Job Identification : 9204
Locations : Dakar, Senegal
Posting Date : 03/15/2023, 10:08 AM
Apply Before : 04/05/2023, 09:00 PM
Job Schedule : Full time
Grade : P4
Vacancy Type : Fixed Term
Rotational/Non Rotational : Non-Rotational
Contract Duration : 1 Year
Education and Work Experience : Master’s Degree – 7 year(s) experience
Required Languages : French, English
Vacancy Timeline : 3 Weeks
Job Category : Monitoring & Evaluation
Job Description
The Position:
The Monitoring and Evaluation Programme Specialist provides technical support and quality assurance for the monitoring and evaluation of the Sub-Saharian Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend project (SWEDD), which has a total of thirteen participating countries. You will focus directly on the quality assurance and reporting of the SWEDD project, while at the same time being an integral part of the UNFPA West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO)’s Programme Coordination, Quality Assurance and Planing and Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E) Unit. In conjunction with SWEDD national teams, you will ensure that the Project’ monitoring and evaluation framework is fully implemented, and consolidate reports on key performance indicators and key project outputs and articulate the project impact on target populations; You will take part of and facilitate the design and execution of evaluations and studies, including robust impact evaluations of key project activities. The M&E Programme Specialist will report to and work under the direct supervision of the SWEDD Director or his/her Deputy, and maintain a technical reporting line to the Regional Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Adviser of WCARO.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
- SWEDD Project
The Sub-Saharian Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD) is a regional collaboration and partnership encompassing thirteen countries of West and Central Africa. The SWEDD project is an initiative of the participating governments, funded by the World Bank’s regional IDA (International Development Association) resources. Other participating partners are the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO), technical health wing of ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Agence Francaise de Development (AFD). UNFPA ensures the Secretariat, with overall coordination and technical assistance role. The Project acts on the UN-ASfrican Union-World Bank commitment to assist countries reap the Demographic Dividend with deliberate investments in human capital, with focus on adolescents girls’ education and women’s empowerment. The overall goal of the project is to accelerate the demographic transition, to spur the demographic dividend, and to reduce gender inequality in the participating countries.
The SWEDD Project interventions are structured around 3 components: (1) Gender transformative interventions across the 4E’s that promote girls’ and women’s social and economic autonomy; (2) Availability of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAHN) Commodities, and Qualified Health Workers at the community level and Strengthen Regional Capacity for adolescent-friendly services ; (3) Foster National and Regional Commitment and Capacity for Policy Making and Project Implementation.
The Project governance is vested in a Regional Steering Committee, supported by the Regional Technical Secretariat (RTS) located at the UNFPA’s WCARO. The RTS is responsible for strengthening project management capacities of implementing agencies at national and regional levels. It also oversees the programming and implementation of all funding channeled through UNFPA for the project activities directly executed by UNFPA or sub-contracted to other agencies and partners.
It is in this context and as a member of the SWEDD Regional Technical Secretariat, that the M&E Programme Specialist play. Key role in the implementation of the SWEDD project’s results-based monitoring and evaluation plan, including the development of methodologies, capacities, systems, and thematic and cross-country evaluations. Therefore, ensuring continuous availability of project data and evidence that inform about project performance, including relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability and impact.
2. UNFPA WCARO
The Monitoring and Evaluation Programme Specialist will work closely and be a member of the Planning, Moniroting and Evaluation unit of WCARO. S/he will contribute in the planning of thematic evaluations in the region and provide technical support for monitoring and evaluation activities across the full range of work of the Regional Office. S/he supports the effective monitoring, utilization, and effectiveness of the strategic information system (SIS) for results planning, monitoring and reporting, and ensures full compliance with the UNFPA corporate M&E policies, procedures and standards.
The M&E Programme Specialist will work within an integrated, coordinated and systems strengthening approach, which is fundamental to the Regional Office and UNFPA’s overall strategy.
You would be responsible for:
A. Strengthening the performance of the WCARO, including SWEDD project and other RO activities through appropriate Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Quality Assurance
- Under the direct technical guidance of the UNFPA regional PM&E Avisor, provide support and guidance to the project Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation activities;
- Develop a project monitoring and evaluation and quality assurance plan that is consistent with applicable organizational M&E framework;
- Set up and maintain operational arrangements for collecting, analyzing, and reporting project data, and for investing in capacity building, to sustain the Monitoring and Evaluation function of the project;
- Review programme implementation and reports, compile them for impact evaluation, and identify the causes of bottlenecks;
- Ensure availability of data to measure indicators contained in the project Action Plan for the evidence-based communication from country offices and the project Regional technical Secretariat;
- Collaborate with staff members and implementing partners on qualitative monitoring, to provide relevant information about project activities and foster participatory planning and monitoring;
- Facilitate joint monitoring and evaluation activities with national partners and the Donor wherever possible;
B. Providing technical assistance to Country Offices of WCA
- Work with the SWEDD focal points as well as M&E officers in UNFPA country offices, to ensure appropriate implementation of country programmes and monitoring achievement of expected results across all WCA countries;
- Provide advisory services and coordinate technical assistance to support governments and other partners to ensure that a minimum number of Population and Development, Women and Girls’ empowerment, Reproductive Health and Rights indicators are collected systematically as part of evidence gathering;
- Assist in collecting, compiling and analyzing relevant project data, with emphasis on identifying trends and patterns related to Demographic Dividend;
- Participate in capacity development in monitoring and evaluation within WCARO
- Undertake field visits to support country offices in support of PM&E activities in the Region.
C. Coordinating the preparation of Periodic Reviews and track progress
- Coordinate with the SWEDD Project Director in preparing periodic reports of activities, schedule, and financial status of all project outputs;
- Substantially contribute to the preparation of annual project reports;
- Prepare, as needed presentations for dissemination of findings internally and externally;
- Prepare briefing notes, as needed, for senior management on project progress or performance indicators;
- Work with the respective units in country offices, governments and other partners, to develop a coordinated joint annual review of the project Action Plan;
- Track work plan implementation in real-time, report issues and contribute to timely resolution of issues for a timely imple,entation of work plans.
D. Knowledge Development and Dissemination
- Facilitate learning from the results of monitoring and evaluation within Country Offices and more widely within WCARO, including the SWEDD project, as well as among national partners and other key stakeholders;
- Summarize best practices and lessons learned, and facilitate knowledge sharing to improve project performance.
E. Key Outcomes
- Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, quality process, framework and tools developed and constantly updated and applied;
- Best practices documented and disseminated across the region, especially in SWEDD countries;
- Monitoring and evaluation plan developed to support the implementation of Project activities;
- Member countries’ capacity enhanced in monitoring and evaluation of progress ;
- Annual Work plans and monitoring and evaluation plans prepared on a timely manner;
- Strengthened national and regional capacities in demographic analysis and Generational Economics;
- Promotion and ownership of the Demographic Dividend programming guide at all levels;
- Demographic Dividend annual reports for the SWEDD project countries prepared and published regularly and on due time;
- Regional and national Demographic Dividend observatories established and fully operationalized in SWEDD countries;
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
Advanced degree in Statistics, Public Health, Social Science, Demography, Economics, International Development, Public Administration or other related fields with a strong research methods. The degree should preferably include credits in the principles and practice of monitoring and evaluation.
Knowledge and Experience:
- 7 years of professional and substantive experience in programme development and implementation and establishing monitoring and evaluation frameworks in the field of development and humanitarian assistance; have worked at least five years at the international level;
- Strong track record of innovative leadership in setting up and implementing monitoring frameworks, managing project evaluations, and proven ability to produce demonstrable results;
- Extensive network within the academic and development community;
- Field experience would be a strong asset;
Languages:
- Fluency in English and French is required, to enable effective communication with French and English speaking country coordination groups and local organizations (West and Central Africa region).
Required Competencies:
Values:
- Exemplifying integrity,
- Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
- Embracing cultural diversity,
- Embracing change
Core Competencies:
- Achieving results,
- Being accountable,
- Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
- Thinking analytically and strategically,
- Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
Functional Competencies:
- Providing conceptual innovation to support programme effectiveness;
- Generating, managing and promoting the use of knowledge and information;
- Providing a technical support system;
- Strengthening the programming capacity of Country Offices;
- Facilitating quality programmatic results
- Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners, and building strategic alliances and partnerships
Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
Disclaimer:
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm
In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.