Background
Since 1964, UNDP has been active in Malawi, aiding the Government in its development agenda by supporting policies, establishing partnerships, and enhancing institutional capacities to achieve national development goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP Malawiโs Country Programme Document (CPD) for 2024-2028 aligns with the Malawi Vision 2063 and its first 10-Year Implementation Plan, aiming to support Malawi in meeting the SDGs by 2030. This comprehensive programme addresses the interconnected challenges of poverty, inequality, and vulnerability to shocks, organized within two principal portfolios:
1. Governance: This portfolio focuses on strengthening effective, accountable, and inclusive governance. It promotes civic engagement, human rights, the rule of law, peace, and democracy, alongside improving data generation and analysis.
2. Resilience and Sustainable Growth (RSG): This portfolio focuses on economic innovation, inclusive business, job creation, and renewable energy access. It also aims to help Malawi adapt to climate change and build resilience to disasters.
Resilience and Sustainable Growth (RSG) Portfolio
The RSG Portfolio adopts a multifaceted approach combining inclusive growth, sustainability, climate adaptation, resilience to shocks, and agricultural development. It integrates natural resource management, poverty-environment linkages, disaster risk management, and agricultural value chain commercialization. The portfolio engages a broad range of stakeholders, including government entities, development partners, and multilateral agencies. UNDP's resilience programming within the RSG Portfolio specifically targets the mitigation of threats, risks, and impacts of climate change and related economic and social shocks. The RSG Portfolio also includes a dynamic private sector development programme that employs various de-risking financial instruments to support private sector investments in the country. This programme is designed to assist entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey, from business incubation to acceleration and growth across different economic sectors.
The resilience programming takes a holistic approach, addressing interconnected issues such as governance, public services, inclusive economic opportunities, natural resource management, and agricultural development. The primary outcomes target enhancing socio-economic resilience, equitable access to economic opportunities, sustainable natural resource management, and increased agricultural productivity and income for smallholder farmers. This is achieved through collaboration with diverse stakeholders, including government, UN partners, civil society, the private sector, and academia.
Agriculture and Commercialization
Agriculture is the backbone of Malawi's economy, employing over 70% of the population and contributing significantly to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Whilst subsistence farming has been the predominant practice, there has been a growing emphasis on commercialization to unlock the sector's full potential. Commercialization entails transitioning from traditional, subsistence-oriented farming to more market-oriented, profit-driven agricultural activities in line with the Governmentโs Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM) growth strategy. In Malawi, this transition is crucial for enhancing food security, increasing farmers' incomes, promoting rural development, and achieving broader economic growth objectives. However, achieving meaningful commercialization requires targeted interventions, supportive policies and a strong anchorage to private sector. Since 2014, UNDP has actively supported the private sector in advancing sustainable development through diverse initiatives and partnerships in the agricultural space in close collaboration with mainstream Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).ย
Through close collaboration with private sector entities building on relevant past experiences, UNDP Malawi is implementing the UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Projectย to provide technical expertise, resources, and networks required to effectively tackle challenges related to agricultural commercialization and generate market opportunities for smallholder farmers (SHF). The project advocates for market-oriented business practices and stimulates market and financial opportunities within priority value chains. The project will be implemented in the districts of Thyolo, Chiladzulu, Mulanje, Salima, Nkhotakota, Kasungu, Mzimba, Nkhatabay, Karonga and Chitipa. The project is currently prioritizing five value chains namely, rice, banana, soya, apiculture and aquaculture.ย
As part of the implementation phase of the project,ย the UCHI Strengthening Agricultural Commercialization Project seeks theย services of a Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Specialist to support the project team in ensuring that the implementation meets knowledge management, monitoring, evaluation and learning standards of UNDP and the donor.
The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist will be one of the key roles of the UCHI team, providing strategic leadership and technical expertise in monitoring, evaluation, and learning. The Specialist will oversee the project's overall approach and activities for MEL, ensuring that the project is able to track its progress, achieve its objectives, and learn from its experiences. This will involve developing and implementing a comprehensive MEL plan, learning agenda, and MEL system aligned with the project's objectives and priorities, and that considers the needs and perspectives of all stakeholders.
Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, guidance from the Project Specialist and in close collaboration with the Business Development and Value chain Specialists as well as District Coordinators, the MEL Specialist will provide expert guidance in developing and rolling out the project Monitoring and Evaluation framework to allow the project to achieve its intended targets, objectives and goals. The Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Specialist will be one of the key roles of the UCHI team, providing strategic leadership and technical expertise in monitoring, evaluation, and learning. The Specialist will oversee the project's overall approach and activities for MEL, ensuring that the project is able to track its progress, achieve its objectives, and learn from its experiences. This will involve developing and implementing a comprehensive MEL plan, learning agenda, and MEL system aligned with the project's objectives and priorities, and that considers the needs and perspectives of all stakeholders.ย
The MEL will liaise closely with the UNDP Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at the Country Office, regional bureau and headquarters regarding evaluation approaches and methodologies, ensuring that the project meets the minimum requirements for monitoring and evaluation, including the conduct of mandatory project evaluations in line with UNDP and M&E requirements.ย
This position requires specialized expertise in development and use of M&E and reporting tools, ensuring that internal reporting within UNDP and to the donor is done on time and to the required standard. Additionally, the role involves establishing a functional critical reflection platform for documenting and sharing good practices and lessons learned. The MEL Specialist will also play a key role in establishing and rolling out a knowledge management system for the UCHI Agriculture Commercialization Project, which includes the development of knowledge products for the UCHI all-partners platform and internal use. S/he will be responsible for development and regular updating of the project database which includes profiles, operation and data on the evolution and growth of supported farmer organizations and small & medium enterprises. This will also include the creation of dashboards with tables, trends and visuals for use in presentations, reports and other project related products. ย
Duties and Responsibilities
Monitor, Advise and refine the UCHI-Agriculture Commercialization M&E Framework
Lead the development of methodologies for establishing baselines, end lines, and tracking progress for all project indicators, including designing data collection tools and methods and establishing systems for data analysis and reporting; Based on the broader UCHI Agriculture Commercialization Project theory of change (ToC), develop a customized and detailed ToC that illustrates a clear pathway from inputs and activities to the desired impact;ย Develop Baseline Studies and End line Impact Reports for each Farmer Organization (FO) and Micro & Small Enterprise (MSE) selected under the UCHI Project, while also supporting the development of individual logic frameworks for FOs/MSEs contracted under the UCHI Commercialization Facility. Support the structuring and operationalization of the Value Chain Acceleratorยฉ for each prioritized value chain; In consultation with the project team and other UCHI implementing partners, prepare and/or update the logical framework detailing all process, output and outcome indicators as well as targets, to ease tracking of implementation progress;ย Develop and regularly update an indicator reference sheet as a reference document for all process, output, outcome and impact indicators;ย Regularly update data collection methodology, tools and toolkits where appropriate to keep abreast of latest developments in MEL; Develop and operationalize a data quality check (DQA) system to validate information from the field and suggest areas of improvement;ย Initiate critical reflection platforms for sharing of lessons learnt and good practices among project stakeholders;ย Provision of the technical advice at the design stage of work plans in alignment with the project document, setting up a framework with defined indicators at the design stage to facilitate the evaluation at the later stages;ย Provide substantive inputs into Terms of Reference (TOR) for consultants and evaluation teamsโ selection, technical feedback on evaluations and budget oversight.Develop, monitor, and enhance a Knowledge Management Systems
Prepare and oversee the implementation of a data management and knowledge sharing plan, conduct regular data analysis and reporting, and provide technical guidance and support to the project team and stakeholders on data-related activities;ย Conduct regular knowledge sharing and exchange activities and providing technical guidance and support to project stakeholders as required;ย Lead data analytics efforts supporting UCHIโs contributions to the National Agricultural Management Information System (NAMIS);ย Represent the UCHI team in M&E meetings led by LUANAR (UCHIโs partner) and serve as the focal point for all M&E-related matters;ย Prepare and populate/update a master database for storage and analysis of implementation data, with a dashboard for ease of extraction of relevant numbers, tables and trends;ย Work closely with the Project Team, government counterparts, FOs/SMEs and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the MEL plan and learning agenda can meet the needs of all stakeholders and properly inform project planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation;ย Lead the regular gathering, analysis, and reporting of data, ensuring that the project has access to accurate, reliable, and timely data to assess progress against the set targets;ย Support to the Project Team and stakeholders on data-related activities to ensure data is used to identify areas of improvement;ย Collaborate closely with contracted entities conducting value chain deep dives and analysis;ย Establish a dynamic mechanism to collect feedback from stakeholders including from the field with areas that require correction and develop corresponding correction plans;ย Organize and conduct results-oriented monitoring and evaluation trainings in the project; Provide evaluation feedback during project implementation, including comments on various documents;ย Prepare quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports in line with UNDP procedures;ย Prepare donor reports and ensure they are reviewed and cleared by respective managers in a timely manner.Implementation of evaluation policies and strategies to ensure achievement of key resul
Responsibility for planning, preparation, budgeting, reporting and oversight of thematic, project evaluations and other types of evaluations conducted in the project; Contact with UNDP CO Evaluation Office with a view to harmonizing evaluation approaches and agendas; Responsibility for promotion of evaluation standards, quality assurance/control and capacity development in the project; Organization and coordination of evaluation missions for the project.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies
CORE
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3:ย Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3:ย Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3:ย Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demandsย 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 inclusivityCross-Functional & Technical competenciesย
Business Direction & Strategy:ย ย Strategic Thinkingย ย ย ย
Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDPs objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutionsย Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDPBusiness Direction & Strategy: Business Acumenย ย ย ย
Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks.Business Direction & Strategy: Effective Decision Makingย ย ย ย
Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with oneโs authority, area of expertise and resourcesPartnership Management: Relationship Managementย ย ย ย
Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.Business Management: Monitoring ย ย ย ย
Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and resultsBusiness Management: Evaluationย ย ย ย
Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarksย Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinkingย ย ย ย
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 systemย
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree (masterโs degree or equivalent) in Monitoring and Evaluation, Economics, Applied Statistics, Social Science or other related fields is required. OR A first-level university degree (bachelorโs degree) in a relevant field in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.Experience:
A minimum of 7 (seven) years of experience for (with masterโs degree) or 9 (nine) yearsย (with bachelorโs degree) at the national or international level in providing MEL services is required.Required skills:ย
Experience in design and implementation of M&E frameworks; Data analysis tools including Excel, Tableau and other emerging data analysis softwares; Hands-on relevant experience with web-based management systems; Strong experience in reporting and convening of stakeholders for lessons sharing .Desired skills:ย
Experience in monitoring and evaluation with a background in the analysis of socio-economic issues and policy matters; Experience dealing with agriculture value chains is preferable; Strong analytical, quantitative and qualitative research skills/experience.Language Requirements:
Fluency in English and Chichewa.Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.ย
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.ย
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.ย 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.
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