Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor (Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index)

The Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT established in 2009 with the overall aim of reducing by half the number of people living in poverty in Myanmar. LIFT has received funding from altogether 15 international donors since it was established. The current donors are the UK, the EU, Australia, Switzerland, the US, Canada, Ireland and Norway. LIFT aims to strengthen the resilience and sustainable livelihoods of poor households by helping people to reach their full economic potential. This is achieved through increasing incomes, improving the nutrition of women and children, and decreasing vulnerabilities to shocks, stresses and adverse trends. To date, over 12.8 million people in 77 percent of Myanmar’s townships have benefitted from LIFT’s programmes. 

In the last two years (2020, 21), Myanmar has experienced major crises linked to the Covid-19 pandemic and the February 2021 Coup. Both, and more specifically the latter has contributed to a rapidly deteriorating socio-economic and political situation leading to decreased livelihood opportunities, increased vulnerabilities as well as an overall decline in basic service provisioning. It is now estimated that 40-50 percent of the population are living in poverty (compared to 25 per cent in 2017). As part of its initial response to the twin crises, LIFT adapted its interventions with a view to mitigating the impact of the crises on the livelihoods of its beneficiaries and target groups in general.  Subsequently, LIFT embarked on a comprehensive review of its 4th strategy with a view to aligning it with the prevailing realities in Myanmar. This process has culminated in a broader LIFT reset strategy (2022-23) geared towards addressing programming challenges in a rapidly evolving conflict context characterised predominantly by humanitarian needs.

Women’s empowerment and gender equality is among the key strategic priorities that will shape the LIFT reset strategy 2022-23. In this regard LIFT seeks to strengthen the integration of women’s empowerment and gender equality across all its projects as well as ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation of the effects of LIFT programming on women. The LIFT household survey design includes a module to collect data for the Abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (A-WEAI).  The A-WEAI consists of a range of questions related to participation and decision-making in the spheres of production and income generation, access to productive capital, access to credit, time allocation and group membership to be asked of the primary male and female respondents in the household.
LIFT is looking for a consultant to provide technical support for the WEAI component of the LIFT household survey. Anticipated support cuts across the key stages of the household survey from the study design, tools review/adaptation, survey implementation, data analysis, preparation of WEAI indices and reporting. The technical assistance will build on the work that has already been undertaken the defining the WEAI indicators and subsequent development and adaptation of tools for mobile phone based data collection. LIFT anticipates that surveys in the coming years will still be undertaken on mobile phone platform hence the need to improve on the efficiency in the data collection of WEA data.  

• Masters or PHD Degree in Agricultural Economics; Agriculture; Development Economics or any other related discipline is required. 

• A Bachelor’s degree in the above mentioned areas in combination with an additional 2 years of similar relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master’s Degree is considered as equivalent.

• At least seven years’ experience in designing and/or providing training or similar quantitative survey questionnaires covering the fields of livelihoods, agriculture, nutrition and gender in Myanmar or other developing countries is required. 

• Excellent technical skills in socio-economic research is highly preferred.

• Demonstrable experience in the topic of women’s empowerment in agriculture in Myanmar or related countries, and ideally of working with the WEAI or A-WEAI is preferred.

•  Additional experience conducting quality research in development economics or similar relevant topics will be an added advantage. 

• Knowledge of the political, economic and social situation in Myanmar is desirable.

• Willingness to undertake field visits in difficult conditions is required.

• Proven experience in strong communication and facilitation skills, and ability to establish good working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders in a sensitive environment is highly preferred.

• Computer literacy in office software  packages is required and SPSS   is an asset.

• Fluency in both written and spoken English is required.

• Contract type: ICA (Individual Contractor Agreement) 
• Contract level: ICS11 - International - Specialist ICA, Level I-ICA 3 (Retainer)/Home based with mission travel to Yangon, including field support
• Contract duration:   2 years (150 working days per year) - Renewable subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

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Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.