Position Title: M&E Expert
Receiving Agency: Standby Partnership Network
P Level: P4
Location: Home Based 
Duration: 12 weeks (October-December, 2024)
Language: French and English fluency required. Fluency in Arabic is an asset. 
 

Terms of Reference

Monitoring and Evaluation Expert

 

1. The Standby Partnership Network (SBP Network)

The SBP Network is a network of bilateral agreements between deploying organisations and United Nations (UN) agencies. The partnership emerged in response to the increasing prevalence of global humanitarian crises which required the UN to rapidly expand its human resource capability at short notice. The SBP Network comprises a range of partners which provide support via the deployment of gratis personnel. Each Standby Partner maintains its own roster of humanitarian experts who are called upon to fill staffing needs in UN operations.
 

2. SBP Network monitoring

Whilst not wholly standardised, Standby arrangements operate similarly across UN agencies and Standby Partners and to a large extent the challenges, lessons learned and opportunities are widely applicable. The SBP Network monitoring and evaluation objectives strive to provide an evidence base to articulate the added value of the SBP Network in humanitarian response. Common evidence gathering provides lessons learned and continuous improvement, the opportunity for the network to report collectively to donors and peers on the results of deployments to specific emergencies and supports SBP Network advocacy efforts. In addition, assessments of current needs can provide partners with evidence-based consolidated priorities which can allow targeted future support to the highest needs. Collaboration of the SBP Network on joint missions also minimises the burden on country offices of hosting and/or supporting concurrent missions by SBP organisations.

The M&E Expert will work with the SBP Network Steering Committee, the SBP MEAL Working Group and a strategic advisory group specific to this mission. The M&E Expert will report to the Co-Chairs of the SBP MEAL Working Group and the SBP Network Coordinator.
 

3. Sudan crisis

Millions of people in Sudan are at imminent risk of famine, displaced from their lands, living under bombardments, and cut off from humanitarian assistance.
With the conflict now in its second year, 18 million people are acutely hungry, including 3.6 million children who are acutely malnourished, and famine is quickly closing in on millions of people in Darfur, Kordofan, Aj Jazirah and Khartoum.
Sudan is home to the largest number of internally displaced people in the world at nearly 10 million. A further 2 million people have escaped to neighbouring countries.
Horrific attacks against civilians – including sexual violence – as well as hospitals and schools are multiplying.
Despite the tremendous needs, aid workers continue to face systematic obstructions and deliberate denials of access by parties to the conflict. Movements across conflict lines to parts of Khartoum, Darfur, Aj Jazirah and Kordofan have been all but cut off since mid-December. The closure of the Adre border crossing in February – our main route into western Sudan from Chad – means that limited assistance is trickling into Darfur. Aid workers are being killed, injured and harassed, and humanitarian supplies are being looted.
In March and April of this year, nearly 860,000 people were denied humanitarian aid in Kordofan, Darfur and Khartoum states. Deliberate hindrances to humanitarian assistance that leave the civilian population without the essentials to survive violate international humanitarian law.
Extreme hunger is unfolding, and the outlook for food production in 2024 is bleak. We have a rapidly shrinking window to get seeds to farmers before the main planting season ends and the rainy season begins. If we act in time, people – especially those in inaccessible areas – will be able to produce food locally and avert food shortages in the next six months. Without immediate action, people will go hungry and be forced to move in search of food, shelter and protection.[1]
 

3. Joint monitoring mission objectives

The objective of this remote Joint Monitoring and Assessment Mission is to assess the extent to which the SBP Network has enhanced the capacity of UN operations to address humanitarian challenges in Sudan from January 2023 to date. In response to the significant deterioration of the humanitarian situation, the IASC activated a Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up on 29 August 2023 for an initial six-month period, which has now been extended until 31 December 2024.
The monitoring mission will thus evaluate the extent to which the SBP mechanism and Network, as a whole, have supported the humanitarian response in Sudan, both prior to and after the activation of the System-Wide Scale-Up. Given the protracted nature of this emergency, the mission will also assess future needs for the ongoing response.
The scope of this JMM will focus on support to Sudan, including the cross-border operations in Chad (Farchana, Abeche, Iriba) and South Sudan (Renk). 

The review has two key areas of focus:

 

PART A: IMPACT AND SUSTAINABILITY

KEY QUESTION: What was the added value of the SBP mechanism in helping the UN respond to the Sudan emergency (including cross-border operations)?

PART A / 1. IMPACT:  To what extent was the SBP able to meet the needs of the UN in Sudan prior and after the activation of the IASC System Wide Scale up (January 2023 – to date)?
 

• What critical needs have been, or are currently being,filled by SBP deployees since Jan 2023?
• To what extent has SBP been able to meet the needs of UN prior to the IASC System Wide Scale up?
• How have the volume and type  of support required (profiles, duration) by the UN changed following the IASC System-Wide Scale-Up declaration?
• How effective was the SBP in supporting the Scale-Up of UN operations (from August 2023), particularly in terms of speed and ability to meet needs?
• What are the key achievements or contributions  made by SBP deployees?
• In what ways have SBP deployments enhanced UN operations? (E.g. through technical skills, new initiatives, establishing partnerships, innovation, set-up of new systems, coordination, etc).
• What were the main implementation challenges or bottlenecks for an effective and impactful SBP deployment?
• Have remote/home-based deployment been seen as effective and of added-value to the response?

PART A / 2. SUSTAINABILITY and LOCALIZATION:

To what extent have the deployees’ contributions been sustained within the host organisation or the               broader  response, and how can these deployments further enhance localization?
 

• For example, have new practices been institutionalized, has the capacity of national staff been increased, or have partnerships with local actors or national systems been strengthened?
• Are there opportunities to leverage ongoing SBP deployments to enhance localization efforts, such as supporting local decision-making, integrating local NGOs into coordination mechanisms, and increasing the diversity and scope of local actors?

PART B:  FUTURE NEEDS

KEY QUESTION: What current and future needs for expertise exist across UN operations that could contribute to immediate personnel requirements as well as national system strengthening and localization?
 

• What are the highest priority needs for UN agencies and clusters?
• Are there profiles needed for specific agency or inter-agency responses that are critically vacant or in need of strengthening?
• Do these needs require a rapid scale up or what would be the appropriate timeframe for deploying SBP support?
• Would a deployment of 3-6 months be sufficient to make an impactful contribution, or is a longer-term deployment of technical experts or teams of experts needed?
• Are there opportunities to utilize new SBP deployments to strengthen national systems and promote localization, such as supporting local decision-making, including local NGOs in coordination, or increasing diversity or scope of local actors)?

 

4. Expected Outputs:

1. Report of SBP’s contribution to the response (external)
2. Infographic of key findings of the report (external)
3. 2-3 in depth case studies / deployment stories (external)
4. Key findings and operational recommendations on current and future needs (internal)
5. Presentation of initial results to SBP Network at Mid Annual Consultations 26 and 27 November 2024 (virtual)
6. Presentation of final results to SBP Network members (virtual).

 

5. Essential Criteria

Required

• University level degree in Information Management, Social Science, Humanitarian/ Development studies or related is required.
• Minimum seven years of professional work experience with either the UN, Government donors and/or NGOs in monitoring and evaluation, learning, Information Management, or programme management.
• Minimum three years work experience in humanitarian field settings, including previous experience in M&E or conducting After Action Reviews in a humanitarian response.
• Demonstrated strong monitoring and evaluation skills, including authoring evaluations.
• Experience with both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills including influencing and negotiation, the ability to represent the SBP effectively at a senior level.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy.
• Experience with statistical data analysis, including advanced Excel.
• Fluency in English and French is required.

Desirable

• Master’s level degree in Information Management, Social Science, Humanitarian/ Development studies or related area is desirable.
• Previous experience as a SBP deployee is highly desirable.
• Continuous professional development evidenced by M&E related training courses.

CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.