UNFPA: Monitoring and Reporting Specialist – Bangkok

Organization Mission

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA promotes gender equality and empowering women, girls and young people to take control of their bodies and their futures. We work with partners in more than 150 countries to provide access to a wide range of sexual and reproductive health services. Our goal is ending unmet need for family planning, preventable maternal death, and gender-based violence and harmful practices including child marriage and female genital mutilation by 2030.

Context

Guided by the 1994 Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) partners with governments, civil society and other agencies to accomplish its mission, which aims to promote the rights of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity and supports countries in using data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.

As part of UNFPA’s Three Transformative results, UNFPA in Asia Pacific works with countries to end Preventable Maternal Mortality and eliminate Gender-based Violence and Harmful practices. While countries of the region are making progress in improving access and availability to quality maternal and reproductive health services, maternal mortality remains persistent. Ensuring that countries can strengthen the availability and use of actionable, high-quality data on maternal and reproductive health services provision is a key intervention for UNFPA. Strengthening processes and practices regarding Maternal Perinatal Deaths Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) systems, Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) and strengthening Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) data and services are crucial components of the work implemented by UNFPA to strengthen overall maternal healthcare provision and outcomes

UNFPA demonstrates a strong and unwavering commitment to addressing the urgent needs surrounding sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), maternal health and mortality, gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful practices (HP) through a strategic prioritization of both prevention and response efforts. Recognizing the profound impact of these issues on individuals and communities, UNFPA has actively mobilized significant financial resources, notably through the generous support of the Government of Australia. This funding underscores the shared commitment to accelerating tangible and sustainable results in improving maternal health and wellbeing through strengthened data and evidence, and in the prevention and response to GBV and harmful practices across the region.

Key Responsibilities

Key responsibilities of the Monitoring and Reporting Specialist will include:

– Strengthening monitoring tools and processes for the Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)-funded projects from the Regional level.
– Assisting countries with quality assurance of monitoring data collection, including ensuring countries submit accurate monitoring reports and information for DFAT-funded projects
– Assisting with project reporting (both annual and six month narrative reports) through drafting, editing, quality assurance, and ensuring compliance with donor requirements under the DFAT- funded programmes (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) data, Female genital mutilation(FGM),Child – early and forced marriages (CEFM), GBV response, GBV prevention, GBV Data)
– Contributing to drafting project proposals in collaboration with technical units.
– Preparing written materials to document projects results—including briefing notes, presentations, meeting minutes, periodic reports, and situation reports
– Performing any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.

By strategically amplifying the results achieved, Monitoring and Reporting Specialist will contribute to a greater understanding of UNFPA’s impact, further strengthening partnerships and mobilizing continued support in :

– Addressing persistent causes of maternal morbidity and mortality.
– Improving Maternal Health (MH) service delivery.
– Strengthening violence against women data systems and use of data for policymaking.
– Preventing and responding to gender-based violence.
– Addressing child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

Furthermore, Monitoring and Reporting Specialist are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities :

– Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day)
– Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country.
– Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
– Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.
-Assist with the Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers.
– Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Required Skills and Experience

– Excellent oral and written English skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills.
– Previous experience with donor reporting and monitoring and evaluation roles is required.
– Experience in programme monitoring, data quality assurance, results reporting, and donor compliance.
– Experience drafting and reviewing narrative reports, project proposals, briefing notes, presentations and other programme documentation.
– Experience analysing and synthesizing quantitative and qualitative programme data.
– Knowledge of SRHR, maternal health, GBV, harmful practices, or related public health/development programmes is desirable.
– Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners.
– Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel.
– Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment.
– Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.
– Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of UNFPA’s mandate.
– Technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNFPA procedures and rules.
– Discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions.
– Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNFPA in daily activities and behaviours.
– Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries.
– Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor own work.

Core Competencies

– Accountability
– Adaptability and flexibility
– Creativity
– Judgement and decision-making
– Planning and organising
– Professionalism
– Self-management

Living Conditions

The duty station will be Bangkok, Thailand. Bangkok is a highly developed modern city with excellent accommodation that includes single house, apartments etc. The cost of living in Bangkok, perhaps compared to some of the other capital cities in Asia, is relatively high but still low compared to Europe and North America. Health facilities and services are among the best in Asia and often many people from various countries visit Bangkok to seek medical services. Travel to and from Bangkok is easy as there are many daily flights connecting Bangkok with major cities in the world.