Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

UNOPS has been operating in Somalia since 1995. The Somalia Country Office (SOCO) manages and coordinates a diverse portfolio across a variety of sectors, including health, rule of law, crisis recovery, and security and justice. Located in Mogadishu, SOCO works with multiple partners including the Governments of Somalia, bilateral and multilateral donors, United Nations agencies, funds, and programmes. The functional objective of UNOPS in Somalia is to deliver projects in an efficient and effective manner to achieve the development outcomes sought by the Government of Somalia and the donor community. The aim of UNOPS in Somalia is to provide implementation services to the Government of Somalia, the donor community, and partner agencies in the reconstruction and development of the country. In doing so, UNOPS aims to exceed client expectations in the delivery of quality services throughout the country. UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner. Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations. With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it. A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.

The Sustainable Land Management in Puntland (SLM-P) project is an initiative funded by Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), Germany and implemented by UNOPS over a period of 48 months in Puntland State of Somalia. The project aims to strengthen the productive potential of sustainable land and water use systems by addressing the interconnected challenges of land degradation, water scarcity, climate change, and limited institutional capacity that undermine the resilience and livelihoods of rural communities.

Puntland is highly vulnerable to recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall, soil erosion, degradation of rangelands, and declining water availability. These environmental challenges have severely affected agro-pastoral livelihoods, agricultural productivity, and food security, particularly among smallholder farmers, pastoralists, women, youth, and displaced populations. The project adopts an integrated watershed-based approach that combines sustainable water resource management, ecosystem restoration, climate-resilient agriculture, and institutional strengthening to enhance long-term resilience.

The project consists of three mutually reinforcing components. 

Component 1: Water infrastructure and soil conservation measures: The aim of the component is to expand and improve the infrastructure for the storage and protection of multi-use water sources, and to implement soil conservation measures. It therefore encompasses both biological and physical measures aimed at controlling surface runoff and erosion, maximizing rainwater harvesting for vegetation growth, and improving water availability. This includes measures to capture runoff, increase groundwater recharge, and utilize natural slopes for the collection and storage of water.

Component 2: Land-use, agriculture, and livestock productivity: The aim of the component is to improve land use, agriculture, livestock and water management-related skills and assets in project communities. The component thus combines activities of livestock and rangeland management practices, training and asset provision for climate-adapted agricultural techniques.

Component 3: Accompanying measures/ capacity enhancement activities: The aim of the component is to strengthen the capacities of communities and relevant government institutions for water resources and land use management.

A nine-month inception phase will establish the technical, social, environmental, and institutional foundation for implementation through comprehensive baseline studies, watershed assessments, participatory community consultations, institutional capacity assessments, and the development of detailed implementation and monitoring frameworks. The subsequent implementation phase will deliver targeted infrastructure investments, livelihood support, and capacity-building activities based on evidence-driven and community-led planning.

The SLM-P project contributes directly to Somalia’s and Puntland’s development priorities and supports several Sustainable Development Goals, including Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life on Land (SDG 15), and Strong Institutions (SDG 16).

Since 1995, UNOPS Somalia (SOCO), headquartered in Mogadishu and part of the East and Southern Africa Multi-Country Office (ESAMCO), has been a trusted partner to the Government of Somalia and international donors. Through the provision of project management, infrastructure, procurement, and financial services, SOCO plays a critical role in supporting national priorities in health, rule of law, security, transport, and resilience. The office has delivered impactful infrastructure projects—including the Immigration Headquarters ($6.8M), Maritime Police Headquarters ($3.7M), and regional hospitals ($20M)—and leads key national initiatives such as the Joint Police Programme ($56.4M). UNOPS also manages large-scale procurement, including over $75M in non-lethal support to security actors. Advisory support to urban resilience and crisis recovery efforts further strengthens institutional capacity, with projects valued at $8.1M, $8.8M, and $7.4M. SOCO’s integrated approach contributes to sustainable peacebuilding and development outcomes across Somalia.

The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Officer is instrumental in strengthening the effective implementation, monitoring, and results-based management of the Sustainable Land Management in Puntland (SLM-P) project, ensuring that progress, performance, and outcomes are systematically tracked and that planned results are achieved within the agreed time, cost, quality, and scope parameters. S/he will be a vital member of the dedicated project team, reporting directly to the senior project manager. The core focus of this position is to manage field-level monitoring and data collection to track progress, results, and impact in alignment with the project's Results-Based Management (RBM) framework . The M&E Officer plays a critical role in ensuring data quality, supporting evidence-based decision-making, and enabling adaptive management throughout the project lifecycle.

This is a national position to be locally hired in Somalia and is open to Somali nationals only. 

The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer is responsible for developing and implementing M&E frameworks, collecting and analyzing data, and preparing reports to track project progress, assess impact, and inform decision-making. Reporting to the Programme Manager, the M&E Officer will work closely with deputy project managers, technical specialists, and partners to ensure that M&E activities are integrated into project design and implementation.

A. Project Monitoring and Data Collection

• Execute field-level monitoring activities based on the established M&E plan, ensuring accurate and consistent data collection aligned with output, outcome, and objective-level indicators.
• Support the implementation of the standardized data collection methodologies, tools, and processes, including clearly defined responsibilities and frequencies.
• Support frequent routine field visits to verify reported data, monitor implementation progress, and ensure compliance with technical standards through site inspections and qualitative assessments.
• Utilize geo-referenced data collection, photo documentation, and digital data collection platforms to track infrastructure development, land use changes, and other project activities in near real time.
• Engage with community-based structures, including Village Development Committees (VDCs), user committees, and herder groups, to facilitate routine data collection and reporting at the local level.

B. Data Quality Assurance and Reporting

• Facilitate the validation of community-level monitoring findings to ensure accurate representation of local realities.
• Participate in midline assessments, midline and endline surveys, and annual monitoring surveys to track progress against benchmarks and outcomes.
• Provide timely, high-quality inputs, including verified field data, status analysis, and challenges, for quarterly and annual progress reports submitted to KfW.
• Report on a weekly or ad hoc basis to the Project Manager and supervisors regarding project status and risk mitigation measures.

C. Systems and Tool Management

• Actively participate in and support the routine oversight of the project-specific digital monitoring dashboard.
• Input verified physical and financial data into the dashboard to support real-time tracking of project performance.
• Support the application of advanced remote monitoring tools, including satellite imagery and GIS-based data entry (compiles and inputting data)to monitor geographic coverage and land use dynamics, especially in hard-to-access areas.

D. Capacity Building and Learning

• Train and support members of Village Development Committees (VDCs), community focal points, and other community-based organizations on standardized data collection, routine tracking, and local-level validation methods.
• Document lessons learned, best practices, and innovative approaches to support learning and adaptive management workshops.
• Support the Independent Third-Party Monitoring (TPM) team during annual reviews by providing verified data, field insights, and logistical assistance.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Business Administration, Accounting and Financial Management, Development Studies, Statistics, Public Affairs Management, and/or related fields with 2 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 0 years of relevant experience is required

Desired

• A globally or nationally recognized professional certificate in monitoring and evaluation is desired.

Required

• Two (2) years of relevant work experience in monitoring and evaluation, preferably in monitoring, planning, and evaluating donor-funded development projects, is required. 

Desired

• 1 year of experience working in Puntland State or conflict-affected states of Somalia is desired.
  

• Experience of working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations in a developing country is desired.

• Experience in development or humanitarian contexts is desired.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
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• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
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• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
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• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
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• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
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