Myanmar is one of UNOPS’ leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for some of the largest development programmes in the country. In addition, UNOPS is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund in Myanmar and for the Global Fund’s regional artemisinin-resistance initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS also provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.
The Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT) is a multi-donor fund established in 2010 to address food insecurity and income poverty in Myanmar. LIFT currently receives funding from 9 donors – the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, the United States, New Zealand, and Norway. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is the Fund Manager to administer the funds and provide monitoring and oversight.
LIFT’s overall goal has been to sustainably reduce the number of people living in poverty and hunger in Myanmar. LIFT’s purpose going into the 2024-2028 strategic period is to strengthen the food security and sustainable livelihoods of poor and vulnerable groups to recover from and withstand variable shocks and stressors. LIFT’s strategic level outcomes are (1) To improve nutritional status of vulnerable households, with emphasis on women and children; (2) To contribute to sustaining or increasing improved and gender-responsive livelihood strategies; and, (3) To increase community resilience by supporting gender-responsive and inclusive risk management, social protection, and social cohesion.
LIFT expects to maintain 40-60 grant agreements with implementing partners during the 2024-2028 strategic period. Implementing partners include international and national non-government organisations, civil society organisations (CSOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), United Nations agencies, and private sector organisations, as well as academic and research institutions.
LIFT’s programming is oriented along three geographical areas including: (1) Rakhine and Chin States; (2) Central Dry Zone, Peri-Urban Yangon, and the Ayeyarwady Delta (CDU); and (3) Northeast (Kachin State and Northern Shan State) and Southeast (Southern Shan State, Kayah, Kayin, and Mon States,and Tanintharyi Region). LIFT programming addresses several key technical areas, including Nutrition and WASH, Agriculture and NRM, Rural Finance, Migration and Small Business Development; and Social Protection. LIFT programming is committed to empowering local actors, achieving gender equality, and promoting social inclusion.
LIFT’s Monitoring and Evaluation for Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
During 2023, LIFT reviewed its approach and methods for MEAL matters in order to ensure that MEAL is fit for purpose going into a new strategic period 2024-2028 in a highly dynamic context characterised by widespread armed conflict and worsening socioeconomic circumstances. This review has resulted in the development of a revised MEAL framework for 2024-2028. The overall aim is to increase the capacity of LIFT and its partners to generate and use robust evidence to measure and improve performance across LIFT’s programming portfolio. LIFT’s MEAL system has three main and overlapping functions:
enabling accountability - both upward to donors and downward to partners and communities
supporting learning and adaptive management in projects and programmes
generating evidence to inform wider interventions in food security, livelihoods and resilience
The development and implementation of this framework will require a significant upgrading of MEAL systems, capacities and practices within the FMO and amongst implementing partners.
As a result, LIFT is now looking to hire experienced international and national (Myanmar) professionals on a retainer basis to provide and/or support a range of Programme Management Advisor for MEAL-specific managerial (advisory) and technical services.
Purpose and Scope of Assignment
There are two objectives of the assignment. The primary objective concerns advisory services in support of MEAL management and implementation. This can include backstopping support for various components of the Fund Management Office (FMO), including the MEAL, Communications, and Programmes teams. Specific tasks may include reporting; capacity strengthening, learning and knowledge management, data collection and data management.
A secondary objective is to carry out midterm and final evaluations of LIFT projects and/or geographic programmes as needed. The evaluations can be carried out by a mix of methods, mostly qualitative, and will include desk reviews and field visits to key informants, beneficiaries and project staff as the context allows. An evaluation can take between 2-3 weeks, depending on the complexity and the specifics of the project or programme.
This vacancy is open to all nationalities.
Under the direct supervision of the Sr. MEAL Manager and in accordance with UNOPS policies, procedures and practices, the MEAL Programme Management Advisor will be responsible for the following activities:
MEAL Management Support
Provide strategic advice and support concerning the development, implementation, and updating of an effective MEAL system that (1) promotes accountability to the LIFT Fund Board, communities, and beneficiaries; and, (2) supports meaningful collaboration with LIFT partners.
Advise and support the preparation of quarterly, semi-annual, and annual reporting to the Fund Board.
Participate in relevant technical meetings and maintaining contacts with key stakeholders ensuring that discussions integrate a technically-sound MEAL perspective.
Participate in Fund Management Office and Fund Board meetings to provide technical MEAL inputs, as directed.
Learning and Knowledge Management
Support a culture of learning both within the MEAL Unit and the overall FMO
Help ensure effective collaboration between the MEAL and Communication teams in matters concerning knowledge management.
Ensure that MEAL data are readily available, as appropriate, to the FMO, Fund Board, partners, and other stakeholders, particularly on impact and lessons learnt from Fund activities
Advise and support MEAL capacity strengthening for the national MEAL team and programme teams, as well as partner MEAL teams.
Provide technical support in improving information sharing on all aspects related to MEAL activities among the team stakeholders, including learning and knowledge products
Data Collection and Data Management
Advise and support the design of baseline, mid-term and final evaluation surveys;
Provide technical advice to ensure adequate feedback to/from Fund beneficiaries on data and analyses
Support the development and implementation of data visualization mapping, graphics)
Monitoring and Evaluation
Review and ensure the MEAL systems align with MEAL Frameworks in order to generate data for results measurements and impact assessments
Provide technical advice to LIFT’s monitoring and evaluation activities including the preparation of annual MEAL work plans, budgets, and staff allocations
Inform technical MEAL responses to ad hoc requests for information from the Fund Board and others
Support monitoring and evaluation missions commissioned by the Fund Board or UNOPS
Conduct project and programme evaluations as needed
Ensure that MEAL activities and processes are conflict-sensitive and adhere to Do No Harm principles
Support in the incorporation of MEAL findings into LIFT reports and providing recommendations to the Fund Board
Support the preparation of quarterly, semi- annual, and annual reporting to the Fund Board
Monitoring and progress controls
Once a consultant is contracted, he/she will be contacted to conduct a specific task based on his/her expertise. The deliverables and number of days will be agreed through a so-called task note which will provide the details of the planned activity.
The retainers will work in close coordination with the LIFT programme managers under the supervision of the MEAL Senior Manager and will be expected to report in a timely fashion on the assigned task notes.
Deliverables
Outputs and reporting requirements will be detailed in Task Notes specific to each assignment. Task Notes will include:
Administration and logistics arrangements
Indicative work plan
Travel requirements, if any
Deliverables: Regarding evaluation work, this often includes a debriefing to the partners and LIFT staff at the end of the field visit, and a final report on the findings. Regarding advisory services, the actual deliverables will be specified in a task note.
Quarterly, Bi-Annual, Annual MEAL Reporting
Qualitative/Quantitative Research and Survey Design
Data-base Management, including Visualisation
MEAL capacity strengthening, personnel and systems
MEAL capacity strengthening, local partners (CSOs, CBOs)
Remote Monitoring and Third Party Monitoring (TPM)
MEAL management in conflict affected areas
Learning and Knowledge Management
Nutrition and WASH
Climate Smart Agriculture, including: Natural Resource Management (NRM), land tenure, livestock production, crop extension services, small-scale irrigation, seed production,fisheries and aquaculture;
Local Governance and Community-based Programming
Social Protection;
Rural Finance (non-formal financial inclusion mechanisms);
Labour & migration, including TVET and capacity building
Gender and Social Inclusion
Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA)
Contract level: IICA-3/LICA-11
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