Claire is the Global Programme Impact & MEAL Manager for Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW). She leads a team of seven members at a headquarters level, that provide both remote technical support as well as field-based capacity building of MEAL staff for all IRW’s country offices. She works on enhancing Islamic Relief’s (IR) commitment for results-based programming, increased accountability, and institutionalised learning. Claire and her team are the custodians of IR’s Quality Management System, which acts as the backbone for the Core Humanitarian Standard certification. They are also responsible for embedding IRW’s Global MEAL Framework, including associated tools, templates and guidelines.
They also champion and assure systematic and effective processes are in place for rightsholder feedback and complaints, and internal/external evaluations for continual improvement and innovation. She has recently launched IR’s first Global Results Framework and is also leading on the design, implementation and roll out of a Global Programmes & MEAL System (GPMS) in 27 countries worldwide. She liaises with different organisational departments, donors and country offices to ensure quality and accountability is at the core of IRW’s programmes in both humanitarian and development contexts. Previously Claire worked in the international programmes team at CARE International UK. She holds an MA in Conflict, Security and Development from Exeter University.
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How Islamic Relief developed a real-time programme data system
Islamic Relief has recently launched a ground-breaking new system to manage project data and information. Here, Claire Bedwell-Thomas, Global Programme Impact & MEAL Manager at Islamic Relief Worldwide, explains why this will be transformational across the whole organisation.