Background Information - Job-specific

The Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP) is a first of its kind in scale and scope in Sierra Leone and regionally in Sub-Saharan Africa, implemented by the Ministry of Energy with support from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and grant funded by DFID. The project will contribute to Sierra Leone’s economic development through increased access to electricity in rural areas while simultaneously reducing Sierra Leone’s future Green House Gas emissions.

This project aims to establish an enabling environment in Sierra Leone for a private sector driven rural mini-grid market and to provide up to 5MW of sustainable renewable power in rural community households, priority institutions, such as Community Health Centers (CHCs), schools, agricultural business centers and other productive uses, as well as chiefdom administrative offices, through solar mini-grids, based on a Public-Private Partnership approach. It is estimated that the RREP will connect approximately 360,000 direct beneficiaries in rural Sierra Leone to electricity, with a further 500,000 indirectly benefiting from access to low carbon electricity.

In Sierra Leone, the Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP), a DFID-funded project, is collaborating with the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) to supply up to 5 MW of sustainable renewable electricity in rural communities through installations of at least 94 solar mini-grids to be operated and managed by private sector partners.

The implementation of the project is developed around five Work Packages (WP):

• Work package 1 / 1+: 6kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) generation plants at 54 Community Health Centers (CHCs) were installed between April and July 2017. These generation plants were then extended into small mini-grids with a capacity between 16kW and 36kW and distribution networks installed which will eventually connect all other public institutions and households in 50 of these communities. All 50 mini-grids are installed and ready for operation as of October 2018.
• Work package 2: aims to bring the country’s photovoltaic (PV) power generation capacity up to 5MW by attracting the private sector to invest in the mini-grid market while drawing on the lessons of WP 1/1+. WP2 will install mini-grids in additional 40 communities with >36kW systems (up to max. 200kWp) using sustainable business and delivery models developed by the private sector.
• Private sector operators have been selected through a competitive tender process, and will take on operation and maintenance of WP1/1+ mini-grids and co-invest in the development of the WP2 sites. The operators will be responsible for the last mile connection to identified customers and the in-house wiring of customer homes.
• Work package 3: provides Technical Assistance (TA) and institutional capacity building to the Ministry of Energy, the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission, other relevant government agencies as necessary, as well as to private sector companies selected to operate WP1 sites and co-invest in and operate WP2 sites.
• Work Package 5: This work package focus majorly on the Monitoring and Evaluation function. An M&E Plan including Impact Evaluation design will be developed for learning and accountability.
• Work Package 6: Private sector development. Through this work package, RREP seeks to develop a private sector engagement and strengthening strategy, underpinned by a keen understanding of local market systems, to promote productive use economies in mini‐grid catchment areas; supporting both the commercial viability of the privately operated mini‐grids.

In its two years of implementation, RREP has installed 50 mini-grids. These installations will be expanded in capacity throughout the life of the project to 2020, with 44 additional installations. The RREP mini-grid sites are poised to be hubs of new and improved economic activities generating better employment opportunities and incomes and fostering greater social and economic welfare for communities

Functional Responsibilities

Purpose and Scope of Assignment

UNOPS is seeking a highly motivated and dynamic Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist to support and strengthen RREP Monitoring and Evaluation work stream, managing the impact measurement of the Rural Renewable Energy Project in Sierra Leone.

The Monitoring &Evaluation (M&E) Specialist is required to have a thorough understanding of the applicable Partner results framework and have demonstrated experience in implementing M&E systems in complex development projects. The successful candidate will be responsible for reviewing, updating, and the operationalization of the M&E system for the project including supervision of M&E consultants and contractors on the project.

The M&E work stream of the project would rely on a number of stakeholder inputs for its successful delivery, managing tight timeline and budget. He/she will report to the Deputy Project Manager of the RREP.

Functional Responsibilities

• Supervise, plan, coordinate, and support the activities and operations of the M&E work package of the RREP project. Act as a team leader for the M&E Work Package
• Advice on, and supervise the impact and outcome assessment surveys and other data collection methods. Ensure the data collection methods are in line with the objectives agreed in the project log frame.
• Manage consultants and contractors on the project monitoring and evaluation work package.
• Ensure that UNOPS Sierra Leone’s RREP project is monitored and evaluated to a high standard, enabling UNOPS and its partners to report on results and impact.
• Work with partners in the development and finalization of project specific Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks and tools, and providing technical assistance to the effective analysis and use of data;
• Drawing on monitoring and analysis of key programme performance indicators, provide inputs to management reports.
• Provide technical guidance on setting up gender and equity focused programme monitoring systems/tools and oversee their further development. This may include field monitoring, third party monitoring (TPM) - including the management of contracts and community-based monitoring and feedback mechanisms.
• Undertake lessons-learned reviews on successful and unsuccessful practices and experience, and ensure they are shared as appropriate. Similarly, pay attention and contribute to P&M and evaluation networks to identify innovations and lessons learned that may be relevant for the Country Office (CO) and partners to improve their PM functions.
• Networking and information sharing with relevant organizations and evaluation associations in Sierra Leone and abroad, especially those working in the field of international development and rural electrification.
• Liaise with external consultants hired by UNOPS, under guidance and as appropriate
• Teamwork and effective and efficient management of resources
• Foster teamwork and space for innovation and creative thinking.
• Supervise external consultants and firms on contract, ensuring quality of work and value for money.
• Participate in corporate exercises that drive organizational maturity and operational excellence, and contribute to gender equality.

Core Values and Principles:

Understand and respect UNOPS sustainability principles

• Look for ways to embed UNOPS sustainability principles in day to day project management
• Seek opportunities to champion gender equality at work place
• Champion and communicate project’s sustainability aspects with key stakeholders

Understand and Respect National ownership and capacity

• Understand the principles of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and mainstream them into the project plans
• Seek opportunities to support recruitment of qualified local personnel
• Look for ways to build capacity of local counterparts
• Partnerships and Coordination Understand the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and UNOPS, the project’s place in the UN system:
• Strive to build strong partnerships and effective coordination among relevant project actors (e.g. United Nations, governments, and non-governmental organizations or other relevant partners)

Accountability for results and the use of resources

• The project management processes are designed to deliver maximum accountability, transparency and results. If a project or processes is not in line with this, it is the responsibility of the M & E Specialist to raise the issue with the supervisor

Excellence

• Contribute to innovation and the adaptation of best practice standards of sustainability and quality.

Additional Considerations:

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Effective work package/ Work stream governance, and risk management
• Timeliness and accuracy of reporting on Work package performance
• Accuracy of Work package planning and delivery according to plans
• Identification and implementation of continuous process improvement and risk management.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Development Studies, Social Sciences or a related discipline is required.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences or related discipline with additional two (2) years of experience will be considered in lieu of the Advance University Degree.
• A Technical/Professional Diploma in relevant discipline, in combination of four (4) additional years of experience maybe accepted in lieu of the Advance University degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in public, private or international organizations in design, monitoring, evaluation, accountability is required.
• Strong technical understanding of the development of monitoring and evaluation systems and strategies, quantitative and qualitative monitoring and evaluation methods, participatory methods, data analysis and visualization and reporting is added advantage
• Experience in contemporary trends and debates in the evaluation field including innovative M&E (e.g. Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), Prediction Modelling, Predictive Analytics, Configurational Analysis etc.) will be highly distinct
• Experience in MS Office Suite application of software packages especially using Sprockler, EvalC3 or similar software would be preferable.
• Understanding of and participation in global trends and discussions in monitoring and evaluation will be an asset
• Experience in evaluations of livelihoods programmes including women economic empowerment and gender equality will be an added advantage
• Experience in Project Management or Coordination will be an asset
• Past experience of designing and managing DFID funded project evaluation is an advantage.
• Some experience in the UN system organizations and/or a developing country is an asset.
• Some experience in the energy market sector is an asset

Language: 

• Fluency in English is (writing and oral) is required
• Knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage

Certifications: PRINCE2® Foundation or PMP is an added advantage

Source:https://jobs.unops.org/pages/viewvacancy/VADetails.aspx?id=17732#1