Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Senior Officer

Project Information

Starting in 2024 for a period of 48 months, Cities Alliance (UNOPS) will be responsible for the indirect management of the “Sustainable Urban Integration of Displacement-Affected Communities” (SUIDAC) in Sub-Saharan African cities – financed by the European Union. The Action will address the nexus between forced displacement and urban development in five Sub-Saharan countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda.

The Action aims to:

Improve social cohesion and self-reliance of Displacement-Affected Communities (DACs) in urban and peri-urban areas and expand legal protection (e.g., access to rights, documentation), with specific attention to forcibly displaced populations (refugees, returnees, and IDPs) and including persons with specific needs.

• Strengthen local authorities’ capacities to adopt integrated approaches to forced displacement management in urban contexts and promote political and evidence-based policy dialogue at regional, national, and local levels to improve policy frameworks and influence future policy discussions on urban forced displacement.
• The Action target beneficiaries are Displacement-Affected Communities (DACs), as well as their hosting cities. Cities are a new environment for the implementation of EU financed forced displacement programs. SUIDAC will be the first urban displacement program financed through the ‘Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe’ (‘NDICI-Global Europe’) in the SSA region.
• The Action builds on and expands the EU Trust Fund program “CRRF: Inclusive Urban Development and Mobility” ending in 2023. Moving forward, SUIDAC will help tackle the challenges arising from sudden and/or sustained forced displacement currently happening in the secondary cities targeted by the Action.

Functional Responsibilities

The M&E Senior Officer Accountability and Learning  works under the supervision of the SUIDAC Programme Coordinator and the Cities Alliance M&E Specialist.

The role is envisaged to provide support across the full range of MEAL activities for the programme. 

• The M&E Senior Officer Accountability and Learning  will ensure the accurate and timely monitoring, evaluation, risk management, and reporting of progress of individual projects funded by SUIDAC. The M&E Senior Officer will track the performance of geographic and thematic programmes composed of multiple projects, assist in the monitoring of SUIDAC’s progress against its own log frame and in risk monitoring, and support the quality of evaluation activities and the timely identification and use of learning.
• Specific responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, assisting in the design of all aspects of the MEAL system, including developing and implementing MEAL plans, systems, and tools (including indicator development, definitions, data collection and storage tools, and data quality processes); and supporting the capacity building of partners and stakeholders in the MEAL system and risk management through the development and use of standard data collection tools and methodologies and through providing technical support as required; quality control of the MEAL system including data verification and quality improvement processes. The SUIDAC MEAL system requires continuous development and refinement as new programs are designed and new partners are engaged.
• Under the secondary supervision of the Cities Alliance M&E Specialist, the M&E Senior Officer  will support all aspects of monitoring and evaluating SUIDAC-funded activities including supporting designing and implementing MEAL processes (including feedback mechanisms such as participant surveys or participative processes, such as Most Significant Change) and specific studies and evaluations  and assisting in designing and managing studies/surveys that are either implemented by SUIDAC personnel or more commonly contracted to national and international consultants. The M&E Senior Officer  will be responsible for the regular updating of accurate information in the donor MEAL system, the capture and dissemination of lessons learned and reporting against the Cities Alliance RBM system.
• The M&E Senior Officer will coordinate with SUIDAC Technical Advisors, Local Advisors and the SUIDAC Management team. This position requires regular travel to the SUIDAC project sites.
• In accordance with UNOPS policies, procedures and practices, and in alignment with the Cities Alliance Corporate MEL system, the MEAL Specialist will be responsible for

Support the Cities Alliance M&E Specialist with the development and implementation of MEAL and risk mitigation Plans, Systems, and tools:

• Work with and advise the programme teams on MEAL needs, such as providing technical support relating to log frames, indicators, targets, and data quality.
• Support the  and implementation of the MEAL Plan including indicator reference sheets and other M&E-related guidance, a learning plan, and tools and templates that facilitate the quality monitoring and reporting of results.
• Assist with continual development and updating of an effective MEAL system for actions – an online system – supported by the SUIDAC Program and the programmes own performance.
• Document and collate available and relevant internal and external data, conduct data verification and quality control.
• Ensure the maintenance of the database of performance data, including data verification processes for all SUIDAC – funded activities.
• Assist in the coordination of SUIDAC’s monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning activities, including the preparation of annual MEAL work plans and MEAL-related budgets.
• Regularly revise and update the risk assessment and mitigation plan.
• Ensure that emerging risks are identified through regular monitoring and are fully documented.
• Ensure that contextual and external risks are updated, identified, tracked, and managed.
• Regularly update the SUIDAC programme coordinator on emerging or evolving risks.
• When required visit project sites for M&E activities and provide recommendations.
• When required, attend all relevant technical meetings, events, monitoring, evaluation, and learning missions and ensure adequate documentation.

Coordination and MEAL Capacity Strengthening

• With the support of the Cities Alliance M&E Specialist, introduce SUIDAC Program grantees and cities to SUIDAC MEAL requirements and design and implement capacity-strengthening processes to ensure compliance.
• Assist with the review of implementing partners’ internal MEAL systems and needs, conducting data quality assessments, and providing advice when required.
• Under the Supervision of the Cities Alliance M&E Specialist, provide technical assistance to implementing partners to ensure participation in SUIDAC MEAL process and an adequate flow of information and data.
• Assist the Cities Alliance M&E Specialist with the  support to partners in strengthening participatory monitoring systems and the collection and use of feedback. Support partners to collect, analyze and use stakeholder feedback, document resulting programme decisions, and share the learning with other partners and Cities Alliance.
• Ensure adequate feedback to/from SUIDAC beneficiaries on data and analyses.
• Promote information sharing on all aspects related to MEAL activities among stakeholders and promote cross-learning between project sites.
• Contribute to the development of the terms of reference for national and international consultants on MEAL.

Support to Specific Studies and Evaluations

• Under the guidance of the Cities Alliance M&E Specialist, support the design of baseline, mid-term, and final evaluations to ensure credible methodologies for assessment and the identification of learning.
• Assist in the design, procurement, implementation and quality control of specific monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Support contract management and quality control relating to SUIDAC’s MEAL activities.

Reporting

• Assist in reporting in accordance with the funder requirements including drafting progress reports, updating online reporting systems and annual reporting against the Cities Alliance Corporate Results Framework.
• Review and quality control implementing partner reports, particularly relating to MEAL aspects.
• Draft lessons learned and internal evaluation/review reports that are evidence-based, and practical and emphasize learning and utilization.
• Ensure that MEAL data and risk management information is readily available, as appropriate, to the SUIDAC team and other stakeholders, particularly on performance data and results, lessons learned, and risk management relating to the Program activities.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• A Masters Degree, preferably in Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Development, or a related field is required.
• A Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Development, or a related field with an additional two years of similar experience is considered equivalent.

Experience 

• A minimum of two years of professional M&E experience is required.
• Demonstrated experience in projects implemented in Africa is required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of sub-regional and local African contexts is required.
• Experience in the development of log frames/results frameworks and identifying appropriate performance indicators is an asset.
• UNOPS experience and/or experience in implementing EU-funded projects is an asset.
• Experience in quantitative and qualitative analysis, identification of lessons learned, and report drafting is an asset.
• Willingness to travel frequently to project sites across the country and sub-region is required.

Language

• Fluency in written and oral English is required.
• Basic knowledge of French is an asset.

Source: https://jobs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=28256