Background
The Government of Nepal (GoN) has been implementing Micro-Enterprise Development Programme – Phase III (MEDEP - III) with support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The purpose of MEDEP is to provide support to the Government of Nepal to design policies and take initiatives to expand employment opportunities through Micro-Enterprise Development for Poor, Youths, Women and Socially Excluded Groups in selected districts.
Duties and Responsibilities
Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe Project Associate (Monitoring and Evaluation) (PAME) will work directly under the guidance and immediate supervision of Area Programme Support Office (APS). The PA will report to the APSO and will work under the overall supervision of the MEDEP Management.
More specifically the PA will perform the following duties:
A. Monitoring and Evaluation (25% time)
- Support MES in monitoring the work progress of MEDEP inputs to the region and to the districts and assist MES to document the progress and made in a quarterly basis.
- Conduct and/or support research activities to assess the impact of the Programme in the region.
- Conduct intensive census of the entrepreneurs of the assigned districts categorising them as (1) Graduated, (2) Active, (2) Seasonally Active, (4) Sick and (5) Dropped out to determine their needs of reviving sick or scaling up of existing entrepreneurs and prepare plan of action reflecting in Annual and Quarterly Plans.
- Design activating and inactivate and scaling up activities for the above-mentioned categories of entrepreneurs
- Implement scaling up activities in consultation and APSO, NPSO, trainers and consultants
- Conduct on the spot monitoring of entrepreneurs, find out their issues and problems and determine the uptake pathways for scaling up of the enterprises;
- Train district level organisations of DCSI, CSIDB, MOAC, MOFSC and partner organisation in MEDEP model particularly in essential elements of MEDEP such as resource survey, market demand analysis, target group analysis, geographical areas identification such as Rural Market Centres (RMCs), VDCs, Municipalities, etc., social mobilisation for enterprise development, entrepreneurship development, etc.
- Train district level staff CSI and CSIDB on MEDEP model that includes Resource Survey, Market Demand and Target Group Identification and Selection
- Assist MES and EDU/DDCs to organize and manage orientation and training programme on MEDEP Strategies, Principles and Processes and participatory enterprise development planning and monitoring, social mobilization and others as appropriate.
- Assist MES to organize regional networking meetings of the DDCs, regional management committee meetings and other meetings as required.
- Assist MES to document the progress, achievements, effects and impacts and to publish occasional papers; best practices and challenging issues related to programme and other important issues.
- Provide technical supports through training, workshop exposure visit to Cottage and Small Industry Office and Cottage and Small Industry Development Board (CSIDB) district level office to fully inderstand MEDEP model for internalising MEDEP model into their systems.
- Support MES for financial and programme monitoring of BDSPOs, DMEGAs, DDC and other partner organisations.
- Provide technical support to BDSPOs and DMEGAs, MEGAs and MEGs in scaling up of the existing entrepreneurs.
- Support APSO for the effective implementation of MEDEP modality with close consultation to DEDC members and partner organisations in the districts.
- Conduct workshops, meetings and training with the involvement of VDC Secretaries, Municipalities, DDCs to generate resources at local level for employment creation through micro-enterprise development.
- Provide technical support to VDC and Municipalities to prepare Enterprise Development periodic plans.
- Provide technical support to EDU/DDC, BDSPOs, D-MEGAs and other partner organisations to assess, analyse, prepare reports on the potential areas of locally available resources (mostly natural resources) and estimate the number of micro and small entrepreneurs that can be established for employment generation in those areas.
- Provide technical supports through training, workshop exposure visit to Cottage and Small Industry Office and Cottage and Small Industry Development Board (CSIDB) district level office to fully inderstand MEDEP model for internalising MEDEP model into their systems
- Facilitate to develop linkages between Micro-finance Institutes (MFIs) and Appropriate Technology Development Institutes to have access of micro-entrepreneurs on credit and technologies.
- Provide technical support to BDSPOs and entrepreneurs for market survey and promotion of sales of products and services.
- Facilitate to develop Resource Directory of technical skills training institutes and/or resource persons for outsourcing the technical skills training to entrepreneurs
- Quality control of all kinds of training such as SIYB/MECD, technical skills, managerial skills, etc.
- Design product packages and provide support for branding.
- Identify the most potential products and services and link up with Scaling up activities to graduate them to Small and Medium Enterprises that can contribute in import substitution and export promotion.
- Ensure that MEDEP reaches out to women and excluded groups in the programme district and that district level support are designed and targeted to address gender inequality and social exclusion. Act as gender and social inclusion focal point.
- Fill up the Activity Log on a daily basis and submit duly signed formats to the concern authorities
- Perform any other duties assigned by MEDEP management or NPM.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism
Knowledge Management and Learning
- Shares knowledge and experience
- Encourages office staff to share knowledge and contribute to UNDP practice areas
- Develops substantive knowledge of one or more Practice Areas
- Promotes a learning environment in the office
- Provides helpful feedback and advice to others in the office
- Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
Development and Operational Effectiveness
- Ability to perform a variety of specialized activities related to HR management, including administration of recruitment , contracting and performance evaluation, monitoring of transactions, reporting
- Strong IT skills
- Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new systems
Leadership and Self-Management
- Focuses on result for the client
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
- Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
- Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
- Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view
- Solicits feedback from staff about the impact of his/her own behavior
Required Skills and Experience
Education:- Candidates for PAME should have Bachelors degree in management or social science or agriculture or natural resource management or forestry or agri-engineering or any other relevant field,
Experience:
- minimum of 3 years of experience on local level research on local development issues;
- experience on office management including account and financial management skills;
- experience on data collection, monitoring and analyzing information and progress reports from the field;
- very good computer skills on Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access and Power Point etc.) and
- a good command of oral and written communication skills in both Nepali and English.
- Typing skills in Nepali language is also essential. Knowledge of local languages spoken in MEDEP programme districts will be an added advantage.