Assignment Title:                     Expanding Social Protection in Uganda

Proposed Job Title:                 M&E Coordinator

Contract Type:                         Freelance fixed-term contract

1          Background to the Assignment

Maxwell Stamp was contracted by DFID and Irish Aid in 2009 to engage GoU, development partners, CSOs, and communities to redesign a cash transfer pilot. The design team worked with the Directorate of Social Protection in the MoGLSD and held several consultations in Kampala and initially in two pilot districts (Kyenjojo and Katakwi), followed by a further two districts in Karamoja (Moroto and Nakipiripirit) over the period of July to October 2009. Options papers highlighting key design challenges and issues were presented to stakeholders at a workshop in Munyonyo in August following which, the Programme Memorandum for the Enhancing Social Protection in Uganda (ESPU) Programme was developed for DFID, and further design documentation for Irish Aid.

The goal of the programme is chronic poverty reduced and life chances improved for poor men, women and children in Uganda.

Its purpose is to embed a national social protection system that benefits the poorest as a core element of Uganda’s national planning and budgeting processes. The programme is designed around two components: 1) policy support focusing on strengthening leadership on social protection across government, developing a national social protection framework, generating evidence on the impacts of social protection, and building government commitment and investment in social protection; and 2) the implementation of a cash transfer pilot (Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment – SAGE).

The specific objectives of the programmes are summarised in the following four outputs:

• Output 1: Strong and well-functioning public institutions capable of delivering effective and co-ordinated cross-governmental leadership and implementation of social protection programmes.

• Output 2: A coherent national, strategic and fiscal framework for social protection developed and implemented.

• Output 3: Regular and predictable social grants, which promote financial inclusion of rural communities, provided to households living in chronic poverty.

• Output 4: Evidence on the costs and benefits of social protection effectively disseminated to government and general public, including its impact on poverty, inequality, human development and economic growth.

The programme will achieve its purpose through a comprehensive approach to social protection (SP). It will strengthen cross-governmental leadership structures on SP, while building the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development’s (MoGLSD) capacity to support these structures. A key output of this strengthened leadership will be the development of a SP vision for Uganda, set out in a national strategic framework and key legislation, and translated into budgetary commitments. The programme will support the Ugandan government in taking forward specific SP interventions outlined in the SP Framework while piloting a cash transfer programme – the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme – in 6 districts (or 8, with Irish Aid involvement), with government scaling-up planned after three years.

There are two aspects in monitoring and evaluation for cash transfer pilots. Firstly the internal process monitoring of the scheme concerned with ensuring that all potential recipients are registered onto the scheme and that payments are delivered in an effective and accessible manner. The second aspect is around measuring the impacts of the cash transfer pilot. Both help provide evidence about: whether the pilot is achieving its goals; how pilot implementers can improve implementation; and what wider lessons can be learned from the pilot for national social protection policy and scaling-up.

The objective of this assignment is to provide Technical Assistance to the Secretariat in the design and implementation of sound M&E procedures for day-to-day process monitoring and assessing impact of the SAGE cash transfer process, and procuring appropriate service providers where required.  There are broadly two components to the role:Prepare quarterly M&E reports covering the internal process monitoring, technical progress of outsourced M&E activities, performance against logframe; and capacity building of district level M&E personnel (ESPP and other). More specifically, the M&E Coordinator will:

i           Act as a focal point for all technical aspects relating to the sub-contracted independent M&E service providers, including support to the tender process, coordinate and facilitate the external field teams, and ensure that the key findings are integrated into the programme;

ii         Design the internal process monitoring framework for the programme, ensuring clear integration with other areas such as the Grievance management system;

iii        Develop TORs and assist with recruitment for the national and district level M&E team, and ensure a capacity building plan for the M&E staff is implemented and documented;

iv        Supervise the M&E team and ensure that.the internal process monitoring is implemented effectively and timely reporting is submitted; and

v          Manage the logframe process to ensure that ESPP collects information and provides timely reporting against logframe indicators.

2          Responsibilities

ESPP will sub-contract external M&E service providers for the following:

• Design and implement the baseline survey in Year 1;
• Design and implement impact assessments on an annual basis;
• Preparation of case studies;
• Independent verification / spot checks to ensure targeting is being appropriately undertaken, the correct recipients are receiving payments, and to record the time and cost spent by beneficiaries to receive transfers.

The M&E Coordinator will take overall responsibility for coordination and integration of the technical aspects of services provided by external M&E contractors. This includes:

• Oversee technical aspects of the tender for service providers, including review of TORs and bid documents;
• Coordinate and facilitate the field teams of external providers to ensure they have necessary information and access to the programme;
• Consolidate key findings and ensure they are integrated into the programme; and
• Ensure that service providers are delivering their specific technical roles and responsibilities to an excellent standard.

The M&E Coordinator will design and implement the internal monitoring framework, including the following task:

• Design the internal process monitoring framework, including development of the key internal monitoring processes and tools and documenting these within the Operations Manual;
• Design and implement a system for collection of data and information to report against the Logframe;
• Ensure clear linkages between the M&E framework and the MIS, grievance system and processes for quality assurance (spot checks), day-to-day feedback, and change management.
• Develop TORs and assist with recruitment for the national and district level M&E team, and ensure a capacity building plan for the M&E staff is implemented and documented;
• Design training manual for M&E staff and other district level personnel involved in M&E (e.g. government staff and community representatives with assigned roles in M&E);
• Supervise M&E team members to ensure that they perform their functions and provide timely and quality reporting;
• Ensure that there is a clear schedule for undertaking monitoring functions and that regular spot checks on targeting and recipients is performed;
• Review whether grievances are being addressed appropriately and whether erroneous inclusion and exclusion is occurring;
• Compile case studies based on the process monitoring reviews and the above studies;
• Ongoing management of all aspects of M&E in the overall programme, and
• Contribute to quarterly reports, prepare reports against the logical framework; and development and submit technical monitoring reports as agreed with the team and the SAGE Director.

The specific activities and deliverables set out below are based on the DFID Terms of Reference, the Programme Memorandum, and implementation schedule. The consultants must not exceed the number of days allocated under each phase of the assignment (desk and Uganda-based) as set out below.  Travel days cannot be claimed as billable days worked.  The Consultant may be required to work over 5 days per week.

Throughout the assignment, the Consultant will be responsible for promotion and safeguarding the professional reputation of Maxwell Stamp and will perform the services outlined and as determined by Maxwell Stamp in accordance with the requirements of the Main Contract.  On all matters relating to the assignment the Consultant shall report to the Maxwell Stamp Project Manager, Kurt Koomen. The team will also receive technical support from the Maxwell Stamp Project Director.

3          Deliverables and due dates

The Consultant will produce all reports and deliverables in the Maxwell Stamp format and template. These will be quality assured by Maxwell Stamp before formal submission to DFID.

• Review of TOR for sub-contracted M&E service providers
• Review of bids for sub-contracted M&E service providers and provide feedback on technical approach
• Design and document internal monitoring system in Operations Manual with formats and tools for collecting and reporting on M&E
• Design framework for data collection and reporting against the logical framework
• Technical monitoring reports, as agreed with the SAGE Director and the rest of the team
• Develop TORs for M&E staff and other non-ESPP staff involved in M&E
• Develop training plan and materials for all M&E personnel (ESPP and other)
• Conduct and report on all training activities undertaken
• Prepare case studies
• Prepare quarterly M&E reports covering the internal process monitoring, technical progress of outsourced M&E activities, performance against logframe; and capacity building of district level M&E personnel (ESPP and other)

The candidate for this role will be a senior international consultant with the following credentials;

• A development practitioner with a relevant post graduate degree in social sciences or economics, with at least 10 years experience in Monitoring & Evaluation of large-scale projects in the field.

• Extensive experience working in East Africa, preferably Uganda or a country in a similar setting in terms of social protection development.
• Experience working on conflict-prone or fragile environments (such as Northern Uganda);
• Experience building capacity of government counterparts, mentoring and training;
• Experienced in working in private-public partnerships.

Please send your CV and covering letter to moc.pmatsllewxam@repoocd by 30th July 2010 at 5pm UK time. Ugandan nationals are encouraged to apply, and we have a strong preference for candidates who are available ASAP.