Background

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

  1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
  2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
  3. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as  reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Office/Unit/Project Description:

Background 

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP's Strategic Plan. BPPS works closely with UNDP's Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP's development programmes. 

The 2030 Agenda for SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind reflect the interconnectedness of health and sustainable development, including widening economic and social inequalities, the climate crisis, rapid urbanization, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases (e.g., malaria, tuberculosis), the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and the emergence of health threats. The scope and scale of delivering health and well-being for all demands innovative partnerships and financing. As affirmed in the Political Declaration of the 2019 High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and others are critical partners for delivering on the health-related goals of the 2030 Agenda.  Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All outlines how a dozen multilateral health, development and humanitarian agencies, including UNDP, the Global Fund, Gavi and others will collaborate to be more efficient and effective in supporting countries to deliver UHC and achieve the health-related SDG targets. 

UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund, in line with UNDP’s HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2022-2025: Connecting the Dots, makes a vital contribution to UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind. 

As a long-standing partner of the Global Fund, UNDP’s value proposition lies in providing an integrated package of development solutions to strengthen institutions to deliver health services drawing on policy and technical support from other UNDP business units (e.g. data, digital, environment, climate). Through its contributions as interim Principal Recipient (PR) and provider of technical assistance to Global Fund grants in 53 countries since 2003, UNDP’s provision of integrated policy, implementation and capacity development support to countries has yielded significant health and development results in challenging operating environments. The portfolio is managed within UNDP’s Enterprise Risk Management Framework and the Risk Review Action Plan (RRAP) approved by UNDP’s Organizational Performance Group (OPG).

Based on demand from Country Offices, and building on the relationships, expertise, systems, partnerships, including across the UN family, and comparative advantage established through the Global Fund partnership, the GPN/BPPS/Global Fund Partnership/Health Implementation Support Team (GF/HIST, Global Fund Partnership Team) is providing support to Country Offices through three overarching modalities: 1) the Global Fund portfolio, 2) health system strengthening  and 3) other health implementation support beyond the Global Fund, including Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), UNITAID and Smart Facilities. The GF/HIST provides its support through a country team approach to strengthen and integrate the different functional capacities (e.g., capacity development, finance, monitoring and evaluation, procurement and supply management, programme, Sub-recipient management), leveraging technical and policy support from the HIV, Health and Development (HHD) Group, other GPN teams and Regional and Central Bureaus. The GF/HIST has a Senior Management Group for the coordination and management of the portfolio, and the portfolio is reviewed annually by the OPG. 

Objective of the assignment:

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Manager, the Programme Specialist (Monitoring & Evaluation) plays a key role in the provision of technical support to Country Offices, national entities and Global Fund Partnership Team and the Health Team more broadly, with a range of responsibilities related to the monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The Programme Specialist (Monitoring & Evaluation) will strengthen the Global Fund Partnership Team’s functions, and enable M&E systems strengthening, liaising with technical partners to improve service quality, and identifying opportunities and strategies to overcome implementation bottlenecks to maximize efficiencies and impact and build resilient and sustainable health systems. The role will promote a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules, policies, procedures, contributing to the country team approach and support to the integration of capacity building activities. S/he shall also support the Deputy Manager in the implementation of the audit framework and addressing recurring audit findings and as identified in the RRAP in the area of monitoring and evaluation.   

Institutional Arrangement:

The expert will report to the GF/HIST Deputy Manager. 

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Support Country Offices to develop and revise M&E Frameworks (including defining indicators and targets) and developing site monitoring plans (including protocols for data verification and valication) for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and health systems strengthening projects in line with Global Fund rules, policies and procedures.
  • Support Country Offices through the grant life cycle, including ensuring the timely review and quality assurance of Progress Updates/Disbursement Requests and other reports submitted by Country Offices to the Global Fund.
  • Ensure that UNDP’s programmes are appropriate to the country’s epidemiological context, are in alignment with National Strategic Plans, strategic investment frameworks and programmatic gap analysis.
  • Support the Deputy Manager implement the audit framework and address recurring audit findings and as identified in the RRAP in the area of monitoring and evaluation.  
  • In close collaboration with Country Offices and other UNDP units, define programmatic M&E and information management needs, and support programme evaluation design, provide oversight to the methodology and protocol development, ensure selection of external service providers and appropriate and timely implementation. 
  • Review programmatic and policy results across UNDP’s Global Fund portfolio, analyze trends in performance and provide strategic advice on how to adapt approaches and improve performance.
  • Facilitate transparent communication with Country Offices and engage with partners on grant related M&E and information management issues and progress of implementation with in-country national programme counterparts as well as technical partners.
  • Advise Country Offices on the direction, strategies and technical issues concerning development and strengthening M&E and information management systems and capacities of the implementing partners, including advising on site monitoring visits, data verification and valiation.
  • Support the development of M&E and information management components of capacity development plans for national stakeholders, based on the outcomes of capacity assessment reports.
  • Lead on the results harmonization process between UNDP and the GF and annual results reporting (e.g.,) UNAIDS.
  • Document the lessons learned on strengthening M&E and information management systems and capacities for national entities and produce updated guidance for the Implementation Manual and Capacity Development Toolkit.  
  • Provide ongoing technical guidance and support on planning, contribute to UNDP’s global knowledge management initiatives on M&E and information management systems and reporting evidence-based development results and data quality and develops guidance materials, tools and trainings.
  • Synthesis of lessons learned and sharing of best practices in M&E and information management, creating strong evidence base of results and impact through conducting survey(s), research, case studies, crowd sourcing through online portals.

Competencies

Expected Demonstration of Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:

 

LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

 

LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously

 

LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility

 

LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination

LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner

 

LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

 

LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

Business Direction and Strategy

Negotiation and Influence

Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and create ‘win-win’ situations

 

Business Direction and Strategy

System Thinking

Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Development

Knowledge Facilitation

Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally

Business Management

Risk Management

Ability to identify and organise action around mitigating and proactively managing risks

 

Business Management

Results-based management

Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results

Partnership Management

Relationship management

Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Health

HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Knowledge of access to treatment and quality services, policy and principles and strategic and/or practical situations for communicable and non-communicable diseases

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA:

Min. Academic Education

  • Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Public Health, Economics, Social Sciences or related field.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

  • Minimum 7 years’  experience developing and advising on monitoring and evaluation frameworks (including output, outcome and impact indicators) for public health and disease-specific programmes.

Required skills and competencies

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Desired additional skills and competencies

  • Robust experience in the monitoring and evaluation of health programmes (including planning, collecting, analyzing and reporting information for assessing progress and ensuring data quality) is an asset.
  • Knowledge and experience of UN or UNDP operational processes and procedures is an asset.
  • Knowledge and experience of Global Fund monitoring and evaluation policies and processes is an asset.
  • Experience managing relationships with government, UN, NGO, and private sector stakeholders in public health, including at country, regional and international level is an asset.
  • Experience working in a challenging operating environment is an asset.
  • Experience providing strategic advice and undertaking trend analysis of performance results to inform programme planning and management is an asset.
  • Working knowledge of French is an asset,

Required Language(s) (at working level)

  • Fluent in English both written and oral.