Job: SYSTEMS ADVISOR - RESULTS-ORIENTED ANNUAL REPORT, EVALUTATIONS AND CORPORATE SYSTEMS

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Application Deadline :

26-Nov-13

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Post Level :

International Consultant

Languages Required :

English

Starting Date : (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)

01-Dec-2013

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year

Expected Duration of Assignment :

One year

Background

In September 2013, the UNDP Executive Board approved UNDP's new Strategic Plan 2014-2017, and its associated Integrated Results and Resources Framework (IRRF). A key element of the new Plan is UNDP's Advisor commitment to significantly enhance the management, measurement and communication of its development results, fully utilizing outcome and output indicators to establish a solid evidence base (quantitative and qualitative) for learning and better managing our performance as a development partner. Corporate systems are being redesigned to increase UNDP's monitoring and analysis capabilities, aiming to fully utilize the indicator dataset that the new IRRF will generate. The redesign entails integration of different planning, resourcing, monitoring, and results management and reporting systems, and intends to help UNDP to deliver more effectively against the new Strategic Plan and shift further from compliance to an active performance management culture. In the meantime, while the new system is being developed, UNDP needs to report to the Executive Board on performance and results achieved in the last year of execution of the Strategic Plan 2008-2013. To underpin the required analyses, UNDP requires programming units to complete a Results-Oriented Annual Report (ROAR) - UNDP's primary corporate tool for programme performance and development results data extraction at the country, regional and global level. The report serves two primary purposes: i. development performance monitoring and management; and ii. development results reporting. Information from the ROAR is used in reviewing performance against the organizational strategic priorities and Annual Business Plan (ABP). The reports are also used by evaluators and auditors when they are engaged in an assessment of an office or programme. ROAR data, already complex and voluminous, is complemented by additional information from other corporate systems. In 2012 UNDP developed a very successful ROAR Analysis Tool, which allowed all UNDP staff to have full access to the entire dataset used for development performance management and reporting; greatly sped up the analysis process; and was considered by Member States one of the most advanced performance and results management systems developed by a multilateral partner. In an informal presentation to EB members, they requested that a subset of the ROAR Tool be made available for public viewing and use as part of the UNDP IATI webpages. As part of the cumulative review of performance and results from 2008-2012, UNDP also built a full dataset of findings, conclusions and recommendations from the large number of evaluation reports produced since 2008, using this information to extract knowledge of what worked and did not work in different contexts, from the perspectives of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability. Making a tool available that can facilitate utilization of this dataset – including by cross-referencing with ROAR and other data – would allow UNDP to solidify the evidence base it utilizes for 'though leadership' by bringing together data and evaluative evidence into a common analytical approach.

Duties and Responsibilities

This consultancy is designed in two phases: Phase 1 (expected December 2013-June 2014, with May/June at partial time on Phase 1): the Systems Advisor is responsible for successful delivery of:

• An update of the ROAR analysis tool to incorporate the 2013 dataset as a new year and as part of the cumulative view since 2008 (as per Annex 1);
• The conceptualization and design of a data map and models, and development of a software system compatible with the new corporate performance system, for management and analysis of the evaluation dataset (as per Annex 2);
• Phase 2 (expected May 2014- November 2014, with May/June at partial time on Phase 2).

The systems analyst will work as part of the corporate planning system team and be responsible for:

• Selected inputs into the overall functionality of the new corporate system, with a particular focus on programme management data and analytical requirements;
• Options for connection to UNDP's external reporting of performance and results data;
• For the first phase, S/he will be located in the Operations Support Group, representing the business analytics for results owner, and will liaise as necessary with SCIG as the owner of the new corporate system, with BOM/OIST as the developer of the new corporate system, with BOM/Directorate as owner of financial information and key institutional results, and with other UNDP units as appropriate.

Key tasks will include:

• Update the 2012 ROAR Analysis Tool to add 2013 ROAR data and make it available for use by all potential UNDP users, including regional and policy Advisors in responding to requests for inputs to the 2014 Annual Report on 2013 performance and results;
• Design and produce a data manipulation tool for the evaluation dataset, with features and capabilities as per Annex 1, for dissemination to all potential UNDP users as part of the new corporate system;
• For the second phase, S/he will be attached to the corporate planning system taskgroup, chaired by SCIG and involving OSG and BOM (Directorate and OIST).

For both phases, the bulk of the work will be done outside of UNDP's premises but in close communication with team members. The consultant will be expected to spend at least 1 week per month in UNDP's premises, for meetings and discussions (could be accumulated so as to become, for example, 2 continuous weeks in a period of 2 months). As to be agreed in light of the implementation and rollout status of the new corporate system in February 2014, key tasks are likely to include:

• Identifying additional actual and potential information needs for the various system elements envisioned;
• Examine UNDP systems and datamarts to ascertain what types of data are available, that can be used to deliver on strategic performance and results information requirements;
• Conduct analyses, simulations and hypothesis testing, that can lead to structuring information in predictive models;
• As part of overall system development, propose potential interfaces, features and reports for key corporate performance management processes related to programme management;
• Propose a subset of the performance and results elements of the 'new' ROAR, to be included into the IATI system; and develop the software for embedding in the IATI webpages.

Key Deliverables

• At inception: organization and validation of OIST-extracted data, and requests for extractions from datasets to cross-reference with;
• Tests of hypotheses on possible relationships between ROAR-collected variables, and between ROAR variables and other UNDP datasets;
• Analyses, simulations and models relating ROAR and non-ROAR variables, as appropriate;
• Updated ROAR Analysis tool, and proposals on how to embed its analytical capabilities in the new corporate system;
• Precise deliverables for Phase 2 to be defined in the context of Annex 3.

For Annexes 1- 4, please click on this link: http://jobs.undp.org/docs/annexes/annex_41945.pdf

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to translate business needs into technical solutions;
• Strong conceptual and technical skills;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, in a multi-cultural setting;
• Experience working collaboratively in small teams with tight deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Masters or Ph.D. Degree.

Experience:

• 15 years of experience in statistical analysis, simulation, and modeling, particularly in social science settings and using both quantitative and qualitative data;
• Expertise in advanced statistical analysis using quantitative and qualitative data (such as exploratory data analysis, regression, factor analysis and/or principal components), econometric modeling techniques, and the scientific method for hypothesis testing;
• Expertise with advanced statistical software;
• Experience in delivering systems that satisfy UNDP business analytics requirements.

Language:

• Fluency in English.

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UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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