Vacancy: Monitoring and Evaluation Officer
Introduction
The African Virtual University (AVU):The AVU is a Pan African Intergovernmental
Organization established by charter with the mandate of significantly
increasing access to quality higher education and training through the
innovative use of information communication technologies.
The AVU has its headquarters in
Nairobi, Kenya and a Regional office in Dakar Senegal with Host-Country
Agreements and Diplomatic Status with the two governments.
The AVU Business Plan 2009-2014 has two main thrusts:
The AVU Business Plan 2009-2014 has two main thrusts:
(a) Educational and support services
provided on a fee basis; and
(b) Not-for-profit development
services.
The Not-for-profit development
services aims at building the capacity of AVU Partner Institutions (PIs) with
an objective of increasing access to quality education through the following
activities: updating and developing content; Open Educational Resources (OER)
Development; AVU Capacity Enhancement Program (ACEP); set up/upgrade ODeL centers;
developing professional networks through Communities of Practices; Research and
Development; and Quality Evaluation and Benchmarking.
Some of the not-for-profit development services were delivered from 2005 to 2011 through the AVU Multinational Project I, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and implemented in 10 African countries with 12 participating institutions.
The AfDB-funded Multinational Support
Project: The AfDB is funding a second phase
of the Multinational Project which will build on the first phase and will
extend its benefits to more countries.
The overall objective of the AVU
Multinational Project II is to strengthen the capacity of the AVU and a network
of 27 institutions to deliver and manage quality ICT integrated education and
training opportunities in 21 African countries.
The project has the following
activities: (1) Establishment of new Open Distance and eLearning (ODeL) Centres
and/or upgrading of exiting AVU Learning Centres as well as Internet
connectivity provision at AVU Partner Institutions; (2) Development and/or
improvement, and delivery of four ICT integrated Programs: AVU Capacity
Enhancement Program (ACEP); Teacher Education, Computer Science, and Peace and
Conflict Resolution;
(3) Gender Mainstreaming
(4) Research and Development;
(5) Promotion and development of Open
Education Resources (OERs); and
(6) Enhancement of AVU Capacity .
The AVU Multinational Project II is
being implemented in 27 AVU Partner Institutions in the following 21 countries:
nine (9) Francophone African Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal; four (4)
Lusophone African Countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique;
and eight (8) Anglophone African Countries: Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya,
Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, and Tanzania.
To successfully implement these activities the AVU wishes to engage a Monitoring & Evaluation Officer who will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Under the overall guidance of the AVU
Rector, the M&E Officer will be responsible for ensuring that AVU’s
activities and those of the Phase II Project maintain their overall objectives
and that these activities result in the achievement of the intended outputs in
a timely manner.
Recently, in 2014, the AVU adopted
Results Based Management as the system to plan and monitor and evaluate the
work of the organization.
The M&E Officer will be
responsible for the execution of the system within AVU corporate operations and
within its projects and initiatives.
Overall Objectives of the Monitoring & Evaluation Officer
The primary objectives of the
Monitoring and Evaluation Officer are:
- provide assistance to the AVU in all areas
related to M&E;
- monitor implementation and track progress toward
the achievement of corporate and project objectives;
- assess outcomes and the effectiveness of
corporate and project interventions;
- contribute to the empowerment of primary
stakeholders (staff, partners and members) by enhancing skills in M&E
and in promoting participation in monitoring and evaluation.
It is intended that the M&E
Officer will help collect data to facilitate key operational and strategic
decisions in terms of corporate and project planning and to provide insights on
achieving better results.
Activities of the M&E Officer
The activities of the M&E Officer
are to:
- Provide the AVU staff and inside and outside
project staff and stakeholders with regular information on implementation
and outputs; identify bottlenecks and impediments in the implementation of
plans and strategies; ensure that all the activities are implemented in
compliance with the requisite regulations;
- Provide support and information to the AVU to
help determine to what extent the AVU and its projects and initiatives
achieve goals and objectives, and how these affect the intended
beneficiaries’ social conditions and capacities;
- Maintain acceptable performance standards in
line with protocols and regulations.
- Ensure that the staff is familiar with and use
the monitoring and evaluation procedures and relevant tools.
More technically, the M&E Officer
will have responsibilities in the following:
- Execution and process monitoring – The purpose
of this component is to monitor implementation and track the ongoing
progress of activities within corporate or project plans. Primary data
collection is based on existing data and documents.
- Evaluations – The purpose of this component is
to assess the extent to which the intended outcomes are achieved within
corporate and project plans. At specific times undertake impact
evaluations to provide qualitative assessment of the impacts of strategies
and initiatives.
- Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation
(PME) – The purpose of PME is to empower primary beneficiaries by directly
engaging them in monitoring processes and results. In practical terms, PME
is the application of participatory tools and methods for measuring,
assessing, reporting on, and ultimately improving performance through a
process of shared learning.
- Other areas as assigned by the AVU
Scope of Work
Specific tasks that need to be
undertaken by the M&E Officer are as follows.
- The M&E Officer will consult relevant
stakeholders and review documents and data to provide the AVU with the
information required to improve performance.
- The M&E Officer will assist in the
development of the annual plans.
- Attend meetings with staff and as instructed
by the AVU.
- Gather data from various sites and through
meetings with the aim of drafting the quarterly report for review by the
AVU.
- Design tools for data collection
- Provide all data relevant to the conduct of
the any monitoring or evaluation activity whether internal or external.
- Support special studies as instructed by the
AVU
- Perform other functions relevant to and in
support of the M&E activities for the AVU.
Qualifications for Officer
M&E Officer should possess:
- At least 6 years of experience in monitoring
and evaluation and in project management.
- The Officer should have Information Technology
(IT) in particular MS Excel and MS Access as well as data, collection and
analysis skills in particular some experience with conducting surveys and
interviews.
- A university degree in social science or other
relevant discipline such as economics or statistics.
- The Officer must possess diplomacy, tact,
ability to influence and convince senior officers and partners and a
superior verbal and written communication capability.
- Strong analytical skills, not just in data
analysis but in data interpretation.
Accuracy and Errors: This is a sensitive position requiring discretion
and attention to detail.
Reporting Requirements: The M&E Officer will report to the AVU Rector
or such other person as he organization may appoint from time to time.
Modalities of Work: The officer will work full time dedicating 8
hours in a day for 5 days a week.
Duration: 24
Months
Payment: Payment will be a fixed monthly rate commensurate
with the experience and qualifications of the Consultant.
Vacancy: Senior Procurement Officer
i. The African Virtual University (AVU): The AVU is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization established by charter with the mandate of significantly increasing access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of information communication technologies.
i. The African Virtual University (AVU): The AVU is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization established by charter with the mandate of significantly increasing access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of information communication technologies.
A Charter, establishing the AVU as an
Intergovernmental Organization, has been signed so far by nineteen (19) African
Governments - Kenya, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania,
Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, Benin, Ghana, Republic of Guinea,
Burkina Faso, Niger, South Sudan, Sudan, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Ethiopia
and Cape Verde.
The AVU has its headquarters in
Nairobi, Kenya and a Regional office in Dakar Senegal with Host-Country
Agreements and Diplomatic Status with the two governments.
The AVU Business
Plan 2009-2014 has two main thrusts:
(a) Educational and support services
provided on a fee basis; and
(b) Not-for-profit development
services.
The Not-for-profit development
services aims at building the capacity of AVU Partner Institutions (PIs) with
an objective of increasing access to quality education through the following
activities: updating and developing content; Open Educational Resources (OER)
Development; AVU Capacity Enhancement Program (ACEP); set up/upgrade ODeL
centers; developing professional networks through Communities of Practices;
Research and Development; and Quality Evaluation and Benchmarking.
Some of the not-for-profit development services were delivered from 2005 to 2011 through the AVU Multinational Project I, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and implemented in 10 African countries with 12 participating institutions.
ii. The AfDB-funded Multinational Support Project: The AfDB is funding a second phase of the Multinational Project which will build on the first phase and will extend its benefits to more countries.
The overall objective of the AVU
Multinational Project II is to strengthen the capacity of the AVU and a network
of 27 institutions to deliver and manage quality ICT integrated education and
training opportunities in 21 African countries.
The project has the following
activities:
(1) Establishment of new Open
Distance and eLearning (ODeL) Centres and/or upgrading of exiting AVU Learning
Centres as well as Internet connectivity provision at AVU Partner
Institutions;
(2) Development and/or improvement,
and delivery of four ICT integrated Programs: AVU Capacity Enhancement Program
(ACEP); Teacher Education, Computer Science, and Peace and Conflict
Resolution;
(3) Gender Mainstreaming
(4) Research and Development;
(5) Promotion and development of Open
Education Resources (OERs); and
(6) Enhancement of AVU Capacity .
The AVU Multinational Project II is
being implemented in 27 AVU Partner Institutions in the following 21 countries:
nine (9) Francophone African Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal; four (4)
Lusophone African Countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique;
and eight (8) Anglophone African Countries: Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya,
Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, and Tanzania.
To successfully implement these project activities the AVU wishes to engage a Senior Procurement Officer to undertake all procurement activities related to the project as well as other work that may be requested by the AVU
Scope of Work
Specific Responsibilities
- Manage and administer effectively the
procurement of a wide variety of goods, works and services as required by
AVU for its operation including inter alia:
1.
preparation of advertisements and
organization of procurement arrangements;
2.
preparation of all procurement
documents e.g. bidding documents/request for proposals,
3.
Bid Evaluation Reports,
4.
notification of award,
5.
contract management
6.
arranging inspection, etc.;
- For all procurements, comply with the AVU and
the AfDB procurement guidelines, and Procurement operational manual
- Prepare and update Procurement Plans and
Procurement Implementation Plans
- Update Procurement Operations Manual and
Bidding and Proposal Documents
- Implement the procurement processes as set out
in approved Procurement Plans
- Ensure that all procurement-related approvals
required are approved by the Rector
- Pursue economies in the procurement process
that may be obtained through aggressive marketing of the procurement
opportunity, improved specifications, and other sound purchasing practices
to achieve value for money.
- Establish a contract administration system to
ensure and keep track of supplier and contractor compliance with terms and
conditions of contracts, addressing delays in delivery or performance,
troubleshooting problems, and certifying performance of services,
completion of works and delivery of goods.
- Provide all reports and information as
required under the Procurement operational manual and each in accordance
with the FORMAT requirements set forth in AVU and AfDB guidelines and
operational manual.
- Maintain accurate and complete records of
procurement activity that contain appropriate evidence of the rules and
procedures applied and decisions made in conducting procurements.
- Contribute to the reports produced by the team
for project; and
- Perform other duties as may be assigned.
Deliverables and Expected Outcomes
- Updated Procurement Operational Manual
- Updated AVU Multinational Project Procurement
Plans and Monitoring Tables
- Reviewed Terms of Reference for consultants
contracted under project (in conjunction with technical experts)
- List of registered firms to be used for
shopping solicitation;
- Procurement Notices
- Requests for Proposals (in conjunction with
technical experts)
- Bidding Documents (in conjunction with
technical experts)
- Selection Documents (in conjunction with
selection committees and Project Manager)
- Comprehensive individual procurement file for
procurement activity
- Contract for all goods and services procured
in a procedural manner
- Supplies, goods and services to support the
operations of the Multinational Project.
Qualifications of Procurement Officer
- Advanced university degree in one of the
following disciplines: economics, commerce, business administration,
Supply Chain Management, or related field.
- Professional certification in supply chain
management by recognized body
- At least 8 years’ working experience at a
senior procurement position in an inter-Governmental Organization,
Development Agencies or other international organizations
- Extensive experience in procurement of goods
and services, including designing and preparing solicitations and
proposals, monitoring contract performance, and ensuring compliance
strongly preferred.
- Proven working experience and knowledge of
multilateral donors like AfDB and World Bank Procedures is essential.
- Demonstrated knowledge of international best
practices in procurement procedures, project administration, contract
procedures and project follow-up.
- Excellent communication skills and experience
in working with high level government officials and business executives.
- Proven excellent computer skills especially in
MS Excel, Power Point and MS Project.
- Strong interpersonal skills, ability to communicate
well at all levels of the organization
- Ability to multitask and work under pressure
- Proven record of working with minimum
supervision
- Good planning and organizational skills.
- Fluency in reading, writing and speaking in
English
- Knowledge of French or Portuguese is an added
advantage
Modalities of Work: The officer will work full time dedicating 8 hours
in a day for 5 days a week.
Duration: 18 months
Reporting: The officer will work under the supervision of
the Manager, Finance and Administration or such other person as the client may
designate from time to time in writing.
Payment: The salary will be commensurate with the
qualification and experience of the successful candidate
How to Apply
The African Virtual University (AVU) is an equal opportunity employer.
How to Apply
The African Virtual University (AVU) is an equal opportunity employer.
The successful candidate will be appointed for 18 Months
Application must include an
application letter and a detailed curriculum vitae with: a telephone number;
email and residential addresses; and names with contact addresses of three
professional references.
Applications should be sent to
job@avu.org and must have Senior Procurement Officer as the email subject All
inquiries should be sent to avuhr@avu.org
The successful candidate will be
based at the AVU Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
The closing date for this application is January 2nd 2015 at 18:00 East African Time (UTC/GMT + 3)
Note: ONLY shortlisted candidates will be contacted
