Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, and Learning Specialist

UNDP has been working with national and international partners in the Philippines on the issue of the circular economy. UNDP is working with the European Union in implementing the EU Philippines Green Economy Programme (The Programme). The Programme has the purpose of supporting the Philippines’ transition towards a green economy, including circular economy, reducing waste and plastic, as well as increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment to support climate change mitigation. The Programme acknowledges that the transition to circular economy will have other added benefits such as reduction of the use of energy and greenhouse gas emissions, improve biodiversity and natural capital, decreased pollution levels, and climate change adaptation.

The Programme addresses three main levels:

• Establishing a Policy Dialogue Platform at the central government level to mobilize EU expertise to facilitate policy formulation, improve city-to-city collaboration through supporting the development of a National Circular Economy Strategy and Roadmap, extend the dialogue to promote renewable energy/energy efficiency, and to apply the dialogue’s outcomes;
• Working with local government units (LGUs) where EU expertise will support to define and implement circular economy, climate change, and energy policies with a human rights and gender-responsive perspective, outreach and support of local business and civil society, and support less advanced LGUs;
• Enhancing engagement of the private and financial sectors into the circular waste economy creating better conditions for private sector investment by supporting business-driven waste reduction strategies and circular solutions in the production process.

The Programme has 4 specific objectives:

• S01: Improved circular economy and climate change policies and reduced GHG emissions
• S02: Enhanced practices of the circular economy by the LGUs in collaboration with the private sector and civil society sector, with a focus on youth and gender equality
• SO3: Enhanced engagement of the private and financial sectors in circular, waste-reduction economy
• SO4: Increased energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment

UNDP is responsible for the implementation and execution of SO2 with the purpose of enhancing the capacities and practices of local government units (LGUs) on circular waste economy in collaboration with private and civil society organizations (CSOs), with focus on youth and gender equality.

Key results expected at the end of the Project include: 

• Reduced volume of waste generated and sent to landfills in partner LGUs
• Greenhouse gas emissions reduced and avoided (tonnes of CO2eq) from reduced waste and implementation of circular economy initiatives
• At least 20 LGUs have established circular economy models, including introduction of source separation and collection systems for wastes recycling, diversion, repurposing and other CE initiatives
• Additional number of organizations applying CE and sustainable consumption and production practices in partner LGUs
• Additional jobs (including green jobs) created across the circular economy value chain, disaggregated by gender and groups
• At least 10 LGUs in which nationally defined green procurement criteria have been applied
• About 15 LGUs that feed their NDC reporting with improved gender and youth sensitive data on co-benefits of CE

Duties and Responsibilities 

• Under the overall guidance and supervision of Project Manager, the MERL Specialist is responsible for the successful management and implementation of the project through regular monitoring of progress, identification of issues needing attention and corrective actions and undertaking baseline and evaluation studies.
• The duty station for the MERL Specialist will be in the PMU/Philippines Country Office, following working hours and weekends. Movements for meetings, consultations and field mission will be rules and regulations and advisories in the Philippines .

The MERL Specialist has overall responsibility for the monitoring, evaluation, learning and results reporting activities for the project based on the final approved project work plan, to include:

• Theory of Change
• Results and indicators table
• Results monitoring tool
• Periodic results reporting tool
• Risk Monitoring

Overall guidance and support to Project Management Unit on MERL institutionalization:

• Set up and maintain a database and dashboard for the management of the indicator framework and online archiving of MOVs/evidences. In collaboration with data providers, identify data sourcing methods, develop monitoring tools, and agree on all aspects of budget, frequency, reporting, etc.;
• Lead the collection and documentation of baseline information and provide monitoring data to key project management processes;
• Customize internal and external systems for team and partners to systematically and
• efficiently capture MERL data and information, including meta data and verifiable supporting documentation, in line with MERL requirements;
• Guide project staff in the reporting of project activities and undertake quality assurance of project activities.
• As required, support the development by each assembly of their own performance management/monitoring systems in accordance with their strategic and operational plans.
• Lead the preparation of timely and quality corporate and regular reports to donor, Project Management Unit, overall GEPP programme and other partners as may be required;
• In close coordination with the UNDP Communications Team and the Results and Quality Team, systematically document and disseminate project results and lessons.
• Development of Project MERL Plan based on MERL Framework: Produce the project’s MERL Plan in accordance with the project’s MERL Framework.

Guide and coordinate the review and analysis of the project results table including:

• Provide technical advice for the revision/updating of performance indicators.
• Ensure realistic intermediate and end-of-project targets are defined and collected.
• Identify sources of data, collection methods, who collects data, frequency, and cost of collection
• Establish a standardized MERL system with a common platform for use of team and partners in submitting/sharing data on activities and outputs.
• Ensure gender equality, disability rights, and social inclusion (GEDSI) is integrated in the MERL framework and in results reporting
• Leading and coordinating project evaluations, including baseline survey, mid-term, and end-of-program evaluations to assess program impact and effectiveness, prepare terms of reference, and support contract management.
• Contribute to the development of Annual Work Plans, set annual targets, update project risks, and prepare a detailed MERL budget and calendar of MERL activities.

Implementation of Project MERL framework:

• Oversee and execute MERL activities as per the Annual Work Plan, with particular focus on results and impacts as well as on lesson learning.
• Prepare a quarterly results tracker with key activities, indicators, baseline and targets under four result areas to obtain quarterly progress towards attainment of the annual results
• Undertake regular visits to the field to support implementation of MERL and to identify where adaptations might be needed.
• Prepare draft TORs and evaluation questions for reviews and evaluations and support the monitoring and follow-through of evaluation recommendations, in accordance with UNDP guidance.
• Ensure that project’s results are well captured in the UNDP’s corporate platforms: Integrated Work Plan, ROAR, Annual Business Plan, Strategic Plan reporting, Quantum Results Module, Transparency Dashboard, etc.

Facilitate Capacity Development

• Provide advice, support and recommend assistance to project management in regard to monitoring and evaluation, performance management/ monitoring and results reporting.
• Organize and provide training in MERL for project and counterpart staff and primary stakeholders with a view to developing local MERL capacity
• Recommend and develop strategies to measure the performance of the Project Team and support them to implement mechanisms for the collection verification of performance data

Lesson Learning

• Work with the Project Manager and the Deputy Project Manager, support the design and implementation of a system to identify, analse, document and disseminate lessons learned.
• Document lesson learned by the project with a focus on result, impact and outcomes, and present these at lease every 6 months.
• In coordination with the Communications Officer, collect case studies to illustrate challenges, progress and innovation in the project’s work with the Project Team. These should include a GEDSI perspective.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in development studies, social sciences, environmental science, business or public administration, or related fields, is required or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master’s deqree

Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years (with master’s degree) or seven (7)years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in international development projects or programmes, preferably in the field of environmental science, circular economy, innovation, waste management, climate change including at least three years in managing Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) (preferably MERL) systems
• Planning, design and implementation of quantitative and qualitative M&E (including MERL) systems in international development cooperations projects
• Devising and delivering training in MERL development and implementation and/or facilitating learning-oriented analysis sessions of MERL data with multiple stakeholders
• Knowledge of environmental management, circular economy, waste management issues and GEDSI concepts and approaches in MERL in LGU contexts
• Knowledge of and experience with UN M&E systems is an asset

Language Requirement

• Fluency in English and Filipino is required.

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/requisitions/job/20231