industries.
• Demonstrated experience designing and operationalizing MEAL frameworks, logframes, and Theories of Change, including indicator design, baseline/endline assessments, and outcome tracking.
• Experience working within multi-partner consortia and coordinating with lead agencies and 3rd-party M&E service providers.
• Experience establishing participant feedback and complaints/accountability mechanisms, including for vulnerable groups (women, youth, persons with disabilities, refugees).
• Familiarity with donor reporting requirements for international foundations or development agencies (e.g., USAID, DFID/FCDO, UN agencies) is highly desirable.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong technical MEAL skills: indicator design, data collection tool development, data quality assurance, and results-based monitoring.
• Proficiency with digital data collection and analysis tools (e.g. Airtable, Google Drive, JotForm, Google Sheets and/or Excel; familiarity with statistical software an asset).
• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills, with the ability to translate data into clear, actionable insights for programme and donor audiences.
• Strong facilitation skills for training partner staff and leading learning/reflection sessions.
• Sound understanding of safeguarding, gender-responsive, and disability-inclusive M&E practice.
• High level of integrity and discretion in handling sensitive participant data and complaints.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to rural and semi-rural districts across Uganda.

6. Safeguarding and Data Protection Statement

Bayimba Cultural Foundation is committed to safeguarding the welfare of all Programme Participants, particularly children, young women, and other vulnerable groups, and to protecting the privacy and dignity of all individuals whose data is collected under the Programme. The MEAL Lead is expected to model and enforce the highest standards of ethical data practice and safeguarding conduct, ensure all feedback and complaints – particularly those relating to abuse, exploitation, or harassment – are escalated immediately in line with Bayimba’s safeguarding policy, and maintain strict confidentiality of Programme Participant information at all times.

To apply send an email to jobs@bayimba.org with the following:

• CV or Resume: A summary of your work history, skills, and education.
• Cover Letter: A short letter that explains why you fit the job.
• References: Names and contact details of past bosses or teachers who can vouch for you.
• Certificates or Transcripts: Proof of your degrees or professional licenses.

Deadline for submission is 30^th October 2026.