UNDP has been supporting the Government of Ethiopia at various level by building capacity and mobilizing resources to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation programmes in ways that support its bold ambitions of becoming a carbon neutral middle-income country by 2025 and meets its commitment to SDGs, Paris Agreement, and AU Agenda 2063, and its national plans and strategies such as the Ten-Year Perspective Plan, Climate Resilience Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). In this context, UNDP Ethiopia country office prioritizes engagements around policy as well as community level engagements to enhance the country’s resilience through building national capacity to mitigate and adapt to climate change. In this connection, with financial and technical support by the Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF)[1], the” Ethiopian Global Basic Observation Network – Systematic Observation Financing (ETH-GBON-SOFF) project “was designed by the Government of Ethiopia in collaboration with UNDP and the Norway Meteorological Institute (MET Norway).

Ethiopia’s economy is highly dependent on climate, with agriculture, water resources, power generation, and other key sectors being weather-sensitive. Extreme events like floods and droughts have increased in frequency and intensity due to climate change, disproportionately affecting women, children, and disadvantaged communities. The country has experienced eight major droughts in the past 15 years, severely impacting food security, with millions requiring food assistance. Strengthening weather forecasts, early warning systems, and climate information services is crucial for building resilience. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) resolution on the Global Basic Observation Network (GBON), Ethiopia is required to operate 29 surface weather stations and 5 upper air stations, reporting data consistently. Surface stations must report hourly, while upper air stations should report twice daily. The Ethiopian Meteorology Institute (EMI) is responsible for collecting and exchanging weather and climate data with the global community, in accordance with Proclamation 201/80, Article 3, and agreements under the WMO. Currently, Ethiopia only operates 16 manual surface stations, which provide observations five times a day, with intervals of three hours during daylight hours. There are no active upper air stations or reporting. As a result, Ethiopia is significantly behind in meeting its GBON obligations, which impacts the accuracy of weather and climate forecasting at the global, regional, and national levels, as well as the effectiveness of early warning services.

UNDP, in partnership with the Ethiopian Meteorology Institute (EMI) and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET Norway), is implementing the Ethiopian Global Basic Observation Network – Systematic Observation Financing (ETH-GBON-SOFF) project. The project aims to enable EMI to upgrade its existing 16 surface and 2 upper air stations, install an additional 13 surface and 3 upper air stations, and enhance human and ICT capabilities in order to meet its obligations under the WMO-GBON framework. Through financial and technical assistance, the project will improve Ethiopia’s observational network, data collection, and data sharing with the global community. As a result, the quality and accuracy of weather and climate forecasts will improve, strengthening Ethiopia’s climate change adaptation and resilience to extreme events. The project will also contribute to better global and regional weather and climate modeling. UNDP is the SOFF Implementing Entity for Ethiopia, working in collaboration with EMI as the Implementing Partner and MET Norway as the Peer Advisor. The project follows the UNDP Support Services to National Implementation Modality (Support to NIM).The project consists of four components:

Outcome 1: GBON institutional and human capacity development.

Outcome 2: Put in in place GBON infrastructure.

Outcome 3: Sustain compliance with GBON.

The project has four planned interventions. These are: a. putting in place of new land-based weather stations and related equipment, ICT systems, data management systems and standard operating practices; b. Improving land-based weather stations and related equipment, ICT systems, data management systems and standard operating practices; c. Setting up new upper-air stations and related equipment, ICT systems, data management systems and standard operating practices; d. Improving upper-air stations, related equipment, ICT systems, data management systems and standard operating practices in place.

The monitoring and evaluation elements of this project will cover the entire project period to ensure a continuous stream of evidence and lessons to further improve the project. For this, the M&E officer with the support from the project team shall develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks and carry out regular monitoring of the project accordingly. He/She will also ensure regular and comprehensive documentation of all emerging and critical issues/risks and lessons learnt from the project. He/She will apply rigorous RBM principles and M&E methodologies and analytical approaches to acquire details of the information required against the project baseline, agreed targets and indicators in the Project Document.

The M&E Officer is expected to ensure the timely installation of GBON surface based automatic stations and upper air stations in line with set procedures and standards. This post has roles in coordinating and follow up the proper implementation of WMO data exchange system. In addition, the role will ensure the proper management of data acquisition and administration system.

Summary of Key Functions:

1. Ensure effective and timely reporting of project activities and results following RBM standards.
2. Ensure monitoring and tracking of results.
3. Partners’ support and coordination.
4.  Knowledge Management, Communication and Outreach.

Duties and Responsibilities: 

Ensure effective and timely reporting of project activities and results following RBM standards: 

• Prepare detailed monitoring and evaluation plans/frameworks that include monitoring checklists and schedules based on the project results framework and M&E plan,
• Oversee the implementation of project monitoring plans to ensure that data collection feeds into project indicative targets as contained in the project resources and results framework,
• Conduct regular monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual project progress review and produce report with recommendations on measures, if any, needed to be taken to ensure more effective implementation of the project,
• Prepare, compile, and consolidate monitoring and evaluation data to feed the reports, as required by the project,
• Ensure submission of project reports on time following RBM and donor standards.
• Monitor and oversee the processes of the national dialogue on a regular basis,
• Produce, monthly, quarterly, and annual progress reports of the national dialogue processes by collecting and analysing different data against milestones agreed at the outset of the dialogue processes at all levels,
• Report quarterly, and annual progresses on the dialogue processes at local, regional, and national level to review the progresses and challenges of the project,
• Provide technical feedback to the Project Technical Team and recommend further improvement based on the progresses, challenges and lessons extracted from project implementation processes

Ensure monitoring and tracking of results:

• As part of indicator-based reporting collect and review secondary data,
• Track activity implementation through Quantum Project Module to monitor resources disbursed for achieving target results,
• Conduct a M&E readiness assessment including stakeholders’ capacity to participate and report appropriately using M&E agreed indicators in the project result framework and advice project staff and ENDC staff on the identified aspects,
• Identify and respond to external factors that may affect project through issues and risk log,
• Provide technical support to ensure that external evaluation is conducted smoothly and effectively in line with the project result framework and standards of UNDP,
• Organize and support project review, technical meetings by assisting the project team and other stakeholders to prepare schedules, talking points and minutes/proceedings,
• Follow up on the implementation of recommendations and action points forwarded to improve the implementation of project performances.

Partners’ support and coordination:

• Ensure and maintain linkages, coherence, and synergies among activities under the different components of the project outcomes and outputs,
• Ensure coordination with ENDC and other members of the project team to ensure implementation of M&E plan, data aggregation and coherence in monitoring plans,
• Works in close collaboration with the ENDC team and Secretariat to ensure data related to the dialogue process are collected and shared on timely basis,
• Provide capacity building training on M&E and related areas when the need arises.

Knowledge Management, Communication and Outreach:

• As a member of the Project Technical Committee, participate in regular project coordination meetings with ENDC ensuring good planning, and consistent follow up on intended results,
• Actively codify, share, and disseminate knowledge products, including best practices and lessons learned, accumulated through the project implementation,
• Work with the project team, knowledge management and communication staff to ensure the publication and dissemination of project publications.
• Support in the regular development of short notes/one pager as extracted from the project reports to donors,
• Ensure the compilation and documentation relevant project documents (supporting documents/Means of Verification), including mission reports from the project regular M&E activities,

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

4. Institutional Arrangement

Under the overall guidance of the ETH-GBON-SOFF project and the direct supervision of the CRES Unit Team Leader or his/her designate and EMI Deputy Director General or his/her designate, the M&E officer will work in close collaboration with the programme, operations, and project teams in ETH-GBON-SOFF project at country office and regional project offices level to ensure successful implementation of the project.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is a pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

• Partnership Management: Relationship Management – Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
• 2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness: Effectiveness – Programming principles & standards and development effectiveness principles.
• Business Management: Monitoring & Evaluation – Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
• Business Management: Results-based Management – Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.
• Business Management: Communication – Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience. Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
• Business Management: Working with Evidence and Data – Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making
• Business Management: Risk Management – Identify and organize action around reducing, mitigating and proactively managing risks

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements