Capacity Assessment, Evaluation and Monitoring Specialist (NPSA-10)

Background
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.
Background of the projects: Leadership, Equality, Advocacy and Democracy (LEAD) Project funded by the Government of Norway aims at implementing a three-fold approach to enhance human rights protection in Georgia. Firstly, the project will empower the right holders by strengthening the human rights protection of national/ethnic, religious minorities and LGBTQI people. Secondly, it will aim to transform society by countering prevalent homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia with an evidence-based social campaign. Thirdly, the project will support state institutions and civil society organizations to accelerate the structural transformation for sustainable development by enhancing citizen-centric governance systems for efficiently serving their constituencies through applying the Capacity Development Fund and On-demand Services implementation modalities.
Duties and Responsibilities

Tackling reporting responsibilities and meeting different programme reporting requirement at different stakeholders' levels:

Provide the Project Manager with timely, efficient, effective, and relevant progress reports.
Report monthly, quarterly, semi Annually and annual on all activities to the Project Manager.
Prepare quarterly Reports on all components, following donor’s guidelines and agreed formats.
Closely coordinate with the Project team members to collect their quarterly progress reports on the Project implementation and development.
Develop Monitoring and Evaluation reports on the project’s interventions in line with the identified objectives and aimed results.

Develop Monitoring & Evaluation Strategy / system and relevant guidelines for tracking Novel Financing for Sustaining Essential Service Delivery Project achievements and outcomes and take lead for implementation:

Monitor and Evaluate interventions, following the approved main M&E reference documents (M&E Manual, Result Chain, project document, etc.);
Monitor and evaluate overall progress on achievement of results.
Develop SMART and result-oriented impact indicators and guide and coordinate the review of the program results framework.
Provide inputs, information and statistics for any other relevant monitoring or reporting exercise to management, UNDP or the donor.
Coordinating across the available components of the project to ensure effective implementation of M&E and Management Information System.
Monitor all project activities, and progress towards achieving the project output. Ensure all critical risks are identified.
Conduct capacity assessment of existing M&E system. Give technical comments and suggestions for improvement, when considered convenient.
Coordinate across the available components of the project to ensure effective implementation of M&E/Management Information System.

Keep liaison with different stakeholders and Programme Management Unit to ensure the design and implementation of the M&E is made in collaboration with all relevant actors:

Provide feedback to the Project Manager on project strategies and activities. Give sound recommendations to management for better implementation, so as to achieve expected results, indicators and objectives.
Clarify M&E responsibilities of different project personnel and assist the program team with M&E tools and in supporting them in their use. Consolidate a culture of lessons learning involving all program staff and allocate specific responsibilities.
Effective participation in annual project reviews and planning activities and assist in preparing relevant reports. Provide top quality M&E advisory services to the Partner NGOs, and other stakeholders, including coaching partners to forward better utilization of methodology and tools.
Undertake regular visits to the field to support implementation of M&E and to identify where adaptations might be needed. Contribute to knowledge management, dissemination, and building in close coordination with UNDP and local partners’ staff.
Provide top quality M&E advisory services to the partner NGOs, and other stakeholders.

Contribute and develop planning exercises to meet different implementation levels:

Develop a M&E plan including indicators with clear baseline and target values, as well as measurement tools.
Contribute to the development of the Annual Work Plan, ensuring alignment with strategy, agreement on annual targets and inclusion of M&E activities in the work plan.
Prepare Detailed M&E budget.
Prepare calendar of M&E activities, including the implementation of all needed M&E tools, such as: students’ and/or teachers’ surveys, focus group discussions, structured interviews and other data collection tools.

Follow up and coordinate any external supervision and evaluation, audit missions:

Facilitate, act as a resource person, and join if required any external supervision and evaluation/audit missions.
Coordinate external impact evaluations, as well as focus groups with beneficiaries and counterparts to determine impact of program activities on targeted beneficiaries.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Manager and guidance of the Democratic Governance Team Leader, the Capacity Assessment, Evaluation and Monitoring Specialist will undertake assigned functions to ensure that the key results are shown in the different programme reporting requirement, smooth running of monitoring and reporting, and success in programme strategies implementation.
Competencies
Core Competencies

Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

Cross-functional and Technical Competencies

Business Management - Results-based Management

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

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. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns

Business Management - 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

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

Business Management - Risk Management

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

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

Master’s degree in Social/Political Sciences, Development studies, M&E or any other related field.
Bachelor’s degree with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master's degree.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor's degree) of relevant experience in Social/Political science, development studies, management or any other related field, including solid experience in Results-Based Management including planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
Solid experience in implementation and coordination of interventions at the sub-national level.
Demonstrated experience in working with grassroots organization, media and civil society is required.
plans for development projects.
Solid experience in developing results frameworks and Theory of Change, and M&E.
Demonstrated experience working with monitoring and evaluation of development projects/programme, including lessons learned.
Experience in reviewing and drafting project reports.
Experience in managing internal systems for effective and efficient project monitoring and reporting, both internal and for CSOs/NGOs.
Proven experience in coordinating and supporting Results-Based Management (RBM) including annual work-planning and reporting exercises.
Previous experience with UN and international organizations will be preferred.
Experience in monitoring and evaluation is an asset.
Experience in working with minorities is an asset.

Skills:

Proficient use of MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and Internet is required.

Languages:

Excellent knowledge of English and Georgian (written and verbal) is required.