Monitoring Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
The consultancy is associated with the National Population Council (NPC) of Egypt, which is responsible for developing and implementing strategies related to population and development. The NPC aims to address population issues through various strategic pillars, including reproductive rights, human capital investment, education, and women's empowerment. The NPC operates under the broader framework of Egypt's Vision 2030, which seeks to enhance human development and economic growth in the country. The NPC collaborates with various stakeholders, including UNFPA, to ensure effective implementation of its strategies and plans.

Job Overview:
The primary objective of this consultancy is to hire a Monitoring Consultant who will provide independent monitoring and quality assurance to support the effective implementation of the Accelerated Plan (2025-2027) for the National Strategy for Population and Development. This role involves assessing the quality of progress towards achieving the targets set by the NPC, identifying challenges, and providing actionable recommendations to ensure the successful achievement of the plan's goals. The consultant will work closely with the UNFPA Population and Development Programme Analyst and the NPC Rapporteur, contributing to the overall success of the National Strategy for Population and Development.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Monitoring Consultant will be responsible for several key duties, including:

• Monitoring Progress: Reviewing progress reports from the red zones, monitoring plans, and other relevant documents to assess progress against planned targets and suggest necessary updates. Enhancing the monitoring framework to track the outputs of the Accelerated Plan by including additional indicators and complete metadata. Conducting regular site visits to the 'red zones' to monitor implementation and gather data through observations and meetings. Advising on resource utilization and expenditures related to the plan's implementation. Assessing the quality of progress of interventions delivered based on the 23 projects under each pillar of the Accelerated Plan and coordinating with working teams to identify bottlenecks and challenges affecting implementation quality.
• Quality Assurance: Assessing the quality of interventions and providing recommendations for improvement and corrective actions. Enhancing the existing monitoring framework of the Accelerated Plan.
• Data Analysis and Reporting: Analyzing quantitative and qualitative data to assess the plan's impact on key indicators, preparing monthly monitoring reports that detail progress against targets, challenges encountered, and recommendations for improvement, and contributing to consolidated reports for stakeholders.
• Capacity Building and Governance: Supporting the monitoring capacities of working teams, including NPC branches at the local level, providing on-the-job training, assessing work distribution among teams, proposing integration and enhancement strategies, participating in coordination meetings, and providing monitoring inputs at both central and local levels.
• Deliverables: The consultant will deliver an inception report detailing the monitoring framework, methodology, and tools, a monthly travel plan, weekly updates on progress, quality assurance checklists, and regular monitoring reports, culminating in a final report at the end of the consultancy period.

Required Qualifications:
The Monitoring Consultant should possess the following qualifications: an advanced degree in public health, development studies, demography, social sciences, or a related field. A minimum of 7 years of experience in monitoring and evaluating development programs, preferably in the field of population and development, is required. The consultant should have a strong understanding of quantitative and qualitative monitoring and evaluation methodologies, expertise in developing and implementing governance frameworks, and excellent analytical, report writing, and communication skills. Prior experience working with government institutions and UN agencies is considered an asset, as is familiarity with the National Strategy for Population and Development.

Educational Background:
Candidates must hold an advanced degree in a relevant field such as public health, development studies, demography, social sciences, or a related discipline. This educational background is essential to ensure that the consultant has the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to effectively monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Accelerated Plan.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 7 years of experience in monitoring and evaluating development programs, with a preference for candidates who have worked specifically in the field of population and development. This level of experience is crucial for understanding the complexities of the issues at hand and for effectively contributing to the objectives of the consultancy.

Languages:
Fluency in both English and Arabic is required for this position, as the consultant will need to communicate effectively with various stakeholders, including local teams and international partners. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset but is not mandatory.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is expected to last for four months, during which the consultant will conduct one field visit per week to the designated red zones, coordinated with the NPC. The role is likely to be full-time, and the consultant is expected to provide a personal resume along with a technical and financial proposal as part of the application process. Specific details regarding compensation and benefits have not been provided in the job description.