UNDP Jobs - 35506- Results Management and Evaluation Advisor

Results Management and Evaluation Advisor

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-May-2013

Application Deadline :

19-Feb-13 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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. 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.

Background

UNDP recognizes that the growing risks and impacts of climate change and the accompanying loss of ecosystem services requires the world to urgently invest in a new green development paradigm. Based in UNDP’s Bureau of Development Policy and its Environment and Energy Group, the UNDP-GEF unit helps developing countries make green, low emission and climate resilient development not only possible, but also economically attractive. To achieve this, it works closely with UNDP country offices to help countries develop and implement programmes and projects which advance their capacity to put in place the right mix of regulatory and financial incentives, remove institutional and policy barriers, and create enabling environments that attract and drive private sector investment into green development.

UNDP-GEF staff assist partner countries to develop and implement programmes and projects that combine and sequence resources from a wide range of global environment and climate funds, financial mechanisms, and instruments including, but not limited to: the GEF managed family of vertical funds such as the GEF Trust Fund, the Special Climate Change Fund, and the Least Developed Countries Fund; the Adaptation Fund; the Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation, voluntary carbon markets and other innovative sources of carbon, climate, and ecosystem finance, as well as a variety of multilateral, bilateral, national, sub-national and private sector sources.

Achieving results is dependent on effective programme and project oversight with active monitoring, evaluation, learning and feedback mechanisms. The technical team Advisors and Specialists in the UNDP-GEF team are responsible for measuring and reporting on results, providing technical policy and project support, and generating new learning, knowledge and guidance. Guiding them to do this effectively and efficiently is the role of the Results Management and Evaluation Advisor (RMEA).

The RMEA will guide and advise senior management on all matters relating to programme and portfolio impact and performance. Through detailed analysis, the RMEA will also advise on the strategic policy and management planning implications of the impact and performance of the UNDP-GEF team. The RMEA will advise and support the technical team Advisors and Specialists in all matters relating to results management, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), reporting, learning and feedback systems, and will establish and maintain systems to facilitate this. Ultimately, the RMEA is responsible for ensuring that the entire UNDP-GEF programme retains its leadership position, is able to demonstrate delivery of results based on verifiable quantitative and qualitative experience, and is continuously innovating based on learning and knowledge.

Duties and Responsibilities

Specifically the Results Management and Evaluation Advisor will ensure that:

UNDP, GEF and other donor results management, and monitoring and evaluation policies, guidelines and reports are developed with and informed by the experience and expertise of the UNDP-GEF team;
UNDP-GEF results management, and monitoring and evaluation policies and guidance support a culture of results management, and improve the effectiveness, efficiency and delivery of results.
Results, impacts and management performance are systematically tracked and analyzed to support senior management decision making, policy formulation and adaptive management.
Results, impacts, and management performance is reported internally and externally in a transparent and accountable fashion and is widely communicated.
Learning and knowledge is extracted, codified, packaged and disseminated to support continuous improvement in the delivery of results.

The achievement of these results will require close cooperation and coordination within the UNDP-GEF team, with other UNDP units and donors. The incumbent will be an active member of the UNDP-GEF senior management team and the UNDP-GEF Directorate, will supervise a Programme Associate and ICT Associate and serve as the secondary supervisor to the Communities Programme Associate and Results & Knowledge Specialists in the relevant UNDP-GEF technical teams.

The following key results are expected:

Results management, monitoring and evaluation policies, and guidelines and reports (both internal and external) support the effective and efficient delivery of results (40%)

Lead and manage the relationship of UNDP-GEF team with UNDP Evaluation Office, the GEF Secretariat and GEF Evaluation Office, and other donors as appropriate, on results management, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E);
Liaise with external partners, such as the GEFEO, the GEF Secretariat, and the evaluation units of other agencies and partners, regarding evaluation policies, expectations, obligations and good practices in the evaluation of GEF work, and, as appropriate, agree on standards and requirements;
Advise and engage in the formulation and review of UNDP, GEF or other donor results management and M&E policies, guidance, and reports. Represent UNDP in related operational and policy forums to ensure M&E functions conform to international standards;
Identify the strategic priorities and develop innovative results management and M&E guidance and systems to support results management such as project information management systems, dashboards, ICT platforms for the preparation of reports, etc.;
Coordinate the implementation of M&E systems;
Provide advice and input to GEFEO initiated evaluations, such as the GEF Overall Performance Study and Country Portfolio Evaluations and GEF Annual Performance Reports;
Strengthen the overall results management and M&E, provide advice to Senior Management of UNDP-GEF and other teams within UNDP-GEF regarding the results of evaluations and any lessons or management or operational issues that should be addressed;
Provide tailored substantive and strategic advice, including building capacity, to the UNDP-GEF team of technical advisors in charge of particular portfolios on results management, monitoring and evaluation, management response on particular findings and issues and other quality assurance measures to improve the delivery of results. This may include, inter alia, develop, disseminate and advise on the application of guidelines and checklists, advise on qualified consultants.

Results, impacts and management performance information supports strategic decision making (30%)

Develop monitoring and evaluation systems to systematically and consistently monitor results and impacts across the entire portfolio of UNDP-GEF programmes and projects;
Lead the process to strengthen the culture of accountability by developing accountability systems to review and assess the quality of results achieved;
Coordinate the development of benchmarking systems to track management performance over time, and compare this across technical, geographical areas and other issue areas and systematically discuss with UNDP/GEF management the findings of such reviews, provide advice on issues that should be addressed;
Analyze and present real-time data on results, impacts, and management performance to senior management, and advise and engage on measures to be taken to address any strategic policy or operational issues identified and ensure their integration into the following year’s UNDP-GEF business plan;
Coordinate with the UNDP Evaluation Office the review of the quality of terminal evaluation reports.

Knowledge, adaptive management and learning supports delivery of results (30%)

Lead and manage the relationship with the GEF Communications Office, UNDP and other donors as appropriate on branding policies and prepare substantive presentations, briefing materials, position papers, methodological issue papers and high-level discussion documents relating to the portfolio of UNDP-GEF programmes and projects.
Keep abreast of ‘world class best practice’ in results management, monitoring and evaluation policy and methodology, including liaising with other UN agencies, donor agencies and relevant professional societies. Advise senior management regarding such ‘best practice’ and effective implementation of such ‘best practice’ within UNDP-GEF.
Collate and analyze results and lessons learned from externally-led project and programme monitoring and evaluation initiatives, including GEF and UNDP project, thematic and country evaluations. Advise senior management of appropriate adaptive management measures as required, lead the preparation of management responses, and ensure the implementation of recommendations of M&E reports and lessons.
Prepare annual performance reports on the progress and results achieved across the portfolio of UNDP-GEF programmes and projects and disseminate to country offices, regional offices and HQ units.

Impact of Results

The results of the work of the Results Management and Evaluation Advisor impact directly on the credibility and sustainability of the overall UNDP-GEF team both in terms of demonstrating its ability to deliver results and impacts, and on its ability as a learning organization able to adapt, learn, and remain on the cutting edge of environment and development knowledge and practice. Internally, the work will establish a culture of results management across the UNDP-GEF unit operating world-wide, will identify problems and opportunities early on, and advice on targeting adaptive management actions for senior management in an efficient and effective manner. The results will also ensure the overall credibility of UNDP vis a vis donor expectations. Without results management and monitoring and evaluation practices which meet and exceed recognized international standards, donors will be reluctant to support UNDP and UNDP-GEF programmes and projects.

Competencies

Given the complex, technical, and innovative nature of UNDP-GEF work, the difficulties and complexities of measuring the results of this work, and the challenges of creating a culture of results management and a learning organization, the position requires a combination of an understanding of and significant experience with GEF and UNDP programme and project monitoring and evaluation, reporting standards, systems development, and a strong commitment to accountability and transparency.

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Technical & Professionalism:

Demonstrated competence in establishing effective quantitative and qualitative monitoring systems, preferably for environment and energy projects in developing countries;
Demonstrated competence in quantitative and qualitative analysis;
Demonstrated ability to inform and advise strategic and tactical management decision making through the supply of objective information and analysis;
Demonstrated ability to research, analyze, synthesize and generate quality knowledge and learning products;
Sound knowledge and experience in how organizations and individuals learn and change;
Sound understanding of the limitations and opportunities of Information Technology;
Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader policy and operational objectives;
Develops innovative approaches to deal with complex policy/technical issues

Leadership & Management:

Proven ability to effectively lead, supervise, mentor, develop and evaluate staff;
Good judgment and decision-making skills.
Strategic vision and strong analytical capabilities. Good political judgment.
Manages conflicting priorities and/or with limited supervision.
Ability to negotiate at decision-making level.
Proven ability to provide strategic direction in her/his area of expertise

Client Orientation:

Demonstrated ability to see things from the clients perspective;
Ability to identify client needs and match them to appropriate solutions;
Demonstrated ability to establish trust and respect.

Creativity:

Demonstrated interest in new ideas, new ways of doing things;
Demonstrated interest in improving programmes or services;
Demonstrated ability to “think outside the box”;
Demonstrated ability to take calculated risks on new and unusual ideas and approaches.

Communication:

Excellent communication skills, both oral and most essentially - written;
Demonstrated ability to promote and persuade others to consider new ideas.
Articulates ideas in a clear, concise style

Commitment to Continuous Learning:

Demonstrated eagerness to seek out new learning, keep abreast of new developments in the relevant technical fields, and to develop own skills.

Planning and Organizing:

Proven ability to plan own work and coordinate the work of others.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree or higher in environment or energy, development, economics, business or public administration, or other closely related area.

Experience:

10 years or more of progressively more responsible relevant experience in the field of monitoring, reporting, and learning and strategic planning, preferably in the field of environment and in multicultural institutions.
Experience in programme and project management and evaluation.
Experience with analysis, business systems, and information technology for data and information management.
Proven track record of excellence in quantitative and qualitative measurement, reporting, analytic and learning systems and their application to strategic planning and management.
Knowledge of GEF and policies and programmes is an asset

Language Requirements:

Excellent command in written and spoken English is essential; working level proficiency in French and/or Spanish is highly desirable.

UNDP Personal History form (P11):

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc