Project Associate, Monitoring & Evaluation at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves. It provides expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries. It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations.

Headquartered in New York City, the status of UNDP is that of an executive board within the United Nations General Assembly. The UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. The organization operates in 177 countries, where it works with local governments to meet development challenges and develop local capacity.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Project Associate, Monitoring & Evaluation

Job Identification: 12996
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Job Schedule: Full Time
Contract Duration: 1 year with the possibility for extension
Vacancy Type: Fixed Term
Practice Area: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions
Bureau: Regional Bureau for Africa
Grade: NPSA-6

Job Description

• The Project Associate M&E, will work in close collaboration with the Programme and Partnership Support Team, Program Units, Project teams and Operations Unit.  She/he will also work with implementing partners and counterparts about the management of evaluations and audit exercises
• The Project Associate M&E will work closely with all projects’ personnel and UNDP CO and SO teams to ensure relevant requirements are fulfilled in a timely manner with required quality, following the highest standards in line with UNDP guidelines and procedures.
• The incumbent will accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment within all implementations and promote UNDP’s mandate as a gender-responsive organization with zero tolerance to any kind of discriminatory and abusive behaviour, including sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Support the implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems, policies and strategies for the RSC unit projects and other projects
• Consolidates reports from PBF/RSC partner agencies 
• Assist the effective management of audits and risks;
• Support quality assurance.
• Provide administrative support to feed balanced scorecards and reports;
• Support facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.
• Support programme and projects formulation and implementation.

Support the implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems, policies and strategies for the RSC unit and Sub-Office focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Support the planning process of monitoring activities and follow up its implementation. Prepares project operational and administrative reports by collecting, selecting, reviewing and maintaining a wide range of information. Verify that all projects are monitored accordingly to the monitoring plan. Inform deviations of planned activities and identify needs of reprogramming;
• Provide technical assistance for quality assurance of the implementation of the monitoring process, results framework and management arrangements of projects to guarantee a result based management approach. Assist in the provision of guidance/inputs at the design stage of projects;
• Collection and analysis of aggregated data of projects outcomes;
• Support in Annual (AWP) and Integrated work planning (IWP) and reporting (ROAR) processes
• Support the development of instruments to ensure a high quality of monitoring activities. Participation in results-oriented monitoring and evaluation training efforts in the Sub-Office;
• Preparation of reports and submission of documents to the Government, UN Agencies and UNDP by collecting and selecting relevant data from documents, legislation extracts, specialized publications and websites. Drafts preliminary presentation of information.
• Provide inputs in the formulation of Terms of Reference for outcome evaluations. Assist the revision of TORs for specific project/thematic/sectorial evaluation missions and/or desk evaluations/reviews, participation's in consultant and evaluation team selection and technical feedback on evaluations.
• Provide assistance in the process of carrying out evaluations (review of reports, participation in meetings, participation in the management and/or organization of seminars, meetings and other special events).

Consolidates reports from PBF / RSC partner agencies focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Collect the data from PBF/other RSC partners and provide inputs on periodic progress reports;
• Analyse the data and information to support monthly progress reports on major activities;
• Consolidates minutes from meetings and sharing with partners 
• Collates reports from PBF partners and harmonizes into a standard report, 
•  Assistance in preparation/reviews of project-related documents and quarterly/annual project reviews and ongoing monitoring, drafts standard correspondence and presentations on the projects/programme

Assist the effective management of audits and risks focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Assess risk areas and work with project staff to minimize risk exposure levels;
• Follow up of the implementation of the Audit Plans. 
• Identification and analysis of audit recommendations and outlining – together with the Programme Unit, develop plan of action for projects to follow-up on the implementation of such recommendations.

Support quality assurance focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Support the development of systems to foster improvements in the application of internal control and in the maintenance of compliance standards.
• Advise project staff and implementing partners regarding control systems, assess their effectiveness and general operational compliance with UNDP rules, regulations, and policies
• Provide quality assurance support on partner agreements, project reports and office publications;
• Provide support in the conduct of project quality assessment (Design, implementation, and closure) as per UNDP corporate requirement.

Provide administrative support to feed balanced scorecards and reports focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Follow up on performance indicators/ success criteria, targets and milestones;
• Provide inputs, information and statistics for quarterly, annual and other reports;
• Assist in the provision of credible data for utilization in meetings with the Government and project authorities.

Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the Sub-Office focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Organize trainings for the operations/projects staff on programme;
• Synthesis lessons learnt and best practices.
• Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Provides effective support to Programme and projects formulation and implementation focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Support preparation of background information for PBF, support project documentation preparation, work plans, budgets, proposals on implementation arrangements in line with the UNDP Results Management Userguide (RMG) requirements and GEF practices and guidelines.
• Maintain and keep (original) donor and partner-related documentation of the project (e.g. correspondence, donor reports).
• Assist in coordination of project activities with consultants, drafts terms of reference for the consultants.
• Provide both internal and external clients (including Country Offices) with timely and adequate support/ information on programme and project activities
     Support to operational and financial closure of projects, facilitating of payments and general support to implementation of Project

Competencies
Core:

Achieve Results:

•   LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively:
•   LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously:
•   LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility:
•   LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination:
•   LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner:
•   LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:
•   LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical:

Business Management:

Working with Evidence and Data:

• Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions, and supporting decision-making

Digital Awareness and Literacy:

• Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.

Customer Satisfaction/Client Management:

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfill and understand the real customers' needs. 
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. 
• Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. 
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Communication:

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. 
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.

Monitoring:

• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.

Technical - Finance:

Budget management:

• Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budgets    

Technical Procurement:  

Procurement management:

• The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• University Degree in Business or Public Administration, Economics, Monitoring and Evaluation, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or related field will be given due consideration, but it is not a requirement.

Experience:

• Minimum 6-years (with secondary education) or 3 years (with bachelor’s degree or its equivalent) of professional working experience in Monitoring and Evaluation or development work at the national or international level;

Desirables:

• Experience in monitoring projects with a development approach is preferable but not mandatory.
• Experience in providing training on results measurement systems is preferable but not mandatory
• Good analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Able to work effectively in a team and in an international environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to communicate and engage with project stakeholders
• Experience working with international organizations, developing country governments, donor agencies and / or NGOs and other civil society groups involved in various sectors of international development

Application Closing Date
29th August, 2023 at 04:59 AM.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.