M&E Specialist for Joint Programme on Food Systems Transformation

Volunteering

Overview

Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive M&E framework for the JP.

You have:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in M&E and strategic communication in development programmes.
• Proven ability to design and implement M&E systems and communication strategies.
• Experience in partnership facilitation and multi-sectoral coordination.
• Strong writing, editing, and visual storytelling skills.

Contract

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Despite progress, challenges persist, with nearly half of children living below the poverty line, stunting affects around 50% of children under five, and maternal and child mortality rates remain high. The Joint Programme (JP) on Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition Improvement in Timor-Leste is an initiative aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity, strengthening food markets, and improving nutritional practices, particularly among pregnant and lactating women and children aged 0–23 months. It is a joint programme implemented by the UN agencies (FAO and UNICEF) under the coordination of United Nations Residence (UNRC) the under the leadership of the Vice Prime Minister’s and Coordinating Ministry for Social Affairs office, in close coordination with the Vice Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Planning and Strategic Investments, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry. The JP in Timor-Leste is designed to address the challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition, which have left 36% of the population chronically food insecure and 22% facing acute food insecurity as per the latest estimates available.

The Joint Programme (JP) on Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition Improvement in Timor-Leste aims to enhance agricultural productivity, strengthen food markets, and improve nutritional practices, particularly among pregnant and lactating mothers and children aged 0–23 months. The JP’s programmatic framework includes partnership formation, policy reform, investment promotion, establishment of resource centers and innovation hubs, capacity building, and nutrition education. To ensure long-term impact, the JP will invest in capacity development for local stakeholders, including micro, small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), farmers, cooperatives, and government institutions.

As a key partner in the Joint Programme, UNICEF will host the M&E Specialist for Joint Programme on Food Systems Transformation to lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive M&E framework that supports programme effectiveness and sustainability. The UN Volunteer will work closely with all implementing partners, including FAO and relevant government institutions, to ensure the development and integration of robust M&E systems. The UN Volunteer will support adaptive management, accountability, and evidence-based decision-making across the programme, contributing to the overall effectiveness and sustainability of food systems transformation and nutrition improvement efforts in Timor-Leste.

The UN Volunteer will support the JP in monitoring the implementation and fostering strategic communication efforts, while also contributing to partnership facilitation and stakeholder engagement. This includes tracking progress, documenting results, and amplifying the JP’s visibility and impact through effective communication and collaboration. The UN Volunteer will support the JP by: • Developing an integrated JP monitoring framework and performance indicators. • Ensuring timely and accurate monitoring of programme activities and results. • Facilitating learning and adaptive management. • Collaborating with the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Social Affairs (IMTSA) for the timely preparation of scheduled meetings • Facilitating scheduled report writing • Supporting accountability and strategic decision-making through evidence generation

The Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist is expected to undertake the following:

a. Monitoring & Evaluation • Develop and refine indicators aligned with the JP’s Theory of Change and results framework. • Develop and integrate monitoring and evaluation frameworks and tools for improved performance indicators into national policies, development plans, and annual budgets to enhance the efficiency of public expenditure for food systems transformation for nutritional outcomes.
• Monitor the implementation of planned activities and track the achievement of results throughout the JP's duration. • Contribute to and facilitate the review of progress reports for strategic oversight and guidance to the Joint Programme team. • Facilitate learning lessons from implementation and make necessary adjustments for greater effectiveness in collaboration with government bodies. • Support and contribute to overseeing studies/ evaluations as required to assess the programme's impact and guide future strategies, in coordination with other UN agencies. • Participate and contribute to the joint meetings/ workshops or any such events. Conduct field visits to document best practices/ case studies and enhance monitoring.

b. Communication • In collaboration with FAO, UNICEF, and UNRC communication focal points, facilitate the development and implementation of a communication plan to promote JP objectives, activities, and results. • In collaboration with FAO, UNICEF, and UNRC communication focal points, facilitate the produce high-quality communication materials (briefs, newsletters, social media content, human interest stories). • Facilitate stakeholder engagement and visibility through events, media outreach, and digital platforms. • Ensure messaging aligns with JP goals, environmental sustainability, and SDG contributions.

c. Partnership Platform Support In collaboration with IMTSA, FAO, UNICEF, and UNRC • Identify and map key stakeholders across government, development partners, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), Development Financial Institutions (DFIs), private sector actors, farmer cooperatives, and civil society. Maintain a stakeholder database to track engagement and collaboration. • Organize and support regular partnership platform meetings, workshops, and consultations. Prepare agendas, briefing notes, and follow-up documentation to ensure continuity and accountability. • Develop tailored materials to showcase platform achievements, investment opportunities, and strategic priorities. Support the creation of investment promotion packages and advocacy briefs. • Track platform activities, commitments, and outcomes. Document lessons learned and innovative practices from platform collaborations.

d. Situation Monitoring and Assessment Ensure that the partners have timely and accurate measurements of the situation of food and nutrition security, including monitoring of socio-economic trends and the country’s wider policy, economic, or institutional context, to facilitate planning and draw conclusions about the impact of programmes or policies. • In coordination with partners and stakeholders, support the collection of SDG and other key social development indicators to improve national planning. • Support partners in the establishment and management of national statistical databases, ensuring that key indicators are readily accessible by stakeholders. • Develop a collective Situation Monitoring and Assessment system which supports the preparation of country-level statistical analysis on the status of children’s and women’s rights issues with a focus on food security and nutrition, and to influence developmental and social policies. To include technical support to global reporting obligations, including national reports on progress toward the SDGs, and toward Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) fulfilment.

e. Programme Performance Monitoring Ensure that there is quality information to assess progress towards expected results established in annual work plans. • Provide technical support to ensure that a set of programme performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary, with inputs of partners in the context of the multi-year Work Plans. • Coordinate with partners to ensure that monitoring systems are properly designed, and that data collection and analysis from field visits are coordinated and standardised across programmes to
feed into programme performance monitoring. • Drawing on monitoring and analysis of key program performance and management indicators, provide professional input to management reports, including relevant sections of the annual reports. • Provide technical support as necessary in organising and managing annual/mid-year programme reviews, ensuring consistency with objectives set out in the UNICEF programme/ project/ partnership documents. • Participate in appropriate inter-agency (UNCT) meetings/events on monitoring and evaluations to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNSDCF operational planning and preparation, and to integrate and harmonise JP Food Systems Transformation (FST) position and strategies with the UNSDCF monitoring. Support the tracking of UNSDCF M&E Plans from a sound results-based programming process.

• At least 7 years’ experience in M&E for multi sectoral or joint programmes, including results frameworks and indicator design. • Strong data analysis and monitoring skills, including field monitoring and SDG related indicators. • Experience in strategic communication and producing high quality content across multiple platforms. • Proven ability in multi stakeholder coordination (government, UN agencies, partners). • Skills in knowledge management, lesson learning, and supporting reviews. • Excellent writing, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.

The UNICEF Office is located on the UN compound, along with most UN agencies. UN House is in the city center, and safe accommodation options are available nearby as well as further away. Dili is a small city, and most expatriates live within a 6km radius / a 10 to 20mn car ride from UN House. As public transport is not recommended for international staff, most expatriates purchase a motorbike (price range: $700 to $2,000) or a car (price range: $4000 to $20,000), which they then resell upon leaving the country. The UNICEF office, and particularly the drivers, can help with purchasing a vehicle. There are a range of housing options in Dili, that range from the very basic to adequate, although many private houses in Dili have been renovated to a reasonable or even considered ‘luxurious’ level of comfort. Many expatriates live in fully serviced compounds, usually in individual houses but sometimes in apartments. Some choose private houses, which tend to be cheaper than compounds. Houses are very often fully furnished in Dili. Housing prices start at about $750 per month for a studio or one-bedroom place. Two-bedroom houses in a compound range from $1,000 to $2,500.

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Potential interview questions

Added 4 months ago - Updated 4 months ago - Source: unv.org