Consultant in Monitoring and Evaluation

DISCLAIMER: The screening of your application will be conducted based on the information in your profile. Before applying, we strongly suggest that you review your profile to ensure completeness, especially the education and experience sections.

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.Details

Vacancy code: VA/2015/B5506/6942

Position title: Consultant in Monitoring and Evaluation , Multiple positions

Level: ICS-11

Department/office: AEMO, MMOH, Myanmar

Duty station: Home based

Contract type: International ICA

Contract level: IICA-3

Duration: 2 years -Retainer not exceeding 100 days each calendar year

Application period: 09-Mar-2015 to 30-Mar-2015

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Background Information - UNOPS
UNOPS mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Within these three core areas of expertise, UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts, always satisfying or surpassing partner expectations.

We employ more than 6,000 personnel and on behalf of our partners create thousands more work opportunities in local communities. Through our headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark and a network of offices, we oversee activities in more than 80 countries.

Background Information - Job-specific

UNOPS is the Fund Manager (FMO) for the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) in Myanmar. LIFT is a multi-donor fund (2010 – 2018) to address food insecurity and income poverty in Myanmar. The donors to LIFT are Australia, Denmark, the European Union, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The overall goal of LIFT is to sustainably reduce the number of people living in poverty and hunger. LIFT’s purpose is to increase the incomes and nutrition status of poor rural people by means of interventions that increase income, food availability, utilization and stability of access to food. Its designated outcomes are in income, resilience, nutrition, and pro-poor policy developments.

LIFT works with and through support to implementing partners (IPs) such as international NGOs, national NGOs, United Nations agencies, international organisations (CGIAR, IFIs), academic and research institutions and the Government of Myanmar. LIFT is currently funding projects at Union level and in Ayeyarwaddy Delta, Dry Zone and Chin, Kachin, Shan, and Rakhine states. Read more about LIFT on www.lift-fund.org.

Given these requirements, the increasing scope of LIFT programmes and the limited capacity of the M&E Unit, LIFT is building a set of international and national specialists in M&E/Learning and other subjects of development planning and management, for specific technical support as and when needed.

M&E Activities and Evolution

M&E Unit

LIFT M&E Unit is responsible for LIFT reporting of results, monitoring and evaluation strategy, designing and supporting the implementation of large evaluative studies, ensuring the quality of monitoring information collected by IPs, and building LIFT’s accumulated body of experience into a ‘knowledge platform’. Currently LIFT has a team of six staff led by an international M&E Officer. It is responsible for the following M&E activities:

• Development of LIFT's M&E strategy.
• Maintaining and strengthening LIFT reporting of results including for new programmes as they are designed or expanded.
• Designing and supporting the implementation of large evaluative studies.
• Reviewing the Logframes and M&E plans of proposals submitted to the Fund Board for funding under LIFT, and providing advice as necessary.
• Developing the format and procedures for reporting progress of LIFT-funded projects (promoting the use of common indicators and consistent means of information collection to enable collation).
• Maintaining, updating and analysing data on IP and LIFT Programme progress towards outcome and output milestones and targets.
• Reviewing the quality of the information collected by IPs that is provided to the FMO.
• Supporting the IPs through advice and training in relation to M&E.
• Reviewing terms of reference, methodologies, and tools for IPs’ baseline surveys, midterm reviews and evaluations.
• Supporting the Programme Unit, and in cooperation with IPs, organize and provide technical advice on the final evaluation of projects.

Each year more research and evaluative studies are proposed in response to expansion and diversification of LIFT activity, and emerging issues and policies related to rural development, livelihoods and poverty alleviation.

M&E System

LIFT’s M&E system has continually evolved since 2010. However it now needs to adapt rapidly to the changing circumstances facing LIFT, its partners and beneficiaries:

• A new LIFT Strategy has been approved for the remaining four year implementation period of LIFT (2015-18).
• New thematic funding windows and geographic programmes will be supported (four are in the process of design, January 2015).
• New proposals and extensions will be received and appraised throughout 2015.
• A LIFT Theory of Change is to be widely propagated as a guide to designs, appraisal, management, monitoring and evaluation.
• M&E systems must be improved to align with and serve the new interests and needs, including the greater responsibility of the LIFT Programme Unit for integrating M&E design and implementation into the project management cycle.

Background Information - Myanmar

MyanmarThe UNOPS Myanmar office develops, supports and oversees UNOPS portfolio of projects in Myanmar which focus on post-disaster recovery, health programmes and food security.

UNOPS Myanmar is under the UNOPS Asia, Europe and Middle East Regional Office and was established to support, develop and oversee UNOPS’ portfolio of programmes and projects in Myanmar which focus on health programmes and livelihoods and rural development. UNOPS Myanmar ensures that synergies between programmes and projects are effectively developed.
The UNOPS Myanmar portfolio currently includes fund management of the multi-donor Three Millennium Development Goals Fund (3MDG) and the Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT). In addition, UNOPS is the Principal Recipient of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria grants to Myanmar (PR-GFATM), as well as the Regional Artemisinin Resistance Containment Initiative (RAI). UNOPS is also expanding its infrastructure and procurement services in Myanmar, including advisory services in these areas.

UNOPS Myanmar plays a critical role in ensuring quality services to UNOPS’ partners that meet stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness. It is also responsible for liaison with Government counterparts, Donors, NGOs and UN Agencies.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

a. Education

• A Master’s Degree is required preferably in Social Sciences, Research and Statistics, Information Technology, Agricultural Sciences, Political Sciences, Development Studies. Additional two years of similar experience with a Bachelor’s Degree is considered as equivalent.

b.Work Experience

• A minimum of 7 years’experience in practical M&E related to at least two of: rural incomes, livelihoods, social protection, equitable community development, advocacy and policy, resource management, nutrition, financial inclusion, resilience, climate change adaptation, climate smart agriculture is required.
• Experience in providing technical assistance for designing and applying robust M&E systems and associated learning systems according to latest techniques, measures and standards is preferred.
• Experience in design and execution of field surveys in rural socio-economics studies with both quantitative and qualitative methods is an asset.
• Experience in data management, processing, statistics and analysis is desirable.
• Experience in designing, drafting, editing, presenting and disseminating M&E knowledge products is an advantage.
• Experience in capacity development, training and mentoring M&E staff is a plus.
• A minimum of 5 years living and working in less developed countries is preferable.c.Language:
• Fluency in both written and spoken English is essential

Competencies
Professionalism: Ability to conduct partly-independent research and analysis, identify issues, analyse options and recommend solutions. Ability to work systematically, accurately and under pressure.
Cooperation:Ability to appraise situations and challenges and form productive relationships with staff and stakeholders.
Planning and organising:Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor own work, and plan to meet deadlines.
Result-oriented: Ability to focus on results and to respond positively to feedback.
Client orientation:Ability to identify client needs and appropriate solutions; ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with clients.
Communication:Ability to communicate effectively in written and oral English.
Technological awareness: Excellent computer skills and ability to use software tools to present data clearly and concisely.

Contract type, level and duration
Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement
Contract level: IICA 3
Contract duration: Retainer (2 years), not more than 100 days in each calendar years

Contracting approach

The M&E Retainers will be contracted on retainer contracts and will be providing specific M&E services under Task Notes. Each position will be contracted for up to 200 days (extendable) over two years; however there will be no guarantee of any number of days work under the contract. Specific Task Notes will vary in duration depending on the nature of the duties specified and the outputs to be produced.For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-of...

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
  Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Other considerations

Applicants are requested to:

• Submit a letter of motivation and a CV specifying experience and skills.

• Include the names and contact details of three recent, professional referees.

• Indicate their daily fee expectations in USD; and• Note that this is a home-based contract, so travel costs to Myanmar will be reimbursed and Daily Subsistence Allowance will be paid (e.g. Yangon 193 USD per night)

HOW TO APPLY:

DISCLAIMER: The screening of your application will be conducted based on the information in your profile. Before applying, we strongly suggest that you review your profile to ensure completeness, especially the education and experience sections.

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.