M&E, Communications and Reporting Specialist

Result of ServiceThe M&E, Communications and Reporting specialist will be responsible for monitoring and tracking project progress, developing and implementing project communication strategies, ensuring visibility, and preparing project progress reports. The role will support evidence-based decision-making and enhance the project's impact through effective storytelling, stakeholder engagement, and performance monitoring. Work LocationNairobi Expected duration12 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesAbout UN-Habitat The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. For close to forty years, UN- Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. The Urban Practices Branch (UPB) is the tools and methodology production center of the UN-Habitat that develops normative guidance and cutting-edge tools through communities of urban practices and is the operational level responsible to undertake technical cooperation projects, such as the construction of water and sanitation facilities, shelter and other work. The Planning, Finance & Economy Section (PFES) is responsible for supporting urban and territorial planning at all scales, including through the development of planning policy, norms and guidelines, urban design and public space design, urban finance (municipal finance and urban development/projects finance), and local economic development. Background UN-Habitat has been approached by the Government of Kenya and The World Bank to provide Technical Assistance for the Window for Host Communities and Refugees of the Second Kenya Urban Support Program (KUSP2) through a Service Contract. The Window for Host Communities and Refugees (WHR) has been developed under KUSP2 to strengthen the capacities of urban institutions in refugee hosting areas. At the national level, the project aims to strengthen policy and legislative frameworks related to refugees and urbanization, including supporting the implementation of the Refugees Act of 2021, and related policies and legislation. At the local level, the project’s main goal is to establish and strengthen urban institutions and improve access to critical infrastructure and services in refugee and host community areas. The KUSP2 WHR framework, under the special municipalities of Kakuma (Turkana County) and Dadaab (Garissa County), can potentially become a platform for coordination of settlements planning and development interventions in these areas. The project will target both host and refugee communities as residents of the new municipalities, through working with the respective municipal boards. To deliver the required TA to KUSP2, UN-Habitat will design activities that will contribute towards building overall institutional capacity for integrated planning and municipal management, delivery of services, refugee-host integration and strengthened policies on urban planning and development. Overall, the scope of the technical assistance activities will fall within five areas of intervention, as follows: (a) Support to integrated development planning through advisory on planning processes; (b) Capacity assessments and training for skills development; (c) Review and advisory on design and delivery of infrastructure projects; (d) Technical advisory and support to institutional, policy and legislative development; (e) Knowledge management - production and dissemination of normative work. Reporting The M&E, Communications and Reporting specialist will report directly to the Snr. Programme Management Officer/Project Manager within the Planning, Finance and Economy section. He/she will interact with colleagues from other sections within UN-Habitat, and liaise with partners, government counterparts and other stakeholders outside UN-Habitat. Duties and Responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Snr. Programme Management Officer/Project Manager, the M&E, Communications and Reporting specialist will be responsible for the following duties: 1. Monitor the implementation of project activities and the progress towards the planned outputs and the expected outcomes • Develop a monitoring tool to enable continuous and consistent assessment of the progress of project activities against the project work plan • Undertake field missions to observe and assess the progress of project activities, to collect evidence, data and information for success stories and normative products and to support the strengthening of partnerships with local actors and partners • Update the monitoring module of the Integrated Project Monitoring and Reporting (IPMR) tool on a monthly basis 2. Develop and implement a project visibility and communications strategy • Develop a project visibility and communication strategy including an action plan for the implementation of the strategy • Develop a coordination plan to ensure that the strategy complements and aligns with those of other KUSP2 partners • Develop and provide templates for communication content and regular field reports to maintain consistent content and style • Collaborate with project stakeholders to identify local channels and tools for communication and engagement, including but not limited to mapping key events and important local media outlets • Coordinate programme communications among KUSP2 partners, including the Government of Kenya (SDHUD) and the World Bank • Map key activities and events organized by UN-Habitat and other KUSP2 partners, including but not limited to the capacity building and training events • Develop an events template and checklist to facilitate effective communication about key events on social media and other tools • Develop the content and graphic layout of at least three communication materials e.g. brochure, pamphlet, fact sheet, etc • Set up a database of KUSP2 stakeholders' social media handles and ensure that all communications reaches the right stakeholders as necessary • Lead the development of at least four human impact stories every year in collaboration with KUSP2 partners 3. Report on the project’s progress and performance • Obtain regular progress and incident reports from project teams in Nairobi and the field and maintain an up-to-date project reporting folder and database • Prepare and provide project updates, data, fact sheets and other information on ad hoc basis and/or in response to data/information requests internally or from SDHUD and other KUSP2 partners • Prepare, review and submit quarterly project progress reports to SDHUD as required under the service agreement Qualifications/special skillsAdvanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Communications, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Project M&E or related areas is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. At least three (3) years of experience in managing social media and other digital communication tools, and M&E frameworks is required. Excellent written and verbal communication skills is required. Understanding of designing and implementing M&E frameworks in development programs is required. Proven ability to produce high-quality written and visual content is required. Strong analytical and data interpretation skills, storytelling, writing, and editing skills is required. Ability to work in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment is desirable. Work experience within the United Nations System or similar organization is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For the consultancies advertised, fluency in English, both verbal and written, is required and knowledge of other UN languages is desirable. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.