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Programme Officer, Monitoring and Learning

Vacancy #:   5203
Unit:   Forest Conservation Programme
Organisation:   International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location:   Headquarters, Gland, Switzerland
Reporting to:   Director - Forest Conservation Programme
Work percentage:   100%
Grade:   P2
Expected start date:   04 May 2020
Type of contract:   Max-term (20 months with possibility of renewal)
Closing date:   06 December 2019
BACKGROUND
The Forest Conservation Programme (FCP) is a global thematic programme of the IUCN Secretariat that works under a mandate provided by IUCN membership with a focus on delivering key transformations in the conservation, restoration and management of forest and tree-associated landscapes. The FCP works as a distributed team across several IUCN duty stations with the majority of the staff divided between its Gland-based Headquarters and its Washington D.C. office. It also directly links to, and supports coordination between a worldwide network of over 50 regional and country level forest officers, enabling it to add value to the work of IUCN members through both field-based and policy-orientated interventions.

The FCP’s programme of work is structured to create tangible linkages between field-based learning, national and sub-national policy implementation and national and international forest and land-use policy dialogue. In this respect, the FCP is an active member of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), The Forests Dialogue (TFD), and acts as secretariat for the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration. Its programme of work is centred around three mutually supporting themes of Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), Locally Controlled Forests (LCF) and Primary Forests. The FCP Director has institutional responsibility for the Forest and Land Use job family network designed to enhance country, regional and global collaboration across the secretariat. The FCP also has secretariat responsibility for the People in Nature knowledge product.

The monitoring and learning (M&L) officer will be responsible for coordinating the monitoring and learning components of the FCP project portfolio and overall FCP intersessional programme delivery, and ensuring these feed into the overall science, practice and learning strategies, support knowledge, communications and policy processes, and provides a basis for consistent project and programmatic review. In doing so, s/he will work closely with and support the Senior Programme Coordinator (SPC), FCP, and be expected to maintain close working relations with the FCP team to ensure synergies are made between FCP projects and other initiatives and that lessons learnt and outcomes are integrated into the programme’s work. The officer will also provide support to other programmes in the Nature Based Solutions (NBS) Group to support consistent and effective M&L systems are used throughout the group.
JOB DESCRIPTION
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Section A – Duties and responsibilities

1. Programme monitoring and evaluation

• Develop and apply robust programmatic monitoring, learning and evaluation processes to measure FCP’s contribution to, and delivery of, relevant elements of the IUCN Programme, including monitoring the implementation of resolutions and engagement with IUCN members and commissions.
• Ensure programmatic processes are underpinned by a documented operational plan; internal and external collaborators fully understand the requirements as well as their specific role and contribution to it; and, delivery is supported by clear lines of accountability. This includes providing overall quality assurance, supervision and technical inputs for the development, implementation and delivery of the above processes.
• Liaise directly with project managers, policy and communications officers, regional colleagues and their teams to ensure synergies between project and programme M&L, and support and build capacity of those members to ensure the highest level of monitoring and evaluation, that captures and provides a robust evidence base for FCP’s science, practice and learning processes.
• In conjunction with FCP senior staff assist in the completion of annual FCP programme report, and provide inputs in the annual planning process, through consolidating output to outcomes, and where possible, outcome to impact data based on a regularly reviewed set of core indicators. As required provide similar support to NBS programmes
• Provide technical, operational guidance and capacity building for other NBS programmes in the development and implementation of programmatic monitoring, learning and evaluation processes to develop a culture of evaluative learning across the NBS group. This includes helping equip staff with tools and understanding of procedural and technical components of internal and external M&L needs.

2. Design and implementation of monitoring and quality assurance systems for project portfolio delivery

• Under the coordination of the SPC, Science, Practice and Learning, and in collaboration with the FCP colleagues and regional offices lead FCPs development and application of effective project M&L frameworks including the establishment of necessary baselines according to institutional frameworks established by the Director of Planning Monitoring Evaluation & Risk Unit.
• Provide input into FCP & NBS group project design to ensure consistent and sufficiently resourced application of project monitoring tools and processes that include:
o Adequate resources to facilitate M&L processes that are compliant with both internal and donor requirements,
o Establishment of robust baselines and theories of change with a clear intervention hierarchy developed.
• Liaise directly with relevant members of IUCN’s Global Forest Team in coordination with the SPC, to ensure synergies between regional and global project monitoring, and support and build capacity of those members to ensure the highest level of project data collection, especially with respect to GEF and GCF projects.
• Liaise with IUCN members and implementing partners to ensure synergies and linkages are made with IUCN project and programme systems and provide support as necessary.
• With respect to FCP projects:
o Lead the development and support the application of project monitoring tools and processes, applied across the FCP and NBS project portfolio, to ensure that project activities are on-track and contributing to the achievement of the project’s objectives and contractual obligations,
o Ensure the project monitoring framework enables effective quantitative and qualitative measurement of project progress and delivery, through the development of baseline measurements, time bound milestones and project targets with clear indicators for measuring progress and impact,
o Lead the develop and design of monitoring processes that capture the successful uptake of knowledge and analysis, attribution of field activities to delivering results on the ground and effective partnerships,
o Design and implement a data management system to facilitate effective collation and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative project data.
o Support and provide quality assurance to the compilation and timely submission of project progress and final reports as per contractual requirements through tracking deadlines and submissions, and contributing to content development
• In collaboration with other NBS programmes:
o Lead the development and application of project monitoring tools and processes , applied to ensure that project activities are on-track and contributing to the achievement of the project’s objectives and contractual obligations, while being consistent with the Science, Learning and Practice processes and guidance established with the SPC.
o Ensure the project monitoring processes are designed to effectively support and input into the monitoring of overall programmatic delivery.
• Liaise with the IUCN Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation & Risk Unit to support appropriate project evaluations as required, and ensuring these are planned and executed in line with IUCNs monitoring and evaluation policy.


3. Project and programme learning

• Support the functioning of FCP science, practice and learning processes, working closely with the SPC,to ensure that FCP project design and learning cycle’s respond to robust scientific data or relevant evidence base, through:
o Ensuring project and programme M&L processes are applied to facilitate learning and sharing of experiences across the programme pillars and learning is integrated into project design,
o Ensuring project achievements can be synthesized in such a manner to feed into the knowledge, policy and communications activities,
o Creating opportunities for vertical and horizontal exchanges of information throughout the programme,
o Contributing to the facilitation of effective information flow between those engaged in project implementation on the ground and knowledge, communications and policy to help capture and share project outcomes and impact that contribute to producing programmatic knowledge.
o Contributing to gathering lessons and experiences to support the development and implementation of IUCN knowledge products and the broader IUCN programme.
o Contributing to gathering lessons and experience from FCP and collaborators (which include Regional Offices), based on agreed learning frameworks, to ensure learning throughout the IUCN Global Forest Team.
• In collaboration with other NBS programmes, lead the development and application of project M&L processes that facilitate learning and sharing of experiences across the programme pillars and learning is integrated into project design. Whilst ensuring these processes facilitate effective information flow between those engaged in project implementation on the ground and knowledge, communications and policy to help capture and share project outcomes and impact that contribute to producing programmatic knowledge.

4. Other responsibilities

• Supervise, mentor, guide and appraise any FCP staff, interns or consultants as delegated by the Senior Programme Coordinator, and that IUCN Human Resource management protocols are fully observed and staff members have a clear idea of their role, responsibilities and how their performance is assessed.
• Assume responsibility for other activities that the Director FCP and / or the Senior Programme Coordinator may assign from time to time and that do not negatively impact on the delivery of the above responsibilities.


Section B – Competencies

1. Enthusiastic commitment and vision, characterized by:
• A commitment to nature conservation and sustainable development.
2. Integrity, maturity and trust, as characterized by:
• Unimpeachable integrity as evidenced by behavior.
• Proven ability to effectively collaborate with colleagues and clients.
• Clear commitment to embracing and contributing to a culture of high performance and accountability.
• Demonstrated commitment to working within teams diverse in gender, nationality and background to achieve business results.
3. Professional competencies, characterized by:
• A track record of developing and implementing monitoring, evaluation and learning systems.
• Ability and commitment to act in accordance with IUCN’s core values including, integrity, respect for diversity, safety and dignity at work and professionalism as described in IUCN’s Code of Conduct and Professional Ethics, IUCN’s Policy on Protection from Sexual Abuse, Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Harassment, and IUCN’s Policy on Safety and Security.
• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills.
4. Commitment to accountable and high quality delivery
• A clear and unambiguous work ethic that understands the necessity of, and demonstrates willingness to adhere to, institutional procedures and standards
• An enthusiasm for and commitment to understanding and contributing to tangible, equitable and durable change processes in the field of conservation and sustainable development
5. Sound judgment and decision making, characterized by:
• Well-organized and logical in thought and action.
• Ability to listen and receive feedback, take into consideration alternative points of view and retain some flexibility.
• Ability to anticipate, assess and account for political and reputational risk associated with contested or divergent issues.
REQUIREMENTS
  • Master’s Degree in a relevant discipline (agricultural or natural resource economics, natural resource management, environment, climate change or programme management);

• A demonstrated experience and understanding of developing and applying monitoring, evaluating and learning systems at field and global levels;

• At least 5 -7 years of relevant professional work experience – experience of working at national or regional level is an asset;

• Ability to work effectively within a large decentralized workforce of professionals of different nationalities and to mobilize it towards common goals;

• Organizational experience, including a proven ability to work on a variety of tasks simultaneously, and to perform well under pressure;

• Proven ability to work in an interdisciplinary organization, both independently and in a team setting;

• Fluent English. Knowledge of Spanish and/or French is an asset;

• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills, especially within multi-stakeholder contexts;

• Good knowledge of web-based and information technology;

• Effective communicator to a wide range of audiences;

• •Well-developed writing skills;

• Available for significant travel.
SALARY
The gross annual salary for this position is between CHF 100'355 and CHF 125'444, subject to deductions for social security contributions and second-pillar pension, and before tax. While this is an indicative amount effective as of the current date, changes may occur as per IUCN's compensation practices without prior notice. The same applies to other organisations hosted by IUCN.
APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/


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IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

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