Planning and Monitoring Manager at the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Planning and Monitoring Manager

Job No.: 563241
Location: Abuja
Employment Type: Full Time
Supervisor Title / Level: 58568 Chief Planning & Monitoring / P5
Organizational Unit: Programme
Category: IP (International Professionals)
Job Level: Level 4
Job Profile No.: CCOG Code: 1M06
Functional Code: PMR

For every child, a chance

• In Nigeria, UNICEF works in a complex humanitarian and development setting to fulfill and protect children’s rights and promote gender equality and adolescent development in partnership with the government, civil society, children, and families.
• Guided by UNICEF’s Rights and Results-based Management standards, the Planning and Monitoring Manager supports the planning process throughout the country programme cycle, monitoring systems, surveys and analysis of key trends (e.g., MICS and MICS+), and reporting.
• In close collaboration with the Evaluation Manager on evaluation and research initiatives, he/she strengthens a regular dialogue with key national and international partners involved in surveys and data collection.
• The Manager facilitates and coordinates the joint programme and project monitoring and evaluation of international assistance on the ground.
• The incumbent ensures that the UNICEF Country Office has useful, valid, and reliable information on the situation of children’s and women’s rights; the performance of UNICEF-supported programs, including their relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability; and in emergency contexts, their coverage, coordination, and coherence.

How can you make a difference?
Under the overall guidance of the Chief, Planning Monitoring and Reports, the Planning and Monitoring Manager is accountable to ensure that the UNICEF Nigeria Country Office:

• Has strategic and results-based programme planning strategies and documents; useful, valid and reliable information on the situation of children’s and women’s rights; relevant, effective and timely use of programme monitoring information and insights for strategic and programmatic decision making, including insights for coverage, coordination, and coherence in emergency contexts.
• Works within the UN country team to support UNCT goals for delivering valid and reliable information on the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UNICEF West and Central Africa Key Results for Children (KRCs) and Nigeria and other goals, and on the performance of UN-supported programmes
• Supports establishing monitoring and reporting tools that enhance partnerships between the UNCT, government and other key players to track progress on SDGs and other international commitments for children.

Summary of key functions / accountabilities

• Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primary, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of duties and key results.

Programme Planning and the Integrated Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Plan (IMEP):

• Support the Country Office and national partners to develop a well-prioritized and realistic programme plan, and monitoring activities, developed collaboratively to deliver results for children.
• Lead development of the Country Programme Document (CPD), Country Programme Management Plan (CPMP), Results Framework, Programme Strategy Notes (PSNs), and Country Office and Field Office Programme Workplans.
• In coordination with the Integrated Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Plan (IMEP) Committee, make professional contributions to and provide technical assistance for the planning and establishing the major research, monitoring and evaluation objectives, priorities, and activities in UNICEF’s multi-year and annual IMEPs, in consultation with child-rights and implementing partners.
• Support developing and coordinating the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF) M&E plan and reporting requirement from a sound rights and results-based programming process.

Situation Monitoring and Assessment:

• Ensure that the Country Office and national partners have a timely and accurate measurement of change in conditions in the country or region, including monitoring of socio-economic trends and the country’s wider policy, economic or institutional context, to facilitate planning and to draw conclusions about the impact of programmes or policies.
• In coordination with other stakeholders, support the collection of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and other key social development indicators (through MICS, MICS+ or other surveys) to improve national planning.
• Support partners in establishing and managing national statistical databases, ensuring key indicators are readily accessible to key stakeholders. Potential uses include Situation Analysis, Common Country Assessment, Early Warning Monitoring Systems, and Mid-Term Reviews.
• Develop a Situation Monitoring and Assessment system owned by all key partners which supports the preparation of country-level statistical and analytic reports on the status of children’s and women’s rights issues; and allows, when opportunities emerge, to influence developmental and social policies.
• Provide technical support and coordinate global reporting obligations, including national reports on progress toward the SDGs and Key Results for Children (KRC) fulfilment.

Programme Performance Monitoring and Reporting:

• Ensure the Country Office has quality information to assess progress towards expected results established in annual work plans, including emergency plans.
• Coordinate analysis of quality information collected and disseminated with the participation of all concerned partners to assess progress towards expected annual and multi-year results and oversee the gathering and analysis of relevant and strategic information needed to manage the Country Programme.
• Strengthen and harmonize the Country Programme Monitoring systems, the Monitoring Information Systems (MIS) maintenance, biannual programme reviews, and corporate programme reporting (RAM, KRC, CRAVE, CSIs, UNINFO)
• Provide technical support to ensure that a set of programme performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary, with inputs of all concerned partners to assess progress towards expected annual and multi-year results in the context of the multi-year and annual IMEPs, the Annual Management Plan and Annual Work Plans, as outlined in the Programme Policy and Procedures Manual.
• Coordinate with partners to ensure that monitoring systems are properly designed, and that data collection and analysis from field visits are coordinated and standardised across programmes to feed into programme performance monitoring, with special attention to humanitarian response.
• Drawing on monitoring and analysing key programme performance and management indicators, provide professional input to management reports, including relevant sections of the annual reports.

M&E Capacity Building:

• Ensure that the monitoring and evaluation capacities of Country Office staff and national partners – government and civil society – are strengthened, enabling them to increase and lead monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Enhance the monitoring and evaluation capacities of Country Office staff and national partners – government and civil society – to meet the expectations and requirements of their positions and responsibilities.
• Develop and maintain guidance, tools, templates, and materials for planning, monitoring and reporting in the UNICEF SharePoint site, the hub for all planning, monitoring and reporting activities.
• Promote the awareness and understanding of the shared responsibility of M&E function among all staff members through communication, training, learning and development activities organization-wide.
• In close collaboration with partners, ensure that an M&E capacity-building strategy for UNICEF/UN staff national partners and institutions exists in the context of the IMEP or UNDAF M&E plan. Pay particular attention so the capacity needs of national partners such as professional evaluation associations will be strengthened with involvement in evaluation processes and possibly through specific capacity-building initiatives.
• Collaborate on implementing capacity-building strategies as a joint commitment with other developmental partners.
• Utilise a range of appropriate skills-building strategies, including self-learning, seminars and workshops and practical experience to build the knowledge and skills of UNICEF and UN staff in understanding and to apply new M&E policies, tools, and methods to fulfil their responsibilities.
• Similarly, design and implement strategies suited to the skills needs of national partners.
• Actively seek partnerships with knowledge institutions to identify capacity gaps and develop strategies to address them.

Coordination and Networking:

• Ensure that the UNICEF office is effectively linked to wider UNICEF M&E developments and the UNSDCF M&E system that contributes to and benefits from organizational learning on effective M&E management.
• The UNICEF office is linked to wider UNICEF and UN M&E developments in a way that both contribute to and benefit from organizational learning on effective planning, M&E, and results management.
• Collaborate with Regional M&E Advisers and HQ Evaluation Office for overall coordination of priority research, monitoring and evaluation activities, especially those of regional scope requiring the coordinated effort of multiple countries.
• Partner with the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Adviser to ensure that current and accurate M&E data and results are included in regional reports, multi-country studies, and knowledge-sharing networks.
• Undertake lessons-learned reviews on successful and unsuccessful M&E practices and experiences at the national level, and ensure they are shared as appropriate. Similarly, pay attention to M&E knowledge networks to identify innovations and lessons learned that may be relevant for the CO and partners to improve their M&E function.
• Support coordination of UNICEF inputs to UN-wide planning, monitoring, and reporting requirements.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An Advanced University Degree in Social Sciences, Statistics, Planning Development, Planning or related Social Science field is required.
• Eight years of relevant professional work experience in programme development and implementation including monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Developing country or  field work experience
• At least one instance of exposure to emergency programming, including preparedness planning.
• Active involvement in a humanitarian crisis response programme preferred.
• Fluency in English.  Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Technical Competencies:

• Specific Technical Knowledge & Competencies Required for the job:
• Professional technical knowledge/expertise in demography, statistics, and data management.
• Professional technical knowledge/expertise in methodology of M&E, including theories, standards and models, quantitative/qualitative/mixed methods, validity/reliability testing of data, data analysis and interpretation, and statistical inference methods.
• Professional technical knowledge/expertise in Activity Monitoring & Evaluation, Evaluation Design, data analysis, and reporting.
• Gender equality and diversity awareness
• Knowledge of Project Evaluation.
• Professional technical knowledge/expertise in Evaluation Process Management, Followup on Recommendations and Dissemination of M&E results.
• Emerging international good practice in monitoring and evaluation partnerships.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

• UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2).

Remuneration

• We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities.
• UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Note

• UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
• UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.
• All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
• Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• Candidates who applied before should not apply again.
• UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions.
• Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF.
• UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Application Deadline 3rd July, 2023.