Monitoring and Evaluation Expert

TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. CONSULTANCY SUMMARY

• BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was established by the 1995 Agreement on Co-operation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, between the government of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam. The role of the MRC is to coordinate and promote cooperation in all fields of sustainable development, utilisation, management and conservation of the water and related resources of the Mekong River Basin. The MRC Secretariat is the operational arm of the MRC. It provides technical and administrative services to the Joint Committee and the Council to achieve the MRC’s mission.

The MRC has recently signed an agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to strengthen transboundary coordination and management of water and related resources, contributing to the achievement of the MRC’s Basin Development Strategy.

Under the overall management of the Office of the CEO, this project begins in 2024 and will continue until 2029. The activity in this project will be managed and coordinated by the Project Coordinator, with support from a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Expert and an Administrative Assistant, who will work closely with other staff from the MRCS’ OCEO and other relevant divisions.

The project implementation requires efficient support in administrative, secretarial, financial, and logistical areas. This includes organizing travel arrangements, preparing relevant documents, and meeting the requirements for meetings, forums, and other events under OCEO. Many OCEO activities are time-critical and require attentive, professional, and effective administrative, financial, and logistical support to ensure their successful execution and timely delivery.

In this regard, the OCEO is recruiting an M&E Expert consultant under the Service Contract to coordinate and implement the M&E activities under ther USAID project and support other relevant M&E activities under the OCEO to ensure timely and professional delivery of the intended outputs.

• EXPECTED RESULTS

Under the overall supervision of theChief Strategy and Partnership Officer, the technical guidance of the M&E Specialist, and in coordination with the Project Coordinator, the M&E Expert is responsible for designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation activities for the MRC Secretariat. These activities include developing M&E frameworks and evaluation designs, conducting data collection and analysis, creating data visualisations, maintaining the M&E database, monitoring and reporting the MRC Annual Report and Mid-Term Report, and supporting the formulation of Multi-Year Work Plan and Strategic Plan.

• DELIVERABLES AND CONCRETE TIMELINES

• REQUIRED TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The consultant will perform the following tasks:

Key Responsibilities

• Implement and coordinate the overall monitoring and evaluation activities of the USAID project, including designing, developing and implementing a results-based M&E system including data collection tools and techniques for M&E in line with USAID’s systems and procedures;
• Support in preparing reports on key progress, monitoring outputs and outcomes , activity implementation, budget monitoring for the USAID project, using the established M&E system and data collected, and ensure that the reports are comprehensive and accurate;
• Ensure that the data from all project activities are recorded and reported in a timely, effective and efficient manner, and are accurate, correct and reliable by means of proper and comprehensive data Q/A, Q/C, and analysis, including data cleansing, data verification, and formatting;
• Prepare reporting templates for monitoring and evaluation by working closely with all divisions/office for data entry, collection, and analysis;
• Prepare an M&E implementation plan, which includes a detailed work plan, timeframe, key milestones, and indicative budget for the project;
• Assist in the documentation and generation of reports, data tables, charts, infographics, and other visual tools/aids that support M&E activities, as well as for presentation, analysis, planning and decision-making
• Coordinate with the relevant partners and ensure a proper and quality M&E system
• Perform other relevant tasks as required

Supporting responsibilities:

• Support the M&E Specialist in the monitoring and evaluation work implementation, including the preparation of the Annual Report, the Mid-Year Report, and the Multi-Year Work Plan, and the analysis of data and statistics for M&E purposes in close collaboration with the M&E team and divisions/offices
• Design, develop and implement a results-based M&E system and MRC M&E NAV system, including data collection tools and techniques for monitoring and evaluation
• Provide troubleshooting support to all divisions and provide guidance in their indicator data collection and preparation of all relevant reports
• Conduct routine data Q/A, Q/C, and analysis, including data cleansing, data verification, formatting in a user-friendly and insightful manner into Microsoft Dynamic NAV and/or MRC M&E system
• Support other routine M&E activities and events under OCEO, including M&E capacity building and training at the regional and national level, including for M&E systems, procedures, and data entry techniques, and M&E outcome reflection
• Provide support to coordinate and synergize the implementation of other relevant M&E assignments as directed by the Chief Strategy and Partnership Officer
• Perform other tasks relevant to the project as assigned by the Chief Strategy and Partnership Officer

• PAYMENT MODALITY

Payment will be made in US dollars on a monthly basis upon delivery of satisfactory services for each assignment or a group of assignments. The incumbent is required to submit an invoice and MRC timesheet.

• INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

Intellectual property rights – IPR: Information, data, database, knowledge resources in the forms of briefings, reports, proceedings, articles, essays, etc. issued by and for the MRCS will be the MRCS property.

Any utility, announcement, and disclosure that is without MRCS’s highest levels of authority’s permission is considered illegal and will be charged by relevant local and international legal procedures.

• DECLARATION OF NON-FRAUDULENCE AND PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA

The Subscriber shall adhere to the MRC’s relevant rules and regulations of the MRC on personal data protection, business exclusion, fraud prevention and anti-corruption principles and shall be under strict disciplinary measures should any violation occur.

• WORKING ARRANGEMENT

The assignment will require the consultant to work at the MRC Secretariat, with frequent communication with personnel of the OCEO.

1. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Have a Master’s degree in business administration, communication, planning and management, development studies, natural resources management, and other relevant fields
• Have a minimum of 7 years of experience in the implementation of monitoring and evaluation and reporting systems for development projects in international and/or public organisations.
• Have solid knowledge and hands-on experience in monitoring and evaluation (M&E), including developing M&E system and dashboards, performing statistical data analysis, ensuring high-quality data collection and data QA/QC for consolidation and analysis
• Exhibit excellent capabilities in project management, including reporting, budgeting, data collection and analysis, troubleshooting, etc.
• Demonstrate high proficiency in M&E software, including Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Dynamic NAV, for tracking tasks/activities, implementation timelines, and budgeting
• Strong understanding of statistical and data visualization tools/software, such as Microsoft Excel, Miro, Google Form, and Slido
• Have proven experience in organizing coordination and training for M&E capacity building. Experience in liaising with the MRC and/or National Mekong Committee Secretariats is an advantage.
• Familiarity with logistical arrangement and coordination for M&E or relevant events is required, such as M&E software training, international conferences, regional meetings/forums, capacity building retreats, exchange visits, etc.
• Demonstrate substantial experience and networks working and coordinating with government agencies in the Mekong River Basin, particularly with the National Mekong Committee Secretariats and the relevant line agencies of the Mekong River Commission
• Familiarity with the procedures and work experience with the Mekong River Commission Secretariat is an advantage.
• Knowledge about gender mainstreaming and equity is an advantage, especially gender monitoring
• Have a comprehensive understanding of the geographic, socio-economic, political, and environmental contexts of the Mekong River basin.
• Have excellent English writing and verbal communication skills.

1. ENGLISH COMPETENCY: Fluent in English (writing, reading, speaking, and listening)

1. SIGNATURE BLOCK

[1]    Special Service Agreement – home based, daily rate: type (a) One-time assignment, 1 TOR, number of consultancy days within 12 calendar months; or type (b) Framework contract (number of consultancy days within 1 to 2 calendar years, multiple assignments with each assignment having 1 specific TOR). Service Contract – full time working with 21.75 days/month, MRCS based: One-time assignment (number of months within 1 calendar year).