Background

The UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in Kenya and Uganda support the Governments of Kenya and Uganda in addressing key development challenges based on the UN Development Assistance Framework and to support the Vision 2030 and the five year Mid Term Plans in Kenya and five year National Development Plans in Uganda.  The Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) supports the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC) in ensuring full coordination within the UNCT by promoting collaboration through joint programming and now through joint programmes.  The RCOs in Kenya and Uganda have supported the development of joint programmes on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Kenya and Gender Equality in Uganda by the respective UNCTs. 
 
A partnership between ILO, IOM, OCHA, UNAIDS, UNEP, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNODC, UNDP, UNIDO and UNIFEM in Kenya, and ILO, UNCDF, UNFPA, UNIDO, IOM, UNHCR, UNAIDS, WHO, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, OHCHR and UNIFEM in Uganda in close partnership with the national gender machineries and other relevant sector/line ministries have resulted in the development of the joint programmes. In both the countries, the UNCTs have appointed UNIFEM as the coordinating agency. The Joint Programme Coordinators will work under the leadership of the Country Programme Managers of Kenya and Uganda respectively. 
 
The joint programme in Kenya aims to mainstream gender in all processes, policies, strategies and actions of the government of Kenya; address the issue of gender based violence (GBV); improve gender equality in governance through increased representation and participation of women; enhanced access to economic opportunities for women; and comprehensive and coherent support by the UN to the government. The joint programming in Uganda strives to increase women’s access to sustainable livelihoods and gainful employment; reduction in gender-based violence and increase in women's access to justice; improved public participation in policies, systems and strategies for gender equality; reduction in gender gap in MDGs related programmes; enhanced capacity of the national gender machineries; and comprehensive and coherent support by the UN to the government.
 
The Joint programme in Kenya is in inception stage and the joint programming in Uganda is set to enter the implementation stage. The joint programmes will play an important role in bringing the resources and expertise of the UNCTs of Kenya and Uganda to bear on the delivery of the above mentioned outputs in a harmonized, aligned and coordinated manner.  The Joint Programme Coordinators in Kenya and Uganda will have an important role to play in ensuring that the joint programmes are implemented in a timely manner, continue to enjoy full ownership and buy-in by all Government and UN partners, and fulfill their potential for creating a model that can expand and serve as a foundation for significant progress toward the achievement of UNDAF outcomes.
 
The Joint Programme require an expert’s services to develop a Monitoring and Evaluation framework and a monitoring and evaluation plan with supplementary documents for the whole duration of the programmes.
 
Note: UNIFEM reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  The agency may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNIFEM at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and education requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work
 
The Joint Programme Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) aims to support the UNCT to develop framework and mechanisms for results based planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and reporting of the Joint Programme Process. M&E should also enable UNCT to reflect and report upon how resources are used, what results are achieved and how effective these results are in bringing about progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. The M&E Framework should be highly focused on improving UN capacity to manage for outcome-level change being sought in UNDAF Outcomes and the M&E plan should aim to monitor and assess progress and results indentified through the Joint Programme Outputs.  In other words, the M&E Framework and Plan should be aligned with the UNDAF M&E Plan.
 
The M&E Framework and Plan should have a results-based planning, monitoring and evaluation approach, including tools, baseline information and Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely/Time-bound (SMART) indicators (some of which are already included in the Results Framework) for monitoring progress and reporting results stipulated in the Joint Programme Results Framework. This Framework and Plan will have to be agreed upon by the Participating UN Organizations and already identified partners.  
 
The Joint Programme M&E Framework and Plan should be derived from the UNDAF M&E Framework and Plan. It should facilitate the Participating UN Organizations to share information and progress updates, and undertake joint monitoring visits including members of the Participating UN Organizations and the partners where appropriate.
 
The M&E Framework and Plan should apply the basic principle for M&E for One UN, that is, planning, monitoring and evaluation should reflect the guiding principles of national ownership, capacity development, and human development in all results. The expert will initiate and maintain an interactive process to engage the UN Gender Joint Programme Working Group (UNPWG), M&E specialists/officers of the Participating UN Organizations, other Joint Programme – both ongoing and under preparation, the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Development and the Ministry of Planning and any other stakeholder identified by the UNPWG. The expert should extend technical support and facilitation to ensure that stakeholders understand and contribute to the formulation of the M&E Framework and the Plan.
 
The M&E Plan willschedule all major M&E activities (surveys/studies, assessments, reviews, M&E capacity building as may be required for delivering the results mentioned in the results matrix) and articulate how and by whom results will be measured. It should provide a common reporting and monitoring tool including reporting formats (computer or paper-based) to all the Participating UN Organizations and by which the Coordinating Agency will consolidate the inputs of all agencies.
 
The M&E Framework and plan should clearly identify the role/function of each of the Participating UN Organizations in the implementation in line with their mandate, thematic and geographic presence and relevant capacity.
 
Existing data sources should also utilized for measuring baselines and for tracking results. Where baseline does not exist and is not possible to obtain, the consultant should prepare clear concept papers and work plans for the collection, analysis and incorporation of those in the M&E plan.
 
A realistic cost of M&E activities, including the baselines that still need to be created and capacity development that may be required for the implementation of the M&E Plan, should be prepared in consultation with the UNPWG and incorporated in the Joint Programme budget and shared among Participating UN Organizations.
 
The M&E Framework and plan should be accompanied by a user-guide which gives details of each M&E task and method of implementation (how the concerned Participating UN Organization(s) is/are expected to carry out the task. The method of implementation should be agreed upon by all including the government. In other words, the user guide will clearly unfold agreed M&E tasks to be carried out, who will do what, when, where and how, as well as how much it will cost.
 
Planning criteria for evaluations in the M&E Framework will include support provided to and coordination with the other Joint Programmes and UNDAF for specific tracking of the gender equality and women’s empowerment specific results. The M&E Framework and plan should be accompanied by the draft Terms of References for the mid-term and final evaluations as specified in the Joint Programme Document. The draft Terms of References will direct assessment of progress and results against each of the indentified Joint Programme Outputs, management and coordination, and communication and reporting and with reference to the five standard criteria of evaluation (effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, impact and sustainability) as indicated in the Joint Programme M&E Module.
 
Duties and Responsibilities 
 
The consultant will undertake the following in order to fully deliver the scope of work:
  • Work planning to deliver the assigned tasks with clear timelines and delivery dates
  • Identify sources of baseline
  • Review of the Joint Programme documents and source documents from where baseline are to be drawn
  • Consultations with stakeholders as required
  • Coordination with the UNPWG, M&E specialists/officers or focal points of the Participating UN Organizations, the government focal points and others as required
  • Collection, compilation, and analysis of data
  • Identification of gaps in data and plan of action for meeting the gaps  
  • Drafting of the M&E Framework and Plan and all the relevant documents
  • Preparation of e-presentations and delivery of presentations
  • Finalization of all the documents to be delivered
  • Holding three workshops:
    1. One to get the contributions of the UNPWG, M&E specialists/officers or focal points of the Participating UN Organizations, the government focal points and others to the M&E Framework and Plan;
    2. Second to present the final M&E Framework and Plan and all the relevant documents for validation by the UNCT, the government and others as may be suggested by the government, UNPWG and UNCT; and
    3. Third to train the UNPWG and M&E specialists/officers or focal points of the Participating UN Organizations, the government focal points to implement the M&E Framwork
  • Drafting a report of the entire process
  • Debriefing
Deliverables
  • The M&E Framework
  • A robust M&E plan for the lifecycle of the joint programme in an agreed format that responds to the scope of work detailed above
  • A table showing co-relation and linkages between the UNDAF M&E Framework and Plan and the Joint Programme M&E Framework and Plan
  • A common reporting and monitoring tool including reporting formats (computer/ paper-based) to all the UN Participating UN Organizations and by which the Coordinating Agency will consolidate the inputs of all agencies.
  • Concept papers and workplans for the collection, analysis and incorporation of baseline data, which cannot be obtained from the existing sources, into the M&E plan.
  • Note on Participating UN Organization-wise capacity gaps that need to be met in order to well implement the M& plan
  • Estimated cost sheet of M&E activities, including the baselines that still need to be created and capacity development that may be required for the implementation of the M&E Plan
  • A user-guide which gives details of each M&E task and method of implementation (who will do what, when, where and how, as well as how much it will cost).
  • PowerPoint presentations on the M&E Framework and plan
  • Draft Terms of References for the mid-term and final evaluations as specified in the Joint Programme Document
  • Three workshops as specified under Duties and Responsibilities

Competencies

  • Commitment and skill in promoting national and local ownership ;
  • Ability to promote team work;
  • Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based processes;
  • Ability to undertake formulation of the monitoring and evaluation;
  • Good knowledge of results based management;
  • Ability to support others in being able to participate;
  • Good financial skills to prepare budgets and plan monitoring and review of budgets;
  • Ability to design new systems for better coordination and delivery of work.;
  • Constructive attitude and ability to approach work with positive energy;
  • Ability to meet deadlines and deliver under constraints
  • Demonstrated ability to re-organize and adjust plans fast to evolving situation
  • Awareness of the One UN processes

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s or more higher level degree in Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Human Rights Development Studies, Public Policy with a gender component with a course in the Results Based Management (RBM)(or if RBM component is lacking, at least, five years of experience of practicing RBM).

Skills and Experience:

  • Minimum 10 years of work experience in Planning, Monitoring and Evaluations;
  • Excellent demonstrated ability to coordinate inter-agency and multi-stakeholder planning initiative;
  • Demonstrated ability to focus on deliverables and to act on feedback;
  • Demonstrated strong oral and written communication ability;
  • Excellent understanding of various planning, monitoring and evaluation frameworks
  • Experience of having developed M&E Frameworks for UNDAF and/or Joint Programmes
  • Good knowledge of human rights based approaches
  • Experience in implementing  M&E plans, preferably in a UNCT context;
  • Proven time management and organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple tasks;
  • Demonstrated high level skill in documentation;
  • Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment with sound understanding and capability to empower and develop the capacity of national counterparts;
  • Advanced user level computer skills and strong knowledge of various software including Excel, PowerPoint and Word;

Language Requirements:

  • Excellent knowledge of English and ability to communicate clearly in written and spoken English;