Planning, Monitoring and Reporting Specialist

UNICEF is a key UN agency working in Somalia in various aeras such as WASH, Child Protection, Social Policy, Health and Nutrition, and Education sectors. With a population of 3,798,828 people and a significant youth and adolescent proportion forming a huge youth bulge, Somalia faces an unprecedented challenge in addressing the youth and adolescent needs of the people in a complex context where conflict, natural disasters and climate change divert resources from the needs of this important cohort of the population. Approximately 62% of the population is between 5-29 years old, while three-quarters (72%) of the population is less than 30 years old. The unemployment rate is high (estimated at 50%) that also contributes to poverty.

Reporting to the Chief, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, the international UN Volunteer - Planning, Monitoring, and Reporting (PMR) Specialist provides technical and operational support to the Country Office (CO) and Field Offices (FOs) in programme planning, results-based management, performance monitoring and reporting. The role ensures that the CO operates with strong accountability, evidence-based decision making, and high quality programme delivery in a fragile context of Somalia.

A. Performance and Programme Planning: Strategic & Results Based Planning - Lead and provide technical guidance on the formulation of Country Office (CO ) and Field Office (FO ) programme plans using Results Based Management (RBM) principles. - Support the review of Results Frameworks in Programme Documents (PDs). - Facilitate development and quality assurance of Rolling Work Plans (RWPs), FO plans, and programme strategies, ensuring alignment with national priorities, the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), and humanitarian plans. - Support the development of the Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) . - Maintain planning Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), templates, indicator dictionaries, and quality review tools. - Support Field Offices in customizing results chains and work plans to local contexts (access constraints, mobile/third-party monitoring (TPM), seasonality). - Maintain and communicate the Country Planning Calendar aligned with government cycles, HRP deadlines, donor requirements, and internal review processes. Programme Design Quality Assurance - Review and quality assure programme documents, including logframes/results frameworks, and indicator sets linking them to the Results Assessment Module (RAM ) indicators. - Ensure logical coherence, measurable targets, viable implementation pathways, and adequate risk mitigation in programme designs. B. Programme Monitoring and Reporting Performance Monitoring System - Establish and maintain monitoring benchmarks, baselines, targets, and performance indicators, including cluster and regional/state indicators where relevant. - Design and oversee mixed-method monitoring systems using partner monitoring/programmatic visits, direct monitoring, TPM, remote monitoring, community-led monitoring, and digital data collection tools including for UNICEF’s flagship Programmes, LIFE, HOPE, and RIGHT. - Support ensuring timely uploading of quality reports on electronic tools on field monitoring modules. - Support equity-focused monitoring to ensure data disaggregation (sex, age, disability, location, displacement status). Data Quality Assurance & Compliance - Support semi-annual Data Quality Assessments (DQAs) to ensure completeness, timeliness, consistency, and accuracy of monitoring data from CO, FOs, and partners. - Monitor appropriate use of programme resources such as supplies through last mile supply monitoring. Analysis, Adaptive Management & Reviews - Support quarterly and semi-annual CO performance reviews; develop dashboards synthesizing thematic monitoring findings including results, progress, gaps, risks, and corrective actions. - Support mid-year and annual reviews and strategic programme reviews. - Facilitate utilization and learning from monitoring findings through sharing consolidated monitoring findings during programme coordination meetings. Corporate Reporting - Ensure high-quality end-year summary narrative reports are prepared, ensuring accuracy, coherence, and evidence-based narratives. - In collaboration with the sections, - Consolidate humanitarian reports (cluster updates, 4Ws/5Ws, situation reports (sitreps), Humanitarian Programme Monitoring (HPM ) indicators) and ensure alignment with field data and government/cluster systems. - Coordinate CO and FO inputs to ensure timely submission of all donor and corporate reports.