Monitoring Officer Consultant, (3 months) Johannesburg, South Africa
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WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.
ABOUT WFP
The World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. Each year, on average, WFP feeds more than 90 million people in more than 70 countries.
From its base in Johannesburg, the Regional Bureau (RBJ) for Southern Africa supports operations in 12 SADC countries (Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and the Republic of Congo).
The RBJ region offers a wide range of opportunities to test and apply new innovative programmatic approaches – including the broadening of transfer modalities, increased focus on resilience-building and national capacity-development. This results in an essential need to promote innovative methods and tools to meet new information needs for evidence-based decision-making. A more strategic approach to monitoring across the region will ensure WFP’s ability to demonstrate the performance of its operations and improve Country Strategic Plan design and implementation based on evidence and lessons learned.
In this context, and as part of Evidence Generation Block Unit, the RBJ Monitoring team works closely with the Country Offices (CO) to strengthen and promote a culture of use of monitoring findings for better programmatic decisions and corporate accountability.
JOB PURPOSE
The job holder at this level is expected to support the development and implementation of Monitoring Plans aligned to WFP corporate standards to generate quality evidence on the lives of beneficiaries and inform policy, strategy and programme design and implementation. This includes coordinating monitoring activities, managing or supporting the management of decentralized evaluations, supporting thematic/mid-term reviews and positioning WFP as a reliable partner for governments to build monitoring strategies. They may also support the formulation of country monitoring and evaluation strategies and contribute to policy development and various initiatives.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)
The WFP Southern Africa Regional Bureau is committed to improving performance through evidence-building. Under the direct guidance and supervision of the Regional Monitoring Adviser and in close collaboration with other Evidence Generation Block teams (VAM and Knowledge Management), as well as Programme Unit, the CST will be responsible for the following tasks:
➢ Support the implementation of the Regional Monitoring strategy 2022 -2025, particularly in line with two priority areas – Data Visualisation and Data Analysis, with specific focus on Qualitative Monitoring – with the overall aim to strengthen Country Office capacities for high quality monitoring and learning to facilitate strategic and programme decision-making;
➢ Support alignment of Country Offices Logframes to the new 2022-2025 Corporate Results Framework.
➢ Organize and record monthly coordination calls with RBJ COs VAM/monitoring teams; follow-up on and track implementation of agreed actions.
➢ Support Country Offices with the uptake of the qualitative research blended course (eg. track enrolment and progress in e-learning modules; review assignments; produce periodic status updates; organize and coordinate thematic webinars between CO and RB teams)
➢ Serve as knowledge management focal point for the Monitoring Team. In collaboration with RB Knowledge Management Unit, identify and propose solutions to address gaps in knowledge, evidence, and information sharing between Country Offices, Regional teams and Headquarters.
➢ Support advocacy for quality monitoring information products and the use of latest data visualisation technology (such as Tableau). Develop basic data analysis and visualization of regional monitoring data, support Monitoring Unit in organizing joint TEC/Monitoring training to COs
➢ Conduct analysis of corporate dashboards and tools, with a focus on planning, budgeting and assessing funding gaps in evidence generation in the region.
➢ Collaborate with Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping (VAM) Team on cross-sectional topics such as targeting verification, outcome monitoring, impact evaluation using monitoring data, survey and data standardization.
➢ Support the Regional Advisor in organizing Evidence Generation Block Annual Performance Plan end-year review meeting (December) and drafting of synthesis meeting report
➢ Any other duty assigned that are within the scope of Evidence Generation and Monitoring.
STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education
- Advanced University degree in social sciences, political science, statistics, development economics, performance management.
Knowledge & Skills
- Familiarity with programme design, implementation and operational challenges in food security and/or nutrition operations. Previous experience working in Southern Africa is a plus.
- Knowledge and previous experience in monitoring. Relevant knowledge of evidence generation processes.
- Strong knowledge of qualitative research methods and qualitative monitoring, demonstrated through completion of relevant trainings and research outputs.
- Strong data analysis skills and experience using statistical softwares (Stata, SPSS).
- Data visualization skills, including knowledge of Tableau Analytics and other relevant applications (e.g.: web-based databases,) to organize, analyze, share and use of monitoring data.
- Experience in knowledge management and preparation of knowledge products.
- Strong communication skills (oral and written) including ability to present ideas and generate feedback from a variety of audience
- Ability to draft clear and succinct reports.
- Quick to learn, able to take initiative.
- Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment
- Self-confidence and creativity.
Experience
- Minimum of three years of relevant professional work experience including monitoring activities.
- Experience using a variety of quantitative and qualitative analytical tools and methods.
Languages
- Fluency (level C) in English language. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of a second official UN language: Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, and/or Portuguese (a WFP working language).
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
This Vacancy announcement will expire on the 4th of October 2022 at 11:59 South African Time.
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Qualified female applicants 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.
