Regional Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Adviser

Overview The Regional Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (ME&L) Adviser provides overall technical advice and quality assurance for results and evidence-based planning, monitoring, reporting and evaluation, and leads strengthening of capacities and knowledge generation, management and dissemination on these issues. They provide oversight, leadership and coordination of the evaluation and results-based management function in the region. They provide expert advice on ensuring the quality of all evaluation processes and products in conformity with the UNFPA Evaluation Policy and UNFPA evaluation quality standards. The Regional ME&L Adviser works in close collaboration with the Independent Evaluation Office and collaborates with the Programme Division on results planning, monitoring and reporting issues. The Regional ME&L Adviser reports directly to the Regional Director (and functionally to the Independent Evaluation Office) for the evaluation portfolio, and to the Deputy Regional Director for the monitoring and knowledge management portfolio.

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 () reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction 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 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 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 international norms and standards and 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 managing resources and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The Regional ME&L Adviser promotes a culture of results and evidence-based programme management in the region. They provide leadership and guidance to the implementation of corporate policies, procedures, principles, monitoring, reporting and evaluation norms and standards at regional and national levels to ensure relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of UNFPA’s work in the region. The adviser will work within an integrated and coordinated approach fundamental to the Regional Office and UNFPA’s overall strategy.

You would be responsible for:

A. Strategic Results Support

• Contribute to the formulation of the Regional Programme, drawing upon the analysis of evaluative evidence of UNFPA support in the region and evidence stemming from corporate evaluations.
• Ensure the integration of evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations in regional and country-level programming;
• Promote results-based monitoring and use of monitored data in the country offices.
• Provide oversight of regional and country programmes;
• Develop and lead the implementation of annual work plans for regional programme and/or thematic evaluations;
• Ensure result-based monitoring and evaluation plans are implemented, and results acted upon at country and regional levels

B. Capacity Development

• Conduct regional and country-level capacity-building initiatives and workshops to strengthen a culture of results and evidence-based programme management in UNFPA and partner institutions;
• Ensure that all M&E officers/ focal points and staff in the region are knowledgeable about UNFPA M&E policies and procedures, norms, standards and guidance;
• Participate in Independent Evaluation Office and Programme Division training and workshops;
• Contribute to the development and adaptation of tools and guidance as well as training materials and manuals in monitoring and evaluation and support their use for capacity development of partner institutions and UNFPA staff in the region;
• Contribute to monitoring and analysis of reports on humanitarian, economic, political and social factors in development and management of population and development programmes, such as the UNFPA-supported country programmes and sub-regional programme;
• Contribute to identify and validate regional monitoring and evaluation experts;
• Coordinate the Country Offices M&E Focal Points Network to highlight innovations and PME bottlenecks in the region;

Contribute to the development of policies, procedures and tools for monitoring and evaluation, to the efforts of Program Support Division and the Independent Evaluation Office respectively.

C. Evidence and knowledge development, management and dissemination

• Contribute to the analysis, synthesis and dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge and new approaches to monitoring and evaluation practice, including best practices, and make recommendations for their adoption at regional and sub-regional levels;
• Support the Regional Office in ensuring the incorporation of monitoring and evaluation results and lessons learned in updating specific strategies, policies, tools and approaches, and ensure their availability in the organizational system for lessons learned;
• Disseminate to country offices HQ initiatives on results-based approaches;
• Develop a comprehensive and interactive Learning and Knowledge management strategy and work plan for the RO, promoting learning and uptake of cutting-edge research and materials by and for country teams, regional office teams, partners, and target audiences. This includes linking and promoting strategic collaborations between relevant partners, experts and resource persons, especially including the regional office and 23 country offices.
• Lead and/or contribute to production of key program reports and publications drawing on innovative use of technology for wider use

Develop and/or Identify platforms and networks for knowledge dissemination

D. Oversight and technical support to regional and country offices in the implementation of the UNFPA Evaluation Policy

• Advise regional director, deputy regional director, and country representatives/heads of office on planning and funding for evaluations of projects and programmes, as well as evaluation staffing and evaluation management arrangements;
• Contribute to IEO efforts to develop country office evaluation capacities and support the development of evaluation capacities of UNFPA partners, including young evaluators;
• Support the implementation of IEO-managed activities in the region and managing the regional elements of the evaluation pooled fund, once established;
• Lead the development and implementation of the regional evaluation strategy, including the identification of innovative evaluation methodologies, approaches and tools and promoting their incorporation into UNFPA decentralized evaluations in the region;
• Lead the preparation and implementation of the regional office costed evaluation plan;
• Provide technical advice and quality assurance of evaluations managed by country offices, including technical supervision;
• Guide country offices in preparing quality costed evaluation plans (CEPs) and monitor the implementation of CEPs in the region;
• Quality assure country programme evaluations (CPEs) and project evaluations (as per CEPs) undertaken by country offices, including review and approval of the terms of reference, pre-qualification of evaluation teams, review and approval of evaluation deliverables;
• Quality assure management responses to decentralized evaluations to ensure their timely release and follow up;
• Support partnerships with evaluation networks, professional evaluation bodies, national and regional institutions, UN partners, UNEG and other development partners, and promote peer-to-peer learning to further reinforce national evaluation capacity;
• Together with the regional communications team, lead and implement strategic communication plans for regional evaluations; foster a culture of communicating and utilizing country level evaluations; cross-fertilize evaluation lessons across country offices and partners; and facilitate the long-term utilization of evaluation evidence in programming and decision-making.

E. Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership.

Key performance indicators

• Timely and quality advanced technical support and guidance to country offices in line with workplan
• Quality and timely systems for tracking/monitoring developed and implemented
• Timely synthesis and submission of quality and accurate reports
• Number of monitoring visits to programme countries/ country offices/ implementing partners
• Quality and relevant trainings to personnel
• Quality and timely support to evaluation processes
• Quality and timely implementation of the regional Knowledge and Learning management strategy
• Consistent improvement in knowledge accessibility and usage

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Masters degree (or equivalent) in public health, social science, demography, gender, economics . click apply for full job details