Background

The UN Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women (UNTF) was established through the General Assembly resolution 50/166 in 1996 and became operational in 1997, with UNIFEM as its Administrator on behalf of the UN system. The UN Trust Fund is a leading global inter-agency grant-making mechanism to support work of governments and non-governmental organizations to end violence against women. In administering the UN Trust Fund, UNIFEM established consultative mechanisms with a wide range of United Nations partners and leading experts, at regional and global levels, as part of system-wide efforts to eliminate violence against women.
 
The UN TF has been undergoing rapid changes over the past year or two, where before until 2004, The Fund barely reached $1M per year in grant-making; in 2008, the UN Trust Fund is reaching the $20M mark. This has enabled improvements in efficiency and cost-effectiveness, by being able to make larger and longer-term grants. Other trends worth mentioning are the inclusion of more rigorous standards focused on quality and results, enhancing the technical expertise available to grantees, strengthening monitoring and accountability systems as well as the staff complement, adopting a Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Management Framework, and encouraging deepened UN sister agency involvement. In this context, the UN Trust Fund is uniquely placed to function as a global observatory of emerging good practices and contribute to expand the global knowledge base of effective approaches to ending violence against women and girls, generating and nurturing new theories and practice, as well as lessons learned and models for scaling up.  
Annually, the UN Trust Fund launches a Call for Proposals inviting governments, civil society organizations and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) from developing countries and countries in transition to submit proposals in support of projects to eliminate violence against women.
 
Based on the above, the UNTF is in search of a Senior Consultant to develop a plan to roll out the UNTF’s Monitoring & Evaluation and Knowledge Management Framework 2008-2011 and to develop a plan to provide tailored technical assistance to grantees of the UNTF identifying learning cohorts and enhancing knowledge management practices and products. The consultant will also lead the development of selected evaluation knowledge products and assess quality and methodological issues of the UN Trust Fund grantees final evaluation reports and prepare periodic technical assessment updates and recommendations for improvements and future guidance on the development and follow up of monitoring and evaluation plans and will serve also as a trainer on evidence-based programming, M&E in the area of violence against women for the UNTF grantees and other key stakeholders and counterparts. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision and guidance of the UNTF Manager, the Specialist will be responsible for the following main tasks envisioned for 2009-2010;
 
Evaluation:
  • Develop a plan to roll out the UNTF’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Management Framework 2008-2011. Including the development of a plan to provide tailored technical assistance to grantees of the UNTF; identify learning cohorts; and enhance knowledge management practices and products.
  • Manage the implementation of the Framework to track and report on progress made. 
  • Lead in the development of selected evaluation knowledge products, including the development of an evaluation guide and of a training package on evidence-based programming, monitoring and evaluation for UN Trust Fund grantees.
  • Provide lead technical peer review and backstopping support to UN Trust Fund grantees in the development of their monitoring and evaluation plans.
  • Assess quality and methodological issues of UN Trust Fund grantee final evaluation reports and prepare periodic technical assessment updates and recommendations for improvements and future guidance on the development and follow up of monitoring and evaluation plans.
  • Support the UN Trust Fund Management Team in extracting critical lessons learned and good practices from final evaluation reports, including as relates to monitoring and evaluation.
  • Manage other monitoring and evaluation-related events, products, and technical assistance needs, as requested by the supervisor.
  • Serve as facilitator and trainer on evidence-based programming, monitoring and evaluation in the area of violence against women programming annually for UN Trust Fund grantees; and on a case-by-case and selective basis, for other key stakeholders and counterparts, including for UNIFEM or other UN staff development.
  • Develop a global logical framework for the UNTF in alignment with its strategic vision 2015. 
2009 Call for Proposals:
  • Review and rank full-fledged proposals (28 – 30) submitted by the short-listed UNCTs, cross-regional and country level applicants, as per the criteria and format developed by the UN Trust Fund
  • Provide detailed written feedback on each proposal, based on it’s the overall quality, results-oriented nature, and technical strength vis-à-vis the overall contents of the UN Trust Fund Call and budget.
Deliverables:
  • A plan to roll out the UNTF’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Management Framework 2008-2011
  • A plan to provide tailored technical assistance to grantees of the UNTF, which should include the identification of learning cohorts and how to enhance knowledge management practices and products.
  • Manage the implementation of the Framework to track and report on progress made
  • Lead in the development of selected evaluation knowledge products, including the development of an evaluation guide and of a training package on evidence-based programming, monitoring and evaluation for UN Trust Fund grantees
  • Rank and Review full-fledged proposals submitted by the short-listed UNCTs, cross-regional and country level applicants, as per the criteria and format developed by the UN Trust Fund
  • Prepare detailed written feedback on each proposal, based on it’s the overall quality, results-oriented nature, and technical strength vis-à-vis the overall contents of the UN Trust Fund Call and budget
  • Provide lead technical peer review and backstopping support to UN Trust Fund grantees in the development of their monitoring and evaluation plans
  • Assess quality and methodological issues of UN Trust Fund grantee final evaluation reports and prepare periodic technical assessment updates and recommendations for improvements and future guidance on the development and follow up of monitoring and evaluation plans.
  • Support the UN Trust Fund Management Team in extracting critical lessons learned and good practices from final evaluation reports, including as relates to monitoring and evaluation.
  • Manage other monitoring and evaluation-related events, products, and technical assistance needs, as requested by the supervisor
  • Serve as facilitator and trainer on evidence-based programming, monitoring and evaluation in the area of violence against women programming annually for UN Trust Fund grantees; and on a case-by-case and selective basis, for other key stakeholders and counterparts, including for UNIFEM or other UN staff development
  • A global logical framework for the UNTF in alignment with its strategic 2015 Vision

Competencies

Monitoring and Evaluation
  • In-depth substantive knowledge of monitoring and evaluation and related development policy and programming issues, including knowledge of results-based management and logframes.
  • Experience in monitoring and evaluating programmes related to violence against women highly desirable.
  • Experience as a trainer and facilitator on monitoring and evaluation issues, and in developing user-friendly practical guidance and tools conducive to learning.
  • Promotes learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
  • Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNIFEM.
Management and Leadership
  • Ability to manage for results: translate strategy into achievable plans, with established priorities, monitors them, making periodic adjustments as required.
  • Ability to effectively represent UNIFEM in, and contribute to United Nations inter-agency programming and evaluation initiatives related to violence against women.
  • Builds strong relationships with, and focuses on results for clients and partners, Responds positively to feedback.
  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.
  • Strong management experience in a global multicultural setting respecting gender equality and an ability to contribute to team work.
Networking and Partnering
  • Outstanding networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills.
  • Capacity to work with diverse partners including governments and civil society.
  • Ability to support resource mobilization for UNIFEM’s evaluation strategy on violence against women.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Advanced university degree in International Development or in the field of social sciences or other relevant field.
 
Required Skills and Experience
  • Knowledge of the UN context and the role of the UN and its agencies funds and programmes. Experience related to UNIFEM’s mandate and activities an asset.
  • Minimum of seven years of relevant national/international working experience in international development, especially gender equality. Substantive knowledge of and experience working on gender equality and women’s empowerment issues. Knowledge and experience working on ending violence against women highly desirable.
  • Minimum of seven years of experience working in monitoring and evaluation including:
  • Experience working in the field of monitoring: developing plans, tracking results, reporting to different constituencies. Monitoring experience in the UN context highly desirable.
  • Evaluation design – competency to formulate well focused evaluation terms of reference with minimal supervision; good understanding of evaluation methodologies such as surveys, record reviews, focus group discussions, case studies and sampling techniques.
  • Data collection and analysis – good understanding of baseline data issues; questionnaire design; interviewing skills.
  • Evaluation process management – mastery in developing evaluation work plan; takes management; ensuring project costs are within approved budget; able to independently assume responsibility for managing complex evaluations and to supervise evaluation team members; skills to negotiate outside the agency on issues related to evaluations and conflict resolution skills.
  • Familiar with, and practices ethical standards for evaluation.
  • Experience in results-based management (RBM). RBM experience as specifically applied in the UN context an asset.
  • Experience in the United Nations, a governmental, other multilateral or civil society organization in a developed or developing country highly desirable.
  • Skills as a trainer/facilitator and dynamic interpersonal skills; prior training and experience as a facilitator highly desirable.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills in English; ability to use critical thinking, conceptualize ideas, and articulate relevant subject matter in a clear and concise way.
  • Fluency in English. Working knowledge in Spanish or French or other UN official languages desirable.