Jobs at UNOPS in Uganda- Evaluation Team Member

Job Title: Evaluation National Team Member

Vacancy code VA/2012/B5004/1163
Position title Evaluation National Team Member
Department/office NAO, UNDG
Duty station Mutiple cities, Uganda
Contract type Local ICA Specialist
Contract level LICA Specialist-6
Duration 10-12 days
Application period 11-Sep-2012 to 02-Oct-2012
Print
United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity
This vacancy has been cancelled.
Background Information - UNOPS

“UNOPS plays a critical role in providing management services for our life-saving, peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. I have seen many examples of how these activities help suffering people in troubled parts of the world.”
-Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General

UNOPS mission is to expand the capacity of the UN system and its partners to implement peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations that matter for people in need.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, UNOPS vision is to always satisfy partners with management services that meet world-class standards of quality, speed and cost effectiveness.

By assisting UN organizations, international financial institutions, governments and other development partners, UNOPS makes significant, tangible contributions to results on the ground.

UNOPS employs more than 6000 personnel and on behalf of its partners creates thousands more work opportunities in local communities. With its headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, a network of five regional offices and a further 20 operations and project centres, UNOPS oversees activities in more than 80 countries.

UNOPS is committed to achieving a truly diverse workforce.
Background Information - NAO

North America Regional Office
The UNOPS North America Regional Office provides services that help implement projects for a range of partners, and support operations run by the UNOPS Mine Action Cluster, Small Grants Cluster and Development Group Cluster. In addition, the office serves as a liaison between UNOPS headquarters and its Executive Board, which supports and supervises UNOPS activities globally.
Background Information - Development Group Cluster

Development Group Cluster

The UNOPS Development Group Cluster is based in the North America Office and supports a diverse and complex portfolio including partners such as the United Nations Development Programme (the Bureau for Development Policy, the Human Development Report Office, and the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation), the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the United Nations Secretariat and a broadening community of primarily New York-based UN partners in the delivery of project management, implementation and administration services.

The objectives of the mid-term evaluation are:

    To assist UNCDF,The MasterCard Foundation, future co-financing partners, grantee Financial Service Providers (FSPs) and their clients, to understand the efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, likely impact and sustainability of results;
    To assess the level of satisfaction of programme stakeholders and beneficiaries with the results;
    To assess whether UNCDF and its partners are effectively positioned to achieve results;
    To contribute to UNCDF and partners’ learning from programme experience;
    To help programme stakeholders assess the value and opportunity for broader replication of the programme;
    To ensure accountability for results to the programme’s financial backers, stakeholders and beneficiaries;

The YouthStart mid-term evaluation is scheduled to start in September 2012 until January 2013:
-          Pre-mission phase:             September to November 2012
-          Mission phase:                   November 2012
-          Post-mission phase:           November 2012 to January 2013

Programme summary:

UNCDF contributes to the achievement of the MDGs through a variety of innovative approaches in the sectors of local development and inclusive finance. UNCDF Financial Inclusion Practice Area (FIPA) operates inclusive finance (IF) programmes in 25 least developed countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia/Pacific through a sector-based approach and, more recently, through thematic initiatives.

Although microfinance has been making great strides in terms of outreach and creation of sustainable organizations, the number of these organizations that consider youth as a potential new market that needs specific products is limited.  And yet, youth between 12 and 24 years of age number 1.5 billion with that number growing by another one billion over the next decade.  This potential market is a huge opportunity for institutions providing financial services, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Against this background, UNCDF launched YouthStart with the support of The MasterCard Foundation in 2010. To improve financial inclusion of youth, YouthStart supports 11 strong FSPs in developing, piloting and rolling out youth-focused financial products, especially savings, and non-financial services such as financial education. YouthStart aims to reach 200,000 new youth clients, with at least 50% of those being young women and girls, by the end of 2014.  As of June 2012, the majority of YouthStart partners had finished their pilot tests, and based on the lessons learned[1], they started scaling up the services for youth in the second half of 2012. Through their pilot tests, YouthStart partners provided financial services to 16,891 youth (of which 39% are young women and adlocent girls), financial education to close to 20,000 youth (of which 38% are young women and girls) and have mobilized close to US$350,000 in savings.

Evaluation framework and methodology:

The methodology used for the YouthStart mid-term evaluation is based on UNCDF’s core evaluation approach which involves testing the intervention logic/development hypothesis underlying a programme against evidence on its implementation performance. The evaluation will assess the coherence of the programme’s theory of change, its progress toward expected outcomes and lessons learnt to date on programme design and implementation.

Specifically, the following three hypotheses will be tested:

    Introducing sustainable Youth Financial Services by one or two FSPs into a country results in (i) a more appropriate legal and regulatory environment that promotes youth financial inclusion, and(ii) other FSPs consider youth as a viable market and target/serve them with youth-centered products.
    YFS contribute to increase outreach and sustainability of FSPs.
    When accessing the right combination of financial and non-financial services, youth and young women in particular, are better equipped to make more informed financial decisions, build assets for their futures and create sustainable livelihoods.

UNCDF has developed a Financial Inclusion Evaluation Matrix based on the standard IF intervention logic. The 7 key questions are organized around the UN/OECD DAC evaluation criteria of relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, likely impact and sustainability of results.

The evaluation matrix provides a clear framework for data collection, and includes a series of proposed indicators, data collection methods and sources of information for each question and sub-question which include key document analysis, structured interviews with key stakeholders, focus group discussions, site visits, etc. This will complement the secondary data from monitoring and reporting carried out to date.

During the inception phase consultants will be asked to validate this methodology and propose alternatives to the sub-questions or data collection methods.

The methodology proposed, data collection, analysis methods and the evaluation report is intended to be  gender sensitive to the extent possible.

[1] For a complete report on lessons learned from the pilot test of YouthStart partners, see: “Assesing new youth-focused products: Pilot testing financial and non financial services for youth in sub-Saharan Africa” (New York: UNCDF, 2012)
Functional Responsibilities

    Documentation review;
    Contributing to the development of the evaluation plan and methodology;
    Conducting those elements of the evaluation determined by the Team Leader (or designated evaluation member);
    Contributing to presentation of the evaluation findings and recommendations at the de-briefing;
    Contributing to the drafting and finalization of the evaluation report.


Competencies

    Demonstrated capacity for strategic thinking and good analytical and written skills;
    Displays ability to synthesize research and reach empirically based conclusions on related subject;
    Proven capacity to produce quality evaluation reports;
    Good application of Results-Based Management;
    Consistently ensures timeliness and quality of work, even under pressure;
    Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
    Demonstrates integrity by modeling ethical standards.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Master in international development, Economics, Finance, Public Policy, Development Economics/Planning, monitoring and evaluation or related field; Or Bachelor Degree in the same areas.



    Minimum of 5 years of accumulated experience in microfinance (in youth microfinance and/or in integrated services a plus);
    Proven ability to qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods to assess programme results;
    Knowledge of CGAP benchmarks and industry best practices;
    Familiarity with issues related to youth programming, youth serving organizations and financial products and services for youth.

Language: working knowledege of English and French.
Additional Considerations

    Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
    Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
    Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
    Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
    UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a level below the advertised level of the post
    The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS. 

Contract type, level and duration

How to Apply:
https://gprs.unops.org/Pages/ViewVacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=1163

Deadline: 2nd Oct 2012