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The Support to Strategic Planning for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (SSPSRL) Project aims to strengthen the capacity of Afghan Government institutions concerned with agriculture and rural development, namely the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), to formulate effective policies and strategies thereby rendering programmes deliverable in a more useful way to the intended beneficiaries. Phase II of the SSPSRL Project has been running for two years and is due to end in September 2010.
The MRRD MERD will undertake a more dynamic and responsive operational approach that will be responsible for institutionalising a holistic M&E approach and the development and implementation of mainstreaming monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment procedures and policies for MRRD, supporting and promoting programme-wide integration by providing expert advice on national and sectoral level issues, including opportunities and risks. In this regard MRRD requires an expert in the area of M&E to support the ministry in achieving the aforementioned.
Responsibilities:
The MER Advisor will be responsible for the following tasks:
Specific Responsibilities:
The T/A, with the Head of the MER Department (HoD) will assist in the supervision and management of all M&E and Reporting Units across the Ministry and ensure clearly defined lines of communication between other programme departments and units. S/he will participate in MRRD management meetings and take the lead in inter-project/programme/departmental initiatives as deemed necessary. The T/A will also collaborate with other members of the MRRD management team in developing programme strategies with the aim of fostering a shared vision and direction with regard to monitoring, evaluation, reporting, research and impact assessment.
S/he will facilitate the MER Departmental team in (i) Developing capacities – both in-house and programme and project counterparts – to integrate concerns in all practice areas; and (ii) Supporting specific interventions that benefit the MRRD in scaling up and expanding innovative data-gathering models already existing in-country.
Monitoring Unit
This unit will undertake activities divided into two distinct categories: (i) Output-based monitoring will focus on the specific products and services that emerge from processing inputs through programme, project and other activities; and (ii) Outcome-based monitoring will focus on the outcomes of MRRD development efforts affecting changes in development conditions against programme achievements.
The T/A will need to supervise and direct the development of vertical and horizontal monitoring functions and develop a Community-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (CBM&E) approach. The CBM&E process, known as Community-Based Participatory Monitoring (CBPM) and other tools will ideally be introduced to MRRD programmes and departments during the planning or re-prioritisation process. The CBPM process will be a complimentary to existing planning methodologies.
Evaluation Unit
This new unit will focus on producing evaluations, making assessments of the success of MRRD projects and for developing and disseminating lessons learned. Its work will cover all components of MRRD as well as joint projects. The T/A will develop this Unit as a compliment to the Monitoring Unit and ensure that its design incorporates additional key functions such as:
- Impact Assessment (IA): The IA process will enable MRRD to monitor and assess the changing context, to search for and show plausible relations between its actions and these changes, and extract/derive lessons learned to modify and adapt future programme activities. The process will provide the basis for the development of Project-specific impact monitoring, as a part of the programmatic self-evaluation. The IA process is an instrument of reflection, learning and quality control that can be used throughout the Project life cycle, in order to better adapt Programme activities to a changing context and strengthen PCM.
- Project Assessment: the T/A will be responsible for facilitating and supervising all assessments during MRRD’s project’s conception, implementation and follow-up phases. These assessments will be conducted directly by the MERR team, in cooperation with technical teams. Each assessment results in an action plan developed in each region by the regional staff to ensure the inclusion of local knowledge, thereby improving project implementation. Hence the T/A is responsible for ensuring that monitoring is conducted to verify the implementation of action plans.
- MIS, Archiving and GIS Management: As part of the ongoing establishment of an integral MIS, the MERD will continue archiving all project and programme related documents, images and videos. This activity will be continuous and eventually link with the planned central database located in and supervised by the MRRD/MIS Department.
Other Tasks:
- Maintain contacts, interaction and sharing of experiences, lessons learned and data with any national institutions, organizations/groups working in relevant sectors and/or cooperating with provincial departments.
- Coordinate with other Advisors and attend as requested national level forums on capacity development.
- Provide assistance as requested to monitoring missions and field visits from the MRRD.
- Perform other duties as required.
Qualifications and Experience:
- The successful candidate will have appropriate qualifications in a field relevant to the sector and will have a minimum of 10 years experience in his/her area of expertise, including programme management. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in developing countries, particularly in post conflict or transitional environment.
Education and work experience should provide evidence of the candidate’s:
- A minimum of 10 years working experience is required, a significant portion of which should have been gained in M&E design and implementation, rural development initiatives and project implementation/management.
- Extensive experience in technical cooperation and capacity development with government counterparts.
- Experience of working with governmental bodies as well as civil society organizations on the promotion and delivery of assessment-based mechanisms and interventions.
- Availability and willingness to undertake extensive field visits.
- Ability to work well in a team environment and to act both responsively and proactively to ensure effective implementation of MRRD activities related to M&E.
- Excellent interpersonal, analytical and report writing skills are essential Fluency in English, knowledge of Dari and Pashto would be an asset.
- Post graduate degree in social sciences, Development Studies, Programme Management, Business Administration or a closely related field.
- Regional experience an advantage.
Competencies:
- Competency in conceptualising, designing, implementing focused strategies and evaluating outcomes related to the MER Department and affiliated functions.
- Proven ability to develop research methodologies, data collection tools with the aim of engendering best practices;
- Strong knowledge of development issues, operational modalities and the pragmatic application of various theoretical frameworks;
- Demonstrated capacity in planning and implementing community participation training, including development of materials and using participatory methods.
- A good understanding and proven application of all technical aspects of M&E and other related tools and mechanisms for realization of a PCM approach;
- Strong communication skills, ability to handle details and present a persuasive case.
- Ability to work harmoniously with persons of different nationalities and cultural background issues
- Initiative and proven ability to work with little supervision.
- A proven ability to works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals.
- Display leadership skills and establish and maintain relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support.
- Works effectively with people from all backgrounds
Language Skills:
- Fluent in English,
- A working knowledge of Dari and/or Pashtu desirable.
Computer Skills:
- Experience with MS Office, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Requirements:
- Able to travel within Afghanistan, if required.
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