Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) established its presence in Georgia in 1993. For more than 20 years on the ground, UNDP focuses on promoting national development jointly with the Georgian Government.

With an annual programmatic budget of over USD 17 million, UNDP works closely with the Government of Georgia to boost reforms, develop new strategies, promote inclusive economic development, and assist in achieving national priorities. UNDP also works with civil society, including non-governmental organizations, academia and media, and with private sector to promote public-private partnerships.

UNDP assists Georgia in four major areas of development:

  • Democratic Governance;
  • Economic Development;
  • Environment and Energy;
  • Crisis Prevention and Recovery.

As UNDP Georgia enters a new cycle of the country programme (2016-2020), and in line with the Corporate Strategic Priorities as endorsed through the UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017, the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) function in Country Office needs to be strengthened. The lessons learned from the M&E activities for the current country programme cycle (2011-2015), call for improved systems and processes for robust and integrated M&E system that will meet new challenges and expectations.

Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Resident Representative and overall guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative, the M&E Specialist will contribute to development of CO strategic planning, monitoring, reporting and application of RBM tools in these processes. The M&E Specialist will also contribute to effective implementation of the evaluation policy, ensure that minimum monitoring and evaluation requirements for the Country Programme and projects are met, will participate in the conduct of thematic and crosscutting evaluations and ensure a systematics follow up to the evaluation recommendations.

The M&E Specialist will provide, support, coaching and guidance to the programme and project teams in designing effective programme and project M&E systems, monitoring the progress and reporting against the set indicators.

The M&E Specialist will work in close collaboration with other Programme and Operations Teams in the CO, as well as with UNDP HQ staff, UN Agencies and other national and international partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

  • Contribute to the CO Strategic Planning and facilitate the Country Programme level Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting;
  • Support CO M&E efforts in line with the corporate requirements;
  • Guide and advise programme and project teams in establishing effective, RBM-based M&E platforms for all projects;
  • Facilitate knowledge sharing and networking on the M&E-related topics. Keep abreast of the state-of-the-art/innovative M&E tools and methodologies;
  • Perform other relevant duties as required.

Contribute to the CO Strategic Planning and facilitate the Country Programme level Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:

  • Provide inputs from UNDP side to the United Nations Partnership for Sustainable Development (UNPSD) M&E framework; Establish a system and identify tools for a regular monitoring of the UNDP-respective part of the framework; Represent UNDP in regular UNDPSD M&E activities including in preparation, implementation and reporting of the annual/mid-term reviews and the evaluation of the UNPSD;
  • Lead development of the results based M&E system for the upcoming UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD); Establish a system and identify tools for a regular monitoring of the CPD M&E framework; Ensure annual review and reporting against the set indicators and targets; Facilitate and contribute to the evaluation efforts of the CPD as a whole, or its separate outcomes. Ensure management response and follow-up to the evaluation recommendations;
  • Facilitate regular  review of the Country Programme Document (CPD), Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP), and management response and follow-up to the review recommendations.

Support CO M&E efforts in line with the corporate requirements:

  • Provide CO inputs into the corporate Integrated Results and Resources Framework reporting, including in setting and reporting country specific baselines and targets/results;
  • Provide   inputs in preparation of the CO Integrated Workplan and respective annual targets; facilitate mid-term and annual reporting on IWP;
  • Guide programme and project teams with respect to the Results Oriented Annual Reporting exercise, including advising on substantive and technical questions for results based progress reporting;
  • Establish programmatic and project evaluation plans, ensure regular update of the progress through the ERC.

Guide and advise programme and project teams in establishing effective, RBM-based M&E systems for all projects:

  • Provide advice on a formulation of Project RRF/ log frame, including on setting baselines, indicators and targets; Support projects in designing respective M&E frameworks;
  • Ensure regular monitoring of projects’ progress against set indicators and targets;
  • Advise and guide project teams on internal and external progress reporting, including through  corporate platforms (i.e. ATLAS) and to Donors;
  • In line with UNDP monitoring and evaluation policies, support design of project mid-term and/or final evaluations, including support/advise to the project team in drafting evaluation TOR, participate in evaluation, ensure management response and follow up to the recommendations.

Facilitate knowledge sharing and networking on the M&E-related topics. Keep abreast of the state-of-the-art/innovative M&E tools and methodologies:

  • Identify and formulate lessons learned from evaluations and studies to be integrated into broader CO and EO knowledge management efforts;
  • Contribute to the implementation of Evaluation Knowledge Management and Learning Strategy;
  • Plan, lead andcontribute to the results-oriented monitoring and evaluation training efforts in the Country Office;
  • Promote of monitoring, evaluation and RBM standards, quality assurance/ control and capacity development in the Country Office.

Perform other relevant duties as required.

Competencies

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

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda

  • Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNDP’s mandate.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management

  • 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.

Building Strategic Partnerships

  • Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches

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

Resource Mobilization

  • Analyzes information/databases on potential and actual donors.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

  • 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

  • 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

  • Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences;
  • Maintains a functioning network of contacts in the media and civil society.

Client Orientation

  • 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

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Statistics, Social Sciences, Public Administration, International Relations, Political Science or a related discipline.

Experience:

  • At least 5 years of relevant experience in monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and/or projects, in an international, multilateral/bilateral or national organization;
  • Sound theoretical and applied knowledge of Results Based Management;
  • Experience with, or knowledge of the UN system M&E principles will be a strong asset;
  • Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems

Language Requirements:

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Georgian;
  • Knowledge of Russian will be an asset