Job Description

Title: Project Management Specialist (M&E/Budget), FSN – 11

Company Name: USAID Bangladesh

Vacancy: 01

Job Location: Dhaka

Employment Status: Full-time

Educational Requirements:
∎ Bachelor of Social Science (BSS) in Public Administration
∎ The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) must have a Bachelor’s degree in a social science, public administration, international relations or other related discipline

Experience Requirements:
∎ At least 5 year(s)
∎ The applicants should have experience in the following area(s): Development Research, Reporting and Documentation

Job Context:
∎ The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) position serves as the specialist on performance monitoring and evaluation and financial management for the Democracy and Governance (DG) Office. The DG portfolio is responsible for the Mission’s Development Objective (DO) 1: Citizen Confidence in Governance. The Program Management Specialist reports to the Director of the DG Office, but will work closely with the DG team as well as other offices within the Mission.
∎ S/he is responsible for supporting the coordination of USAID/Bangladesh’s DG program monitoring, evaluation, assessments and reporting activities. S/he will advise the DG Office on agency and mission policies, procedures and guidelines related to performance management. S/he will work with Agreement and Contracting Officers Representatives (A/CORs) to design mid-term and final evaluations for projects and help incorporate learning from the evaluations into the design of new activities under DO1. S/he will serve as the DG Office’s point of contact and will work closely with the Mission’s Program Office Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Team.
∎ S/he will also monitor the financial status of agreements and counterpart initiatives that contribute to attaining the desired objectives within DO1. S/he will assist the DG Office with accruals, financial reviews, budget justifications, and related financial actions. S/he will serve as the DG Office’s point of contact and will work closely with the Mission’s Financial Management Office.
∎ The incumbent exercises a mid to high level of independent work and is expected to have a broad understanding of all activities under the DO1 portfolio and to be familiar with USAID’s policies and procedures as they relate to development assistance. S/he will serve as an A/COR for the Office’s M&E support contract and may serve as A/COR for other future programs.
∎ In addition, the Specialist will have strong working knowledge about the country’s Democracy and Governance situation as well as knowledge on synergies between democracy, governance, human rights and other USAID technical sectors.

Job Responsibilities:
∎ Performance Monitoring and Evaluation
∎ • Working under the supervision of the Director of Democracy and Governance (DG) Office, the Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) is responsible for tracking the progress towards achieving DO-1 objectives under the DG portfolio. S/he will maintain the DO:1 Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) with an approved set of indicators and ensuring that new additions or changes are appropriately reflected an incorporated into the PMP. S/he will coordinate the development, review, adoption and maintenance of the monitoring, evaluation, assessment tools, and mechanisms. Identify and support the development of innovative information and communication technology based approaches including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology and web-based performance management systems to generate, collect and use of performance indicators or evaluation data and information. S/he will also support development and implementation of appropriate knowledge management systems. As required, s/he will serve as the principal liaison with USAID/Washington and Program Office on M&E.
∎ • The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) provides necessary guidance and support to the DO:1 team in the design, implementation and maintenance of project/activity M&E plans, ensuring that M&E plans effectively track the performance and progress of project objectives and intermediate results that appropriate indicators, especially the DG core indicators that are identified, baselines and targets are appropriately set, and that the performance information is used properly in program management and resource allocation. S/he will develop and maintain a quarterly results tracker in the shared drive for all indicators for implementing partners, update it on a quarterly basis and share it with the team for timely decision making.
∎ • The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) will conduct mandatory data quality assessments (DQAs) to support indicator reporting. As part of the DQA and regular monitoring, perform site visits as required to project locations to keep appraised of program developments and prepare field notes for file.
∎ • The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) will prepare scopes of work for M&E support activities and will research and identify appropriate mechanisms for procurement. S/he may also identify and form teams for designing scopes of work for M&E support activities.
∎ • S/he will take the lead in identifying training needs and opportunities and provide/arrange trainings for implementing partner (IP) on performance monitoring tools, evaluation methodologies, reporting and lessons learned in activity and program assessment. S/he will make sure that the trainings are designed and implemented in a way in that address IP M&E staff shortfalls and strengthen their capacity.
∎ • The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) will work with the A/CORs and Program Office M&E team to identify when evaluations are required, helpful or necessary, what factors should be considered in the design and execution of evaluations and assessments. S/he will coordinate with the team and the Program Office M&E team for the development, maintenance, and use DO: 1 team’s multi-year evaluation plan.
∎ • S/he will Identify and assess primary and secondary data sources that could be useful in Democracy and Governance/Bangladesh performance monitoring or performance or impact evaluations.
∎ Program Management and Oversight
∎ • The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) will serve as A/COR or alternate A/COR for M&E contracts and Democracy and Governance projects as appropriate. S/he will provide guidance and constructive feedback to the grants, cooperative agreements and contracts s/he manages, exercising specific approval authorities delegated by the Contracting Officer. S/he will make regular field trips and meets senior management and project officials of partner organizations to assess the progress of their activities towards achieving results.
∎ • S/he will supervise M&E consultants, receive and review deliverables from them, and provide them with appropriate feedback. The Program Management Specialist will review evaluation draft reports to ensure that they adhere to USAID Evaluation Policy standards. S/he may serve on evaluation teams.
∎ • The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) will also conduct quarterly accrual and pipeline exercises, track expenditures of DG projects and personnel, prepare and circulate MAARDs, collect and submit monthly VAT reports, in close consultation with the respective A/CORs as well as with support offices.
∎ • At the time of project closeout, the Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) is responsible for ensuring timely closeout of grants and contracts in the DG Office. Conducts analysis and prepares documentation to resolve audit findings and recommendations, contractor/grantee performance evaluation, final project status report, disposition of non-expendable property and memoranda recommending final close-out of grant/contract, audit or project etc., in consultation with OAA and OFM.
∎ Reporting, Communication and Outreach
∎ • Under the direction of the DG Office Director and Deputy Director and in coordination with the Program Office, the Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) carries out regular reporting responsibilities for the DO: 1 team on the overall impact and progress towards achieving specified targets. S/he will also take the lead for DO:1 team in the Mission’s regular performance reviews, including Performance Plan Reporting (PPR), Annual Portfolio Reviews, Congrasional Notification and in any special performance reviews. Working closely with the A/CORs, the Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) will contribute to preparing performance narratives as well as other required narratives focusing on performance management issues, indicator data, and impact/results. S/he will communicate to the implementing partners about USAID’s annual reporting and will collect, compile and review the data tables from the implementing partners to ensure quality control and compliance with agency guidance. The Program Management Specialist is also responsible for uploading performance narrative and data into Agency’s reporting system – FACTS INFO.
∎ • Ensure that official documentation is maintained, filed and disposed of in compliance with the agency records management policies. Specific files related to this position include: Portfolio Review documentation, Annual Performance Reports and documentations, Project/Activity M&E plans ; DQA checklists and supporting documents, Monitoring and Evaluation Scopes of Work, Evaluation Reports, and Assessment Reports.
∎ • The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) will serve as the Point of Contact for DO:1 communications activities and will coordinate with the Development Outreach Communication (DOC) team by providing information related to DO:1 performance and impact for a variety of internal and external audiences. S/he will be responsible for drafting, reviewing and editing publicity and information materials, such as project briefs, fact sheets, snap shots etc. in consultation with the DO:1 team.
∎ • The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) will establish and maintain appropriate contacts in communities such as host country government, donors, NGOs and private sector.
∎ Strategic Planning and Program Design
∎ • The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) will actively support and participate in the project design and implementation efforts of the DO:1 team. This includes reviewing and/or editing of various implementation related documents such as project M&E plans and quarterly/semi-annual and annual reports. S/he will provide inputs in the relevant programmatic sections of project scopes of work and advise the A/CORs on M&E issues. S/he will participate in Technical Evaluation Committees (TECs) engaged in the evaluation of Technical Assistance (TA) proposals and applications (solicited through RFP/RFA) as required. S/he may support the senior project managers and the program assistants in carrying out regular program planning and implementation tasks such as briefing papers, memoranda, correspondence etc.
∎ Operational Plan & Resource Requests
∎ • The Project Management Specialist (M&E and Budget) will take part in preparing the budgetary and indicator tables during Mission's annual Operation Plan exercise, assist the team in preparing documentation for annual reporting and semi-annual portfolio reviews in consultation with the appropriate support offices.

Additional Requirements:
∎ At least five years of progressively responsible work experience in development programs. Experience may also include academic or analytical research and reporting and/or project design and implementation. At least two years of financial management including budget projections is also required.

Salary: Tk. 263709 - 480329 (Monthly)

Compensation & Other Benefits:
∎ T/A, Mobile bill, Tour allowance, Medical allowance, Provident fund, Weekly 2 holidays, Insurance, Gratuity
∎ Festival Bonus: 2

Job Source: Bdjobs.com Online Job Posting.

Application Deadline: 21 Feb 2022

Company Information:
∎ 9 Feb 2022
∎ USAID Bangladesh
∎ Address : US Embassy, Baridhara, Dhaka
∎ Web : www.usaid.gov/bd
∎ Business : The largest US agency in the US Embassy, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Category: NGO/Development

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