Monitoring & Evaluation Officer (NO-1), Banjul, Gambia

Contract

This is a NO-1 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-1 contracts.

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 every child, an education

The Gambia, like many Sub-Saharan countries, struggles to ensure all children are in school, especially at the right age. Data from the 2018 Multiple-Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) indicated that less than one in four (23.8 per cent) 36-59-months old children attended ECE. This to some extent impact on attendance at primary level. There is a 16 per cent difference in Early Childhood Education (ECE) experience between the rich (79.6 per cent) and the poor (63.5 per cent). Furthermore, exposure to risk to child marriage can influence attendance in primary school. Although child marriage has reduced from 46.5 per cent in 2010 to 34.2 per cent in 2018 (MICS), households within the poorest quantiles are having the highest rates of child marriage with 49.2 per cent.

Another significant challenge in the Gambian education system is the low level of foundational reading and numeracy. The learning crisis has become a major driver in the increased number of Out-of-School Children (OOSC). Other factors that contribute to OOSC are the low completion rates at 65.5 per cent for primary and 45.8 per cent for lower secondary. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the fragility of the Gambian education sector and threatens to undermine the gains made in the past years. The pandemic has seen 708,484 children out of school and at home in the country.

Through this is project “Zero out-of-school-children in Gambia”, UNICEF intends to enrol all 61,765 OOSC (7–12 years old) at the right age (51.6 per cent girls, 48.4 per cent boys, and 1.5 per cent children with disabilities) and about 5,000 adolescents will be supported with foundational literacy and numeracy to have another opportunity to be enrolled in primary school or be functionally literate and numerate, thus the total enrolment will be 66,765 OOSC. Overall, the project will focus on children 7 – 12 years and this will enable the identification of the targeted children that are overaged or enrolled at right age. The project will be implemented in all Regions of The Gambia

How can you make a difference?

In General:

1. Integrated Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Planning (IMEP) is prepared and in place to provide strategic priority and realistic plan of activities for M&E.
   • Contributes 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 United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) M&E Plans.
   • Participate in management studies and support/participate in thematic/strategic evaluations to improve development & organizational effectiveness.
   • Support and contribute to effectively joint evaluations with developmental partners, including joint evaluation of UNICEF or of multi-partner programs.
   • 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.
   • Contribute to the incorporation of M&E tasks in the IMEPs which were identified within the CO Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, in order to anticipate and prepare for the information needs and operational modalities of an emergency, in consultation with humanitarian partners.
   • In hu manitarian response situations, within the first month, draft and recommend a simple one-month data-collection plan to cover key data gaps as required for the initial emergency response, working in close collaboration with the humanitarian clusters partners. After the initial humanitarian response, support management of the medium-term response with a revised IMEP.
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.
   • 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
   • 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. .
3. Country Office Performance are systematically monitored and data for key indicators of the Annual Management Plan and management reports are collected, analysed and made available to management and the Country Management Team.
   • 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 (especially, Chapter 6, section 6: IMEP).
   • Provide technical support to ensure that monitoring system are in place and that key annual programme indicators are tracked and analysed, including those related to partnerships initiative, and provided regularly to the Country Management Team/ Senior Management Team to guide programme and management decisions.
   • 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, as well as good practices in partnerships and collaborative relationships.
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.
   • 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, when necessary, provide assistance to seek expertise of knowledge institutions. 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.
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.
   • 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.
   • 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.
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.
   • Facilitate or 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.
   • Facilitate or 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.
   • Provide technical advice to Country Office staff and national partners on 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.
   • Seek advanced or in-depth technical support on monitoring and evaluation from the Regional M&E Advisors and headquarters advisors on monitoring and evaluation as necessary.
   • Collaborate with the Regional M & E Adviser to ensure the availability of current and accurate monitoring and evaluation data and results.
   • Collaborate with Regional M&E Advisers and HQ Officers for overall coordination of priority research, monitoring and evaluation activities.

Specifically:

1. Effective Management of Project Data for Planning and for Evaluation Purposes

Provides assistance to the Implementing Partners for the management of the Zero out-of-school children project data and ensures that the data is readily made available for planning and adjustment purposes as may be required by UNICEF and other stakeholders. Collaborates with the M&E focal points from the Implementing Partners and UNICEF in providing data that might be required for evaluation/monitoring purposes. Data management needs should be accessed with appropriate support sought or provided.

2. Planning and Effective Monitoring of the Programme

Supports the Implementing Partners in planning and implementation of project activities in line with the disbursement plan and reporting cycle. Participates in field activities to monitor implementation of project activities, collection of data and providing support to field staff and submit monitoring reports to supervisor.

3. M&E Capacity Building

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

Staff member will provide M&E capacity building for the implementing partners by working closely with the M&E focal point. All other partner staff associated with the direct implementation of the project will be provided with M&E orientation to acquire in-depth familiarity with the project results framework, the performance monitoring plan and the requiring requirements especially matters relating to data collection, analysis, presentation and dissemination.

4. Donor Reporting

Contribute to the preparation of draft periodic donor narrative and financial reports for the review of the supervisor. Such report must be of good quality and meet the requirements of Educate A Child and UNICEF.

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

1. Education****:

University degree in social sciences, development planning, planning, evaluation, survey implementation, advanced statistical research.

2. Work Experience****:

• Professional work experience in programme development and implementation including monitoring and evaluation activities as follows:

• One year of relevant professional work experience. Developing country work experience for Implementing Partners or field work experience

• At least one instance of exposure to emergency programming, including preparedness planning. Active involvement in a humanitarian crisis response programme preferred.

3. Language Proficiency

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. 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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.