MONITORING AND EVALUATION SPECIALIST

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A U-SWAP MONITORING AND EVALUATION SPECIALIST

I. BACKGROUND

The Urbanization and Rural Settlement Sector-Wide Approach (U-SWAp) Secretariat was established in 2015 with aim to strengthen sector coordination and performance by increasing coherence and complementarity of interventions in support of the national urbanisation agenda.

In line with that, the Sector Working Groups (SWGs) are established as technical working forums that facilitate cross-sector discussions between the government and partners. From SWGs the Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) are formed. The TWGs are specific smaller technical groups by themes to enhance synergies and thematic interventions for a successful implementation of the sector strategy.

Currently, the SWG for Urbanisation and Rural Settlement sector (U&R) is composed of over 60 active members stemming from the development partners (DPs), stakeholders from International and National NGOs, representatives from Private Sector, Civil Society, Academia and Sector Media Network, local governments (CoK and Districts), and central government (Ministries and affiliated agencies), whose mandates are directly or indirectly related to urbanisation and rural settlement development.

MININFRA, as a Government institution responsible for urbanization and human settlement development, is the Chair of the Urbanisation SWG and host of the Urbanization and Rural Settlement SWAp Secretariat which is the coordination unit for the SWG. Currently U-SWAp consists of two full-time staff: the U-SWAp Coordinator and the Spatial Development Framework Operationalization (SDF) Specialist.

While the Urbanisation SWG platform is very active, the thematic working groups have not been active enough in the past years, therefore the need to revive them to better serve their purpose encouraging members to synergize and step up efforts for deeper analysis of specific technical matters and recommend remedial measures and solutions.

The SWG meetings (of October 2023 and June 2024) stressed the need to revive the TWGs to enhance technical coordination of interventions among the growing number of partners in the urbanisation sector. In line with reviving the Thematic Working Groups, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through its Urbanisation Program for Rwanda has committed to support strengthening the U-SWAp Secretariat with an additional local position: a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Specialist.

II. U-SWAp SECRETARIAT OBJECTIVES

2.1 Main objective

Ensure effective coordination and integration of Urbanization and Human Settlement Development Plans and Actions at National and Local Level towards achieving the sector strategic targets aligned to NST 2, Vision 2050, SDGs and other Regional/Continental goals.

2.2 Specific objectives

Ensure efficient and effective functioning of Urbanization and Rural Settlement Sector Working Group;Ensure horizontal and vertical coordination of Urbanization and Rural Settlement Sector stakeholders and development partners efforts and actions;Support the operationalization and functioning of the sector’s Thematic Working Groups;Operationalize and coordinate Planning Coordination Meetings related to urbanisation and rural settlements sector at Regional and District level;Ensure efficient communication of urbanization and rural settlement sector projects and achievements;Ensure an effective flow of information among the urbanization & rural settlement SWG members and within the sector to avoid any duplication of efforts and instead foster complementarity;Act as a catalyst and an action accelerator to support efforts to scale up urbanisation and rural settlement operations for the national development objectives;Promote research in urbanization & rural settlement technical approaches, knowledge transfer and exchange of best practices, innovations and their replication where appropriate;Advocate for the role of planned urbanization and rural settlement in social & economic development and poverty reduction;Identify untapped opportunities and mobilise complementary resources to support existing actions and gaps in the sector.

III. U-SWAp M&E SPECIALIST JOB DESCRIPTION

3.1 Main duties and responsibilities shall include the following:

a. Monitoring & Evaluation (time allocation: 60%¹)

Support the monitoring and evaluation of the SWG programme for the U&R sector:

Ensure that the U-SWAp Secretariat has useful, valid and reliable information on sector specific matters including the status of sector strategic indicators aligned to GoR goals, and performance of programmes and projects by sector development partners and stakeholders;Ensure adherence to monitoring and evaluation guidelines, frameworks and indicators for the SWG programme and assist in embedding M&E and accountability;Assist in establishment of Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) tools which enhance partnership between SWG members to collectively track progress on implem…