Knowledge Manager ( Retainer Consultant)

UNOPS Myanmar

Myanmar is one of UNOPS leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for three of the largest development programmes in the country, namely the Three Millennium Development Goal Fund (3MDG), the Livelihood and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) and the Joint Peace Fund (JPF). In addition, UNOPS Myanmar is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Myanmar and Cambodia, and for the Global Fund¹s Regional Artemisinin-resistance Initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including the Government of Myanmar, international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS Myanmar plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Job Specific

The Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) is a multi-donor trust fund established in 2009 to address food insecurity and income poverty in Myanmar. LIFT has received funding from 14 donors – the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Switzerland, Denmark, the United States, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Luxembourg, Italy, New Zealand, Ireland and Mitsubishi Corporation. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is the Fund Manager to administer the funds and provide monitoring and oversight.

The overall goal of LIFT is to sustainably reduce the number of people living in poverty and hunger in Myanmar. LIFT’s purpose is to improve the incomes and nutrition status of poor people in Myanmar by promoting resilient livelihoods and food security. LIFT’s designated outcomes are improvements in income, resilience, nutrition, and pro-poor policy developments.

LIFT works with implementing partners that include international and national non-government organisations, United Nations agencies, the Government of Myanmar, private sector organisations, academic and research institutions.

LIFT is active in the four main agro-ecological zones of Myanmar: the Ayeyarwady Delta, the Rakhine State, the central dry zone (including Mandalay, Magway and the southern Sagaing region), and the upland areas of Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin and Shan States and Tanintharyi Region.

So far, LIFT has reached more than 7.2 million people, or roughly 20 per cent of Myanmar’s population; and is active in almost half the country’s townships. LIFT is funding projects through to June 2019. For more details visit www.lift-fund.org.

Background to the assignment

In 2014, LIFT revised its overall strategy for 2014-18 (http://www.lift-fund.org/strategy) and reconfirmed its commitment to knowledge management. While still focused on livelihoods and food security, the new strategy has an increased attention to resilience, nutrition, and programme learning, and intends to strengthen the Fund Management Office’s (FMO) capacities for pro-poor policy engagement and development.

In light of the revised LIFT strategy and as part of the Monitoring and Evaluation for Accountability and Leaning (MEAL) plan, LIFT has developed a framework for evaluation and learning questions to investigate project, programme, and overall LIFT performance, as well as identify key learning. Studies are currently underway to help answer the higher level LIFT evaluation and learning questions. LIFT has also started to write a series of legacy papers that capture and communicate learning within key thematic and policy areas of LIFT. The evaluation studies and legacy papers will provide valuable input into the design of the next phase of LIFT.

LIFT is recruiting a consultant who specializes in knowledge management to support the FMO in the above activities. 

Purpose and Scope

This consultancy will be guided by LIFT’s evaluation and learning questions framework and legacy studies plan. The objective of the retainer will be to:

• Provide guidance and support to the LIFT M&E team in the review, revision, and editing of studies produced to answer the evaluation and learning questions
• Provide support to the communications unit on the drafting, review, and revision of legacy studies or associated knowledge products
• Provide support FMO efforts to better inform policy engagement through a more strategic use of certain knowledge products and services
• Provide support in compiling and drafting recommendations for the design team on LIFT beyond 2018   

Under the direct supervision of the Communication Specialist, and in accordance with UNOPS policies, procedures and practices, the Consultant shall perform following duties and responsibilities:

• Reviewing the evaluation studies produced by the M&E team and their consultants
• Providing guidance on how these evaluation studies can be best packaged and communicated to LIFT’s key stakeholders
• Editing these studies under the guidance of the international M&E Officer
• Draft new knowledge products, such as policy briefs for the legacy series or a report reanalyzing the LIFT household surveys from 2011-2015
• Providing advice to the Policy and M&E Units regarding policy-relevant learning questions, reviewing and advising the Policy Unit on policy-relevant research, and/or the development of other policy-relevant information sources
• Provide input on ToRs, concepts, or recommendations drafted to support the design team and the redesign process

Education

• Master’s degree in development, political science, media and communication studies, or related subject to the ToR is required.
• An additional two years of similar experience with a relevant Bachelor’s Degree is considered as equivalent.

Experience

• A minimum 5 years of experience in project management with at least 2 years proven experience in knowledge management is required. 
• Experience engaging with government, civil society, and international organisations, particularly in supporting policy-related projects would be an asset.
• Recent experience working in Myanmar or South East Asia would be an asset.
• Proven experience in analysing and synthesising a vast amount of information and data into knowledge products such as reports, presentations and papers is required.

Language requirement

• Fluency in both written and spoken English is required.

• 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.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• 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.

Management Arrangements

The Lift Fund Management office will support the retainer by:

• Providing necessary reports and documentation produced by LIFT 
• Organizing meetings with project staff and stakeholders

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.

Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations.

With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it.

A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners' needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.