1. M&E Learning Manager (1)
Reports to the Project Manager, the ME and L Manager will have overall responsibility for the coordination of the timely establishment, operation and maintenance of the Project M&E system; for the generation of knowledge and evidence; and for the communication of Project activities, achievements and lessons learned. He/she will also have specific responsibility for managing, Component 3.1, “Policy and Institutional Support for Oil Palm Sector development”.

Key Responsibilities:
i. Consolidate the learnings from prior interventions in Oil Palm development towards the actions that enhance policy development within the Oil Palm sector, specifically assisting the GoU to establish enabling conditions for the long-term development
ii. Ensure the building of a monitoring and evaluation system that lends towards efficient and effective management of the project
iii. Working in collaboration with other PMU members, oversee the design and development of the Project M&E system, its knowledge management agenda, and its communication strategy; and ensure that these are coherent and synergistic and support the objectives of the Project, and that they are effectively planned and implemented.
iv. Guide, support, supervise and monitor the work of the M&E Officer, KM and Communication Officer and M&E Assistant.
v. Be in charge of designing of the central M&E system that will serve the NOPP needs during the Project implementation that will eventually become the national oil palm sector database.
vi. Work in close coordination with all stakeholders to assess the data and information needs for the national oil palm sector database, for Project management and for IFAD’s requirements, ensuring that the M&E system is designed in a way that responds to these needs and that makes it possible to produce reliable M&E data in timely manner.
vii. Plan and execute and Monitoring and Evaluation surveys with a view of informing NOPP management on the progress and areas that require improvement to ensure achievement of project objectives
viii. Set up and management of the GIS/GPS systems to ensure data capture of all smallholder oil palm activities and beneficiaries in the NOPP hubs to facilitate monitoring progress and impacts.
ix. Planning and the execution of Baselines Studies, Impact and Outcome Studies and Project Completion Studies in line with the timelines of the project. Ensure that these facilitate management decision making and progress tracking for the project.
x. Introduce and strengthen the application of Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation methodology by smallholder oil palm farmers. xi. Work closely with the Finance Unit to ensure that project outputs and outcomes are closely linked with project financials to ensure value for money.
xii. Support the KM and Communication Officer to develop an approach for prioritizing and implementing Knowledge Management activities, and developing and disseminating knowledge tools and products.
xiii. Support the KM and Communication Officer to develop a Project communication strategy, geared towards Project implementers, the target group and stakeholders, and others, both within Uganda and outside, with an interest in oil palm development in Uganda.
xiv. Lead, through interactions with different stakeholders, in the establishment of a conducive framework for sustainable scaling –up of oil palm investments.
xv. Establishment of an enabling policy, legal, strategic and institutional framework for the inclusive and sustainable development of the oil-palm sector; specifically in the following areas:
a) Development of policy, bill and strategy framework;
b) In collaboration with the Environment, Health and Safety Officer, work on the development of the Strategic Environmental Assessment;
c) Establishment and implementation of the Oil Palm Stakeholder Platform
xvi. Lead, guide and coordinate the Project annual work planning and budgeting process.
xvii. Oversee timely preparation of quarterly and annual Project progress reports, their analysis and identification of lessons learned and potential bottlenecks for Project implementation, if/when relevant, and inform the Project management accordingly.

Academic Qualifications:

a) Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Economics, Statistics, Development Studies, Rural
Development, Planning or related field
b) Master’s degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Economics, or related field.
c) A post graduate diploma in M&E

Experience:
a) Minimum of 10 years’ experience of working at a Senior Position in the field of Policy development, planning and ME&L
b) Experience of at least 2 years in the use of application and use of Geographic Information Systems and Global Positioning Systems technologies.
Competences:
a) Knowledge of participatory M&E approaches and techniques.
b) Good knowledge in the development of performance-based indicators.
c) Evidence of hands – on experience in data management and analysis
d) Demonstrated experience in policy dialogue and development in the agriculture/rural development sector
e) Demonstrated experience in the techniques of data collection, data entry, data analysis and design of management information systems to facilitate the planning and decisionmaking processes within the institution/s
f) Training/ demonstrated experience in project design and/ or appraisal is an added advantage
g) Evidence of reporting and report writing skills will be an added advantage
h) Good knowledge of computer applications (particularly MS Excel, Word, Access and Power point, STATA) will be an added advantage

• Consolidate the learnings from prior interventions in Oil Palm development towards the actions that enhance policy development within the Oil Palm sector, specifically assisting the GoU to establish enabling conditions for the long-term development
• Ensure the building of a monitoring and evaluation system that lends towards efficient and effective management of the project
• Working in collaboration with other PMU members, oversee the design and development of the Project M&E system, its knowledge management agenda, and its communication strategy; and ensure that these are coherent and synergistic and support the objectives of the Project, and that they are effectively planned and implemented.
• Guide, support, supervise and monitor the work of the M&E Officer, KM and Communication Officer and M&E Assistant.
• Be in charge of designing of the central M&E system that will serve the NOPP needs during the Project implementation that will eventually become the national oil palm sector database.
• Work in close coordination with all stakeholders to assess the data and information needs for the national oil palm sector database, for Project management and for IFAD’s requirements, ensuring that the M&E system is designed in a way that responds to these needs and that makes it possible to produce reliable M&E data in timely manner.
• Plan and execute and Monitoring and Evaluation surveys with a view of informing NOPP management on the progress and areas that require improvement to ensure achievement of project objectives
• Set up and management of the GIS/GPS systems to ensure data capture of all smallholder oil palm activities and beneficiaries in the NOPP hubs to facilitate monitoring progress and impacts.
• Planning and the execution of Baselines Studies, Impact and Outcome Studies and Project Completion Studies in line with the timelines of the project. Ensure that these facilitate management decision making and progress tracking for the project.
• Introduce and strengthen the application of Participatory Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation methodology by smallholder oil palm farmers.
• Work closely with the Finance Unit to ensure that project outputs and outcomes are closely linked with project financials to ensure value for money.
• Support the KM and Communication Officer to develop an approach for prioritizing and implementing Knowledge Management activities, and developing and disseminating knowledge tools and products.
• Support the KM and Communication Officer to develop a Project communication strategy, geared towards Project implementers, the target group and stakeholders, and others, both within Uganda and outside, with an interest in oil palm development in Uganda.
• Lead, through interactions with different stakeholders, in the establishment of a conducive framework for sustainable scaling –up of oil palm investments.
• Establishment of an enabling policy, legal, strategic and institutional framework for the inclusive and sustainable development of the oil-palm sector; specifically in the following areas:
  • Development of policy, bill and strategy framework;
  • In collaboration with the Environment, Health and Safety Officer, work on the development of the Strategic Environmental Assessment;
  • Establishment and implementation of the Oil Palm Stakeholder Platform
• Lead, guide and coordinate the Project annual work planning and budgeting process.
• Oversee timely preparation of quarterly and annual Project progress reports, their analysis and identification of lessons learned and potential bottlenecks for Project implementation, if/when relevant, and inform the Project management accordingly.

• Knowledge of participatory M&E approaches and techniques.
• Good knowledge in the development of performance-based indicators.
• Evidence of hands – on experience in data management and analysis
• Demonstrated experience in policy dialogue and development in the agriculture/rural development sector
• Demonstrated experience in the techniques of data collection, data entry, data analysis and design of management information systems to facilitate the planning and decisionmaking processes within the institution/s
• Training/ demonstrated experience in project design and/ or appraisal is an added advantage
• Evidence of reporting and report writing skills will be an added advantage
• Good knowledge of computer applications (particularly MS Excel, Word, Access and Power point, STATA) will be an added advantage

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Economics, Statistics, Development Studies, Rural Development, Planning or related field
• Master’s degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Economics, or related field.
• A post graduate diploma in M&E