Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in more than 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners that can bring about results.

UNDP is a founding co-sponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialized health-focused UN agencies.  UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development. 

As a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multisectoral health projects including those addressing human rights, gender & HIV dimensions while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. The UNDP/Global Fund partnership is an important part of this work, facilitating access to resources for action on MDG 6 by countries that face constraints in directly receiving and managing such funding.  UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient in these settings, working with national partners and the Global Fund to improve management, implementation and oversight of Global Fund grants, while simultaneously developing national capacity for governments or local entities to be able to assume the Principal Recipient role over time.

UNDP will be Principal Recipient for the Global Fund African Regional HIV Grant - Removing Legal Barriers, and the Programme Management Team will be based in the Regional Service Centre for Africa in Addis Ababa. The regional grant will be implemented at the AUC and REC levels and in 10 countries (Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia). The value of the grant is approximately $10.6 million over three years, and four sub-recipients (SRs) – ARASA, ENDA, KELIN, SALC – have already been identified. The overall goal of the grant is to reduce the impact of HIV on key populations groups (men who have sex with men, sex workers and people who use drugs). In its role as the PR, UNDP is responsible for the financial and programmatic management of the African Regional HIV Grant - Removing Legal Barriers. The grant will support regional advocacy initiatives and country level advocacy and capacity building activities with civil society partners in the 10 programme countries.

UNDP’s management role consists of ensuring successful implementation of grant activities by SRs, ensuring programmatic and financial accountability, and capacity building of national and regional counterparts on programme, monitoring and evaluation and financial management. More importantly, the grant focuses on community system strengthening and human rights of key populations communities and community-based organizations and advocacy efforts to create a more enabling environment. For the implementation of the programme, UNDP is establishing a Programme Management Team (PMT) in the Regional Service Centre for Africa in Addis Ababa. The PMT will be responsible for coordinating the implementation of the grant and providing general guidance to the SRs.

Objective of the assignment:

The M&E Specialist will provide M&E planning, data collection, validation, supervision and reporting to the grant. In addition, he/she will also provide capacity strengthening support to the Sub-Recipients on M&E. Furthermore, he/she will provide support to the Programme Manager on the implementation of the communication plan and development of appropriate knowledge products to showcase the results of the grant.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Programme Manager, the M&E Specialist will be responsible for:

Design of the Grant’s Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

• Review the grant workplan (activities, processes, inputs, outputs, outcomes and impacts);
• Facilitate baseline and endline surveys;
• Design the formats and procedures for operational monitoring;
• Facilitate the determination of appropriate indicators, targets & milestones for monitoring and evaluation of the grant.

Implementation of the Grant’s M&E Plan

• Monitor grant’s annual workplan;
• Manage the compilation of progress reports and monitoring information on a quarterly, semi-annual and annual basis as appropriate;
• Provide support to the implementation of the grant’s workplan;
• Review and verify data submitted by all SRs and UNDP Country Offices;
• Consolidate and report the compiled data;
• Continually review and strengthen the overall grant M&E system.

Capacity development and knowledge sharing for the SRs

• Facilitate capacity assessment of the SRs;
• Design and conduct appropriate capacity strengthening for the SRs on M&E and reporting
• Analyze reports for production of knowledge products
• Support the Programme Manager in the implementation of the Communication plan

Competencies

Organizational 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;

Functional:

• Strong analytical and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products;
• Professional and/or academic experience in one or more of the areas of the Development and knowledge management field;
• Ability to consolidate information from multiple sources;
• Able to prepare strategic information for decision makers in concise and attractive manner.

Project and Resource Management:

• Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs;
• Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service;
• Strong organizational skills;
• Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs;
• Sound judgment, strategic thinking and the ability to manage competing priorities;

Communications and Advocacy:

• Strong ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to different audiences and speak clearly and convincingly;
• Strong capacity to communicate clearly and quickly;
• Strong inter-personal, negotiation and liaison skills;
• Ability to work as part of a team, sharing information and coordinating efforts within the team and various stakeholders.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in Business or Public Administration or other related discipline

Experience:

• Extensive working experience (minimum of 5 years) in HIV, Gender and Human Rights;
• Experience in programme management and M&E;
• Substantive knowledge  and experience related to HIV & key populations;
• Experience in working on HIV and the law;
• Experience with the UNDP and/or UN agencies.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English with good verbal and written skills