Research, Assessment, and Monitoring (RAM) Consultant (Roster for International Consultant Level II)

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles.

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance.

JOB TITLE: Research, Assessment, and Monitoring (RAM) Consultant
TYPE OF CONTRACT: International Consultant (Level II)
UNIT/DIVISION: Regional Bureau for Asia-Pacific (RBB)/ Programme Unit
DUTY STATION:  various locations in WFP Country Office in Asia and the Pacific Region
DURATION: 6 months extendable to 11 months

The United Nations World Food Programme is a leading organization delivering food assistance and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. We also support governments of developing countries in their efforts to eliminate hunger and malnutrition by addressing the underlying causes and disparities in access to food and good nutrition to ensure that no one is left behind in line with the Agenda 2030, Sustaining Peace and Agenda for Humanity. WFP is particularly focused on Goals 2 (Zero Hunger) and 17 (Partnerships).

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly, women and children, can access the nutrition food they need.
In the Asia-Pacific region, where countries transition to Lower Middle/Middle Income status, but, at the same time, face the recurring and increasing frequency and severity of natural hazards impacting the food security and livelihoods of vulnerable populations, WFP continues to play a critical role in supporting governments and partners to towards Zero Hunger. 
WFP Country Offices in the Asia and Pacific region work in close collaboration with government and partners to strengthen national capacity, provide technical assistance and, where needed, direct food assistance to achieve zero hunger and test and apply new innovative gender transformative programmatic approaches –including the broadening of transfer modalities, increased focus on resilience-building and national capacity-development. Towards this, WFP Country Offices promote innovative methods and tools to meet new information needs for evidence based decision-making. WFP in Asia and the Pacific has taken a more strategic approach to assessment, monitoring, evaluation and reporting across the region to ensure enhanced ability by government and WFP Country Offices to demonstrate the performance of the programmes and operations and improve policy and programme design and implementation based on evidence and lessons learned.
WFP’s ability to achieve its Strategic Objectives depends on its capacity to deliver food assistance that addresses the different needs and priorities of the women, men, girls and boys whom it serves. A world with zero hunger can be achieved only when everyone has equal opportunities, equal access to resources, and equal voice in the decisions that shape their households, communities and societies.
WFP in Asia and the Pacific is committed to achieving enhanced management effectiveness, operational oversight, and strategic coherence.
 

Within delegated authority, the Head of RAM (Research, Assessment, and Monitoring, former VAM & M&E) will be responsible for the following duties: 
CO VAM system management 

• Provide expert advice in WFP Country Office and its partners on matters pertaining to food security and nutrition strategies, policies, programmes, and facilitate the timely and productive use of related outputs in a manner that complies with WFP standards and processes.
• Contribute to the development of systems and tools for the monitoring and assessment of food assistance needs in line with innovative methodologies and best practice
• Lead/manage/conduct complex food security, nutrition, markets and resilience analysis and prepare timely reports on food assessment needs in line with wider VAM policies, processes and guidance to enable effective decision-making on the development of country strategy, policies and programmes.
• Provide support to relevant partners that are focusing on food security and nutrition to enable sharing of experience, lessons learned and best practice. 
• Keep up to date with and advise on food assistance developments and issues and the potential impact upon WFP activity to enable timely and appropriate programme evolution and intervention. 
• Lead operational partnerships, including inter-agency collaboration, to ensure a solid VAM support in both emergency and non-emergency settings.
• Contribute to the development of programme activities, providing technical analysis, interpretation and recommendations to facilitate food assistance needs to be met effectively. 
• Lead/manage the development of a research agenda for the Country Offices in collaboration with programme units.
• Represent WFP during meetings with partners to contribute to technical discussions, exchange of knowledge and experience, and seek for appropriate interventions (based on an evidence base), and areas for potential collaboration. 

CO M&E system management 

• Lead the development and manage implementation of M&E Strategy for the Country Office in line with corporate requirements and relevant to the country context. 
• Ensure that the Country Office has updated M&E documents in response to changes/needs in the programme, including project logframes, M&E budgets, M&E SOPs, M&E plan matrices and reporting flow charts. 
• Ensure that a complete monitoring toolkit for the Country Office is available in English and adequate local languages. This includes CP reports, distribution monitoring checklists, post-distribution monitoring checklists and reporting formats for all programme components. 

• Lead/manage the development and implementation of data collection arrangement including adequate human resources in field offices and potential outsourcing to a call center or third party monitoring company 
• Plan on M&E budgetary requirements during project design and revisions. 
• Ensure that the Country Office employs up-to-date technologies available to facilitate efficient and effective data collection. 

Outcome monitoring and evaluation

• Ensure that all WFP activities are monitored per logframes and monitoring plan. This includes organizing baseline/endline surveys, post-distribution monitoring surveys, SQUEAC nutrition survey, having consultations with key partners and government stakeholders, and supporting the national government in establishing information management systems where necessary. 
• Lead the process of conducting any external or internal evaluation and the CSP Mid-Term Reviews. This includes identifying an entity for an independent evaluation, facilitating secondary data review and primary data collection based on the scope of evaluation and methodologies agreed, disseminating the findings and facilitating their use in in future CO decision-making.

Reporting

• Ensure all monitoring findings are compiled, analyzed, and made available to all CO staff and management for future decision making. 
• Produce regular analytical monitoring reports, consolidating inputs from the Operations Monitoring team and the Performance Monitoring team.
• Prepare the outcome sections of the corporate Annual Country Report (ACR).
• Ensure that all data at the process and outcome levels are captured in the country office monitoring and evaluation tool (COMET).

Capacity building

• Regularly assess CO/SO/partner M&E capacity and ensure adequate training is provided to build capacity by designing client-oriented training programs for different audiences. 

Team/staff management

• Provide supervision, coaching and guidance to VAM and M&E team and individual team members
• Develop annual workplan and budget for VAM and M&E, and follow through the implementation
• Manage staff performance providing regular feedback and through the PACE process

Perform other related duties as required.

Education:    Advanced University degree in International Affairs, Economics, Nutrition/Health, Agriculture, Statistics, Environmental Science, Social Sciences or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses. 

Experience:    Minimum six years of relevant professional work experience in international development or humanitarian work with a minimum of four years of experience in managing food security monitoring/vulnerability analysis and/or complex monitoring and evaluation activities spanning a range of policies and programme initiatives.
Experience in managing diverse teams of technical staff. 
Knowledge & Skills:    

• Developed a high-performing team and managed vulnerability analysis exercises including emergency assessments at country level. 
• Use knowledge of country and cultural context in assessing food availability, access and utilization, and exposure to risks. 
• Has established food security and vulnerability monitoring systems. 
• Has led surveys, multiple assessments and monitoring surveys in countries, including the design, data collection and analysis.
• Experience in managing remote surveys, including preparation of data collection tools, managing partnerships with call centers, and data quality control. 
• In-depth knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methods, metrics, statistical applications and reporting systems.
• Practical knowledge on how monitoring data is collected, compiled, analyzed and presented for management decisions, programme adjustment and donor reporting.
• In-depth knowledge of results-based management principles and practices. 
• Experience building strategic partnerships in M&E with multiple stakeholders, including governments, multilateral, bilateral and academia.

Languages: Fluency (Level C) in both written and spoken English. 

Vacancy Closing Date : Monday 20 July 2020, Midnight, Bangkok Time

Female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.