Closing date: 21 Apr 2010
Location: United Republic of Tanzania (the)
Elections Support Officer – UNDP Tanzania
M&E Election Support Project 2010
Background
In 2010 the United Republic of Tanzania will undertake the fourth pluralistic general elections since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 1992. At the request of the National Electoral Commission and Zanzibar Electoral Commission, and following a Needs Assessment by the UN Department for Political Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme in partnership with bilateral donors have established a project to provide support to the EMB planning and management of the elections and to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in 2010. Key objectives of the project are:
* To support the Electoral Management Bodies in the delivery of credible and transparent voter’s registers that are acceptable to all parties in time for the 2010 elections;
* To support voter education and ensure that the electorate is educated on rights, responsibilities and obligations within the Electoral process;
* To enhance the capacities of Civil Society Organizations to increase participation and fairness within the electoral process;
* To support political parties to better undertake their in the electoral process;
* To strengthen the capacities of the media to enhance transparency of the electoral process.
Drawing from the successful management of the 2005 election project and in acknowledgement of the time bound nature of this political process, UNDP has established a dedicated Project Management Team and office (including in Zanzibar) to manage the project.
Project monitoring and evaluation will be conducted in accordance with established UNDP procedures and supported by the project team and the UNDP Country Office. The draft Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Election Support Project provides performance and impact indicators for project implementation along with their corresponding means of verification.
Under the guidance of UNDP senior management, the direct supervision of the ESP Project Manager, and working closely with the Team Leader, Democratic Governance Unit, the M&E Officer will be responsible for assisting with the finalization, implementation, and management of the project M&E Framework. This will include also the provision of timely and relevant information to project stakeholders and project reporting.
Summary of Key Responsibilities - to assist with:
* To finalize of the M&E indicator framework based on the final approved project work plan;
* Set up and maintain a database for the management of the indicator framework;
* In collaboration with data providers, identify data sourcing methods and agree on all aspects of budget, frequency, reporting, etc
* Collect and document baseline information;
* Provide monitoring data to key project management processes;
* Support project staff in the reporting of project activities;
* Assist the project manager and UNDP CO in project communication activities;
* Undertake quality assurance of project activities, as required.
The assignment will involve the following specific areas of work:
I. Setting up the system.
Review and update framework for project M&E in accordance to the project document M&E plan.
* Conduct readiness assessment regarding M&E. What are the incentives at the system level, which are the beneficiaries, what is the existing capacity?
* Guide and coordinate the review of the project logframe including:
* Provide technical advice for the revision of performance indicators
* Ensure realistic intermediate and end-of-project targets are defined
* Conduct a baseline study (situation at project start)
* Identify sources of data, collection methods, who collects data, how often, cost of collection and who analyzes it.
* Ensure all critical risks are identified
* Identify the core information needs of central project management, the steering committee and technical committees, funding agencies and the cooperating institution.
* Identify the requirements for collecting baseline data, prepare terms-of-reference for and arrange the conduct of a baseline survey, where required.
* Clarify M&E responsibilities of different project personnel.
* Contribute to the development of the Annual Work Plan, ensuring alignment with project strategy, agreement on annual targets and inclusion of M&E activities in the work plan.
* Prepare detailed M&E budget
* Prepare calendar of M&E activities
* Identify other M&E expertise that the project needs to contract. Guide procurement.
II. Implementation of M&E
Oversee and execute M&E activities included in the Annual Work Plan, with particular focus on results and impacts as well as in lesson learning.
* Based on the AWP and in particular the project budgets, design the framework for the physical and process monitoring of project activities
* Promote a results-based approach to monitoring and evaluation, emphasizing results and impacts.
* Coordinate the preparation of all project reports. Guide staff and executing partners in preparing their progress reports in accordance with approved reporting formats and ensure their timely submission. This includes quarterly progress reports, annual project report, inception report, and ad-hoc technical reports.
* Prepare consolidated progress reports for project management including identification of problems, causes of potential bottlenecks in project implementation, and providing specific recommendations.
* Check that monitoring data are discussed in the appropriate forum (such as the annual tripartite review meeting) and in a timely fashion in terms of implications for future action. If necessary, create such discussion forums to fill any gaps.
* Undertake regular visits to the field to support implementation of M&E and to identify where adaptations might be needed.
* Foster participatory planning and monitoring by training and involving primary stakeholder groups in the M&E of activities.
* Prepare draft TORs for the final evaluation in accordance to UNDP policy guidance.
* Facilitate, act as resource person, and join if required any external supervision and evaluation missions.
* Monitor the follow up of evaluation recommendations
* Identify the need and draw up the TORs for specific project studies. Recruit, guide and supervise consultants or organisations that are contracted to implement special surveys and studies required for evaluating project effects and impacts.
* Organise (and provide) refresher training in M&E for project and implementing partner staff, local organisations and primary stakeholders with view of developing local M&E capacity.
III. Lessons learned
Design and implement a system to identify, analyze, document and disseminate lessons learned.
* Consolidate a culture of lessons learning involving all project staff and allocate specific responsibilities.
* Ensure that ToR for consultants recruited by the project also incorporate mechanisms to capture and share lessons learned through their inputs to the project, and to ensure that the results are reflected in the reporting system described above.
* Document, package and disseminate lessons not less frequently than once every 12 months.
* Facilitate exchange of experiences by supporting and coordinating participation in any existing UNDP projects sharing common characteristics. These networks would largely function on the basis of an electronic platform but could also entail other methods and tools such as workshops, teleconferences, etc.
* Identify and participate in additional networks, for example scientific or policy-based networks that may also yield lessons that can benefit project implementation.
Qualifications and experience required:
A postgraduate university degree in public policy research, Economics, Social Sciences, or other area relevant to the assignment. Experience in Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting in development projects including experience with:
* The logical framework approach and other strategic planning approaches;
* M&E methods and approaches (including quantitative, qualitative and participatory);
* Planning, design and implementation of M&E systems;
* Training in M&E development and implementation and/or facilitating learning-oriented analysis sessions of M&E data with multiple stakeholders;
* Data and information analysis
* Report writing.
Other preferred qualifications include:
* Experience from public policy review and evaluation of democratic governance processes;
* Expertise in gender analysis;
* Good understanding of democratic governance and electoral management;
* Knowledge of approaches to capacity development;
* Willingness to undertake regular field visits and interact with stakeholders;
Language and Computer skills:
* The candidate must be fluent in English. Fluency in Swahili, and ability to facilitate and train participants in both languages, is an advantage.
* The candidate must be conversant with standard office computer software and basic database softwares (Access, Excel, etc.) suitable for M&E data management.
How to apply
To apply please register with CANADEM GPS at: http://canademgps.catsone.com/careers/index.php?m=portal&a=register
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