Summary
Date Posted: Wednesday, June 08, 2022 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
Democracy Strengthening in Zambia (DSZ) is a three-year multi-donor project based on the recommendations of the Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) conducted by the United Nations in 2018 and is aligned and supportive of Zambia’s Sustainable Development Partnership Framework, UNDP Strategic Plan and Country Programme. It is also aligned with the 7th National Development Plan 2017-2021 (7th NDP), through which the government pledges to “promote transparency, accountability, citizen participation as well as strengthen governance institutions”. The 7th NDP recognizes that practice of good governance and promotion of a stable political framework are the foundation of sustainable development. The outcomes, outputs, and activities of the DSZ are in response to and the result of detailed discussions with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), cooperating partners and other national stakeholders.
The DSZ consists of two interlinked result areas: 1) Electoral institutions and processes strengthened, and 2) Programming for peace in support of the electoral cycle. These two result areas are aimed at achieving the following results:
• Inclusive and participatory decision-making;
• Strengthened responsive and accountable institutions;
• Transparent institutions with improved access to information;
• Improved technical and organizational capacities of national electoral stakeholders;
• Credible and legitimate institutions work with integrity, and f) Enhanced conflict prevention and mitigation mechanisms.
In the light of recommendations of evaluations of past electoral assistance programmes implemented by UNDP in Zambia, emphasis is placed on effective monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the project on beneficiaries and on the electoral process in its entirety. To support this work, the project seeks a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist to apply appropriate monitoring and evaluation for all project related endeavours according to best practices and advise institutional partners on monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The Specialist will also provide sustainable institutional development support through transferring monitoring and evaluation know-how to local partners.

Duties and Responsibilities
The M & E Specialist will be responsible for:
• Supporting M&E activities including reporting and final evaluations
• Evidence generation and lessons learned
• Capacity building in grant management and monitoring and evaluation
• Supporting project management
• Supporting M&E activities including reporting and final evaluations Oversee and execute M & E activities included in the Annual Work Plans and the M & E plan, with particular focus on results and impacts. This will include following:
• Based on the AWPs and the programme budgets, design the framework for the physical and process monitoring of project activities;
• Promote a results-based and gender-responsive approach to monitoring and evaluation, emphasizing results and impact, and identifying sources of data, collection methods, who collects data, how often, cost of collection and who analyses it;
• Develops and maintains the project’s monitoring and evaluation plan, based on project document results framework, log frames and indicators;
• Undertake regular visits to the field to support implementation of M & E, to ensure the quality of the data gathered by the project/IPs and to verify the accuracy of the reported data and to identify where adaptations might be needed;
• Record report and analyze data against indicators listed in the logical framework against indicators and Annual Work Plan;
• Prepare periodic plan for corrective action to strengthen controls and approach and/or realign the project activities to achieve desired project outputs;
• Facilitate, act as resource person, and join if required any external supervision and evaluation missions;
• Prepare regular M&E reports, update risk matrix and logs and review project reports, back-to[1]office reports, activity implementation reports;
• Assist in the preparation of quarterly and annual reports, in adherence to and compliance with project Annual Work Plans (AWP) and M&E frameworks.
Evidence generation and Lessons Learned
• Design and implement a system to identify, analyze, document and disseminate lessons learned;
• Facilitate exchange of experiences by supporting and coordinating participation in any existing network of projects sharing common characteristics;
• Identify and participate in additional networks, for example scientific or policy-based networks that may also yield lessons that can benefit project implementation;
• Monitor the follow up of evaluation recommendations, document and provide feedback on, and disseminate lessons learned;
• Ensure that TOR for consultants recruited by the project also incorporate mechanisms to capture and share lessons learned through their inputs to the project, and to ensure that the results are reflected in the reporting system described above;
• Leads the identification and synthesizing of lessons learnt and best practices emerging from the Programmes;
• Contribute to ensuring that lessons learnt from the project are well reflected in efforts aimed at building UN system capacity for effective programming on the rights of persons with disabilities;
• Coordinate analysis of real-time program monitoring data collected on a weekly and termly basis;
• Lead and conduct analysis of quantitative data as well as qualitative data on all program inputs, outputs and outcomes;
• Compile and publish quantitative and qualitative monitoring results in visually-attractive Monitoring Reports for internal and external audiences;
• Support the Project data queries in an accurate and timely manner.

Capacity building in grant management and monitoring and evaluation
• Provides technical guidance and support to implementing partners to strengthen their management and implementation of activities, as well as their M & E plans and systems, and develops risk mitigation and management plans and establish and tracking system to monitor the implementation of the risk matrix and management plans;
• Work with partners to assist in developing an M & E plan to monitor and evaluate the progress in implementing its strategic and annual workplans;
• Based on the partners’ strategic and annual workplans, and in particular the relevant operating budgets, design the framework for the physical and process monitoring of partners’ activities;
• Support partners in defining the most relevant baseline data, assessing the quality of indicators and sources of verification;
• As needed, provide relevant staff in implementing partner organizations with comprehensive M & E training, including establishing monitoring frameworks and understanding how to report against them;
• Ensure that partners have copies of documentation that will act as a knowledge resource base for all future M & E activities that such partners wish to undertake in future.
Support to Project Management
• Prepare a detailed M & E budget and calendar of M & E activities;
• In consultation with the Knowledge Management Officer, coordinate and guide the preparation of all project reports in accordance with approved reporting formats and ensure their timely submission. This includes quarterly progress reports, annual project report, inception report, and ad-hoc technical reports as requested by the Senior Advisor/Project Manager and by the UNDP Country Office;
• Such reports should identify problems, causes of potential bottlenecks in project implementation, and provide specific recommendations;
• Ensure that ToRs for consultants recruited by the project incorporate mechanisms to capture and share lessons learned through their inputs to the project;
• Organize (and provide) refresher training in M&E for project and implementing partner staff, local organizations, and primary stakeholders with view of developing local M&E capacity;
• Other duties as required by the Senior Advisor/Project Manager or the UNDP Country Office.

Institutional Arrangement
Under the guidance and supervision of the DSZ Project Manager/Senior Advisor and in close collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Management Officer, the M&E Specialist will consolidate, update and manage the M&E and Learning systems in place to ensure consistency across reporting and enabling the project to measure progress against its indicators as well as showcasing achieved results and impact.

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
Business Direction & Strategy
• Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with authority, area of expertise and resources
Business Direction & 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 Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need
Business Management
• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
Business Management
• 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.
Business Management
• Evaluation Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks
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.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
• Master’s degree in development studies, International Relations, Monitoring and Evaluation, Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, or related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in related fields with additional 2 years of relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master’s degree.
Experience:
• Minimum of five years (Master’s degree) or seven years’(Bachelor degree) relevant professional experience in planning, design and implementation of M & E systems, including experience in application of the logical framework, other strategic planning approaches, M & E methods and data/information analysis;
• High level of computer literacy (Excel, Word, etc.) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages; experience in the use of web-based management systems and good technical report writing skills;
• Experience working at national and sub-national levels on national development issues an asset;
• Experience with Results-based Management with solid understanding of and experience on knowledge management;
• Experience in handling of web-based management systems and ERP systems particularly Atlas and related UNDP management tools desirable;
• Strong knowledge of UN or UNDP rules, policies and procedures is an asset;
• Experience in building capacity of national stakeholders in the area of development programmes as well as M&E is an asset;
• Experience working with UNDP, other UN entities, donor organizations or development organizations is an asset;
• Experience in electoral support is desirable.
Language
• Fluency in English is required.

Disclaimer
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: Postgraduate Degree

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