Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Suva, Fiji, PSRO, P4

The Position:

The post of Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist is in the UNFPA Pacific Sub Regional Office in Fiji and will report directly to the International Programme Coordinator and provides overall technical advice and quality assurance for results and evidence-based planning, monitoring, reporting and evaluation to the Pacific Subregional Office and country teams, and supports the strengthening of capacities and knowledge sharing and dissemination on these issues. 

The Specialist works in close collaboration with the M&E team, programme managers, Country Teams; Advisers and Implementing partners. This position will entail extensive travel to Pacific countries.

 

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 global Strategic Plan (2022-2025) 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 UNFPA’s strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action in the last Decade of Action to achieve Agenda 2030 including the SDGs. UNFPA Strategic Plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations, and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of health pandemics and climate crises on women’s and young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) 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:

The Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist promotes a culture of results and evidence-based programme management in the Pacific subregion. He/ she provides guidance to the implementation of corporate policies, procedures, principles, monitoring, reporting and evaluation norms and standards at subregional and national level, to ensure relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the work of UNFPA in the Region. The M&E Specialist will work within an integrated and coordinated approach, which is fundamental to the Sub-regional Office and UNFPA’s overall strategy. 

 

You would be responsible for: 

A. Strategic Results Support

• Coordinate the overall monitoring, evaluation and learning of the Transformative Agenda Phase II programme in line with the results framework and the TA Monitoring Evaluation and Learning plan
• Ensure the on-going integration of recent evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations from the UNFPA SRP 7 evaluation, Transformative Agenda Final Evaluation, and other reviews and evaluations into the Transformative Agenda Phase II and other relevant regional and country-level programming;
• Develop and implement M&E components of annual work plans for regional programme in line with division of labor with M&E team;
• Track workplan implementation on a regular basis, including synthesizing quarterly progress of the Transformative Agenda and support addressing bottlenecks to achieve results;
•  Develop additional data collection, monitoring and reporting tools as needed for Transformative Agenda and other relevant programmes to ensure adequate reporting on programme indicators;
• Provide support, guidance and quality control for planning, monitoring, and reporting by partners in quarterly workplan progress reports and other required donor reporting in the Pacific, ensuring the implementation of robust results and resources frameworks; 
• Ensure result-based monitoring and evaluation plans are implemented by partners and UNFPA country teams, and results acted upon at country and subregional levels;
• Coordinate periodic and annual reporting, including at impact level on the Transformative Agenda programme including reporting for Steering Committee meeting analyzing and synthesizing results from workplan progress reports and SIS reporting;
• Collaborate with Population and Development Adviser on the development and implementation of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices surveys at baseline and endline for multiple countries;
• In collaboration with Techincal Advisers, support operations research or other qualitative and quantitative research related to the Transformative Agenda programme;
• Contribute to the formulation of the regional programmes, including future donor funded programmes, particularly around the theory of change, indicators and M&E plan and drawing upon the analysis of evaluative evidence of UNFPA support in the region and evidence stemming from corporate evaluations; and
• As needed, prepare briefing notes, speeches, and talking points on various issues of the Transformative Agenda results.

 

B. Capacity Development

• Strengthen the capacity of UNFPA’s Country Offices to use data collected to improve evidence-based decision making at regional and national levels in a time and effective manner;
• Conduct regional and country-level capacity-building initiatives and workshops together with the PSRO M&E team, including how to use relevant monitoring and reporting tools, including WPRs in order to provide quality reporting on programme indicators and strengthen a culture of results and evidence-based programme management in UNFPA and partner institutions;
• Identify innovative monitoring methodologies, approaches and tools and promote their incorporation into country office monitoring in the region;
• Contribute to the development and adaptation of tools and guidance as well as training materials and manuals to monitor and evaluate the Transformative Agenda and other relevant programmes and support their use for capacity development of partner institutions and UNFPA staff in the region; 
• Contribute to and provide guidance to Transformative Agenda quarterly results review meetings and build capacity of country teams to develop high quality, results based reporting;
• Coordinate with Country Offices and implementing partners to highlight innovations, set up and implement a system to document lessons learned and good practices and address Programme Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) bottle necks in the region;
• Promote peer-to-peer learning to further reinforce national and UNFPA’s evaluation capacity. 
• Contribute to the analysis, synthesis and dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge and new approaches to monitoring and evaluation practice, in particular lessons learned and best practices, and make recommendations for their adoption at country level; and
• Contribute to the management and coordination of the TA Midterm Evaluation, Final Evaluation and other Regional Programme evaluations if required.

 

C. Quality assurance on results and evidence-based planning, monitoring, reporting and 

evaluation

• Contribute to the review and quality assure work plan progress reports from partners, SIS report from UNFPA country offices and other required donor reports working with M&E team ensuring indicators are adequately reported on, including at impact level; 
• Support activity follow up evaluations to understand results achieved by training activities.
• Provide guidance to, and quality assurance for, the preparation of Transformative Agenda management response to evaluations and to ensure their timely and quality preparation and follow up.

D. Support the achievement of indicators and completion of activities

• Support the implementation of Transformative Agenda activities by Country Offices and Regional Implementing partners; and
• Any other activities/responsibility as assigned by UNFPA.

 

Qualifications and Experience 

 

Education: 

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or higher) in public health, social science, demography, gender, economics, international relations, international development, public administration, management, or other related field;
• Additional credits/training on monitoring and evaluation are an asset.

 

Knowledge and Experience: 

• At least seven (7) years of increasingly responsible professional experience in developing, implementing, and managing complex regional, country, or programme level monitoring and evaluation portfolios in international development, of which five years at the international level;
• Strong track record of innovative leadership in managing evaluations, and proven ability to produce high quality evaluations;
• Demonstrated experience in being able to define theories of change and guide programme implementation staff on the causal chain between inputs, intermediate and outcome level results;
• Strong track record in the field of results-oriented planning and monitoring 
• Strong qualitative and quantitative and analytic research skills;
• Experience using data collection and analysis software and excellent computer skills

• Ability to meet tight deadlines;

• Experience working with UNFPA and/or UN is a strong asset.
• Experience from Country Offices is a strong asset.

 

Languages: 

Fluency in English; knowledge of other Pacific languages is an asset. 

 

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,
• Communicating for impact 

Functional Competencies:

• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Providing conceptual innovation to support programme effectiveness
• Evaluating the impact of UNFPA’s activities

 

Compensation and Benefits 

 

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, rental subsidy, education grant, home leave, health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

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. 

Notice: 

UNFPA 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.

UNFPA does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next phase of the selection process.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

 

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

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

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.