Background

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director for programmes, the Programme Analyst for Monitoring and Evaluation is responsible for Planning and Monitoring and Evaluation of UNDP Nigeria Country Programme in accordance with the UNDP policies to ensure the accountability of the CO for its performance and contribution to development results, in line with Results Based Management principles and tools; to ensure that objective evaluations are designed and managed to assess effectiveness, efficiency; impact and sustainability of results; to ensure that Programme Planning, Monitoring and Evaluations are carried out in a credible and systematic manner.

The incumbent will closely cooperate with the staff of other units, UN agencies within the UNDAF framework, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key functions:

• Establishment of Monitoring and  Evaluation system and its implementation in the CO;
• Ensures effective coordination of the evaluation process in the CO;
• Supports tracking of programme resource delivery;
• Development and enhancement of CO’s Results Based Management.

Ensures establishment of monitoring and evaluation system and its  implementation in the CO, focusing on achieving the following:

• Participate in Policy dialogue with Government including the coordination of the planning of the Country Programme; and in consultation with UN Agencies and other development partners, as may be required, to chart operational Strategies and develop implementation arrangements, M&E frameworks suited to the socio-economic realities of the country;
• Coordinates, supervises, and leads the CO annual, programme and strategic planning processes within the framework of Results Based Management platform, monitors the completion and maintenance of the Integrated Work Plan (IWP), and ensures that the projects are managed in accordance with the ATLAS Project Management Module;
• Advises management and office staff on status of results achieved, risks and common issues, constraints and opportunities. Alerts office on issues affecting achievement of results;
• Designs, coordinates, and supports the implementation of the Country Office monitoring strategy at Federal and State level to ensure that implementing partners are well positioned to report on results achieved;
• Provides guidance and technical support to outcome groups for assessment of performance through quarterly and annual portfolio reviews to promote quality assurance to ensure substantive accountability for results;
• Design and establish the evaluation system in the CO to ensure efficient evaluation in compliance with the UNDP Evaluation Policy, guidelines, norms and standards for evaluation in the UN system, ensuring organizational accountability;
• Prepares periodic reports on evaluation findings and recommendations, and provide inputs into corporate reporting instruments, such as ROAR etc.;
• Participates in the planning, preparation and management of thematic, country programme/project evaluations and other types of evaluations conducted in the Country Office;
• Promotes evaluation standards, quality assurance/control and capacity development in the Country Office;
• Contributes to the evaluation workplan, including identification of topics, and projects/programme to be evaluated;
• Coordinates specific evaluation missions for development projects, sectoral/thematic evaluations or desk evaluations/studies on selected sectors/themes.

Ensures effective coordination of the evaluation process in the Country Office, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Draft Terms of Reference (TOR) for specific project/thematic/sectoral evaluation missions and/or desk evaluations/reviews, participation in consultant and evaluation team selection, technical feedback on evaluations and budget oversight;
• Provides guidance on UNDP evaluation policies, procedures and practices to programme managers, UNDP CO staff concerned with evaluation, consultants and/or members of the evaluation team;
• Provides technical advice at the design stage of programmes/projects setting up a framework with defined indicators to facilitate M & E at the later stages;
• Prepares analytical documents on areas evaluated, effectiveness and impact of UNDP programme
• Follows up on the implementation of evaluation recommendations;
• Ensures the optimal use of evaluations by providing guidance in preparation of timely management response to all mandatory evaluations and by developing a communication plan.

Supports tracking of programme resource delivery:

• Coordinates regular tracking of programme delivery patterns and production of programme delivery reports;
• Identifies specific delivery obstacles and in collaboration with relevant programme units devises strategies to expedite delivery;
• Alerts senior management of potential risks around delivery  rates.

Ensures knowledge building and sharing in the CO around Results Based Management systems and tools, promotes the use of evaluation findings, lessons and recommendations in planning, policy, programme and portfolio decision-making, focusing on achieving the following results:

• Evaluation findings, lessons and recommendations captured, analyzed and made easily accessible to UNDP staff, and stakeholders, in accordance with evaluation policy, built into CO knowledge management, and actively disseminated in learning events, and channeled into decision-making processes;
• Development and implementation of the CO knowledge management strategy including RBM tools, products, and initiatives to create, sustain and share knowledge;
• Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to programme country policy goals;
• Creation of systems; standards and tools, for codifying, organizing and retrieving knowledge  assets;
• Organizes periodic events for sharing knowledge on RBM tools.

Impact of Results

The key results of the Programme Analyst have major impact on the credibility and accountability of UNDP vis-à-vis its stakeholders, for its organizational performance, use of resources and contribution to development results. The key results also foster a culture of accountability and managing for results in UNDP, and support UNDP to be a knowledge-driven organization, through organizational learning for evaluation and that feed into decision-making and future planning and interventions. Reports on evaluation findings enable external partners to make informed decision regarding UNDP.

Competencies

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda:
Preparing information for advocacy

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNDP’s mandate;
• Maintains a functioning network of contacts with a variety of stakeholders to promote a better understanding of UNDP’s mandate and to support advocacy efforts.

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;
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals and ensures substantive rigor in the design and application of proven successful approaches and drafts proposals accordingly.

Building Strategic Partnerships:
Maintaining a network of contacts

• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches:
Enhancing processes or products

• Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches;
• Documents bottlenecks, problems and issues, and proposes effective solutions;
• Embraces new approaches.

Resource Mobilization (Field Duty Stations):

• Providing inputs to resource mobilization strategies;
• Analyzes information/databases on potential and actual donors.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:
Basic research and analysis

• Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:
Fundamental knowledge of own discipline

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Analyzes the requirements and synthesizes proposals;
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals:
Preparing information for global advocacy

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences.

Client Orientation:
Establishing effective client relationships

• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;
• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Informed and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:  

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science or Related fields;
  
• Prince 2 training and certification.

Experience: 

• Minimum of 2 years of relevant experience at the national and international level in international development issues;
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation with a background in the analysis of socio-economic issues and related policy matters;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems.

Language requirement:   

• Fluency (both written and spoken) in English;
• Knowledge of at least one national language would be desirable.

The UN 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.