Job Description

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with Governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the pledge to leave no one behind reflect the interconnectedness of health and sustainable development issues such as the widening economic and social inequalities, the climate crisis, rapid urbanization, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases (e.g., malaria, tuberculosis, COVID.19), the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and the emergence of health threats. The scope and scale of delivering health and well-being for all demands innovative partnerships and financing.

UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund (GF), in line with UNDP’s HIV and Health Strategy 2022-2025: ‘Connecting the Dots’, makes a vital contribution to UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the pledge to leave no one behind.   When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient (PR), working with national partners and the Global Fund to ensure management, implementation, and oversight of GF grants, while simultaneously strengthening health institutions and systems for national entities to assume the PR role over time.

UNDP has an important role in supporting health outcomes by supporting countries to address the social, cultural and economic determinants of HIV and health, in partnership with UN entities and other organizations. This is done through UNDP’s core work in reducing inequalities and social exclusion that drive HIV and poor health, promoting effective and inclusive governance for health, and building resilient and sustainable systems for health. UNDP also contributes through its coordinating and convening role in bringing together multiple partners and resources at national and local levels.

As a trusted, long-term partner of The Global Fund (GF), UNDP’s value proposition lies in providing an integrated package of development solutions to strengthen institutions to deliver health services. Through its contributions as interim Principal Recipient (PR) and provider of technical assistance in over 53 countries since 2003, UNDP’s provision of integrated policy, implementation and capacity development support to countries has yielded significant health and development results in challenging operating environments. Proactive risk management and investing in sustainability are the cornerstones of UNDP’s portfolio management approach and providing technical assistance to national counterparts during all phases of implementation, strengthening legislation, policies and regulatory frameworks, and building capacities across key functional areas, including financial management, health information systems, procurement and supply chain management. Within the HHD Group the Global Fund Partnership and Health Systems Team (GFPHST) is a dedicated team providing support to UNDP Country Offices implementing health and development programmes. 

UNDP has been serving as the interim PR for the Burundi GF programmes since 1 January 2018. UNDP has been confirmed as PR for the next grant cycle, GC7, from 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2026. 

To provide strategic planning, programmatic and operational management, and oversight to the GF grants to achieve the defined programme goals, targets and effective delivery, a dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU) has been established. Under the overall supervision of the Programme Coordinator, the Programme and Monitoring & Evaluation for Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Specialist will be responsible for leading technical planning, supervision and quality control in order to achieve a high level of performance and attain the objectives of Global Fund grant, coordinating with key national programmes, Civil Society Organizations  (CSOs) and other implementing partners, while engaging with technical and institutional partners to strengthen national systems and health institutions for the transition of the programmes in the coming years.

The Programme and MEAL Specialist will also provide M&E expertise in the development and implementation of the M&E Plan, lead monitoring and evaluation of the Global Fund-supported HIV, TB, malaria, COVID, HSS, and other health related grants’ implementation. S/he will provide leadership in establishing systems to effectively monitor grant performance, share performance feedback with implementing partners systematically and timely, and catalyse performance improvement actions. S/he will build capacities of staff and local partners and ensure that the M&E systems are in place, data quality is monitored, standards adhered to and progress reported in a timely manner.  S/he will lead in identifying M&E technical needs of SRs and identify appropriate actions to be taken to improve the systems.

This will be done in accordance with UNDP rules, policies and procedures, the grant agreements, and corporate agreements and technical guidance notes, as applicable, with the GF, and working in partnership with national stakeholders, and close coordination with the GF (including Local Fund Agent), CCM (Instance de Coordination Nationale) technical partners and UN entities, the GFPHST and other UNDP business units and programmes

Position Purpose

Under the overall supervision of the Project Coordinator, the Programme & MEAL Specialist will lead a team of 7 people, e.g., 3 dedicated M&E Specialists in charge of the 3 diseases and 4 diseases Programme Officers, including COVID19. The Programme & MEAL Specialist will promote a collaborative, client-oriented approach, ensuring integration across functional areas within the PMU and support the integration of capacity building activities

Duties and Responsibilities

Ensures effective programmatic monitoring of the grants for the achievement of the following results:

Leads on the programmatic and M&E activities for UNDP and SRs to define project proposals, reprogramming requests, annual and quarterly workplans and budgets to ensure timely achievement of agreed results, budget compliance in accordance with UNDP rules, policies and procedures and Grant Agreement with the Fund (e.g., Performance Framework);

Leads on assessing the programmatic performance, effectively monitoring of programme delivery proactively leading reviews with national and implementing partners, SRs for underperformance, bottlenecks and   puts in place mechanisms for the timely implementation of corrective action(s); 

In coordination with the Programme Coordinator and other PMU unit heads, the Programme & MEAL Specialist leads on risk assessments, develops, and implements risk management matrix/plan in the areas of programme and monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and ensures adequate oversight and support is provided, with timely incident reporting;

Establishes a framework and agreed procedures with the Sub-recipient (SRs) for regular, quality reporting to UNDP on programmatic progress (e.g., implementation of activities, and reporting of indicators in accordance with the grant M&E frameworks);

Supports SRs in the development and monitoring of effective training, supervision, and technical assistance plans;

Supports the Programme Coordinator in the management of Sub-recipients (SRs) in the definition of annual and quarterly workplans and budgets and leads on following up on implementation of SRs work plans and budgets addressing under performance through the development of actions plans; 

Ensures that project monitoring arrangements comply with GF grant agreements/guidelines and that the provisions of the grant agreements are fully observed;

Oversees the timely implementation of studies to be carried out by the SRs (national programmes, and NGOs), including the finalization of study protocols and their detailed budgets for consideration by the GF;

In coordination with the Programme Coordinator, assists in the identification of potential implementation problems and bottlenecks and recommends appropriate strategies to address them;

Leads the PMU, in preparing timely and quality 6-monthly financial and programmatic progress updates on the project, in alignment with GF reporting tools and procedures; and 

Supervises the programme and monitoring and evaluation staff on a day-to-day basis and reports on the team performance to the Programme Coordinator monthly, if required.

Proactively informs the GF CT of any situation likely to delay or hinder the achievement of grants goals, including a clear proposal to get back on track

Oversees the timely implementation of the various recommendations issued by the Global Fund.

Monitors and coordinates the implementation of programmatic and monitoring and evaluation activities for the achievement of the following results:

Oversees assessment of the Sub-Recipients (SR) capacity in the field of M&E and develop and lead the implementation of a capacity development plan;

Follows up on implementation of SRs audit and evaluation recommendations; ensures the optimal use of evaluation findings by providing guidance in preparation of timely management responses to all mandatory evaluations and by developing a communication/dissemination plan;

Provides technical support to the SRs to strengthen their management and implementation of activities, as well as their M&E systems and develops risk mitigation and management plans and establishes a tracking system to monitor the implementation of the risk matrix and management plans;

Ensures that project monitoring arrangements comply with GF grant confirmations /guidelines and UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures provisions are fully observed. 

Participates and provides technical support to prepare TORs, conduct national surveys, surveillances, and other studies; 

Reviews the management information systems of the SRs and agrees on required changes or resources to ensure that programme and data quality standards are monitored and met and reviews the quality of existing data sources, including their completeness and timeliness, and identify areas for strengthening in collaboration with the government, partners, and programmes; 

Under the direction of the Project Coordinator, participates in external supervision and evaluation missions of the GF and other agencies by facilitating access to programmatic and M&E data, as required and ensures the optimal use of evaluation findings by providing guidance in preparation of timely management response to all mandatory evaluations and by developing a communication/dissemination plan;

Liaises with national and international health partners to ensure that all the available support and technical assistance is made available to the SRs;

Facilitate the review of the quality of existing data sources, the methods of collecting them and the degree to which they will provide good baseline data for mid-term and end of project evaluations; based on this review consult partners to develop approaches to address identified gaps;

Establishes a framework and agreed procedures with the SRs for regular reporting to UNDP on programmatic progress (implementation of activities, and reporting of indicators in accordance with the grant M&E frameworks); and 

Facilitates review of progress on a quarterly basis and problem solving and development of remedial actions, ensuring any disparities between planned and actual outputs are addressed. 

Provides capacity building in programme management and the functional area of monitoring and evaluation for the achievement of the following results: 

Provide capacity transfer to M&E Unit of the SRs to improve technical skills and to strengthen their M&E systems;

Provide technical support and facilitates capacity-building to the MoH to establish a robust health management information system, especially in the roll out of DHIS.2 system;

Monitor the roll-out of DHIS2 and agree on required changes or resources to ensure that the system is fully functional and data quality standards are monitored and met;

Strengthens the management and monitoring and evaluation and reporting skills of the SRs to support the transition from UNDP to a national principal recipient in the coming years; 

Design and disseminate M&E reporting tools and templates that supports UNDP to effectively perform in the PR role and enables key partners to effectively plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate the assigned grant activities; 

Assess the M&E needs of national counterparts and provide capacity development support, resulting in effective participation in Global Fund M&E activities, such as workshops, On Site Data Verification, and LFA PUDR verification.

Facilitation of knowledge building and sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:

Identifies and assesses the implications of UNDP’s rules, policies, and procedures in the functional area of monitoring and evaluation on the implementation of GF programmes in coordination with GF/HIST and other UNDP units (e.g., BMS) and reports to the Country Offices on changes to GF rules that impact on the programmes.

Leads generation of strategic information highlighting key programme achievements, best practices, and lessons learnt and contributes to information sharing with the Ministry of Health, implementing partners, CSOs, UN entities, financial and technical partners, the GF and the CCM; 

Actively participates in UNDP and other relevant external networks to promote the programmes and UNDP’s health and development work (e.g., conferences, community of practice, Yammer) and represents UNDP in relevant technical meetings, working groups at country, regional and global level and gathers lessons learnt to apply to the programmes; and

Provide training and build the capacity of the grant’s Programme and M&E staff within the PMU. 

Any other activity assigned by the Programme Coordinator  

Competencies

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

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy-Negotiation and Influence: Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and create ‘win-win’ situations 

Business Direction & 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 Management-Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s 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-Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results

Digital & Innovation-Data analysis: Ability to extract, analyse and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision making

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

2030 Agenda: People - Health: Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM) 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Public Health, Monitoring and Evaluation, health Information Systems, epidemiology or related field is required ; 

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

Experience:

A minimum of 7 years (with Master’s degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of professional experience working in programme management and M&E of health programmes, or related fields is required

Strong experience with Global Fund’s rules, policies and procedures and reporting to the Global Fund evidenced by a demonstrated relevant work experience with the Global Fund is desired.

Demonstrated experience in working with health information systems is an asset.

Work experience in a challenging operating environment is an asset.

Demonstrated experience in building M&E capacity of national stakeholders in health and development as M&E is an asset.

Post Graduate qualifications in Public Health, Monitoring and Evaluation, or Health Information Systems, epidemiology is an asset.

At least 3 years of experience in the effective management of people is an asset.

Language: 

Fluency in both written and oral French is required.

Working knowledge of English is an asset.

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders) 

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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