Project Assistant

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Project: building gender and rights responsive monitoring and evaluation capacity
Position: Project Assistant
Duty Station: Nairobi, Kenya
Duration: 18 months
Salary range: $9000-$12000/annum

Background: The Africa Gender and Development Evaluators Network (AGDEN) was established by Africa Evaluation Association (AfrEA) and UN WOMEN to advance the cause of gender and human rights based monitoring and evaluation in Africa. AGDEN’s main objective is to share information, knowledge and evaluation resources including tools, methodologies with other practitioners. Since 2004, significant ground work was undertaken by the Network on further promoting gender equality and right based M&E in Africa.

These include, but not limited to develop capacity for gender and rights responsive monitoring and evaluation, in 2008 AGDEN was commissioned by International Organisation Development Ltd (IOD-PARC) to conduct a rapid research for Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Rwanda, for Research Into Use (RIU) programme in Africa, to provide a broad overview of the regional response for capacity strengthening in development evaluation.

Currently, AGDEN is undertaking a re-profiling exercise based on the need to better serve the emerging needs in the areas of gender equality and women’s human rights responsive M&E as well as on the need to promote GE/HR monitoring and evaluation at different levels. Thus, AGDEN is seeking to recruit prospective men and women to occupy these positions within the project. The selected candidates will be required to start immediately from August 2011.

Tasks and Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of the Project Manager and under the overall guidance of the Team Leader of the project, the project assistant will have responsibilities for providing assistance to the daily implementation of the program and financial administration.

More specifically, the Project assistant tasks and responsibilities will include:

1. Ensure effective support to the project implementation, focusing on achievement of the following results, primarily in the areas of:
Providing daily support on timely execution of project approved activities;
 Providing substantial inputs to the preparation of meetings and reports;
 Assisting in monitoring the progress throughout the project implementation phase;
 Ensuring continued effective collection of any relevant documentation relating to GE/HR responsive monitoring an evaluation;
 Assisting the project committee in promoting gender and rights and M&E in the academia and policy fields;
 Maintain database, website and listserv and be responsible for communication, reporting and documentation
 Collecting and gathering required information, data for program activities/initiatives throughout the project implementation;

2. Ensure efficient operational support, focusing on achievement of the following results:

The program assistant will provide inputs to the followings:
 Assisting in coordinating the exchange of information among the project partners;
 Supporting missions and subcontracted project activities;
 Developing and submitting monthly Individual Work Plans as well as Results and Competency Assessment (RCAs) to the Project committee;
 Providing required support in organizing/conducting project activities;
 Supporting other project-related activities as required by the project committee ;

Qualifications/Competencies:

1) Competencies and Professionalism: Knowledge of development and finance, including knowledge of monitoring and evaluation, human rights and gender issues; ability to produce reports write papers on project matters, including technical issues; analytical skills; program/project work experience with regards to organizational and project/component leadership experience.

2) Teamwork: Good interpersonal skills; ability to work in a multicultural environment and to maintain effective working relations with persons located in different countries.

3) Communication: Drafting skills and ability to prepare concise project/activity reports; proven ability to communicate complex issues to the partners; Proven initiative and creative abilities, record of working harmoniously in teams and creating an enabling environment; good judgment and decision-making skills to achieve stated objectives.

4) Education: Graduate degree in development sociology, monitoring and evaluation and gender and rights approach, statistics or other relevant fields.

5) Work Experience: At least 2 years of progressively responsible professional experience in finance, monitoring and evaluation and/or gender and development areas. Experience in international or donor organizations will be an asset; knowledge of and dedication to the UN principles required; experience of working with governmental bodies as well as civil society organizations is an asset;

6) Language: Fluency in written and spoken English and French. Good working knowledge in both languages

7) Personal qualities and skills: Ability to self-learn and self-upgrade knowledge and skills; Initiative and sound judgment, dedication to good governance principles. Knowledge and skills of relevant computer applications of MS Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), knowledge of Internet communications and command is required.


Interested applicants may send their cvs and 2 copies of past written work to troparg@yahoo.com and feanywhere@yahoo.co.uk

Deadline for submission: 17 July 2011