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.

Under the general guidance of the Deputy Representative (Programme), responsible for the programme planning, monitoring and evaluation function (PME) of a large size country programme. The post provides professional technical, operational and administrative support throughout the planning, monitoring, evaluation process preparing, executing, managing and implementing a variety of technical tasks to contribute to evaluation planning, implementation, oversight and reporting to ensure that evaluations are carried out according to schedule and that results and recommendations are implemented and followed up.

Some of the key duties and responsibilities include, but not limited to:

Setting Standards for Programme performance planning and monitoring

• Coordinates the preparation of programme planning documents, including emergency response plans, Annual Work Plans, contingency plans, and other as needed. Leads the process of organising and managing annual/mid-year/mid-term/end term country programme reviews ensuring consistency with objectives and goals set out in the CPD and contribute to the Annual Management Plan. Identifies problems or alternative courses of action to accelerate/ improve programme delivery.
• Contributes to strengthening the monitoring framework and ensures that the Country Programme is adequately monitored.
• Participates in multi-sectoral planning processes. Participates in the development of programme/project goals and objectives and planning the  implementation of programme/project strategies.
• In collaboration with sections and field offices, identifies training needs for the purpose of capacity building of staff and counterparts in results based planning and programming principles such as human rights, gender equality.
• Undertakes visits to counterparts and field offices to identify and manage risks in programme planning and implementation. Participates in field visits to monitor programme implementation.
• Contributes to quality and timely corporate reporting requirements, including Sitreps and annual reports. Ensures that programme results are adequately and accurately reflected in such reports.
• Supports sections and field offices to map partners in technical areas and support in quality assurance of programme documents for finalizing partnership agreements.
• Supports sections and field offices to utilize strategic information from studies, surveys, evaluations and data to develop programme results, programme/project strategies and implementation and reporting frameworks that are equity and gender equality focused.
• Monitors follow-up actions based on management decisions resulting from Country Office performance monitoring and evaluation.
• Supports the programme components to effectively monitor and report on the intersectoral programme results, cross sectoral programme component results and field office results to facilitate programme coherence and convergence where appropriate.
• Contributes to development of programme monitoring including for convergent / integrated programming.
• Provides technical support to programme sections to effectively monitor and report on the intersectoral programme results.

Support to the preparation of evaluations and the integrated monitoring and evaluation plan (IMEP)

• Participates in evaluation planning and discussions and support the development and completion of IMEP through research, collection, analysis and reporting of evaluation related information/data to facilitate integrated evaluation planning and priority and goal setting.
• Provides technical and operational support throughout the evaluation process by executing/administering a variety of technical, operational and administrative transactions, preparing related materials/documentations and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support evaluation results based planning (RBM) and monitoring and assessing results.
• Prepares required documentations/materials/data to facilitate evaluation planning, implementation and reporting.
• Drafts and/or develops terms of reference for external consultants and initiates the recruitment process to ensure the timely selection and recruitment of evaluators. Manages the various processes of assessing and/or selecting consultant and evaluation teams to facilitate the recruitment/selection process.
• Organize materials, briefings and all required administrative arrangements to ensure external consultants are provided appropriate and comprehensive information to start and continue effectively and efficiently the conduct of evaluations.
• Keeps abreast of evaluation progress to proactively meet the evaluators’ need for information or other related issues to ensure delivery of results as scheduled and allocated.
• Supports the evaluation budget preparation. Monitors and verifies the use of resources for compliance with approved allocation/goals, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity.  Reports on critical issues/findings to ensure timely resolution by management/stakeholders. Follows up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• Collects and maintains roster of qualified evaluators and firms, ensures continued update, verification and quality assessment of their suitability for evaluation projects. Develops and maintains an effective system for dissemination of the roster for easy access.
• Prepares timely analytical documents highlighting critical areas for management progress monitoring, oversight and action.

Dissemination and follow up of evaluations

• Consults stakeholders to seek clarification and/or validate findings from draft and final evaluation reports and report on feedback to facilitate timely action.
• Uploads/disseminates completed evaluation reports into Global Evaluation Data base to allow global sharing and final quality review.
• Uploads each approved management response in the tracking systems and monitor quarterly update and produce analytical reports for management action and decision on implementation of evaluation agreed actions/recommendations.
• Actively follows up with stakeholders on the implementation of evaluation results. Provides appropriate technical support to facilitate implementation and/or report to relevant stakeholders to ensure time action to ensure the implementation of evaluation results.

Networking and partnership building

• Provides technical and operational support to a wide range of stakeholders and evaluators on UNICEF and UNEG policies, practices, standards and norms.
• Builds and sustains effective close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate evaluation and build their capacity for evaluation planning and implementation.
• Participates in appropriate inter-agency meetings to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNSF operational planning and preparation and to integrate and harmonize UNICEF position and strategies with the UNSF development and planning process.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Identifies, captures, synthesizes and shares lessons learned from evaluations for integration into broader knowledge development planning and management efforts.
• Researches and report on best and cutting edge practices for development planning of knowledge products and systems for evaluations.
• Participates as resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in social sciences, statistics, planning development, planning, social development, management, monitoring and evaluation or related fields.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional experience in programme development and implementation including monitoring and evaluation activities.
• At least one instance of exposure to emergency programming, including preparedness planning. Active involvement in a humanitarian crisis response programme preferred.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Source: https://jobs.unicef.org/en-us/job/558499/chief-planning-monitoring-evaluation-p4-damascus-syria-91787