Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, (P-3), Office of Innovation (Giga), Geneva, Switzerland, #127761 (Temporary Appointment 364 days)

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. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, hope 

Giga (giga.global) is a partnership between UNICEF (unicef.org) and the ITU (itu.int) working to connect every school in the world. The team (https://giga.global/about-us/) has experience and background in building technology products, finance and investment, design, and infrastructure.  It’s a global team, with two “centers of gravity” (in Barcelona, Spain and Geneva, Switzerland) but with many team members located around the world.

Giga is broken into three main areas: Mapping, Finance, Procurement, supported by cross-cutting support services. The Country Engagement Team supports the initiation and implementation of all three areas of Giga’s support in countries. The Mapping team maps schools and their connectivity, creating a real-time display of access and need on Project Connect (https://projectconnect.unicef.org/map). The Finance team works to create the financing (grant, loan, and investment) for connectivity. The Procurement works closely with UNICEF Supply Division to support governments through public procurement processes for contracting sustainable, high quality and affordable school connectivity. There are also crosscutting teams that support on communications, partnerships, staff wellbeing, operations and finance. 

We aim to have agility and flexibility in how we work, and to be driven by realtime data about what we’re doing.  We also work within the political and global framework of the UN, which means that we can collaborate with policy makers and regulators, governments, civil society, and of course, most closely with our 135 country offices, in everything we do.

How can you make a difference?

The Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist plays a key role in the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) function within the Giga management team. This position is tailored towards an individual with a robust background in data-centric monitoring, program monitoring and reporting, data analysis and visualization, and evaluation. Reporting to the Senior Adviser (Giga Financing and Market Shaping), the Specialist will also work closely with the Planning Officer to ensure an effective M&E framework is in place and adhered to. They will also coordinate with the ITU’s planning personnel and the Office of Innovation (OOI) to ensure alignment in monitoring frameworks and to foster a culture of data-driven decision-making.

Technical Programme Monitoring, Reporting and Data Analysis:

• Develop and implement robust M&E systems and frameworks to track program progress against set objectives and indicators.
• Utilize advanced data analysis techniques to interpret complex data, providing insights into program performance and areas of improvement.
• Provide contributions for programme monitoring reports.

Programme Evaluation:

• Work closely with the Planning Officer to ensure effective planning and implementation of evaluation-related activities.
• Support conducting periodic evaluations/evaluability assessments to assess the impact and effectiveness of the program, identifying lessons learned and recommending corrective actions.

Coordination with ITU and Office of Innovation [OOI]:

• Liaise with the ITU’s planning personnel and OOI to align M&E frameworks, ensuring consistency in monitoring and data reporting standards.
• Share planning and monitoring frameworks, methodologies, and programme monitoring reports with ITU and OOI to foster collaborative learning and improvement.

Capacity Building and Technical Support:

• Provide technical support and training to program staff in M&E methodologies, data collection, and analysis to enhance their M&E capacity.
• Develop and disseminate user-friendly M&E tools and templates to facilitate data collection and analysis.

Reporting and Documentation:

• Prepare and submit timely and accurate M&E reports, documenting program achievements, challenges encountered, and solutions adopted.
• Ensure proper documentation of all M&E activities, data, and findings for future reference and for sharing with stakeholders.

6. Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:

• Engage with various stakeholders, including government partners, donors, and other relevant entities, to ensure alignment in M&E practices in countries where Giga is supporting universal school connectivity efforts.
• Communicate program progress, challenges, and achievements to stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.

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

• Master’s degree in Statistics, Data Science, Monitoring and Evaluation, or a related field. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University degree
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience in monitoring and evaluation, with a focus on data analysis and programme planning.
• Proficiency in data analysis software (e.g., SPSS, R, or similar) and strong technical skills in data management and analysis.
• Experience in designing and implementing M&E frameworks and tools, preferably within international or supranational projects.
• Experience in providing training and technical support to improve the M&E capacity of program staff.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and manage multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• The successful candidate will be an individual who values data accuracy and integrity and has a keen eye for detail. They should be ready to play a critical role in advancing the monitoring and evaluation function of Giga, contributing to the program’s overall effectiveness and success.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.