Monitoring & Evaluation Associate [Open to internal and external applicants], Cotabato City, Philippines

## Monitoring & Evaluation Associate [Open to internal and external applicants], Cotabato City, Philippines - Organization:UNDP - United Nations Development Programme - Office:UNDP in Cotabato City In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby: - Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026. - Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments - Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers - Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply. You are invited to join a team of dedicated development professionals whose primary role is to support the Philippines to achieve the 2030 Agenda. As part of the UNDP team your focus will be to work with multiple stakeholders to find the country specific solutions that lead to resilience to crises, and to ensure no one is left behind - and we reach those furthest behind first. In Mindanao, UNDP has played a critical role in supporting various peace processes, including technical and operational assistance during the peace negotiations as well as in the implementation of peace agreements towards realizing peace dividends for communities in conflict-affected areas. This accompaniment process has included substantive technical and operational support for conflict-prevention, governance and peacebuilding. Specifically, the Peacebuilding Cluster has implemented technical and operational support for capacity-strengthening on conflict-sensitivity and peace-promotion among regional government institutions; community resilience and socio-economic empowerment assistance for communities most affected by armed conflict; and support for peace process mechanisms, including on key components of the Normalization process. In addition, projects under the Cluster also focus on strengthening meaningful participation and empowerment of sectoral groups (women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and internally displaced persons) through the mainstreaming and operationalization of the Women, Peace and Security and Youth, Peace and Security agenda. To support results-based monitoring and evaluation for Peacebuilding projects, UNDP is seeking a Monitoring and Evaluation Associate who is willing to be based in Cotabato City, and who will support the Project Manager in establishing and operationalizing the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning system of Peacebuilding projects, including (1) Programme on Stabilization, Peacebuilding and Resilience Phase 2, (2) Joint Programme on Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace, and (3) Preventing Violent Extremism. The M&E Associate will work closely with local authorities, civil society organizations, UN agencies, and various stakeholders to ensure a coordinated approach to governance, stabilization and resilience, and normalization initiatives under the Project. The M&E Associate will support MEAL initiatives ensuring effective monitoring and reporting of key outputs and results from the Project. The M&E Associate will also help operationalize and enhance feedback and response mechanisms for the Project, ensuring that appropriate, timely and effective action and referral are facilitated in response to feedback or grievances received from partners and stakeholders. Together with project team members and partners, the M&E Associate will provide support for quality assurance processes relative to the established progress on indicators, tracking achievements, challenges encountered and identifying lessons learned. In doing so, s/he will provide information that will support the Project Board and the Project Staff in decision making in line with the overall strategic objectives of the Project. S/he will also carry out capacity building and mentoring of Project staff and partners in relation to the Project's MEAL system. Duties and Responsibilities Programme Management Support: - Support planning, design and management of the Peacebuilding Projects; - Provide analysis and written outputs on the work of the Project, emerging issues and their impact for the implementation of the governance, conflict prevention, stabilization and normalization initiatives under the Project; - Supports the formulation, revision, and implementation of the Annual Work Plan; - Support partnership with think tanks, academic and research institutions and lead on specified action research activities that will contribute to the implementation of the Project; - Support the Project team in the preparation of key events on Project governance, such as Project Board meetings, donor visits to the project sites, and verification and monitoring missions; - Support the Project team in drafting and revising technical reports and donor reports. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting: - Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of the Project, including through recommending improvement of results frameworks to align to the UNDP CPD and SP; - Maintain and update the project's monitoring and evaluation plan, based on the Project document, specifically in terms of the outputs, outcomes and indicators, including the following:Identifying sources of data and collection methods (quantitative and qualitative);Identifying criteria and assessment process to examine Project benefits and sustainability;Developing M&E tools for Project activities and outputs aligned with the identified indicators;Facilitating training and guidance for Project staff and partners regarding the application of M&E tools as well as data collection and analysis procedures;Regular review and updating of the M&E plan, including maintaining of data repository for the Project; - Identifying sources of data and collection methods (quantitative and qualitative); - Identifying criteria and assessment process to examine Project benefits and sustainability; - Developing M&E tools for Project activities and outputs aligned with the identified indicators; - Facilitating training and guidance for Project staff and partners regarding the application of M&E tools as well as data collection and analysis procedures; - Regular review and updating of the M&E plan, including maintaining of data repository for the Project; - Implement MEAL activities included in the Annual Work Plan, with particular focus on results and impacts, through the following processes: - Adopting a results-based approach for monitoring and evaluation, emphasizing results and impact; - Preparing consolidated progress reports to inform Project management through identification of challenges and bottlenecks in Project implementation and recommended solutions; - Facilitating field visits to support M&E, including gathering of change stories; - Co-designing and supporting evaluation mission, data quality assessments and lessons learning workshops; - Establish and operationalize Feedback and Response Mechanisms for the Project, including regular analysis of feedback received and responses provided to affected partners and stakeholders; - Support regular monitoring of risks and application of social and environmental safeguards and other risk management measures, including updating of Project risk logs. - Prepare and consolidate Project reports (monthly, quarterly, annual) and facilitate regular assessment of Project implementation relative to criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the Project, including through regular reviews; - Organize and support monitoring and ev