IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations. IUCN’s mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,300 Member organisations and the input of more than 16,000 experts. IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. The IUCN Secretariat has offices located all around the world and is headquartered in Gland, Switzerland.

The Secretariat implements the four-year IUCN Programme adopted by the IUCN Membership through a growing portfolio of over 400 projects across the world that respond to country, donor, and IUCN priorities. IUCN intends to increase its performance, results management and operational efficiency by enhancing and harmonizing the monitoring, evaluation and learning (M&E) function across the organisation.

To achieve these enhancements to the institution’s performance and results management and operational efficiency, IUCN is hiring a Senior Officer, Regional M&E for the Asia Regional Office (ARO). Reporting directly to the Regional Director and as a member of the Regional Programme Management team, he/she will lead the regional implementation of institutional processes, performance frameworks and standards, and data management system upgrades.

This senior-level officer position, in the IUCN professional job-grade system, will contribute to the region’s leadership in strategic portfolio performance management and assurance, through implementation of new global institutional standards in the region, helps oversee quality assurance for the Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), and grow M&E capabilities in the region. This person will play a key role in improving IUCN’s results management systems, practices and culture, promoting regional and global exchange of knowledge, lessons learned and best practices and therefore seeks a profile with strong M&E subject-matter expertise and experience.

1. MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
As the regional lead for M&E work supporting IUCN Asia programme management, this position has overall responsibility for M&E function in the region and the quality of M&E outputs in the regional portfolio. He/she will participate in the region’s management team to contribute to steering the performance and assurance of the programme and portfolio of projects implemented in the region, and ensuring quality in the design and development of the portfolio.
He/she will also lead the regional implementation of institutional M&E policies, practices and systems. As regional focal point for institutional performance management and evaluation (IPME) function, this position is expected to liaise with the global IPME Unit (and regional leads in portfolio/programme management, HR, Finance, Legal, and IT) to collaboratively build the Secretariat’s M&E capabilities in the region with regards to relevant policies, processes, practices and systems.

This position provides subject matter expertise in M&E to support projects implemented in the region, from design to closure. She/he will provide functional line management to M&E officers, contribute to the recruitment, onboarding and training of M&E officers, and will manage project evaluations.

2. SPECIFIC DUTIES
A. Regional portfolio performance management
Coordinate M&E to assure and support performance management functions in the region, specifically:
1.Planning, monitoring and reporting
• Coordinate regional input from project and programme managers to institutional Annual Cycle of planning, monitoring and reporting (for both unrestricted and restricted funding).
• Develop and implement regional performance measurement framework, aligned to Secretariat performance framework.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of regional performance criteria to steer a strategic and effective portfolio (pipeline management).
• Track, monitor and evaluate regional project portfolio implementation in the IUCN Programme and Project Portal and through any tools used in the region (e.g. Smartsheet).
2.Evaluation, learning and resource mobilisation
• Develop and ensure adequacy of regional evaluation framework in consultation with the Head of Programme Management and maintain the register of evaluations.
• Support project and programme evaluations including to: advise on evaluation ToRs and evaluation management, ensure projects comply with the IUCN Monitoring and Evaluation Policy requirements for evaluation.
• Contribute to ARO-wide efforts for institutional learning in applying international best practices to enable adaptive management and organisational learning, and participating in regional and global exchanges.
• Support resource mobilisation efforts for M&E in the region, through the provision of subject-matter expertise on M&E requirements, and by ensuring projects are designed with performance frameworks, and appropriate budgetfor M&E staff time and activities (implementation of the IUCN project costing framework).

B. Institutional performance management standards applied in the region
1. In collaboration with the global IPME Unit, implement Secretariat-wide M&E policies, practices and systems in the region, specifically in relation to:
• Institutional annual cycle (planning, monitoring and reporting)
• Project Guidelines and Standards (PGS), including Project Appraisal and Approval System (PAAS)
• Programme and Project Portal (project data forms and project workflows that control project status)
• Enterprise Risks Management Policy and internal control framework
• Evaluation Policy
2. Guide regional implementation of policies and standards for M&E, ensuring policy understanding of managers and providing a control and quality assurance role.
3. Provide subject matter expertise and serve as the focal point in the region for the function by briefing, training, and coaching project managers and project M&E officers to effectively implement the policies and practices.
4. Provide project assurance through:
• Managing evaluations for projects including facilitating appropriate feedback on draft reports, compliance with the IUCN Evaluation Policy, and facilitating the preparation of management responses.
• Participating in project supervision missions.
5. Advocate for and facilitate the proactive use of M&E information in decision-making and adaptive management across the portfolio.
6. Share lessons, provide advice, raise issues, and identify current or emerging risks to the implementation of the policies and controls – with both PPME Unit and the Regional Director.

C. Supervision and capacity building for project M&E
To enhance project management for results delivery, co-supervise project M&E officers and support project managers with M&E and risk management:
1. Coordinate, advise and ensure consistent application of institutional project management standards.
2. Contribute to the recruitment, hiring and onboarding of new project M&E officers; provide functional reporting line management to country/project M&E officers. M&E
3. Brief, train and coach project staff on M&E. Occasionally lead M&E work for projects in the Science and Strategy Group (SSG) and Multilateral Finance subportfolios. IUCN standards and expectations for M&E within projects include:
• Development of the M&E components of the project proposal aligned to IUCN Programme and indicators (theory of change, results framework, e.g. logframe, and budget for M&E activities and staff time).
• Development and timely implementation of the project M&E plan.
• Reporting to donors against project results framework and indicators.
• Institutional reporting against IUCN indicators.
• Facilitating adaptive management and learning throughout the project.
• Finalizing and closing projects according to IUCN requirements.
• Plan for required independent project evaluations, including contributing to ToR development and evaluation management when required.
4. Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time.