Monitoring and Evaluation and Knowledge Management Advisor

Lux-Development, the Executing Agency for Bilateral Co-operation financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is providing Technical Assistance support to the IFAD Tam Nong Support Project (TNSP) in Tuyen Quang province. TNSP is a rural development programme that supports the operationalization of the prevailing Government policy on Rural Development Tam Nong.

The project VIE/035 - “Technical Assistance to the IFAD Tam Nong Support Project in Tuyen Quang” focuses on building implementation capacity of the TNSP executing partners to increase the likelihood that TNSP outputs and outcomes will be achieved. The project will commence in early June 2014 and planned to be ended by mid 2017.

The Lux-Development Support Team for the project VIE035 led by an International Project Implementation Advisor (IPIA) is looking for an Monitoring and Evaluation and Knowledge Management Advisor (12 months, renewable)

Department / Location / Duration of contract:

The Advisor will be located within the Provincial PCU office in Tuyen Quang for a period of twelve (12) months, renewable..

Reporting to:

The advisor will report through VIE/035 to the Project Director of the PCU.

The advisor will work closely and coordinate with the International Project Implementation Advisor, International Value Chain Advisor and with the TNSP M&E officer on defining the outputs and outcomes indicators for their respective parts of VIE/035 and TNSP program.

Context of Role:

The TNSP seeks to sustainably improve livelihoods among ethnic minority and rural poor households in Tuyen Quang province within all six districts, 64 communes with 57 000 households. The TNSP targets 40 000 households primarily all ethnic minority of which 50% were considered poor at the time of design.

TNSP is the third project in Tuyen Quang and represents a progression starting with support for essential infrastructure, and with TNSP increasing the value of agricultural output marketed off farm. Most rural households are involved with rice production, and a wide range of differing crops, forestry and livestock systems. The major interventions supported under the IFAD loan include support for institutional development and training for the roll out of market orientated planning as an addition to socio-economic development plans, capacity building in value chains, support for developing value chain action plans and their implementation, the promotion of local products to value chains and consumers, the formation of commune level groups to access resources and link with value chains, funding for local infrastructure, human resources and productive assets. VIE/035 resources seek to build stronger governance systems through institutional and organisational capacity building and to strengthen the value chain linkages and knowledge beyond the farm gate.

TNSP is implemented through existing GoV agencies that are coordinated through a PSC and its administrative arm the PCU. The Component Lead Agencies are: (i) for the Institutional Strengthening component is the DPI, (ii) for the Pro-poor Value Chain component is the provincial-level DARD, and (iii) for the commune market oriented socio-economic development planning and implementation component is the DASU of DARD. TNSP is funded through an IFAD Loan – effective from April 2011, with TA support from VIE/035 – effective from 1 January 2014.

Purpose of Role:

The overall purpose and aim of the role is to support project implementation and impact assessment through developing an output and outcome based monitoring and evaluation system and through strengthening monitoring and evaluation capacity at provincial and district level.

The advisor will review the existing monitoring and evaluation system and performance indicators, and will work closely with PCU, DASU and relevant agencies staff and advisors to access sector skills and assess information requirements for (effective) implementation of the project activities, particularly with respect to Value Chain activities, the public-private partnership, group voucher schemes, Viet Gap adoption, and the provincial business environment. New requirements should be integrated with the existing monitoring and evaluation system insofar as possible.

The advisor will assist provincial and district monitoring and evaluation staff in work planning, identifying training needs and mentoring staff at both level.

The advisor will conduct provincial level survey design workshops and lessons learned workshops.

The advisor will take stock of lessons learned and contribute to the knowledge management of the project activities and results, in collaboration with TNSP staff.

Duties:

The following duties are the responsibilities of the advisor:

Monitoring and Evaluation (approx. 80% of time)

- review existing monitoring and evaluation framework and outputs;
- collate performance information required to measure LogFrame indicators for VIE/035 financed activities;

• to assist the M&E unit in the Provincial and District Project Management Units to co-ordinate and facilitate all monitoring of project inputs, outputs and impacts, especially the collection, organization and safe-keeping of field level data, as well as its entering into the project data base;
• to ensure that the data obtained from village and district level is useable for activity planning by provincial and district line agencies;

- work with the VIE/035 Value Chain advisor team, Agribusiness Promotion Working Group, Viet Gap advisor, CIG/CG advisor, and organisation and strategic planner (DPI) to define the outputs indicators required for i) the performance based funding of the value chain programme, ii) the market linkage program iii) the proposed voucher program for CIG/CGs, iv) redeemable voucher system, and v) the provincial business environment;
- define outcome and impact monitoring and evaluation needs and systems;
- work closely with the VIE/035 Knowledge Management advisor to identify information needs for knowledge management products to disseminate lessons learned;
- host a survey design workshop with provincial and district monitoring and evaluation staff and appropriate implementation staff and their advisors using an actual case study from TNSP;
- help district level monitoring and evaluation staff develop a work plan, including identifying what skills are required to required to implement it, and develop a plan for capacity building of district monitoring and evaluation staff through a mentoring approach to enable them to carry out their work plan;
- develop, in collaboration with a second monitoring and evaluation trainer, a mentoring approach to capacity building of monitoring and evaluation staff at the district level;
- mentor the finalisation of output and outcome survey instruments in the districts, assisting local staff in survey design, data coding, data collection, interviews, data processing, data analysis, and reporting;
- conduct a follow-up workshop after completing the mentoring approach, where district and province staff share experiences and lessons from their work plans.

Knowledge Management (20% of time)

- to ensure visibility of all kind of program activities and progress;
- to provide capacity building on KM related topics to the PCU and relevant line agencies;
- to provide information on TNSP activities and progress to IFAD and LuxDev;
- to participate in quarterly review meetings at district level.

Skills:

Prerequisites

• Relevant university degree and minimum 8 years experience with international donor projects, in fulltime positions and/or short-term consultancy assignments;
• Specific expertise in M&E with a minimum of 5 years demonstrated, hands-on experience in setting up M&E systems, data management systems, RBMFs, baseline surveysand evaluations, etc.;
• Formal specific M&E training and/or specialised skills in statistics will be considered an advantage;
• Experience working on M&E issues within similar community-driven development projects will be considered an advantage;
• must have experience from the agriculture sector;
• must have experience in applied training and mentoring techniques;
• prior working experience in international donor projects would be an advantage.

Technical and Job Skills

• experience in survey design, data collection, data processing and analysis;
• experience in database management and monitoring systems;
• strong presentation and communication skills;
• ability to access sector skills from staff and advisors in government agencies,, and to understand their information requirements;
• good computer skills, especially in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Internet;
• fluent in Vietnamese and English.

Interpersonal

• team player that inspires communication and confidence;
• good listener and able to find creative solutions; and
• dedicated to achieving goals and objectives through team based approaches.

Expected outputs:

The following outputs are expected:

• M&E instruments capturing the impact of the VIE/035 Value Chain activities, public-private partnership and Voucher scheme are developed;
• district monitoring and evaluation work plans are developed and implemented;
• VIE/035 monitoring and evaluation activities are integrated into the existing TNSP system;
• improved capacity for output and outcome monitoring at provincial and district levels, including with implementing agencies;
• production of newsletters and other relevant information material on program activities and progress by using various media tools.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

CV and motivation letter in English are to be sent by e-mail to: [email protected] (mention “Application M&E Specialist” in subject line)

Deadline: Friday 12 September 2014