Project Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist - Tenders Global

Project Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

tendersglobal.net

JOB DESCRIPTION

Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

UNDP is a lead agency together with UNAIDS for addressing the dimensions of HIV and AIDS relating to human rights, gender, and sexual diversity. In addition, UNDP contributes to public health and development partnerships through collaborations with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the ‘Global Fund’), Roll Back Malaria, Stop TB Partnerships, and special programmes on human reproduction and infectious diseases that disproportionately affect poor populations.

As part of its wider engagement with the United Nations, the Global Fund has partnered with UNDP since 2003 to ensure that grants are implemented, and services are delivered in countries facing complex challenges. The partnership focuses on three closely linked areas of work: implementation support as interim Principal Recipient (PR), capacity development, and policy engagement. UNDP was nominated as the PR by the Country Coordinating Mechanism in December 2014 for the multi-country Western Pacific grants (TB and HIV; and Malaria (Vanuatu)) (the ‘Multi-country Programmes’). In 2022, the Global Fund approved the new Funding Request for 2024-2026 for 12 countries for HIV/TB and for malaria in Vanuatu.

For the implementation of the Multi-country Programmes, the UNDP Pacific Centre established a Programme Management Unit (PMU) to coordinate and oversee the implementation and to ensure compliance of the terms and conditions of the grant agreements with the Global Fund and UNDP rules, policies and procedures. The PMU coordinates with the PIRMCCM, Government and CSOs, regional partners, the Global Fund and other key stakeholders in the health and development sector (bi-laterals, private sector) and technical assistance providers.

UNDP‘s management role consists in ensuring successful implementation of grant activities by sub-recipients ensuring programmatic and financial accountability and capacity building of national and international counterparts in programmatic, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and financial management.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Programme Manager, the Project M&E Specialist contributes to the effective implementation of the M&E policy and ensures that M&E requirements for the Programmes are met. The Project M&E Specialist ensures that M&E activities are designed and implemented ensuring programme relevance, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of results.

The Project M&E Specialist works in close collaboration with the Programme Management Unit, Global Fund, sub-recipients, and technical agencies like WHO, UNAIDS and UNFPA to ensure that Multi-Country Programme results are in line with the Global Fund reporting requirements and international HIV, TB and Malaria frameworks.

The Project M&E Specialist works under guidance and supervision of the Programme Manager contributing to the effective implementation of the M&E policy and ensures that M&E requirements for the Programmes are met. The Project M&E Specialist ensures that M&E activities are designed and implemented ensuring programme relevance, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of results.

The Project M&E Specialist, during the absence of the Regional Programme Manager acts as Officer-in-charge for the programme in all aspects of the Programme management related to the M&E, programme management, procurement supply chain management, finance and administration PMU division.

The Project M&E Specialist works in close collaboration with the Programme Management Unit and UNDP National Programme Officers in Vanuatu and Samoa as well as with sub-recipients, and technical agencies like WHO, UNAIDS and UNFPA to ensure that Multi-Country Programme results are in line with the Global Fund reporting requirements and international HIV, TB and Malaria frameworks.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Implementation of M&E and reporting policies and strategies

  • Lead on the development of the TB/HIV and Malaria Project Document (knowledge product) coordinating inputs from internal and external partners as well as coordinating the project quality assurance process and obtaining endorsement from Local Project Appraisal Committee (LPAC) as well as EG/IG Team Leader endorsement through UNDP intranet.
  • Establish and manage internal systems for effective and efficient programme and project monitoring and reporting, both internal UNDP and for Implementing Partners.
  • Ensures programme M&E standards are maintained in line with UNDP and Global Fund requirements and ensures quality assurance/control across the Programme in twelve supported countries.
  • Provides technical advice to the team and liaises with the Technical Working Group, regional partners and donors when required.
  • Establishes and coordinates effective mechanisms of monitoring the projects’ implementation including development of evaluation tools and processes, innovative approaches;
  • Ensures the optimal use of assessments and evaluations by providing guidance in preparation of timely management response to all evaluations.

Ensures Monitoring and Evaluation at Project level

  • Support in the development of the new grant proposal and concept notes for any other funding opportunities.
  • Leads on the development of the regional TB, HIV and Malaria programme M&E Plan.
  • Coordinates and makes a follow up and reports directly to the Programme Manager on the implementation of the Global Fund grant management recommendations.
  • Leads on the development of the programme performance frameworks in consultation with external partners in regional technical agency leads.
  • Leads in the planning, preparation, and management of thematic, country programme M&E activities and other types of M&E activities conducted in the Programme.
  • Provides technical advice for Programme design and set-up with defined indicators at the design stage to facilitate the review and evaluation at the later stages.
  • Leads the development and execution of M&E work plan, including evaluation of country programmes.
  • Provides direct support in M&E capacity building activities for UNDP and Sub-Recipient (SR) staff.
  • Leads data analysis, programme review and document preparation and dissemination to concerned regional and national stakeholders.

Lead in Coordination of M&E System and Processes,

  • Maintain, coordinate, and ensure compliance of the programme setup in Quantum and other corporate systems (such as Integrated Workplan, IWP, Results-oriented Annual Reporting, ROAR, Executive Snapshot) and provide accurate and timely input information into these systems as required.
  • Develops the Terms of Reference (ToR) for specific programme M&E missions and/or desk evaluations/reviews, participation in consultant selection, technical feedback on evaluations and budget oversight.
  • Leads on the implementation of M&E reports recommendations. Ensures the optimal use of evaluation recommendations through coordination and guidance on timely preparation of management response to all mandatory evaluations.
  • Collaborates and coordinates with other UN agencies, government agencies, NGOs, and other organizations on M&E issues at the regional and national levels.
  • Coordinates annual SR management letters including templates development, guidance on its use as well as drafting support on the annual performance of each SR.
  • Assist in the preparation of background documentation and working papers for its utilization in meetings with the Government and programme authorities;
  • Periodically reviews and updates the overall Programme M&E system (including Management Information System), develops, and updates the M&E Standard Operating Procedures and other guidance documents.

Assessment, Research Planning, Information Collation and Reporting

  • Leads the data collection, compilation, and quality control for the Programme’s annual Progress Update/Disbursement Request (PU/DR) Report in line with the Global Fund requirements.
  • Leads on-site and off-site programmatic PU/DR data verification.
  • Coordinates capacity assessments of grant sub-recipients in line with UNDP and donor requirements.
  • Leads specific M&E missions under the programme, sectoral/thematic evaluations or desk evaluations/studies or technical consultancies on selected themes.
  • Provides required documentation and reporting within UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji including providing updates to UNDP Quantum and UNDP Intranet.

Knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the area of M&E

  • Prepares analytical documents based on lessons learnt. Contributes to evaluation of effectiveness and impact of UNDP programmes, contributes to content development for relevant knowledge products.
  • Identifies and formulates evaluation findings, lessons learnt and recommendations to be integrated into broader knowledge management efforts, disseminated in learning events and channeled into decision-making processes.
  • Identifies the potential success stories and flag to the programme’s Communications Specialist for profiling on the programme’s web page as well as other media platforms. Provides guidance and background to assist in the development of the success stories.
  • Contributes to the development and implementation of Knowledge Management Strategy for the Programme. Includes active contribution to the programmes communication strategy and workplan
  • Enhances knowledge of the SR teams on M&E and quality assurance methodologies
  • Leads/ conducts results-oriented M&E training in the countries as well as through remote training and capacity building support through regional forums.
Competencies:

Core competencies:

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Digital and Innovation

  • Developmental Evaluation Learning and adaptation focused: ability to promote and facilitate ongoing reflection and adaptation; aimed at informing learning and portfolio related decision making; Being comfortable with unknown unknowns, uncertainty and understand the traits and value of working with emergence. Being able to give direction rather than destination: monitor and learn about how we understand the present and our direction towards something better (general intent) – not measuring progress and milestones towards a specific pre-defined goal; Being able to carry out evaluation thinking in complex systems and adapting evaluation strategies to changing realities; Being inclusive, collaborative and co-creative: being able to design and implement evaluation frameworks with the variety of stakeholders and beneficiaries involved; Being flexible and able to use of a mix of methods, having a high tolerance for ambiguity and can draw on a variety of qualitative and quantitative evidence, is open to unorthodox types of evidence; Ability to set up the structures, conditions, rituals to create a culture for curiosity, reflection and learning and promote evaluation results and insights from a learning perspective; Understand key principles of systems and complexity theory.

2030 Agenda: Engagement and Effectiveness

  • SDG Integration: SDG Monitoring and Reporting

Business Management

  • Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results
  • Evaluation: Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks – Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
  • Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results
  • Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making

Business Direction & Strategy

  • System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Required Skills and Experience:
Education:
  • Advanced University Degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in development studies, social sciences, public administration, business management or related discipline is required; or
  • A first-level University degree (Bachelor’s degree) in areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the Advanced University degree.
Experience:
  • Minimum 7 years (with Master´s degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of relevant M&E and Reporting experience at the international or national level is required.
  • Experience in handling of web-based management systems is required.
  • Experience in working, liaising, and collaborating with UN agencies, governments, NGOs, civil society organizations, and public international organizations. ·
  • Experience/Knowledge of capacity building theory and capacity building/assessment methodologies.
  • Experience in health-related programmes is an asset.
  • Experience in working in development sector is a strong asset.
  • Experience in drafting development projects reports and M&E Plans is an asset.

Required Languages:

  • English, Fijian and/or Fiji Hindi
Disclaimer
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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