BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

WFP’s Country Strategic Plan 2018-2022 has six strategic outcomes and is fully aligned with national policy objectives, including Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the Third National Development Plan (NDP III). Through the CSP, WFP addresses the root causes of food insecurity and malnutrition, supports the refugee response and strengthens social protection systems. WFP assistance is provided through direct implementation, evidence generation, knowledge sharing and capacity strengthening, while building strategic partnerships including through South-South and Triangular Co-operation.

In support of WFP Country Office in line with the Country strategic plan (CSP), the Research, Assessment and Monitoring unit undertakes regular large-scale surveys, monitoring activities, rapid assessments, and mapping services to inform with updated food security information including economic and price data. These helps programmatic, policy decisions and advocacy efforts.

The Research Assessment and Monitoring (RAM) portfolio includes activities to address national and local-level capacities with the potential to support the management of disasters and climate change risks, through the automatization of processes, and systems, promoting innovations and analysis of existing data, data collected using mobile technology, modelling, forecasting, and geospatial analysis. Under RAM, WFP Uganda ensures to reflect the concerns and needs of our beneficiaries, and the availability of high-quality data from the Community Feedback Mechanism (CFM), and Community engagement.

RAM is a core area for WFP and forms the basis for our operations’ design and support. Prior to any intervention for Disaster Risk Management and Response, WFP in coordination with government and partners, undertakes an analysis of the food security situation and answers some critical questions: who is food insecure or vulnerable and why?; how many are they and where do they live?; what should be done to save their lives and livelihoods?; how is the situation likely to evolve and, what are the risks threatening them?

Related to changing lives activities, RAM provides geospatial and economic analysis, food security monitoring and assessments, and thematic analysis (related to climate change, resilience, markets and food systems). This contributes to effective targeting and defines the most appropriate type and scale of intervention (such as food distribution, school feeding, and cash-based transfer programmes).

In 2024, WFP Uganda CO has prioritized the refinement of the prioritization model for General Food Assistance, the launch of the self-reliance model and strengthening of transformative food systems, the expansion of Cash Based Transfers, the strengthening of retailers monitoring, the strengthening of social protection systems, climate-sensitive approaches, the nutrition strategy and the continuous work to support evidence-based decision-making processes.

Therefore, in this role, you will enhance compliance, quality assurance, coordination of assessments, monitoring, accountability to affected populations, reconciliation, and capacity strengthening for WFP and partners, implementing 5 Country Strategic Activities under WFP Karamoja Area of Intervention.

KEY ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The M&E Officer will act as a technical lead in implementing the RAM strategic purpose and complying with Corporate Minimum Requirements, supervise an M&E assistant, and coordinate with the field offices. The position holder will operate with a high degree of independence.

The M&E officer will be involved in RAM activities, and report to the Head of the Area office under technical advice from the M&E Officer (deputy Head of RAM) in Kampala. It will work in close coordination with the M&E team lead, Community Engagement and Feedback Mechanism Officer, VAM officer and will undertake the following responsibilities:

1. Develop protocols and procedures to ensure Two-way Accountability (from implementers to beneficiaries) and Transparency of Food Security and Nutrition Assessments and Analysis
   1. In line with Monitoring Minimum Requirements, develop, implement, coordinate, and prepare a progress report of the monitoring plan for 100% of sites in the Karamoja Area office.
   2. Develop, implement, and monitor the Capacity Strengthening action plan for monitoring through Cooperating Partners and Third-Party Monitoring by Donors.
   3. In line with RAM SOPs, develop, implement and monitor the reconciliation of food/cash assistance and reporting process of cooperating partners and WFP (when implementing directly) in COMET and Partner Connect.
   4. Prepare, implement, and provide inputs on the RAM budget, business continuity plan, evidence generation exercises (assessment, monitoring, evaluation, CEFM), and relevant RAM missions for the Area Office.

2. Ensure that the high standards of quality, reliability, and validity of the data and analysis are in line with WFP’s privacy and protection guidelines.
   1. Coordination, implementation of data collection exercises to report 100% of outcome, cross-cutting, output and process monitoring Key Performance Indicators for all Country Strategic Plan Activities implemented in Karamoja.
   2. Oversight of 100% of high- and Medium-risk sites is based on monitoring findings, creation of action plans, training, and resolution in coordination with the cooperating partner.
   3. Integrating gender, protection, and accountability to affected populations and disabilities, prepare specific analyses for Area and Field Offices in line with the RAM data protection, management, and privacy protocols.
   4. Ensure analysis, compliance and reporting of targeting and profiling protocols, per activity implemented in Karamoja Area Office.

3. Support data-driven, evidence-based decision-making processes in a timely manner according to programmatic and strategic needs.

1. 1. Prepare RAM-related inputs to inform the Annual performance plan, Mid- and End-year review, Annual Corporate report, and best practices.
   2. Prepare and provide reports and presentations on RAM-related evidence (outcome, outputs, process, CEFM, VAM) to the Head of the Area Office, the programme team, donors, and cooperating partners, ensuring gender, age, disability, and accountability to affected populations are observed.
   3. Consolidate, escalate, follow up, and ensure proper documentation to close monitoring recommendations, CEFM, and VAM findings and recommendations to improve programme effectiveness.
   4. Provide inputs to HoAO regarding developing and implementing DLG and Inter-Agency monitoring, reporting and evaluation frameworks, including United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) aligned with nationally owned sustainable development goals (SDGs)

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: Advanced University degree in social sciences, statistics, development economics, performance management, monitoring and evaluation or other related fields, or First University degree with at least 4 years of relevant work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience:

• Minimum of five years of experience, including demonstrated leadership in managing M&E systems, designing and implementing evaluation frameworks, providing strategic guidance based on M&E findings, and proficiency in using various quantitative and qualitative analytical tools and methods.
• Overall, a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer should possess a combination of education, hands-on experience, technical skills, humanitarian, and development assistance knowledge to effectively fulfil the responsibilities of the role and contribute to the success of M&E initiatives.

Knowledge & Skills:

• Extensive and demonstrated experience managing teams in complex contexts, and promoting a highly collaborative and respectful workplace environment
• Coordinate and implement assessments/monitoring exercises in complex contexts.

• Demonstrated proficiency in quantitative and qualitative methods, food security analysis, and data management software.

• Proficiency in statistical analysis and modeling by using SPSS/ STATA, R.

• Advanced knowledge of data visualization tools Power BI, Tableau.

• Excellent communication and writing skills for producing clear, concise, and accurate M&E reports, recommendations and presentations.

• Working knowledge and experience in MS Office

Languages: Fluency in oral and written English. Working knowledge of local languages is an added advantage.

Application Deadline: June 29, 2024