Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist

Background Information – Job-specific

The Cities Alliance is the global partnership supporting cities to deliver sustainable development. To manage its activities, the Cities Alliance operates a multi-donor fund with UNOPS as host and trustee. The Cities Alliance is therefore governed by the values, rules and procedures of the United Nations and located therein. Supported by a Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium, it is a unique partnership with a diverse membership including – global organizations of local authorities, national governments, international non-governmental organizations, foundations, knowledge networks and multilateral organizations – which have come together to strengthen both impacts and coherence in urban development. Cities Alliance is a global leader, with a strong track record in grant making, that supports strategic city planning, slum upgrading strategies and national policies designed to make cities more inclusive and sustainable. Members promote longer-term and integrated work programs, while actively promoting gender equality throughout all activities.

As per its Charter, the main objective of the Cities Alliance is to reduce urban poverty and promote the role of cities in sustainable development. To assess the extent to which its efforts and those of partners are making progress toward that objective, the Cities Alliance monitors, evaluates and publicly reports its activities within an agreed-upon corporate results framework and through a dedicated result-based management system. The Cities Alliance is also strengthening its learning systems and approaches and integrating learning into the project cycle and M&E.

In collaboration with USAID, Cities Alliance is supporting municipalities and communities in Haiti to increase municipal service delivery and promote long-term and sustained locally-driven economic and social development.

Under the umbrella of the Increasing Municipal Revenues to Improve Services (IMRIS) Programme, Cities Alliance will facilitate the promotion of local solutions for public marketplace improvement and solid waste management in line with the strategy of reducing, recycling and reusing. IMRIS is adopting an adaptive approach based on gathering knowledge, testing, learning and improving. The Programme is also creating platforms for multi-stakeholder dialogue and enhancing the capacities of municipal governments and local knowledge institutions. A Cities Alliance office is located in Cap-Haitien.

The MEL Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and the overall supervision of the Cities Alliance Urban Development Specialist to ensure alignment to Cities Alliance and donor MEL tools, approaches and systems. S/he will also lead the tracking and ongoing management of the risk assessment and mitigation plan.

Functional Responsibilities

The role will lead the collaborative development and implementation of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) and risk management systems for Cities Alliance Programmes in Haiti.

Specific responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, leading the development and implementation of MEL plans, systems and tools, leading capacity building of partners and stakeholders in MEL and risk management, monitoring progress and updating the results framework of Cities Alliance Haiti Programmes, providing Data Quality Assessments, facilitate learning sessions with stakeholders, and lead the tracking and ongoing management of the risk assessment and mitigation plan.

This position requires regular travel to the Cities Alliance project sites.

Development and implementation of MEL plans, systems and tools that support adaptive management

• Lead the development and implementation of Programme/project performance indicators, log frames, results frameworks, MEL plans and theories of change, including providing support to the concept note or proposal development related to business development.
• Develop indicator reference sheets and other M&E-related guidance, tools and templates that facilitate the quality monitoring and reporting of results.
• Design and implement surveys of participants, partners and other stakeholders. Analyze responses, (including open data) and produce reports which support Programme reporting, learning and performance improvement.
• Document and collate available and relevant internal and external data, conduct data verification and quality control.
• Prepare and draft data analysis for reporting to donors through providing analysis, narrative text and visualizations, and draft findings.
• Review and capture data related to grants-based performance reporting.
• Monitor results, lessons and risks, analyze these to determine impact, identify bottlenecks, delays and other M&E-related challenges.

Design and implementation of assessments and evaluations

• Lead the design, procurement and implementation of a baseline assessment of the higher level Programme indicators. Provide quality control to the process.
• Design, conduct and/or contribute to specific assessments and research studies as required.
• Lead evaluation design. Construct and select methods to generate the highest quality and most credible evidence that corresponds to the evaluation questions, generate evidence-based recommendations. Ensure evaluations comply with UNEG standards and are consistent with the Cities Alliance approach to local ownership.
• Design and/or implement quantitative methods and approaches including indicator design, household and online participant surveys, sampling frame design, data analysis, management and training of enumerators.
• Design and implement qualitative methods and approaches including semi-structured interviews (face-to face or online), focus group discussions, participatory workshops and others.
• Facilitate and document participatory monitoring, evaluation and learning processes, such as Most Significant Change, Outcome Harvesting, structured interviews, semi-structured interviews (face-to face or phone), focus group discussions, participatory workshops, peer-learning events etc.
• Draft lessons learned and internal evaluation/review reports that are evidence-based, practical, and emphasize learning and utilization.

Coaching and capacity building to partners and stakeholders in MEL

• Support and provide coaching in the design and implementation of quantitative and qualitative methods and approaches, including data quality assessments.
• Support grantees to facilitate and document participatory monitoring, evaluation and learning processes, such as Most Significant Change, Outcome Harvesting, structured interviews, semi-structured interviews (face-to face or phone), focus group discussions, participatory workshops, peer-learning events etc.

Knowledge management and learning

• Facilitate and document an ongoing and collaborative learning process through partner meetings and specific steering committee meetings, ensuring discussion points and agreed actions are monitored and reported.
• Ensure grantees collect, analyze and use beneficiary feedback and share the findings with Cities Alliance.
• Produce reports which support Programme reporting, learning and performance improvement through capturing learning and adaptations.

Tracking and monitoring of the risk assessment and mitigation plan including:

• Regularly revisit and revise the risk assessment and mitigation plan ensuring risk categories, probabilities, and mitigation plans (response summaries) are kept up to date.
• Ensure that emerging risks identified through regular monitoring (including performance monitoring, participatory monitoring and site visits) are fully documented in the risk assessment and mitigation plan
• Ensure that contextual and external risks are updated, identified, tracked and managed
• Regularly update the project management of emerging or evolving risks
• Support report writing relating to the management of risk and programmatic adaptations.

Impact of Results

The effective and successful achievement of key results by the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist is essential to ensure the smooth running of the project which, in turn, positions Cities Alliance as a leading player in the sustainable development of Haiti. This promotes the image of UNOPS / Cities Alliance as an effective service provider and innovation leader, and strengthens the competitive position of UNOPS / Cities Alliance as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services at global, regional and local levels.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• Master’s Degree preferably in Monitoring and Evaluation, Social Sciences, Political Science, Development Studies, International Affairs, Urban Studies, Statistics, Economics or related discipline.
• A bachelor’s degree with a combination of two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years experience in developing and managing monitoring, evaluation and learning processes, or related experience is required.
• Demonstrated skills in the following is desired: quantitative methods and analysis and/or qualitative and/or participatory and complexity-aware methodologies and analysis and/or survey design and/or administration and analysis, and/or other data collection methods, Excel/SPSS and/or other data management software, data representation and/or infographics.
• Experience in MEL in development issues is desirable.
• Experience in risk tracking and management is desirable.
• Experience with gendered MEL systems is desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and French (Written and orally) is mandatory.
• A good knowledge of written and spoken Haitian Creole is an advantage.