Impact Measurement, Verification and Learning Specialist (IPSA-10)

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education:

• An Advanced University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in International Affairs and Development, Public Policy, Economics, or related fields is required. OR
  
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
  

Min. years of relevant work experience:

• Minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in monitoring and evaluation, project and programme management or impact measurement, preferably in international development.
  

Ensure delivery of strategic impact measurement, verification and learning services

• Support the management of IMVL contract holders and day to day functions of the team, including ensuring IMVL workflow is on track, milestones are met, and progress is reported to the Executive Secretary.
  
• Provide strategic direction and capacity development support to IMVL Team members and quality assurance for the Unit’s delivery.
  
• Verify and benchmark UNCDF project level impacts based on UNCDF Project Management Support Unit (PMSU) quality assured project level indicators and monitored results via remote means or site visits.
  
• Coordinate field-level independent third-party validation of data, results and impact and verification of results from UNCDF projects.
  
• Consolidate evidence to strengthen organizational learning and accountability to the Executive Board.
  

Ensure Data Systems, Standards and Tools

• Establish and periodically update (in coordination with PMSU) a repository of impact indicators for UNCDF front office teams to consider as they design and plan new projects and investments.
  
• Design the field data collection systems (digital platform with AI capability) that will replace excel based formats at the country and regional level for results and impact reporting, in coordination with the UNCDF Digital and PMSU teams, and others as relevant.
  
• Define and review UNCDF standards for procedures to collect field data, review the measurement and evaluation plans of programmes and projects that are used to report on impacts.
  
• Provide quality assurance for guidance notes, templates, and toolkits to standardize data collection and impact reporting.
  

Ensure effective Evaluation and Learning in Africa and LAC regions

• Guide and support the management of project and program-level evaluations in Africa and LAC regions.
  
• Oversee the Unit’s evaluation function to ensure evaluations are on track and evaluation results are used to guide management decisions and business planning.
  
• Reviews evaluation plans, mid-term and final evaluation findings to inform organization-wide learning.
  
• Institutionalize learning loops and work with Strategic Intelligence and Foresight to demonstrate impacts and learning to donors and partners.
  
• Guide and support impact learning and dissemination within UNCDF in Africa and LAC in coordination with the UNCDF Directorate (Strategic Engagement and Strategic Communications).
  
• Facilitate internal cross-regional knowledge exchanges, such as After-Action Reviews, workshops and reflection sessions to strengthen UNCDF organizational learning and IMVL system for continuous improvement.
  
• Based on lessons learnt on impacts and results, advise and guide the Front office and PMSU on optimal indicators to use that will enable UNCDF to effectively report on its Strategic Framework.
  
• Support the consolidation of evidence to strengthen corporate results validation and learning feedback, organizational learning and accountability to the Executive Board.
  
• Engage in Project Appraisal Committee Reviews and Investment Committee meetings to ensure that impact reporting requirements are adequately designed into programmes/projects and transactions seeking approval for implementation.
  
• Undertake regular spot checks including via stakeholder engagement on programmes/projects and transactions under implementation to determine whether impact achievement is on track, and if not, suggest with PMSU to the UNCDF Front Office, remedial actions.
  
• Produce regular Field Notes of Impacts (at least 5 per year) and/or other learning products based on the results from the UNCDF portfolio of transactions, working closely with the Front and Middle Office and
  

Facilitate Knowledge Management and Capacity Building

• Coordinate learning and evidence integration into PMSU and Strategic Intelligence and Foresight functions.
  
• Develop and present, in coordination with PMSU, joint training modules and webinars to instruct UNCDF staff on the use of project and investment impact indicators.
  
• Lead the facilitation of training workshops and webinars to ensure UNCDF personnel are equipped to work with IMVL systems and use IMVL tools, as per UNCDF standards.