Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at The West African Power Pool (WAPP)

Location: IMU Head Office, Abuja, Nigeria
Project Name: Nigeria - Niger - Benin/Togo - Burkina (North Core) Interconnection Project
Employing Institution: Implementation Management Unit (IMU) of the North Core Project
Reports to: Director of IMU
Appointment: Full time, approximately 36 months
Language required: Proficiency in English or French with a working knowledge of the second language

Project Background

• Within the framework of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), the Governments of Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Togo and Burkina are collaborating to develop a sub-regional interconnection project referred to as the 330 kV WAPP North Core Project.
• The project involves the construction of approximately 875 km of 330 kV transmission lines from Nigeria to Burkina Faso, through Niger, and Benin. The project will also involve the electrification of rural communities located within a 5 km radius on both sides of the line, and the implementation of a number of environmental and social mitigation measures. These include, among others, the implementation of Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) to provide for persons and communities affected by project implementation activities.
• The project is being financed by The Agence Française de Développement (AFD), African Development Bank (AfDB), European Union (EU) and the World Bank (WB).
• Given the regional dimension of the project, and in order to enhance its coordination, the Ministers in charge of Energy of the North Core countries agreed to put in place an institutional framework which includes the set up of an Implementation Management Unit (IMU) to, among others, assist in the preparation and physical implementation of the North Core project.

Job Purpose

• The Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will assume full responsibility for preparing the overall M&E strategy of the project.
• S/he will be responsible for strategy implementation and overseeing monitoring and evaluation of all project related activities and programs. S/he will provide leadership in the design, monitoring and evaluation of the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan as well as ensure compliance with requirements of the funding institutions.
• The job holder will be responsible for collecting and analyzing project performance and monitoring work plans of the IMU. S/he will manage evaluations and support the Director of the IMU in using performance information for decision-making and resource allocation. S/he will also be responsible for preparing and compiling periodic monitoring and reporting documents.

Job Context

• The responsibilities and tasks of the Senior  M&E Specialist will be executed within an office context but involves extensive field work as well.
• The jobholder will therefore, be expected to travel periodically to various locations within the project countries and/or beyond.
• S/he will be required to put in a minimum of forty (40) hours per week but may also have to perform duties outside of normal working hours, as necessary.

Specific Responsibilities
The Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will be responsible for a minimum of the following key tasks:

• Prepare a draft of the M&E Plan for the North Core Project in consultation with the IMU team and key stakeholders, and manage the implementation of such plan;
• Develop an M&E Manual and data collection protocols for the project and ensure that the technical staff and project implementing partners comply with the manual;
• Oversee and manage routine data collection, data analysis, and reporting, including, results reporting by implementing partners, and any design of surveys;
• Participate in the monitoring of the project components through site visits, review of project reports, and review of secondary data;
• Organize and oversee regular reviews of data quality, maintain performance data quality standards, and oversee the process for independent data quality assessments;
• Manage sub-contractors, consultants to ensure that M&E deliverables are of high quality and submitted in a timely manner;
• Provide M&E related comments on all other project technical documents (e.g. work plans. Terms of Reference, and contracting agreements, and ensure that M&E reporting requirements are complied with;
• Coordinate the setting up and management of the project Geographic Information System (GIS) and Management Information System (MIS), including all related activities such as data collection tools and formats, data entry, data analysis, and reporting;
• Be the lead person in the design and implementation of any internal and/or external performance evaluation;
• Ensure that the project M&E Plan is periodically updated, including performance reference sheets;
• Coordinate project technical staff in the preparation of periodic reports, including Quarterly and Annual Performance Reports;
• Respond to requests for information on data sources, data measurement methods, frequency of data collection, and disaggregation. Monitor and update all M&E budgets, work plans, and contracts;
• Provide M&E guidance to other IMU technical team members and to other implementing partners throughout project implementation;
• Serve as a focal point for funding agencies in their project monitoring and evaluation;
• Support the IMU Director in the preparation of various project progress reports and summary notes for the attention of stakeholders and donors and advise the Director on the use of performance information in decision making and resource allocation.

Qualification and Experience
The Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist must have a minimum of the following:

• Masters degree and above in a relevant field of study such as Social Sciences, Economics, Psychology, and Mathematics as well as qualifications, and proven use of Statistics.
• At least eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in monitoring and evaluation, five (5) of which should have been in projects of similar complexity (multiple locations and stakeholders, regional project).
• Proven experience in monitoring and evaluation of projects funded by multilateral partners;
• Experience in monitoring Energy projects or in the electricity sector will be an advantage.
• Experience in managing surveys with electronic data collection tools.

Required Knowledge
Excellent knowledge of the following relevant areas is required:

• M&E procedures and guidelines of international funding institutions, in particular The World Bank (WB), African Development Bank (AfDB), European Union (EU) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD);
• Procurement procedures, including preparation of Terms of Reference (TOR) and/or contract management;
• M&E system design and management.

Skills and Competencies
The following skills and competencies are required for effective performance:

• Ability to work in multidisciplinary and multilingual team;
• Strong organizational and administrative skills;
• Excellent interpersonal skills;
• Ability to initiate, manage and perform varied tasks in a dynamic environment;
• Strong oral and written communications skills with a proven ability to convey information clearly and concisely; good analytic writing skills; synthesis and report writing skills;
• Excellent ability to use relevant statistical software (such as STATA or SPSS), GIS software, such as ArcGIS and other relevant software such as MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Good internet skills.

Job Relationships
Reporting relationship:

• The Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will report to the Director of IMU.

Working relationship:

• The job holder will collaborate with key project stakeholders in the execution of his/her responsibilities. These include IMU staff, contractors, project consultants and funding institutions.

Job Location:

• The Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will be resident at the Head Office of the IMU in Abuja (Nigeria) but may be required to undertake frequent field visits.

Language:

• The Senior M&E Specialist must be fluent in English or French with a working knowledge of the second language.

Duration:

• The position of Senior M&E Specialist is for a term of approximately thirty six (36) months. This is a full time position and the jobholder must demonstrate the required dedication and commitment to achieving results.

Reporting Requirements:

• The Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will prepare and submit various reports as required to the IMU Director and project financing institutions.
• These will include monthly, quarterly and annual project/progress reports, baseline and other evaluation reports.

Performance Criteria
The following will be part of performance assessment criteria for the position:

• Development of a comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Plan in accordance with project objectives;
• Development of a comprehensive data base for the project;
• Timely submission of high quality monthly, quarterly and annual project/progress reports to the IMU Director;
• Submission of baseline report and other evaluation reports to IMU Director and financing institutions;
• Development of effective communication mechanisms with IMU staff, work teams and/or departments/units to ensure responsiveness to M&E requirements.
• Other criteria may be developed by the Director of the IMU based on deliverables agreed with the jobholder.

Performance Evaluation

• The performance of the Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist will be evaluated annually by the Director of the IMU, based on the above performance criteria, an annual work plan and deliverables agreed upon at the beginning of the appraisal period. Quarterly performance reviews will however, be conducted by the Director to facilitate the identification and prompt management of performance related issues.

Additional Information

• Ability to use relevant computer software (MS Word, Excel, Power Point) as well as the internet is also a key requirement for this position.
• This is a full time position, envisaged for a term of approximately 36 months. Successful candidates will be stationed at the IMU Head Office in Abuja, Nigeria but will be required to make frequent visits to the field offices of the IMU and/or project sites located in any of the following countries: Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Togo and Burkina Faso.
• Shortlisted candidates must be ready to travel for interviews within two (2) weeks from the date of notification.