UNICEF Job Vacancy For Monitoring & Evaluation Officer

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Purpose of the Position

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer is accountable for the accomplishment of the stated key end-results by providing professional expertise and assistance in information/data collection, statistics and data analysis, monitoring & evaluation (M&E), preparation of reports, communication and partnership, and in implementing training programmes for national and sub-national data collection, monitoring, evaluation and research capacity building with special attention to the interest, concern and participation of primary stakeholders.  

Key Expected Results

1. Integrated Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Planning (IMEP) is prepared and in place to provide strategic priority and realistic plan of activities for M&E.
2. Timely monitoring and measurement of changes in conditions due to programme or policies in country or region are conducted with the participation of relevant partners and are provided to the Country Office and national partners to facilitate national planning, and assess the impact of the programmes and policies, and report on the progress being made.
3. Country Office Performance is systematically monitored and data for key indicators of the Annual Management Plan and management reports are collected, analyzed and made available to management and the Country Management Team, using standard reporting formats and the Country Office’s own monitoring system trackME. An interactive online map of UNICEF Ghana intervention regions, districts and communities is prepared and frequently updated.
4. Evaluation is designed and carried out with quality process and products in line with priority and strategy. Evaluation findings, recommendations and reports are used to improve programme performance and are effectively disseminated to the intended audience. Major partners are kept abreast and/or contribute to these exercises as required. 
5. The monitoring and evaluation capacities of Country Office staff and national partners are strengthened, enabling them to increasingly engage in and lead monitoring and evaluation processes.
6. Effective communication and partnerships are achieved in carrying out integrated planning of research, monitoring and evaluation activities within the Country Office and with the Regional office, and with all other stakeholders, including national partners, the UN Country Team and the international community; and the results are shared with all partners to stimulate joint engagement. 

Key Accountabilities and Duties & Tasks 

Integrated Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Planning (IMEP)

Provide technical support to ensure that the Country Office and national partners use a well-prioritised and realistic plan of research, monitoring and evaluation activities that will provide the most relevant and strategic information to manage the Country Programme, including tracking and assessing  UNICEF's distinct contribution.  

Duties & Tasks

• Contribute to provision of technical assistance for the planning and establishing the major research, monitoring and evaluation activities in multi-year and annual IMEPs, which is to be reflected in UNDAF M&E Plans.
• Engage with programme sections to ensure that the IMEP is in place and frequently monitored. Ensure that the IMEP folder is fully updated with all finalized studies, assessments and surveys, and upload the completed reports and their one-pagers on the global database.
• Participate in management studies and support/participate in thematic/strategic evaluations to improve development & organizational effectiveness.
• In close consultation with management and liaison with partners, make a professional contribution to formulation of the IMEPs from a sound results-based programming process and collaborative working relations with partners.
• In a close coordination with partners, ensure that the IMEPs include data collection activities that provide accurate and relevant data on key activities and results, including results for children.

Situation Monitoring and Assessment  

Provide technical support to ensure that the Country Office and national partners have timely and accurate measurement of change in conditions in the country or region, including monitoring of socio-economic trends and the country's wider policy, economic or institutional context, to facilitate planning and to draw conclusions about the impact of programmes or policies.

Duties & Tasks

• Support management of available baseline information on national statistics and key indicators through established databases (e.g., DevInfo) for easy access and use. Prepare country level statistical reports on the status of children’s and women’s human rights issues, and provide a technical support to global reporting obligations including national reports on progress toward the MDGs, toward CRC fulfilment, and toward CEDAW fulfilment.
• Frequently update the GhanaInfo database and the UNICEF Ghana M&E Knowledgebase with current information from various sources, including survey reports and routine data, for easy access and use.
• Keep monitoring the situation of children’s and women’s rights with national partners and keep updated with the information of the quality research that address issues and challenges affecting children and their families.
• Coordinate with the Country Office and partners and provide assistance in their using up-to-date information in, inter alia, Situation Analysis, Common Country Assessment, Early Warning Monitoring Systems, Annual Reviews, Mid-Term Reviews, and Annual Reports or other progress reports. 
• Provide technical support to ensure that the CO has information necessary for UNICEF to effectively report on and advocate for children’s rights through the appropriate channels and to enhance partnerships with key players in monitoring collectively progress on child focused international commitments, including MDGs.

Programme Performance Monitoring  

Provide technical support to ensure that the Country Office has quality information to assess progress towards expected results established in annual work plans. 

Duties & Tasks

• Provide technical support as necessary to identifying and adjusting a set of programme performance indicators, in the context of the multi-year and annual IMEPs, the Annual Management Plan and Annual Work Plans, as outlined in the Programme Policy and Procedures Manual.
• Provide technical support to ensure that monitoring system are in place and that key annual programme indicators are tracked and analysed, and provided regularly to the Country Management Team/ Senior Management Team to guide programme and management decisions.
• Assist in analysis and compilation of data to measure progress and impact of project activities. Create and maintain an interactive online map of UNICEF Ghana programme intervention communities to help monitor programme interventions, and identify converging communities.
• Carry out data collection and analysis from field visits, standardising them across programmes, to feed into to programme performance monitoring.  
• Keep tracking of follow-up action based on management decisions resulting from Country Office performance monitoring and evaluation.
• Compile monitoring and evaluation information/data, and make them available to programme/planning sections. Contribute to the preparation of management reports (e.g., relevant sections of the annual reports), drawing on monitoring and analysis of key management indicators.
• Assist in the preparation of reports on systemic issues, good practices or any other analysis or data related to programme implementation and/or evaluation, including programme’s performance, relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability.  

Evaluation

Provide technical support to ensure that a well-prioritised and strategic selection of evaluations at programme or Country Office strategy level is managed in order that each evaluation is designed and carried out with quality process and products and that evaluation results are useful to the intended audience.  

Duties & Tasks

• Provide support to ensure that the relevant programme partners participate and formulate Evaluation Terms of Reference and design of high quality.
• Provide technical support to ensure that evaluation design and management meet quality standards as outlined in UNICEF Programme Policies and Procedures and related stand-alone Evaluation Technical Notes. Facilitate and take part in producing Evaluation Office’s responses on specific and substantive issues.
• Review and provide technical comments on draft evaluation reports. Contribute to the effective dissemination and sharing of knowledge, findings, conclusions, recommendations and lessons from evaluation to the intended audience as described in the Terms of Reference with a view to improving programme performance and contributing to wider learning.   Specifically, assist in feeding evaluation results into key UNICEF programme planning processes including the Annual Reviews and the Mid-Term Reviews, and formulation of the Country Programme Document, the Country Programme Action Plan and the Annual Work Plans. Support effective participatory feedback, including to community and civil society stakeholders.
• Provide assistance in tracking to ensure that a management response to the findings and recommendations of the evaluation is completed, recorded, and followed up for implementation. Most specifically, ensure that evaluation recommendations are submitted to the Country Management Team and follow-up actions recorded in CMT minutes.
• Submit electronic copies of all evaluations to NYHQ via the Evaluation Data Base web portal, with full accompanying documentation. 

M&E Capacity Building 

Provide technical support to ensure that the monitoring and evaluation capacities of Country Office staff and national partners – government and civil society – are strengthened enabling them to increasingly engage in and lead monitoring and evaluation processes.

Duties & Tasks

• Contribute to the collaboration of an M&E capacity building strategy for national partners and institutions and corresponding activities for implementation in the context of the IMEP or UNDAF M&E plan. Provide technical support for implementation of capacity building strategies as a joint commitment with other developmental partners with special attention to the interest, concern and participation of primary stakeholders.
• In close consultation with senior managers, contribute to formulation of staff capacity development strategy and plans, and exercise effective leadership in implementing them, ensuring that Country Office staffs have the basic knowledge and skills to fulfil their monitoring and evaluation responsibilities, and training is planned and carried out to fill identified gaps.
• Support the M&E capacity building of staff and partners by contributing to the development of the UNICEF Ghana M&E bulleting (Really Simple Stats) and M&E training sessions.
• Promote and provide support to ensure that Country Office staff and national partners are aware of and have access to UNICEF monitoring and evaluation learning resources.
• Contribute to facilitate that Evaluation capacity of national partner organisations is strengthened through their involvement in evaluation processes and possibly through specific capacity building initiatives.

Communication and Partnerships  

Provide technical support to ensure that all of the above tasks are carried out and accomplished through effective communication and partnerships, as elaborated below:

Duties & Tasks

• Support in the dissemination activities of various surveys and other relevant statistical information/results at national, regional, district levels.
• Contribute to integrated planning of research, monitoring and evaluation activities within the Country Office, with national partners, the UN Country Team and the wider international community, in the context of internal office management plans, the country programme process, the UNDAF and sector wide approaches respectively, in consultation with child-right partners.
• Contribute to joint monitoring and evaluation activities with national partners, the UN Country Team and the wider international community, wherever possible in the context of the above processes.
• Support Country Office staff and national partners in data collection, data management and data analysis for basic monitoring and evaluation.
• Provide synthesis of M&E results to the country office senior management, the Country Management Team and key programme and operations staff.
• Ensure that evaluation recommendations are communicated to the relevant partners for implementation, with advice on the Implementation Plan and follow-up action for future programming.
• Facilitate learning from the results of monitoring and evaluation within the Country Office and more widely within UNICEF in the region and globally, as well as among national partners and other key stakeholders, engaging more expertise from knowledge institutions. 

  To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• A University degree in social sciences, development planning, planning, evaluation, survey implementation, advanced statistical research.  
• Professional work experience in programme development and implementation including monitoring and evaluation activities
  • One year of strong relevant professional work experience in the specific areas mentioned.
  • Expertise in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) would be a great asset. 
  • Professional technical knowledge/expertise in demography, statistics, and data management.
  • Methodology of M&E, theories, standards and models, quantitative/qualitative/mixed methods, validity/reliability testing of data, data analysis and interpretation, and statistical inference methods.
  • Professional technical knowledge/expertise in Activity Monitoring & Evaluation, Evaluation Design, data analysis, and reporting. 
  • Gender equality and diversity awareness
  • Field work experience is required
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The competencies required for this post are….

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

It would be very helpful if applicants include a detailed curriculum vitae or resume.  Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.