Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist

Employer: UNDP
Location : Harare, ZIMBABWE
Application Deadline : 11-Aug-15
Additional Category Millennium Development Goals
Type of Contract : FTA International
Post Level : P-4
Starting Date :(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 01-Oct-2015
Duration of Initial Contract : One year

Background
As a key partner in the Resilience debate in Zimbabwe, UNDP has in partnership with a number of donors taken the lead in designing the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF). The overall objective of the fund will be to contribute to increased capacities of communities to protect development gains and achieve improved well-being outcomes in the face of shocks and stresses enabling them to contribute to economic growth of Zimbabwe. This will be achieved through a combination of 3 sets of results which will focus on a) creating a body of evidence for increased application of evidence in policy making and application for resilience; b) setting up a multi donor trust for Resilience Building in Zimbabwe to allow for partners to come together around the Resilience Framework and principles to improve the absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacities of at-risk communities; and c) setting up a risk financing mechanism which will provide appropriate, predictable, coordinated and timely response to risk and shocks from a resilience perspective.

Operating on the principles of joint programming the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund will aim to provide flexible, coordinated and predictable funding of approximately 50 million USD to support the achievement of increased national resilience to shocks – aligning to nationally owned and determined priorities. By improving coordination among all stakeholders, the Fund can also provide a forum for policy dialogue, and programmatic coordination and harmonization as well as building up a body of evidence for improved joint targeting and programme design.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Project Manager, the M&E specialist is responsible for the delivery of expert advice and analytical support to the ZRBF team as well as partners on matters related to analysis and measuring of resilience and performance of ZRBF. He/she develops systems and tools for the targeting of investment areas for Resilience as well as for monitoring and assessment of activities funded under ZRBF in line with innovative methodologies and best practice. He/She leads the undertaking of complex multi-sectorial, multi-level analysis and prepare timely reports and guidance to enable effective decision-making. The M&E Specialist promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations.

The M&E specialist works in close collaboration with the M&E team in the CO, UNDP regional centers as well as and UNDP HQ for resolving complex programme related issues, ensuring successful Resilience Analysis and M&E performance under ZRBF. The M&E specialist works closely with grant recipients to ensure understanding, acceptance and compliance with targeting methods as well as M&E procedures.

Duties and Responsibilities
Creating a body of independent evidence for increased application of evidence in policy making and activities measuring and promoting resilience:
Advise on M&E strategies, policies and plans affecting ZRBF program management, delivery of advisory, knowledge and learning services;
Conduct analysis for measuring resilience capacities, risks and vulnerabilities;
Develop overall strategy for analysis for evidence building as well as it’s dissemination plan;
Build an M&E strategy for performance monitoring, impact evaluation and knowledge management on resilience building;
Design M&E framework encompassing protocols, indicators, data collection and reporting tools for partner performance and third-party monitoring as well as impact evaluation;
Document the development and implementation of resilience analysis, M&E framework as well as activities funded under ZRBF;
Continuous analysis and monitoring of projects funded under the ZRBF;
Develop mapping products and run relevant reports from data bases as requested;
Design of overall M&E framework for ZRBF;
Develop analysis to define indicators for determining thresholds for risk financing;
Prepare and test of baseline, monitoring and assessment tools for ZRBF;
Develop and maintain a national hazard profile;
Take the lead in the development of and reporting against a Theory of Change;
Support the ZRBF team and partners in scenario building exercises;
Develop tools for programme progress tracking and resilience capacity analysis and monitoring, including for real time tracking of coping mechanisms and tracking of outcome indicators.

Ensure the overall quality of analysis as well as M&E and lessons learned products:
Coordinate and support M&E based Fund strategy formulation including annual work-planning and reporting exercises in line with corporate requirements, the RBA strategy and CO-level strategies and plans;
Maintain, coordinate and ensure compliance of the programme and project setup in Atlas and other corporate systems (such as Integrated Workplan, Results-oriented Annual Reporting, Executive Snapshot) and provide accurate and timely input information into these systems as required by the CO M&E expert;
Ensure that the Fund is set up in line with approved documents and that all Atlas attributes are created accordingly and maintained regularly;
Provide analysis and technical advice at the design stage of Requests for Proposals and facilitate monitoring during programme implementation;
Manage and monitor the Atlas project management module and related tools;
Direct responsibility and accountability for planning, management and oversight of Fund evaluations and other types of evaluations conducted under the ZRBF;
Follow up on implementation of evaluation recommendations. Ensuring the optimal use of evaluations by providing guidance in preparation of timely management response to all mandatory evaluations and by developing a communication plan;
Development of evaluation tools and processes, innovative approaches in evaluation that meet the requirements of UNDP;
Promotion of evaluation standards, quality assurance/control and capacity development in the Country Office;
Provision of evaluation feedback into policy/project/programme design, including comments on various documents;
Keeping track of and providing support to all planned evaluation of outcomes by grant recipients.

Securing ZRBFs organization and systems for optimal progress and impact reporting for multi donor fund, including continued analysis of causal relations and high frequency monitoring during shocks:
Initiate the development of early warning thresholds for activation of the crisis modifier;
Set up and manage system for continued analysis and testing of causal relations for resilience building;
Support project specialists in the review of partner reports and contribution to the M&E system;
Prepare clear, user-friendly reports based on the multi sector assessments and/or other supporting documentation;
Identify and report on results based indicators to ensure effective and efficient control and delivery of the ZRBF;
Support to value-for-money monitoring, including tracking of resources towards outcomes;
Develop, update, manage and report on monitoring frameworks for ZUNDAF and CPD.

Facilitation of knowledge building, knowledge sharing and guidance to all stakeholders on M&E matters:
Orient and train ZRBF staff on UNDPs protocols and standards on M&E;
Organize, plan and conduct extensive training for ZRBF staff on measuring for resilience methodologies and tools to be applied under the ZRBF;
Organize and conduct training on M&E compliance and reporting to UNDP Grant Recipients under the ZRBF;
Undertake regular field visits to ensure compliance and timely execution of the planned M&E systems by grant recipients under the ZRBF;
Produce synthesis of lessons learned and best practices in M&E for resilience;
Collaboration and coordination with other UN agencies, government agencies, NGOs, and other organizations on monitoring and evaluation issues;
Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
Perform any other duty as assigned by the Project Manager and the CD.




Competencies
Core Competencies
Leadership:
Ability to persuade others to follow.

Innovation:
Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

People management:
Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication:
Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:
Ability to get things done.

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda:
Analysis and creation of messages and strategies
Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for advocacy work.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management:
Contributes into results through primary research and analysis
Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;
Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;
Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation.

Building Strategic Partnerships:
Identifying and building partnerships
Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners;
Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments;
Takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches:
Developing new approaches
Looks at experience critically, drawing lessons, and building them into the design of new approaches;
Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations;
Documents successes and uses them to project a positive image;
Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking;
Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:
Developing tools and mechanisms
Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:
In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter
Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff;
Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments;
Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective.

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals:
Analysis and creation of messages and strategies
Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level .

Client Orientation:
Contributing to positive outcomes for the client
Anticipates client needs;
Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service.


Required Skills and Experience

Education:
Master's University Degree in Economics, Statistics, Data Science, Geography or other related fields.

Experience:
At least 7 years of relevant experience in setting up complex evidence based M&E systems and/or surveys/assessments;
Proven experience of statistical software such as SPSS and/or STATA is required;
Experience with Multi donor funding mechanisms an advantage;
Experience with impact assessments and advanced quantitative and qualitative analysis required;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spread sheet and database packages.

Language:
Fluency in English with good verbal and written skills.


UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.


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