The Position:

Under the overall supervision of the Representative, and close supervision of the Programme Coordinator the M&E Specialist will be responsible for the Monitoring and Evaluation of UNFPA CO for Afghanistan Programme as part of UNFPA’s humanitarian and NEXUS programming and response in Afghanistan. The focus of the humanitarian response and NEXUS programing is on RH, GBV and Youth, requiring close coordination with the respective CO teams, national stakeholders, and partnering UN Agencies.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist promotes a culture of results and evidence-based programme management in the Afghanistan CO. He/ she provides guidance to the implementation of corporate policies, procedures, principles, monitoring, reporting and evaluation norms and standards at regional and national level, to ensure relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the work of UNFPA in the Region. The M&E Specialist will work within an integrated and coordinated approach, which is fundamental to the UNFPA’s overall strategy.

UNFPA is committed to delivering an integrated, multi-agency, nationwide response to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) needs.

The M&E Specialist will work in close collaboration with humanitarian agencies (UN and international NGOs) and national partners and civil society organizations to implement the scale up of existing SRH interventions and adaptation to the current humanitarian and HDP context.

In a complex operating environment, the M&E Specialist will lead the M & E Unit and play a vital role in Programme planning, performance monitoring and evaluation. S/he will play a leadership role with the Programme team in developing and implementing monitoring, evaluation and capacity building plans and establishing collaborative relationships with UN agencies, Implementing Partners, and community stakeholder.

You would be responsible for:

A. Strategic Results Support:
• Coordinate the overall monitoring, evaluation and learning of the Country Programme in line with the results framework and the CO Monitoring Evaluation and Learning plan;
• Develop and implement robust M&E Systems suited to complex and large scale programmes being implemented in a diverse context to ensure that the interventions are effectively managed and achieve intended outcomes;
• Develop and implement M&E components of annual work plans for Country Programme in line with division of labor with M&E team;
• Track work plan implementation on a regular basis, including synthesizing quarterly progress of the Programme and support addressing bottlenecks to achieve results;
• Develop additional data collection, monitoring and reporting tools as needed for Country Programme and other relevant programmes to ensure adequate reporting on programme indicators;
• Provide support, guidance and quality control for planning, monitoring, and reporting by partners in quarterly work plan progress reports and other required donor reporting, ensuring the implementation of robust results and resources frameworks;
• Ensure result-based monitoring and evaluation plans are implemented by partners and UNFPA country team, and results acted upon at country and regional levels;
• In collaboration with Programme leads, support operations research or other qualitative and quantitative research related to the Country Programme;
• Contribute to the formulation of the country programmes, including future donor funded programmes, particularly around the theory of change, indicators and M&E plan and drawing upon the analysis of evaluative evidence of UNFPA support;
• Provide technical assistance to country level surveys and assessments such as the Demographic Health Surveys.

B. Capacity Development:
• Strengthen the capacity of UNFPA’s Country Office to use data and evidence to improve evidence-based decision making in a timely and effective manner;
• Conduct country-level capacity-building initiatives and workshops together with the M&E team, including how to use relevant monitoring and reporting tools, including Work plan Progress Reports in order to provide quality reporting on programme indicators and strengthen a culture of results and evidence-based programme management in UNFPA and partner institutions;
• Identify innovative monitoring methodologies, approaches and tools and promote their incorporation into country office monitoring in the field;
• Contribute to the development and adaptation of tools and guidance as well as training materials and manuals to monitor and evaluate the Country Programme and support their use for capacity development of partner institutions and UNFPA staff in the country;
• Contribute to and provide guidance to CO quarterly results review meetings and build capacity of country teams to develop high quality, results based reporting;
• Promote learning and innovation by conducting various learning exercises and assessing results critical to demonstrating the key successes of the programme in a systematic manner;
• Coordinate with Country Offices and implementing partners to highlight innovations, set up and implement a system to document lessons learned and good practices and address Programme Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) bottlenecks in the country;
• Contribute to the analysis, synthesis and dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge and new approaches to monitoring and evaluation practice, in particular lessons learned and best practices, and make recommendations for their adoption at country level.

C. Quality assurance on results and evidence-based planning, monitoring, reporting and evaluation:
• Contribute to the review and quality assure work plan progress reports from partners, Quantum Plus (Results and Resources Plan) reporting for UNFPA country office and other required donor reports working with M&E team ensuring indicators are adequately reported on;
• Provide technical assistance to demonstrate the medium and long term results of UNFPA work with additional details and in depth analysis of the results, using a robust M&E system demonstrating results in the most complex environment of the country;
• Provide guidance to, and quality assurance for, the preparation of Country Programme Evaluations and Thematic Evaluations and lead in the preparation of the management response to evaluations and to ensure their timely and quality preparation and follow up.

D. Coordination:
• Coordinate with other UN Sustainable Framework for Afghanistan (UNSFA) technical focal points on the coordinated implementation of the framework;
• Participate in meetings including UNSFA coordination and consultations and prepare the reports when required;
• Build strong partnerships with UNFPA partners and stakeholders at national, provincial, and regional levels.

Any other activities as requested by the Country Office.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

Advanced university degree in population and development studies, sociology, or other related fields.

Knowledge and Experience:

• At least 7 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in developing, implementing, and managing complex country, or programme level monitoring and evaluation portfolios in international development;
• Strong track record of innovative leadership in managing evaluations, and proven ability to produce high quality evaluations;
• Demonstrated experience in being able to define theories of change and guide programme implementation staff on the causal chain between inputs, intermediate and outcome level results;
• Strong qualitative and quantitative and analytical research skills;
• Substantive experience in programme development and implementation and establishing monitoring and evaluation frameworks;
• Substantive knowledge of results-based monitoring;
• Client orientation and strong teamwork attributes;
• Knowledge of rights-centered approaches and gender mainstreaming;
• Knowledge of the UN system would be an advantage;
• Excellent writing, communication presentation and computer skills;
• Proficiency in current office software applications;
• Humanitarian field experience is strongly desirable;
• Knowledge of the UN system would be an advantage;
• Experience working with UNFPA and/or UN is a strong asset;
• Experience from Country Offices is a strong asset.

Languages:

Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of other official UN language is desirable.

Required Competencies:

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system
• Embracing cultural diversity
• Embracing change

Core Competencies:

• Achieving results
• Being accountable
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen
• Thinking analytically and strategically
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships
• Communicating for impact

Functional Competencies:

• Internal and external communication and resource mobilization
• Strategically positioning the UNFPA programme
• Evaluating the impact of UNFPA’s activities

Managerial Competencies:

• Providing strategic focus
• Engaging in internal/external partners and stakeholders
• Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performance
• Making decisions and exercising judgment

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA’s workforce – click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.