UNDP: Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Officer – Sao Tome

Background

Sao Tome and Principe is the second smallest country and the smallest economy in Africa, and considering its insularity is susceptible to external shocks, particularly the ongoing conflicts, geopolitical disruptions and their potential cascading effects.  The United Nations Development Programme, present in São Tomé and Príncipe since 1976, has been working to help the country meet its international commitments, mainly to achieve Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations Agenda 2030. In alignment with the Country Project Document – CPD (2023-2027), the Country Office (CO) of UNDP will continue focusing on the identified priorities: (1) inclusive social systems, (2) climate action, natural resource management, and energy; (3) green and blue growth; and (4) transparent and accountable institutions.

The country’s priorities, UNSDCF, and UNDP’s CPD lay out the priorities in partnership and development interventions.  This is in particular critical to enable the country for transformative change and preparedness for graduation while meeting the country’s global, regional, and national goals.

Under the strategic guidance of the Resident Representative and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative the Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Officer puts in place and administers innovative and effective monitoring and evaluation frameworks, systems, and tools, and results-based management and reporting in the CO to ensure UNDP remains accountable and transparent and learns from its programme implementation. Where relevant the Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Officer will support programme quality assurance and developing relevant systems. The incumbent will promote a collaborative, efficient, client-focused, evidence-based, and portfolio management approach.  UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration in design and implementation of the development strategies of the office with a focus on equipping teams to gear toward influencing the development and resource mobilization agenda, promoting quality assurance and mobilizing political and financial support for UNDP, in close collaboration with the respective partners.

The Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Officer will collaborate closely with Programme, Operations and project teams in the Country Office, UNDP HQ staff, programme staff in other UN agencies, Government officials and donors on programme/project implementation and monitoring and evaluation issues and practices; and will endeavor to facilitate and provide capacity to programme staff on M&E strategies that benefit and promote their thematic interventions and activities and enhances the quality of the work UNDP and reporting to the stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Implement and participate in the design of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, systems, and tools, and as applicable, conduct programme quality assurance in keeping with corporate policies and alignment with the expected outcomes of CPD.

• Support CO programme and project managers in designing the results-based management, monitoring and evaluation frameworks and plans in line with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) with appropriate tracking tools.
• Help in ensuring the application of UNDP social and environmental safeguards.
• Serve as the UNDP Country Office focal point for the provision of overall technical and policy advisory support on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and results-based management (RBM) requirements and activities to CO programme and project managers, UNDP CO staff concerned with monitoring and evaluation, and consultants and/or members of evaluation teams.
• Advocate the adherence to UN/UNDP policy positions on monitoring and evaluation, results-based management, reporting and quality assurance, as applicable, and ensure their mainstreaming into all aspects of the COs programme interventions.
• Provide guidance on the systematized, effective application of RBM, M&E, reporting and quality assurance tools throughout the full programme/project cycle from the design to implementation, reporting and during the timely closure of projects.
• Support the mapping of business processes and elaboration of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in programme and project oversight.
• Act as custodian for evaluation quality assurance checklist to ensure quality check from the TOR formulation to final evaluation report and timely implementation of the recommendations. · Provide input to CO’s annual planning processes that includes the Integrate Work Plan and CO Annual Business Plan; and participate in defining targets and indicators to ensure consistency with approved country programme and project documents and with UNDP POPPs.
• Ensure gender equality, disability inclusion, and Leave No One Behind (LNOB) principles are an integral part of UNDP programmes and operations and that these considerations are fully mainstreamed into programming and reflected in programme/project design, monitoring, reporting and evaluations in line with the UNDP Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion Strategies, UNSDG Operational Guide for Country Teams on LNOB, and available regional guidance.
• Contribute to joint UN planning and reporting processes, by coordinating UNDP’s adherence to agreed standards in the UNSDCF.

1. Ensure coordination and efficient support to monitoring, reporting, evaluation and results-based management of Country Office programmes and projects.

• Coordinate implementation and application of efficient and evidence-based results monitoring and reporting and, as applicable, quality assurance work for CO programme and project development and delivery using an integrated portfolio management approach.
• Advise the senior management team on delivery implementation challenges and provide support in resolving obstacles and bottlenecks.
• Develop templates for project and work plan monitoring and quality assurance visits. Collect reliable and coherent data to assess country programme progress and results. Provide regular updates to programme and project teams using latest M&E and IT tracking tools to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the monitoring processes.
• Prepare reports analyzing progress and results of projects. Advise programme teams on financial reporting requirements for cooperating partners, donors, Government stakeholders and UN counterparts to ensure transparency relative to committed resources and timetables and to highlight transformational changes.
• Ensure consistent maintenance and monitoring of relevant scorecards and quality assurance tools such as the Social and Environmental Safeguards.
• Provide support to the management and coordination of third-party monitoring and/or any other data collection interventions in the country office.
• Ensure regular and timely updating of the Evaluation Resource Centre (ERC).
• Analyze requirements and synthesize proposals for the planning, preparation, and management of specific thematic, country programme/project evaluations and other types of evaluations. Draft and revise Terms of Reference (TOR) for specific project/thematic/sectoral monitoring and evaluation missions and/or desk evaluations/reviews. Participate in consultant and evaluation team selection and provide technical feedback on evaluation inception reports and draft evaluations and budget oversight.
• Draft and review management responses to the evaluations.
• Consolidate evaluation findings, lessons learned and recommendations to be disseminated in learning events and channeled into decision-making processes. Analyze and synthesize monitoring and evaluation reports and other data sources to assess the effectiveness and impact of UNDP CO programmes.
• Follow up on implementation of audit and evaluation recommendations by CO and project teams.
• Contribute to the establishment of statistics database and dashboards.

1. Actively participate to capacity building and facilitate knowledge building and sharing on monitoring, evaluation reporting, and results-based management in CO.

• Organize learning, training, and capacity building activities on monitoring and evaluation, RBM, data collection and survey methods, gender mainstreaming and portfolio approach for CO staff and programme and project teams. In close collaboration with relevant teams in the HQ contribute to development and delivery of training packages to strengthen CO partners’ capacities in programme and project monitoring and oversight.
• Support the identification, synthesis, documentation, and dissemination of key lessons learned and good practices derived from monitoring and evaluation activities on what works, what does not work, revised theories of change to identify innovative ideas for their scaling or replication.
• Provide sound contributions to local and global knowledge networks, communities of practice, and other knowledge management mechanisms. Proactively participate in UNDP regional and international fora on relevant thematic areas (including engaging in thematic discussions, contributing with analytical papers, etc.).
• Contribute to the implementation of Evaluation Knowledge Management and Learning Strategy.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation

4.      Institutional Arrangement

The incumbent will work under the strategic guidance of the Resident Representative and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative.

Competencies

Core
Achieve Results	LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
Think Innovatively	LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
Learn Continuously	LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
Adapt with Agility	LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in charge process
Act with Determination:	LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
Engage and Partner:	LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:	LEVEL 2: Is facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies Thematic Area Name Definition 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 Business Management Portfolio Management Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment 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 Business Management Evaluation Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client”s upcoming needs and concerns Business Development Reporting and knowledge generation Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need Partnership Management Relationship Management Ability to engage with a widerange of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

 

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements	Advanced university degree (master”s degree or equivalent) in Development/Development Studies, Economics, Statistics, Business Administration/Management, Public Administration, Social Policy/Sciences, International Relations, or related field is required; or · A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Min. years of relevant work experience	Minimum 2 years (with Master’s degree) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in M&E, programme and/or team management working with quality assurance instruments, results-based management models, and multiple stakeholders is required
Required  skills	Proven technical knowledge of the results-based management cycle and monitoring and evaluation, and reporting is required. Proven experience in designing monitoring and evaluation systems and designing development projects or integrated portfolios is required. Proven ability to work with quantitative and qualitative data, and appropriately use qualitative data /information collection tools in innovative ways is required. Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), and web-based management systems, and up-to-date, advanced knowledge of data management tools and database packages.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section	Knowledge of design thinking and systems thinking processes a plus; Experience in designing, implementing and/or managing assessments and/or data collection exercises/processes is desired. Experience conducting applied research projects and reporting on findings is desired
Required Language(s)	Fluency in Portuguese language required. Solid working level knowledge of English is required. Fluency in French will be an asset.
Professional Certificates	Certifications and formal trainings in relation to monitoring, evaluation, and reporting will be considered as an asset.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

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