With ten years into the crisis, the scale, severity, and complexity of needs across Syria remain deep and far-reaching. Over half of the country’s population have fled their homes: 5.5 million people have sought refuge in the region and beyond, and 6.1 million people are internally displaced. According to the HNO 2020, 11.1 million people remain in need of humanitarian assistance. Of these, 5.6 million people face acute humanitarian needs. Millions of people have fallen into poverty, forced to resort to harmful coping strategies and faced with increasing protection risks. With hostilities continuing in some parts of the country, COVID 19 preventive measures and impact of the financial crisis in Lebanon, humanitarian needs are expected to deepen in these areas. In 2020 with no end to the crises in sight, humanitarian needs are expected to continue to grow in scale, severity, and complexity. Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and the successor arrangement to the UNSF are expected to play a role in strengthening the Humanitarian-Development-Peacebuilding Nexus by strengthening Resilience of the affected population in Syria. The role of Resilience is expected to grow in importance and significance due to the need to accelerate the transition from immediate Humanitarian assistance to IDPs and affected population to more sustainable and recovery-oriented support, including support to potential returns of IDPs as well as refugees.
The priorities of UNDP Syria are, as stipulated in the Country Programme Document 2016-2017 (extended till the end of 2020), to enhance the resilience and socio-economic stabilization of individuals and communities through restoring the disrupted livelihoods of the affected communities; and restoring, rehabilitating and maintaining sustainable basic services and infrastructure in damaged areas and host communities. Embedded in each priority is an institutional crisis response capacity development component for key national and local partners. Mindful of the scale of the crisis, the scaled-up, targeted, and rapidly responsive interventions of UNDP Syria would strive to mitigate displacement and movement of refugees, including forced, illegal, and unsafe migration and the trafficking of refugees, and to support potential returns of the IDPs.
UNDP’s corporate management philosophy is Results-Based Management which is a shift from traditional project monitoring and evaluation to Results-Oriented Monitoring and Evaluation that covers a set of related projects, programmes and partnership strategies intended to achieve desired results (outputs, outcomes and higher level goals or impact), provides critical information for decision making processes , produces accurate transparent results and supports the evidence-based reporting; in this context, it’s UNDP Syria highest priority to ensure effective implementation of its projects and efficient use of its resources .
Under the overall guidance of Management Support Unit Team Leader and direct supervision of the Monitoring and Evaluation Analyst, the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Associate contributes to ensure that planning, monitoring and evaluation requirements for the Country Office and projects are met and managing data to feed reports and provides overall support for successful implementation of the ongoing programmes and projects, performing a variety of standard monitoring and evaluation services ensuring high quality and accuracy of work. The Programme Associate works in close collaboration with program and operations unit’s staff as required for related issues and exchange of information.
The M&E Associate facilitates knowledge building and sharing on M&E activities and works in close collaboration with Country Office programme, operations, and projects teams as required to ensure that corporate compliance requirements are fulfilled within the Result -Based Management Framework in a timely manner with required quality checks, following the highest standards in line with UNDP guidelines and procedures.
Supports timely implementation and effective management of M&E for the country office and projects focusing on achievement of the following:
- Supports the planning process of monitoring activities and follow up its implementation. Prepares project operational and administrative reports by collecting, selecting, reviewing and maintaining a wide range of information. Verifies that all projects are monitored in accordance with the monitoring plan. Informs deviations from the planned activities and identifies needs for reprogramming;
- Provides technical assistance for quality assurance of the implementation of the monitoring process, results framework and management arrangements of projects to guarantee a result-based management approach. This includes regular review of progress against set targets at project level. Assists in the provision of guidance/inputs at the design stage of projects;
- Supports the development of instruments to ensure a high quality of monitoring activities. Participates in results-oriented monitoring and evaluation training efforts in the Country Office;
- Assists in the development, updating, effective and efficient implementation of the CO programme and projects’ Monitoring and Evaluation plans;
- Assists in development of measurement and monitoring tools and identify data sources for programme and/or projects’ performance and indicators;
- Supports establishment and coordination of effective mechanisms of monitoring the programme and projects’ implementation including development of evaluation processes using innovative approaches;
- Supports preparation of the programme/project(s) Monitoring and Evaluation Plans capturing qualitative and quantitative aspects according to the annual work plans and log-frames;
- Supports the programme/project team with data management and identifying programmatic/project issues and prompt corrective actions to enhance the programme/project objectives;
- Supports the development and testing of M&E methods, revises and assists in the implementation of recommendations to improve the efficiency of current monitoring systems;
- Prepares necessary M&E forms and format to capture necessary data and information from the field;
- Supports and/or works to capture, document, and analyze that information and data from the projects’ activities in a results-based and timely manner;
- Provides and/or supports coordination of inputs in developing the Annual Work Plans (AWPs), projects’ implementation plans…..., etc.
Assists the effective management and implementation of the evaluations policies, strategies and processes focusing on achievement of the following:
- Prepares reports and submits documents to the Government, UN Agencies and UNDP Headquarters by collecting and selecting relevant data from documents, legislation extracts, specialized publications and websites;
- Drafts preliminary presentation of information;
- Provides inputs in the formulation of Terms of Reference for outcome evaluations. Assists in the revision of TORs for specific project/thematic/sectorial evaluation missions and/or desk evaluations/reviews;
- Participates in consultant and evaluation team selection and technical feedback on evaluations;
- Assist in the process of carrying out evaluations (review of reports, participation in meetings, participation in the management and/or organization of seminars, meetings and other special events).
Provides administrative supports in preparation of reports completion of corporate online tools focusing on achievement of the following:
- Enters and/or reviews projects’ data to the data management system (Atlas, IMRP, Corporate Planning Systems and similar), updates project-related data on websites, as needed;
- Schedules and assigns responsibilities for activities/events needed for monitoring;
- Assists in the identification of potential implementation problems and bottlenecks and contributes to the common M&E activity of the UNDP Country Office;
- Supports programme/projects’ teams in conducting surveys, studies, assessments and similar activities;
- Liaises with M&E staff of the projects within broader UNDP M&E activities and efforts;
- Maintains sound filing system including in the online SharePoint/MS Teams systems and appropriates use and recording of programme/project’s experience, activities and results;
- Provides inputs, information and statistics for quarterly, annual and other reports;
- Assists in the preparation of background documentation and working papers for its utilization in meetings with the Government and project authorities;
- Performs other relevant functions as may be requested by Head of the unit and M&E Analyst.
Facilitates knowledge building and knowledge sharing focusing on achievement of the following:
- Identifies and formulates lessons learned and documents best practices from evaluations and studies to be integrated into programme reports;
- Contributes to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
- Under the supervision of the Head of Unit, establishes connections, coordinates and disseminates information, in both ways, within the team, with other relevant units and the whole office;
- Contributes to regular capacity building of the programme/project(s) and CO staff on RBM, M&E and other relevant topics;
- Supports programme/project teams in the promotion of monitoring and evaluation standards, quality assurance/control and capacity development;
- Supports knowledge sharing and learning programme-wide in the MSU Team and the entire CO.
Core Competencies
- Innovation: Ability to make new and useful ideas work;
- Leadership: Ability to persuade others to follow;
- People Management: Ability to improve performance and satisfaction;
- Communication: Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform;
- Delivery: Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.
Technical / Functional Competencies
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Knowledge of methodologies, assessment tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting and ability to apply to practical situations;
- Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results;
- Quality Assurance: Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to ensure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled;
- Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share.
Education
- High school with specialized certification in economics, Social Sciences, Finance, Public Administration or any other related field;
- A first-level university degree (Business or Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences and Social Sciences) in combination with 3 years of qualifying experience may be accepted.
Experience
- 6 years of progressively responsible monitoring and evaluation and/or relevant project management experience is required at the national or international level;
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages;
- Experience in handling of web-based management systems.
Language Requiremenst
- Fluent in spoken and written in English and Arabic.
Important applicant information
All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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Contract Duration: 1 Year with the possibility for extension