UNDP Jobs - 49420- Re-advertisement - Reporting, Monitoring and Evalu

Re-advertisement - Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist - UNDP/ICSPA Project

Location :

Kabul, AFGHANISTAN

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

21-Dec-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year with possibility of extension

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

Candidates who previously applied need not re-apply.

UNDP supports stabilization, state building, governance and development priorities in many countries and jurisdictions, including the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

In partnership with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA), the United Nations System, the donor community and other development stakeholders, UNDP has contributed to institutional development efforts that positively impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years, UNDP support has spanned milestone efforts such as the adoption of the Afghan Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; and, institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, judicial and executive branches of the GoIRA, and key Government ministries, agencies and commissions at the national and sub-national levels.

UNDP Afghanistan, benefitting from the very active support of donors, is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN System as a whole, to maximize the impact of its development efforts.

Years of conflict have damaged Afghanistan’s economic, political, physical, social and institutional structures. Reconstruction demands a secure environment in which there is credible leadership and enforced Rule of Law. Strong, legitimate and effective public administration structures, responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens - especially the poor and the marginalized – are precursors to any sustainable development. To this end, UNDP Afghanistan supports the National Assembly of Afghanistan (NAA) so that it can effectively discharge its core functions of law making, oversight and representation.

UNDP support to the NAA started in 2005 with SEAL 1 (Support to the Establishment of the Afghan Legislature), which was a broad-based project supporting all main aspects of the Parliament’s functions. SEAL 1 was succeeded by SEAL 2 (Supporting an Effective Afghan Legislature) in 2008, which ceased in early 2010. Later in 2010, the NAA requested support from UNDP for the induction of the Members of Parliament elected during that year; strategy formulation for both Houses; and the creation of a full support project to succeed SEAL 2. In the second quarter of 2014 UNDP has launched a third generation parliament project, the Institutional and Capacity Support to the Parliament of Afghanistan (ICSPA).

The objective of the ICSPA is to assist the two Houses of the Afghan Parliament, the Wolesi Jirga (House of the People) and the Meshrano Jirga (House of Elders), respectively, in becoming more effective parliamentary institutions, both reflecting and contributing to a growing culture of legitimate and inclusive governance. To achieve such an objective, the ICSPA aims to support the NAA to undertake a comprehensive self-assessment to identify priority areas for support and institutional development, guided by the principles of co-equality and cooperation with other institutions of the GoIRA.

The ICSPA will deliver the following Outputs: Output 1: A Self-Assessment Framework and Reform Action Plan developed for, and adopted by, the Afghan Parliament; Output 2: Staffing and financial management capacity of the Afghan Parliament enhanced; and Output 3: Capacity of the Afghan Parliament’s leadership to undertake reforms enhanced.

It is envisioned that the ICSPA project duration will be five (5) years, under the Direct Implementation Modality (DIM), with its different components working together with their relevant counterparts in the respective Secretariats of both Houses of the Parliament. Over the five-year term of the Project, UNDP may delegate particular areas of the Project for implementation by the concerned National counterpart in the appropriate organizational unit of the NAA. The delegation shall be effected in areas where the National counterparts demonstrate adequate capacity to undertake the responsibility for implementation.

The ICSPA will exemplify a strategic and targeted approach, complementary to other assistance projects to the NAA, like the ALBA (Assistance to Legislative Bodies of Afghanistan) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The ICSPA is based firmly on the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) and its associated National Priority Programs (NPP), as well as the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the UNDP Country Programme Document (UNDP-CPD), and the UNDP Programmatic Strategy for Legitimate and Inclusive Governance (UNDP-PSLIG).

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor of the Institutional and Capacity Support to the Parliament of Afghanistan (ICSPA) project the Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will ensure:

Monitoring and Evaluation:

The development and updating of a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan through which to measure changes in the Parliament’s institutional capacity and project deliverables. This will include updating of risk and issue logs.

Reporting:

Timely preparation of high-quality reports, including analytic assessment, in strict accordance with the provisions in contribution agreements, the project document, UNDP policies and procedures and UNDP Afghanistan country office requirements;
Documentation and Sharing of Best Practices and Lessons Learned: Development and publication of knowledge products which document best practices and lessons learned as well as sharing of international comparative experiences;
Communication: Communication of project related activities and performance.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The RM&E Specialist will prepare and periodically update the project’s M&E plan which will include detailed and measurable targets, indicators (qualitative and quantitative) and baseline data from published and/or objectively verifiable sources; schedules and timelines; as well as issues and risk logs (financial, organizational, political, operational, regulatory, strategic and other).

The M&E plan and updates provided by the RM&E Specialist will be used as the basis for tracking project progress and changes, if any, in the NAA’s capacity. The RM&E Specialist shall detail the criteria to provide the basis for decisions necessary to manage changes in the project, if any. The RM&E Specialist shall establish a robust M&E system that would contribute to the development of an excellent mechanism for impact assessment of the outputs of the ICSPA project document outcomes that affect the project’s beneficiaries and stakeholders.

The main focus of the RM&E Specialist will be ensuring the effectiveness, transparency and accountability of the Project’s activities. The primary aim of the RM&E Specialist will be promoting a high-quality and results-oriented approach in the ICSPA.

Tasks will include:

Preparation and updating of the M&E plan for submission and approval to the Donors Working Group and the Project Technical Working Group. The RM&E Specialist will update the plan at least quarterly;
Data collection from Parliament and other stakeholders; data analysis; and design of surveys and questionnaires to collect data, as needed;
Monitor, evaluate and update the risk and issues logs/matrixes and provide recommendations for mainstreaming means to address risks and issues into the project. In particular, monitor and ensure compliance for risk control in strict accordance with due diligence assessments, contribution agreements and the project document;
Serve as the coordinator and focal point for project audits and evaluations based on UNDP standard Audit and evaluation guidelines and in consultation with the UNDP Country Office.

Reporting:

The RM&E Specialist will bear overall responsibility for the preparation and submission of high-quality project related reports in advance of due dates. The RM&E Specialist will also serve as the secretary to the Project Technical Working Group, the Project Management Board and the Donors Working Group.

Tasks will include:

Preparation and submission of high-quality project reports (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual) in strict accordance with contribution agreements, the project document, UNDP policies and procedures and UNDP Afghanistan Country Office requirements in advance of due dates. Reports will be based on the M&E plan and include gender specific results, partnerships, issues, risks and lessons learned;
Preparation of meeting minutes/reports on all Technical Working Group (TWG), Project Management Board (PMB) and Donor Working Group meetings; as well as weekly project meetings;
Reporting on project specific conflict of interest, hospitality and mandatory training registers in accordance with donor requirements;
Presentation of monthly reports, including risks and issues, directly to the Donor Working Group and the Project Technical Working Group, if and when required.

Documentation and Sharing of Best Practices and Lessons Learned:

The RM&E Specialist will be responsible to document lessons learned from the project and share best practices to guide implementation and comparative international experiences.

Tasks will include:

Development and publication of at least two knowledge products (case study, research paper, policy paper, compilation of best practices, etc) per year with a focus on comparative international experiences in the field of Parliamentary Development and challenges to institutional strengthening in crisis contexts/fragile states;
Maintain a weekly log of lessons learned;
Share information with other development practitioners through knowledge networks such as AGORA and Teamwork as well as the Parliamentary Development, Democratic Governance and Crisis Prevention and Recovery communities of practice;
Keep project team abreast of latest relevant publications and knowledge products from global think-tanks (such as the OECD) to guide best practice.

Communications:

The RM&E Specialist will serve as the project communications focal point and ensure preparation and implementation of the project communication plan; ensure effective responses to inquiries for project related information; and prepare and provide all information for communication of project related activities on UNDP websites.

The RM&E Specialist will work collaboratively with the UNDP Afghanistan Communications Team and UN agency communications focal points, as necessary.

Tasks will include:

Propose communication recommendations and develop a communications plan;
Prepare and ensure up-to-date project related information is posted on the UNDP internal and external websites;
Prepare and maintain project factsheets and other printed materials for project publicity;
Provide technical guidance and assistance as appropriate to strengthen the Parliament’s Public relation departments;
Preparation of Press Releases, when and if necessary, in collaboration with the UNDP Afghanistan Country Office.

The M&E Specialist will work in close collaboration with the ICSPA Project Team and carry out any other tasks that the Chief Technical Advisor and/or the Technical Specialist may assign from time to time, as required.

Impact of Results:

The key results will have an impact on the overall efficiency in undertaking the project activities, and success in the implementation of operational strategies, also resulting in the ICSPA project serving as an example in terms of:

Timely and high-quality reporting, including accurate analysis as well as clear and concise presentation of information, to ensure the Parliament’s, the Donors’, and other stakeholders’ satisfaction. This requires that stakeholders are kept abreast of changes in risks and issues and that project resources are utilized and reported on in full compliance with UNDP’s rules and regulations and contribution agreements;
Monitoring and Reporting permitting for the timely and effective delivery of the Project’s Outputs in accordance with the Project Document and timely revision of work plans based on monitoring and evaluation results, as necessary;
Sharing of best practices and lessons learned as well as effective communication.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Project management or programme experience at a senior level with UNDP, UN or other development agencies;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism; and
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional Competencies:

Familiarity with different stages of project/program cycle - design, to implementation, to supervision, to monitoring and evaluation;
Strong qualitative and/or quantitative analysis capabilities;
Demonstrated quality of judgment and the ability to think strategically, assessing and responding to challenges in parliamentary development work;
Strong leadership and interpersonal skills;
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and the ability to present coherent and convincing strategic analysis;
Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment;
Understands the structure and hierarchy of UN/UNDP, process flows throughout the organization, products and services, their measures of effectiveness, and perceptions of clients;
Makes case for innovative ideas, documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for himself/herself, and willingly accepts new work assignments;
Works collaboratively with colleagues inside UN/UNDP as well as its partners and other stakeholders to pursue common goals;
Possess strong analytical abilities, particularly in the areas of governance, learning, training and capacity development/transfer;
Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impacts and results for the client, and responds positively to feedbacks;
Understands more advanced aspects of monitoring and evaluation as well as the fundamental concepts of results-based management;
Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools, and utilizes these regularly in work assignments;
Tolerates conditions of stress, uncertainty or ambiguity, and continues to maintain a positive outlook and to work productively; and,
Has deep understanding of post-conflict environments and the evolving development challenges.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree in social sciences (international development, development studies, political economy, and public policy) or a related field.

Experience:

A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional working experience in reporting, monitoring and evaluation including data collection and analysis at an international level including socio-economic issues and related policy matters. This should include experience in designing questionnaires and surveys for the collection of qualitative and quantitative data;
Experience working in conflict/post-conflict contexts preferred. Previous working experience in Afghanistan is an advantage;
Exposure to politically tense settings;
Excellent computer skills, with MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point).

In addition, the following professional experiences are considered as strong advantage/asset:

Familiarity with Afghanistan and its political, social and economic context;
Successful working experience in Afghanistan or other Islamic countries, particularly in the Central Asia Region;
Previous experience working internationally on Parliamentary Development or other institutional strengthening programmes.

Language:

Excellent command of written and spoken English;
Knowledge of Dari/Pashto would be an advantage.

Note:

Interested and qualified international candidates should apply on-line through the UNDP Jobs site at UNDP Afghanistan Vacancy Announcement and please ensure that to fill up and upload Personal History Form-P.11 which is available at UNDP Personal History Form (P.11 Form) .
Incomplete applications or applications received after the closing date will not be given consideration. Please note that only applicants who are short-listed will be contacted.
For more detailed information about UNDP Afghanistan please visit our website at www.undp.org.af.
Successful candidates must be prepared to start work within 6 weeks of the offer of appointment.
Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.