UNDP Jobs - 60714- Programme and M & E Officer

Programme and M & E Officer - (Open to Ghanaian Nationals Only)

Location :

Accra, GHANA

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

01-Jan-2016

Application Deadline :

21-Oct-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SC-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year (renewable)

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 Ghana is collaborating with the Government and civil society partners to ensure that poverty reduction strategies implemented by Ghana are based on good environmental management, while realizing the full potential of natural resources to contribute to poverty reduction. UNDP considers capacity building of related Ministry and governmental agencies vital to achieving better environmental governance. The programme includes strengthening and harmonizing the legal and institutional framework for environmental management in Ghana as well as mainstreaming environment and energy into Ghana’s policy and planning frameworks.

In particular, UNDP Ghana is supporting the Government to strengthen their capacities to reduce risks associated with climate change with strategic approach to manage climate change and disaster risk reduction so as to turn them into the opportunities for sustained development.

Through the Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC), UNDP is a key contributor to the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) Thematic Group 2, which outlines UN Agencies objectives and targets in the areas of Sustainable Environment, Energy and Human Settlements. Being the UN lead agency on energy and environment issues, UNDP plays an important technical role in the Group.

It is important to continuously monitor UNDP’s contribution to the sector and progress against its own targets as declared in the UNDAF. The 2011 Assessment of Development Results: Evaluation of UNDP Contribution in Ghana observed that M&E (as well as knowledge and information management) in the Ghana Country Office is not effective. Hence it limits the opportunity for UNDP to benefit from lessons learned and to make the necessary improvements or changes to a programme or project.

To fill this gap, SDC has developed the M&E system for the cluster. This cluster-level M&E system is intended to improve the development effectiveness of the Cluster by enabling staff members and UNDP senior management to continuously monitor the progress of achieving the development outcomes in the next five years co-terminus with the duration of the UNDAF (2012-2017). It is also intended to improve monitoring of progress towards target, programming, and knowledge management. The information emanating from the M&E system will be used for monitoring the progress against UNDAF, corporate reporting (e.g. periodic and annual reporting, such as the ROAR), and for developing knowledge products, such as policy papers and lessons learned documents. In addition, lessons learned from implementation will be incorporated in developing programmes and projects, disseminated through various platforms, such as Teamworks, UNDP newsletter, and publications.

The Programme and M&E Officer will be the focal person for the management of selected projects and the implementation of cluster-level monitoring and evaluation systems. She/he will directly report to the Cluster Manager of the Sustainable Development Cluster. In order to successfully deliver his/her work, she/he needs to work closely with and mobilize inputs from the SDC team members.

Duties and Responsibilities

Programme Management (35%):

Support implementation and development of UNDP programme on sustainable development (climate change, disaster risk reduction, sustainable energy, sustainable livelihoods and agriculture;
Monitor project activities and progress and ensure that the agreed deliverables are produced satisfactorily according to plans;
Participate in various meetings in the sector, and seek the synergy of other ongoing projects by other development partners;
Perform other tasks as required by the Head of Programme and the Head of the Sustainable Development Cluster.

Technical and Administrative Assistance (10%):

Assist in review and comment on relevant submissions of the project reports to improve the technical quality;
Support preparation of cluster work plans and facilitate of coordination of project implementation at the cluster level;
Support procurement of goods and services (e.g. consultants), as well as administrative work for the cluster.

Implementation of monitoring and evaluation plan (45%):

Implement M&E tools and plans for the Sustainable Development Cluster;
Coordinate SDC inputs to corporate reporting mechanisms (e.g. the Result Oriented Annual Report – ROAR) and to M&E activities related to the UNDAF Thematic Area 2;
Shares information and trains implementing partners in collecting and sharing necessary information on time for M&E;
Advises the Project Manager and Programme Officers on appropriate project adjustment strategies if required ;
Ensures that projects are implemented in accordance with UNDP M&E policies and other relevant UNDP rules and regulations;
Responsible for all mid-term and final project evaluations.

Knowledge Building and Management (5%):

Synthesize and document lessons learnt and best practices in programme;
Develop success stories and articles to communicate UNDP’s achievements.

Resource Mobilization and Strategic Partnerships (5%):

Support resource mobilization efforts of the government;
Explore possible areas of cooperation and identify opportunities for initiation of new projects.

Competencies

Communicating information and ideas:

Communicating clearly and effectively;
Seeking to understand the ideas of others;
Facilitating and encouraging open communication;
Creating an environment for open communication;
Inspiring and persuading others.

Ethics and values:

Taking actions that are congruent with what he/she says;
Reliably delivering on promises and honoring commitments made;
Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN/UNDP in actions and decisions;
Demonstrating an appreciation of differences in values and learning from cultural diversity;
Moves from demonstrating sensitivity to encouraging full participation, to leveraging diversity.

Knowledge sharing/continuous learning:

Taking responsibility for self-learning and development;
Actively seeking learning and career development opportunities;
Promoting organizational learning and knowledge management;
Building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.

Organizational awareness:

Understanding, building and using formal/ informal systems and contacts in a complex organizational and global environment to obtain results;
Moves from an ability to use organizational services to assist others, to applying corporate thinking and applying judgment, to building support and finally, demonstrating political acumen.

Self-management and emotional intelligence:

Managing moods, responding effectively to stress, situations of ambiguity or crisis;
Managing relationships with others to achieve mutual benefits. Building an emotionally intelligent organization.

Working in teams:

Working effectively with colleagues in ways that allow the achievement of shared objectives;
Building teams both within existing organizational structures and outside of them; Creating team spirit and unity of purpose across the business unit.

Building strategic partnerships:

Establishing, maintaining, and utilizing a broad network of contacts;
Building partnerships and strategic alliances;
Leveraging the resources of national governments and other development partners.

Client orientation:

Understanding and meeting or exceeding client needs;
Anticipating and addressing client needs and concerns;
Developing innovative approaches to meeting client needs. Ensuring overall provision of quality services to clients.

Job knowledge and technical expertise:

Demonstrating and applying professional and/or technical expertise/knowledge of the post or discipline;
Focusing on the knowledge and skill areas necessary to effectively perform the functions of the post;
Identifying and seeking to expand knowledge and improve work processes.

Conceptual innovation in the provision of technical expertise:

Supporting UNDP’s advocacy by developing innovative and creative approaches to the provision of technical expertise;
Moves from research to analysis to developing innovative and creative approach to conceptual leadership and championing conceptual innovation.

Creating visibility for UNDP/supporting UNDP’s capacity to advocate:

Ensuring that UNDP has the visibility and corporate image it requires as the key development actor.

Design and implementation of management systems:

Ensuring that UNDP has the internal management systems it requires as the key development actor.

Innovation and marketing new approaches:

Enhance existing processes or products;
Developing original and innovative ideas and approaches.

Promoting accountability and results-based management:

Monitoring and promoting practices, procedures and systems that support; accountability and results-based management, while also influencing change in the organizational culture.

Results-based programme development and management:

Effectively managing core and non-core resources to achieve UN development results.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in Development, Social Science, Environment, or closely relevant fields

Experience:

At least five years of experience in programme management and M&E;
Exposure in programme management related to environment, energy, and climate change;
Preferably experience in climate change policy development, good knowledge of climate change negotiation process.

Language:

Fluent English.