Programme Specialist, Monitoring And Evaluation (M&E) at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)


Posted on: Tue 07-11-2023

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the leading UN organization in Reproductive Health and Population and Development.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Programme Specialist, Monitoring And Evaluation (M&E)

Job Identification: 14533

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Job Schedule: Full time

Grade: NOC

Vacancy Type: Fixed Term

Rotational/Non Rotational: Non-Rotational

Contract Duration: 1 Year with Possibility for extension

Job Category: Monitoring & Evaluation

The Position

  • The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist serves as the reference to guide the results-based planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the country programme of cooperation with the government of Nigeria.  
  • With the increased volume of the programme and staff, and the desire to deliver quality results, the position has increasing responsibilities focusing on fostering and ensuring results based quality programming in compliance with UNFPA policies, procedures and guidelines.
  • The position also promotes M&E actions ensuring that they become an integral part of programme development, implementation, monitoring and reporting processes.
  • The functions of the M&E position also includes support for programme delivery at the Sub-Office level, in the context of the enhanced but supportive role that the Abuja Office provides to the sub-offices. Furthermore, the M&E position in Abuja is the lead position in the field to provide the required backstopping to the State M&E officers in the Sub-offices.
  • It also plays critical role in the various internal and external audits the country office is subjected to, in an effort to ensure quality assurance.
  • The M&E Specialist will report under the overall guidance of the UNFPA Resident Representative & Deputy Representative and the direct supervision of the Population and Development Specialist.

How you can make a difference

  • UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.
  • These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
  • In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
  • UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose

  • Under the general supervision of the UNFPA Resident Representative & Deputy Representative and the direct supervision of the Population and Development Specialist, the National Programme Specialist-M&E is responsible for developing and guiding the overall M&E plan, Quality Assurance Plan and related activities. S/he provides timely and relevant information to programme managers and other stakeholders for result oriented programme formulation and implementation.  
  • The National Programme Specialist-M&E provides technical support in the implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities of Implementing Partners and UNFPA Sub-Offices, and provides assistance in M&E capacity building activities of government counterparts.

The Programme Specialist, M & E will work within an integrated, coordinated, and systems strengthening context to perform the following Monitoring and Evaluation tasks:

  • Programme Planning and Implementation Including Project Results Framework Development  
  • Capacity Development and Technical Assistance
  • Evidence and Knowledge Development and Dissemination
  • Quality Assurance

You Would Be Responsible For

Programme planning and implementation including Project Results Framework Development:

  • Lead the M&E work in the Country Office
  • Promote results based approach to monitoring and evaluation, emphasizing results and impacts
  • Work with other program officers to develop proposals for resource mobilization including the development of appropriate frameworks to aid results based management of projects
  • Analyse and report on programme progress in terms of achieving results, using existing monitoring and evaluation tools
  • Coordinate the preparation of all programme reports; guide staff and implementing partners in the preparation of progress reports in accordance with approved reporting format and ensure timely submission of scheduled reports
  • Lead in the preparation of the Country Office Report
  • Ensure that all key performance indicators for the Country programme and related projects are collected and reported in a timely manner and discussed in the appropriate forum  in terms of implication for future actions
  • Prepare draft TORs for Mid-term and final evaluation of projects and country programme in accordance with UNFPA guidelines
  • In collaboration with UNFPA programme staff, ensure the collection, analysis and dissemination of results of evaluations at the end of country programmes and ensure lesson learned are incorporated in the next country programme
  • In collaboration with executing agencies, backstop the implementation of the overall monitoring and evaluation mechanism of the country programme;
  • Participate in UN wide activities including UNDAF theme working group, DMAG
  • Participate in monitoring progress of the implementation of the United Nations Development Framework (UNDAF) and Delivering as One (DaO) approach.

Capacity Development and Technical Assistance:

  • Organize and provide training in M&E for the programme and implementing partners with a view of developing national and State M&E capacity
  • Facilitate and act as resource person and join in, if required, any external supervision and evaluation mission
  • Coach other members of the M&E team, direct expert consultants, and facilitate working groups and task teams in order to provide support to Project managers, technical staff and implementing agencies on monitoring and evaluation.
  • Work with the programme coordinators in Sub-Offices to ensure programme implementation and achieving expected results as per M&E framework;
  • Provide technical support and guidance to Sub-Office M&E staff in preparing periodic reports on the activities, schedule, and financial status of all programme outputs in a standard reporting format as required;
  • Contribute to monitoring and analysis of reports on humanitarian, economic, political and social factors in development and management of population and development programmes

Evidence and Knowledge Development and Dissemination:

  • Identify innovative evaluation methodologies and promote their incorporation into the Country Office  operations
  • Substantively contribute to the identification, documentation and dissemination of best practices/lessons learned and ensure their availability in the organizational system for lessons learned
  • Contribute to the analysis, synthesis and dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge and new approaches to monitoring and evaluation practice, in particular best practices, and make recommendations for their adoption at the country and sub-office levels

Quality Assurance:

  • Review methodologies, scope of work, technical proposals and consultant qualifications for all evaluations to be contracted under the Country Programme;
  • Review, technically assess and provide feedback on all intermediate products and draft evaluation reports to ensure quality;
  • Design Quality Assurance Plan for implementation of activities in the field office;
  • Foster and ensure results-based quality delivery and compliance with UNFPA policies, procedures and guidelines (quality assurance responsibilities);
  • Play a key role in the preparation for all internal and external audits UNFPA Nigeria is subjected to;
  • Serve as the technical reference in the field of M&E and provide state-of-art quality assistance to the State M&E staff.
  • Follow up and monitor the implementation of key recommendations.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:  

Master's Degree in Demography, Social Sciences, Sociology, Development Studies, Economics, Medical Sciences, Public Health or other related fields.

Knowledge and Experience:  

  • Demonstrable minimum of 5 years working experience in programme management and monitoring and evaluation at national level.
  • Experience working with government institutions and donor organizations.
  • Strong analytical skills.
  • Familiarity with issues on population, reproductive health, gender and youth. Have the ability to work under pressure.
  • Excellent communication and human relation skills.
  • Proficiency in current office software applications is mandatory

Languages:  

Strong capability to communicate clearly and concisely in both oral and written English

Required Competencies:

Values:

  • Exemplifying integrity,  
  • Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,  
  • Embracing cultural diversity,  
  • Embracing change

Core Competencies:  

  • Achieving results
  • Being accountable
  • Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen
  • Thinking analytically and strategically
  • Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships

Functional Competencies:

  • Strategically positioning UNFPA programmes
  • Providing conceptual innovation to support programme effectiveness
  • Generating, managing and promoting the use of knowledge and information
  • Providing a technical support system
  • Strengthening the programming capacity of implementing partners
  • Facilitating quality programmatic results
  • Internal and External relations and advocacy for results mobilization.

Related Programme Skills:

  • Because the nature of work is programme focused, involving other groups and various timelines and activities, related skills of good time management, managing deadlines and good team relationships are essential.
  • Knowledge of the UN system is desirable.

Compensation and Benefits

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

Application Closing Date

22nd November, 2023.

Method of Application

Interested and qualified candidates should:

Click here to apply online

Disclaimer

  • UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Fraudulent notices, letters or offers may be submitted to the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm
  • In accordance with the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations, persons applying to posts in the international Professional category, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.