Monitoring and Evaluation for Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Specialist

Myanmar is one of UNOPS’ leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for three of the largest development programmes in the country, namely the Three Millennium Development Goal Fund (3MDG), the Livelihood and Food Security Fund (LIFT) and the Joint Peace Fund (JPF). In addition, UNOPS is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund in Myanmar and for the Global Fund’s regional artemisinin-resistance initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including the Government of Myanmar, international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

UNOPS is Fund Manager for the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT), a multi-donor fund established in 2009 to address food insecurity and income poverty in Myanmar. LIFT’s designated outcomes are improvements in income, resilience, nutrition, and pro-poor policy developments. So far, LIFT has reached more than 7.2 million people, or roughly 20 per cent of Myanmar’s population; and is active in almost half the country’s townships. For more details visit www.lift-fund.org (http://www.liftfund.org/). 

The MEAL Unit monitors progress of individual projects funded by LIFT, assesses the performance of geographic and thematic programs comprised of multiple projects, monitors LIFT’s progress against its own logframe and evaluates LIFT performance overall. The MEAL Specialist, as leader of the MEAL team, will be responsible for all aspects of monitoring and evaluating LIFT-funded activities. This involves designing and managing studies that are either implemented by LIFT personnel or more commonly contracted to national and international consultants. LIFT’s MEAL system requires continuous development and refinement as new programs are designed and new partners are engaged. 

Under the direct supervision of the Fund Director and in accordance with UNOPS policies, procedures and practices, the MEAL Specialist will be responsible for:

• Continual development and updating of an effective MEAL system for actions supported by the Fund and the Fund’s own performance. The system will comply with donor Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) requirements and will generate data that allow for economic and value-for-money analysis.
• Supervision, training, coaching and mentoring of the national M&E staff and coaching and mentoring of other national program staff in the MEAL responsibilities.
• Develop, oversee and coordinate LIFT’s monitoring and evaluation activities, including the preparation of annual MEAL work plans and budgets.
• Ensuring that M&E data are readily available, as appropriate, to the Fund Board and other stakeholders, particularly on impact and lessons learnt from Fund activities.
• Ensuring adequate feedback to/from Fund beneficiaries on data and analyses.
• Designing baseline, mid-term and final evaluation surveys using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods and conduct and/or supervise survey implementation and analysis.
• Managing contracts and contractors related to LIFT’s M&E activities.
• Guiding and advising the programme teams on MEAL, including on staffing requirements and allocation of responsibilities for project/programme M&E, such as;

1. Reviewing and providing advice related to log frames and indicators on proposals submitted to the Fund Management Office.
2. Reviewing implementing partners’ internal M&E systems and needs, and providing advice as required.
3. Ensuring the final evaluations of implementing partners’ projects are undertaken by independent experts to a suitable standard.
4. Providing technical assistance to implementing partners to ensure participation in the Fund M&E process and an adequate flow of information and data.
5. Routinely visiting project sites for M&E activities. the incorporation of M&E findings into LIFT reports and providing recommendations to the Fund Board.

• Master's Degree in Social Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Political Sciences, Development or related field is required. 
• A Bachelor’s Degree with an additional two years of similar experience is considered as equivalent.

• A minimum of seven years professional M&E experience of which four years related to the M&E of rural development, livelihoods, or food security programs in developing countries is required.
• Experience with the M&E of multi-donor trust funds is desirable.
• Significant professional experience in Southeast Asia is preferred.
• Experience in training would be an asset.
• Previous successful involvement with, and good knowledge of NGOs and civil society is desired.
• Knowledge of the political, economic and social situation in Myanmar is desirable.
• Computer literacy in Microsoft packages (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access) is required and SPSS is an asset.
• Excellent skills in the quantitative and qualitative analysis are required.
• Extensive experience in developing logframes/results frameworks and identifying appropriate performance indicators is required.
• Excellent technical skills in socio-economic research and programme performance assessment is highly desirable.

• Fluency in both written and spoken English is essential.

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement  Contract level: IICA 3
Contract duration:  Ongoing ICA – 'Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx 

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.