Evaluation and Communications Associate

On 15 July 2015, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) issued the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2015 - 01 or the National Evaluation Policy Framework (NEPF) of the Philippines. The JMC is widely considered as one of the reform initiatives to engender results-orientation in the Philippine bureaucracy. More specifically, the policy sets the framework for the conduct of evaluation of all government programs and projects in the public sector to (1) support good governance and evidence-based decisions; (2) promote program improvement; and (3) ensure accountability and transparency.

The NEPF provides clear guiding principles and evaluation standards that should serve as a guidepost in the conduct of public sector evaluation. NEDA, DBM, and the Office of the President-Presidential Management Staff (OP-PMS) were identified as the members of the Evaluation Task Force that will provide overall direction and coordination in the conduct of public sector evaluation. In addition, there are currently draft bills pending in the House of Representatives and the Senate, which support the creation of central evaluation units (CEUs) in agencies, the regular conduct of evaluations and use of evaluation findings in the whole of government.

NEDA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) embarked on a partnership to support capacity development activities for NEDA and other agencies towards a more effective evaluation of the implementation of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP), Public Investment Program (PIP) and Fiscal Plan at the national and sub-national levels. The Strategic Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Project, which is funded by NEDA and implemented with full UNDP Country Office support, was designed to strengthen the evaluation culture in government. Through the provision of technical advisory and project management services, the project aims to support NEDA and select government agencies in managing and conducting evaluations and result in improved public-sector management and official development assistance (ODA) monitoring and evaluation.

While NEDA currently performs its evaluation function through the Monitoring and Evaluation Staff (MES), it is envisioned that NEDA shall undertake the central evaluation function in the Philippine government. The said vision is anchored on the premise that: (a) NEDA can develop and promulgate evaluation policies and guidelines, oversee and support government agencies in implementing the national evaluation agenda, and assure the quality of evaluation outputs and use of evaluation results; and, (b) NEDA is capacitated to undertake, directly or through commissioning, thematic evaluations and lead the conduct of program and project-level evaluations on priority investments under the PDP and the PIP.  

In view of the foregoing and in line with provisions of the National Evaluation Policy Framework (NEPF), the Strategic M&E Project supports the creation of a unit within NEDA that will serve to transition towards NEDA’s Evaluation Staff under the Monitoring and Evaluation Group.

Accordingly, the Project requires the services of an Evaluation and Communications Associate who will serve as Economic Development Specialist II (EDS II) to provide technical and logistics support to the transitionary Central Evaluation Unit and in the formulation and implementation of communications, advocacy, and knowledge management strategies to increase appreciation and utilization of evaluation and its results.

Scope of Work

Under the general supervision of the Chief Evaluation (Chief Economic Development Specialist) and the Supervising Evaluation Officer (Supervising Economic Development Specialist), the Evaluation and Communications Associate (Economic Development Specialist II) shall provide technical support to effective day-to-day operations, the management of M&E Fund, and delivery of operational and financial targets, including designing and managing of thematic, sectoral, and program and project-level evaluations to support PDP implementation.

The Key Summary of Functions:

Communication and Knowledge Management:

• Supports the formulation and implementation of the communications, advocacy, and knowledge management strategies to strengthen evaluation functions of NEDA
• Provide inputs in the development of appropriate communication materials relative to policies for the implementation of the NEPF, including policy papers  evaluation topics, review and updating of the NEPF guidelines, evaluation standards, procedures, criteria, templates, recommended methods for government-commissioned evaluations, and any other supplemental guidance as deemed necessary.
• Provide inputs to the reports on the use of knowledge and lessons drawn from evaluations commissioned by NEDA and national government agencies
• Provide technical support in the conduct and monitoring of knowledge management activities to support a culture of evaluation through learning events
• Provide inputs in the development of appropriate communication and knowledge materials relative to the establishment of a permanent evaluation unit in NEDA by 2024
• Support day-to-day management and monitoring of activities in the National Evaluation Portal, including the development of standard operational procedures, analysis of existing gaps and coordination of necessary improvements in the platform, provision of technical support to users, and other tasks assigned.

Coordination and Partnership for Evaluation Advocacies: 

• Provide support in the drafting and transmittal of communication materials, and overall documents and records management
• Coordinate activities within NEDA, different government units, and non-government stakeholders in implementing activities that will strengthen M&E and evaluation   capacities.
• Provide support in partnership building activities to broaden and deepen the evaluation ecosystem, including management of and support to the M&E Network   Community of Practice to strengthen the constituency for evaluation.  
• Liaise activities with agencies and partner institutions involved in the implementation of M&E and evaluation activities
• Provide technical and administrative support for the conduct of regular M&E Fora and other institutionalized learning events/activities

Project Management and Administration

• Provide technical support in the implementation and monitoring of the M&E Fund and delivery of operational and financial targets, including design and managing thematic, sectoral, and program and project-level evaluations to support PDP implementation, as well as support in the implementation of other evaluation initiatives of  NEDA (e.g., Policy Window Philippines/ Philippines Evidence Program, among others)
• Provide technical inputs in the preparation and monitoring of annual work plans and procurement plans (i.e., of the CEU work plan, M&E Fund, and the Strategic M&E Project), ensuring contribution to NEDA’s major final outputs, including unit and individual performance indicators, budget and human resource requirement
• Provide technical inputs in the preparation of relevant physical and financial progress reports to the as required by the NEDA Financial, Planning, and Management Staff (FPMS) and the Commission on Audit (COA)

Management, Implementation, and Quality Assurance of Evaluations

• Provide technical support and inputs in the formulation of strategies on the design, preparation, procurement, contract management, implementation, and quality assurance of NEDA-commissioned evaluations , ensuring the strategic, programmatic, technical, financial, and contractual integrity of evaluation studies from the  initiation phase to utilization of results
• Provide technical inputs in the preparation, finalization, and monitoring of management responses for NEDA-commissioned evaluation studies.  

Evaluation Capacity Development and Technical Support

• Provide support in the coordination and implementation of technical assistance support for the institutionalization and compliance with NEPF guidelines, evaluation standards, and evaluation competencies.  
• Provide support in the coordination, preparation, implementation, and monitoring of responsive and continuous capacity building and learning initiatives to strengthen evaluation capacities, including the national government's integrated evaluation system of the national government
• Provide adequate technical and administrative support to the Evaluation Task Force

Institutional Arrangement

The Evaluation and Communications Associate (Economic Development Specialist II) is under the general supervision of the Chief Evaluation Officer (Chief Economic Development Specialist) and some degree of supervision from the Supervising Evaluation Officer (Supervising Economic Development Specialist).

S/he shall work in close coordination with various units in NEDA Central and Regional Offices, Oversight and Implementing Agencies, and the Strategic M&E Project Team.

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results:  
LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively: 
LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously: 
LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility:  
LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination: 
LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner: 
LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: 
LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Management: Communication
Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience

Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
 

Business Management: Monitoring
Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results

Digital & Innovation: Data Analysis
Ability to extract, analyse and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision making

Finance: Budget management
Ability to support budgetary aspects of work planning process, drawing and management of team budget

Procurement: Procurement management
The ability to acquire goods, services or works from an outside external source

Administration & Operations: Events management (including retreats, trainings and meetings)
Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, manage and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP's overall brand and mandate.

Administration & Operations: Documents and records management
Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving

Min. Education requirements:
A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s Degree) in Economics, Statistics, and other social sciences courses (e.g. Public Administration, Development Studies, Sociology) in combination with an additional three (3) years of qualifying experience.

Completion of secondary education in combination with an additional six (6) years of experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the Bachelor’s degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience

Up to three (3) years (with Bachelor’s degree) or six (6) years (with secondary education)  of relevant work experience in monitoring and evaluation, with specific tasks/functions/roles related to communications, knowledge management, or advocacy and partnership.  

Four (4) hours of relevant training on M&E

Required skills:

Basic to intermediate skills in reporting and communication

Basic data tracking, analysis, and knowledge management

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

Previous working experience with government and international organization at local or international level is advantageous

Knowledgeable about basic concepts on evaluation

Experience in designing and managing project evaluations.

Experience in facilitating capacity development activities, institutionalized learning events, and other initiatives relative to strengthening community of practice on evaluation

Knowledge and understanding of government/NEDA policies and processes is advantageous

Required Language(s)

Fluency in the UN and national language of the duty station (English and Filipino)

Professional Certificates
Civil Service Eligibility – Professional

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact detail (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position
• Transcript of Records and Diploma
• Certificate of Civil Service Eligibility
• Copies of relevant training certificates (if applicable)