Job Description
Guided by the new Terms of Reference and Investment and Resource Mobilization Strategy of the SJF, the UN is increasing the capacity of the SJF Secretariat to provide better services to fund stakeholders, elevate the quality of programmes funded by the SJF, and improve data management and analysis across the portfolio to inform the UN’s and international partners’ strategic engagement in Somalia. To bolster international coherence and complementarity, and support government-led coordination of international aid, the SJF will strengthen cooperation and synergies with other UN-administered pooled funds in Somalia (Peacebuilding Fund and the Somalia Humanitarian Fund), as well as the Multi-Partner Fund administered by the World Bank and the Somalia Infrastructure Fund administered by the African Development Bank.
In line with the principles of Agenda 2030, the SJF follows a human rights-based approach and takes into consideration the specific needs of youth as well as women and girls who experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and uphold the principle of “leaving no one behind”. Through this lens, UN Somalia is committed to strengthening programming in gender equality and women empowerment, anti-corruption, climate security, and other humanitarian-development-peace nexus related areas which require additional focus throughout the programming cycle.
The PBF Secretariat will support the development and operationalization of the PBF Strategic Results Framework (SRF) to guide PBF investments over the remainder of the current eligibility cycle. It will also carry out M&E, learning and research activities to measure the overall impact of the PBF-funded work. It will coordinate the work of the UN (RUNOs) and non-UN recipient organizations (NUNOs) within the programming cycle (design, monitoring/evaluation), ensure synergies across the PBF and SJF portfolio, facilitate inclusive discussions on conflict prevention and peacebuilding and support the UNCT in identifying entry points for joint peacebuilding programming with MoIFAR and other counterparts, ensuring climate security, age-, gender-, and conflict-sensitive considerations are included in these efforts. The Secretariat will assist fund recipients, FGS and FMS to accelerate the implementation of national peacebuilding- and reconciliation- related strategies and the United Nations Cooperation Framework while enhancing coherence with the mandate of UNSOM.
A Steering Committee, co-chaired by the United Nations in Somalia and the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs & Reconciliation (MOIFAR) as the lead ministry for the PBF portfolio, will be responsible for the strategic and political supervision of already existing PBF projects and strategically guide the design of new interventions in line with the SRF.
The Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning Specialist will work with UN entities, government counterparts, and other implementing partners to strengthen the SJF’s and PBF’s M&E systems, develop the SJF’s and PBF’s learning agenda, and ensure commitments made in the SJF’s Investment and Resource Mobilization Strategy and the PBF’s Investment Strategy regarding monitoring of programme performance, information-sharing, communication, and coherence are fulfilled. The M&E Specialist will also work with relevant RCO colleagues to ensure information from the SJF’s and PBF’s investments support UN Somalia corporate reporting and compliance with information-sharing through UN INFO.
1. Design and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks, systems, and tools, and as applicable, conduct programme quality assurance in keeping with corporate policies.
Example of Duties:
- Overall responsibility for the design and implementation of the monitoring strategies of the SJF and PBF portfolios
- Contribute to the implementation, monitoring, and periodic review of the SJF’s Investment and Resource Mobilization Strategy and the PBF’s Strategic Results Framework.
- Co-lead the design of results frameworks for the SJF and PBF in line with other relevant frameworks, including the UN Cooperation Framework.
- Maintain a fund performance dashboard to track implementation progress across the SJF and PBF portfolios and other platforms such as UN info.
- Coordinate programme annual workplans, monitoring and reviews.
- Coordinate with the MPTF Office to facilitate information flow, including the provision of information for the MPTF Gateway.
- Ensure that the portfolio monitoring plans are aligned to the key priorities identified in SJF and PBF strategies and results frameworks, as well as government M&E policies.
- Promote and support quality assurance activities undertaken by the SJF and PBF.
- Provide frameworks, guidance, and coordination for Third Party Monitoring Teams to carry out assigned monitoring activities.
- Design data collection methodologies and research protocols to monitor performance.
- Prepare briefing notes for progress across the SJF and PBF portfolios and contribute to analysis as to causes behind the differences between planned and actual achievements.
- Develop and implement common data collection strategies between and within the SJF and PBF portfolios.
- Organize field visits as required to verify accuracy of reported data.
- Ensure that gender equality and women empowerment, women, peace and security, and youth, peace and security indicators are mainstreamed within monitoring systems of the SJF and PBF.
- Oversee implementation of capacity assessments and analyze data.
- Development and introduction of new and innovative approaches and methods in data collection, monitoring and evaluation of portfolios.
- Draft of PBF SRF process concept note, baseline, and endline and work closely with the PBF Coordinator and consultant(s) (ensuring maximum collaboration and synergies with other actors, including the SJF).
- Support independent mid-term reviews (as applicable) and final evaluation of PBF-funded projects in close consultation with PBF in New York.
- Apply ICT and dialogue tools to seek community and stakeholder feedback and monitor impact.
Example of Duties:
- Monitor and analyze delivery and status of individual programmes against the SJF and PBF strategies and results frameworks.
- Extract critical lessons learned and good practices from final evaluation, audit and monitoring reports and ensure these are documented and communicated to relevant stakeholders, and incorporated to programme formulations.
- Harvest, compile, and analyze information generated across the fund portfolios to feed into strategic discussions with fund stakeholders on investment pipeline.
- Coordinate and contribute to the active exchange of information with programmes funded by the SJF and PBF.
- Prepare situation analysis by compiling data, analyzing and evaluating information.
- Review programme reports and provide input to improve quality.
- Support the chronicling and communication of knowledge products and good practices on programming pooled funds in complex settings.
- Cooperate closely with Integrated Office units, UNSOM, and UN Country Team on UN-wide data and analysis functions to support UN programming through the SJF and PBF.
- Together with the RCO Data Management and Results Management Officer, ensure data and results from the SJF and PBF portfolios feed into to UN Somalia corporate reporting, including through UN INFO.
• Contribute to regular coordination mechanism and learning events involving UN agencies implementing SJF and PBF projects.
• Support development of programme-level monitoring systems to feed into portfolio-level M&E systems.
• Develop partnership with M&E professionals working on humanitarian, development and peacebuilding interventions to better capture nexus results.
• Build monitoring and evaluation capacities of government counterparts and national implementing partners.
• Support the identification of consultants/ partners/ research companies to conduct research/ analysis.
• Support research, data collection, analysis, surveys in partnership with other actors (as relevant) to inform the design of catalytic PBF interventions that can contribute to achieving the SRF.
4. Other
Example of Duties:
- Provide advice and support to other units in the Integrated Office.
- Other tasks as required.
Expected Demonstration of Competencies
1.Core competencies
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
2.Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
| Thematic Area | Name | Definition |
| Business Direction and Strategy | System Thinking | Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system |
| Business Direction and Strategy | Strategic Thinking | Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDPs objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks, and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP |
| Business Management | Portfolio Management | Abilit to select, prioritize and control the organizations programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment |
| Business Management | Partnerships Management | Abilit to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies |
| Business Management | Risk Management | Abilit to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks |
| Communication | Creative direction and copywriting | Ability to creatively communicate concepts in an engaging and simple ways. |
| Partnership management | Relationship Management | Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding. |
· Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Development/Development Studies, Economics, Statistics, Business Management, Social Policy, public policy, politics, law or related field is required; or
· A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of working with development, peacebuilding or humanitarian response, or programme management in the UN system, international organization, or government is required.
• Experience of working with M&E for bilateral donors or UN pooled funding instruments a distinct advantage.
• Experience of programme design, results-based management, M&E approaches, the UN development system, and the 2030 Agenda is required.
• Experience in providing support to diverse actors on M&E and learning is required.
• Experience working in conflict/post-conflict environments, especially in the Horn of Africa, constitutes a significant advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in planning, facilitation, communication with ability to transfer knowledge and skills in complex institutional environment is required.
• Proven experience of working with people at all levels of an organization, maximizing coordination and cooperation is required.
Language requirements:
Fluency in English and Somali Language is required.
Knowledge of another UN language could be an asset
