Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Mogadishu, Somalia

Position:  Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist 

Reporting to: Project Manager, Baxnaano

Location: MoLSA, Mogadishu

About the Baxnaano Programme 

Baxnaano is a Social Protection Platform housed at Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA) of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS). The platform has enabled FGS to provide safety net support to the poorest and respond to the impact of climate-related shocks. Since its inception in 2019, Baxnaano is evolving as a national social protection platform with a vision of empowering the poor and vulnerable through socioeconomic inclusion. The World Bank financed Shock Responsive Safety Net for Human Capital Project (SNHCP) began supporting MoLSA/Baxnaano in 2019. The project seeks to build a bridge beyond the humanitarian approach, addressing Somalia’s immediate food security issues, while also laying the foundations for human capital investment over the longer-term. SNHCP was extended in 2023, with additional financing.

Baxnaano supports poor and vulnerable households through three windows:

• Baxnaano Regular Window – A long term and unconditional cash transfer (CT) window aims at addressing chronic poverty and food security, building resilience and enhancing the human capital accumulation of beneficiary households. This window will also support Co-Responsibility cash transfers to promote uptake of Health, Nutrition and Education services in future while also positioning the FGS for direct implementation / service delivery.
• Baxnaano Shock Response Window – A short term and unconditional emergency cash transfer (ECT) window aims at smoothing food consumption and protecting the human and physical assets of the poor and vulnerable during shocks and enable recovery.
• Baxnaano Economic Inclusion Window – This window aims at enhancing economic inclusion of poor/vulnerable youth (including women) in urban areas.

Baxnaano operates with full engagement from Federal Member States (FMS) authorities, and in consultation and collaboration with relevant development partners, humanitarian agencies, and nongovernmental organizations. SNHCP also supports development of social protection systems for implementation of social protection programs, strengthening institutional resilience and establishment of a Unified Social Registry (USR). The USR aims to establish a data repository of poor and vulnerable households. The USR is meant to collect socio-economic data of households, manage information (addition, editing, update) and provide a platform for dynamic data sharing for potential stakeholders to access the information of their needs for their targeting.

This consultancy will provide Monitoring and Evaluation support to immediately assist Baxnaano strengthen Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Under the guidance of the and direct supervision of the Project Manager, the M&E Consultant will develop Baxnaano’s M&E framework, monitoring tools, manage data collection and conduct analysis as needed to improve Baxnaano’s implementation performance, compliance with SoPs and generate evidence to inform program design.

Purpose 

The position is housed within a PIU established within MoLSA to support implementation of SNHCP. The M&E Specialist will perform the following tasks:

(The following may require the consultant to leverage the Third-Party Monitoring Firm(s) and Data collection firm(s) hired by Baxnaano.)

M&E Framework and Plan

• M&E framework will define and identify:
  1. expected results (outputs, outcomes, and impact) and a theory of change based on analysis and consultations with Baxnaano staff and World Bank experts; and
  2. indicators for expected results (outputs, outcomes, and impact) and for other elements of the results chain with baselines and targets. To the extent possible, an M&E framework will rely on available tools and indicators in the existing M&E systems. Where such indicators are not available, recommendations will be developed in consultation with Bank sector specialists on methodology for data collection and analysis, reporting frequency, and institutional arrangements.
• M&E guidelines will be prepared and will include:
  1. monitoring and evaluation principles.
  2. procedures and templates for data collection and reporting for results indicators.
  3. roles and responsibilities for reporting on the results achieved, including format, content, frequency, source(s) of data.
• Implement the M&E framework, guidelines and other tools.
• Develop intervention wise process, output, outcome and impact level indicators for progress monitoring.
• Prepare annual monitoring and evaluation plan in consistent with M&E Framework.

Reporting Formats 

• Develop/modify recording and reporting templates and formats of Baxnaano that meet reporting requirement of Baxnaano to MoLSA, Ministry of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, Office of the Prime Minister and development partners.
• Test, modify and finalize recoding and reporting forms and formats.
• Adopt the use of these recording and reporting forms and formats for all interventions of Baxnaano.
• In collaboration with the Baxnaano MIS Specialist and Software Development firm, direct the development and manage the maintenance of the reporting module of the Baxnaano MIS to facilitate effective monitoring and reporting on implementation progress as well as the sharing of information for specific M&E needs between the project and other implementing agencies and/or stakeholders.

Operational Monitoring 

• Assist with the establishment of relevant intervention benchmark data, and plan and supervise the collection and any additional benchmark data required.
• Identify capacity needs and train relevant Government National and Field Staff in desk monitoring, field monitoring, data collection procedures and quality control protocols as required during project implementation.
• Institutionalize a mechanism (including process, procedures tools and templates) of thorough monitoring to assess project performance and compliance with SoPs. The mechanism should include layered monitoring using desk monitoring employing administrative data in the MIS, field monitoring and the use of third monitoring firms.
• Ensure that all monitoring tools including operations review, spot checks, beneficiary feedback and community dialogue are included in the monitoring mechanism.
• Monitor implementation progress through field visits as may be required, analyse current state to identify potential bottlenecks in project implementation, offer feedback and keep regular communication with related Project staff.
• Develop TORs for M&E tasks to be carried out by external M&E (Third party monitoring, Mid-Term and Final Evaluations) consultants and serve as main PIU resource for such consultancies.
• Prepare the reports according to the approved schedule, reporting progress and any issues of concern.
• Prepare M&E monthly reports and other ad hoc reports as required.

Evaluation

• Plan and supervise the regular collection of data to monitor and evaluate the effects on poverty reduction and the economic benefits Baxnaano interventions.
• Plan and manage the conduct of surveys and studies, to assess the impact of Baxnaano investments on poverty reduction.
• Carry out the analysis of the data collected.
  

Person specification  

The qualifications and experience of the successful candidate are set out below.

Required:

• Qualification: Bachelor of education in economics, social science or other related field
• Experience: 10 years of experience in working with public sector or NGO/INGOs specially in the field of Monitoring and Evaluation, data collection and quality assurance. The candidate should have at least 5 years relevant background and experience in monitoring and evaluation of government projects in Somalia.
• Strong skills in data analysis
• The candidate must have demonstrated experience in designing and implementing M&E systems in a multi- faceted Projects.
• Fluency in written Somali and English, with the ability to produce high quality written products, evidence through a strong track record.
• Strong inter-personal skills and a commitment to working in teams.
• The ability and willingness to take initiative, be innovative and drive forward activities.
  

Desirable: 

• Experience in conducting impact evaluations
• Experience in social protection or a related field

How to apply:

Confidential applications can be addressed to procurement@molsa.gov.so with only a Cover Letter and Curriculum vitae (CV) in WORD .doc or. docx format must be delivered, by 1500 hours of  21^st   February 2024.

Applications addressed exclusively to the above email address would not be considered.