The Livelihoods Improvement of Urban Poor Communities (LIUPC) Project (also known as National Urban Poverty Reduction Programme-NUPRP) builds on the experiences of the FCDO, UNDP and GoB funded Urban Poverty Reduction Project-UPPR (2007-2015), one of the largest urban poverty reduction intervention in the world which established a community-based approach to reduce urban poverty working with more than 2,500 Community Organizations in 19 Pourashavas (Municipalities) and City Corporations. LIUPCP will be implemented over a period of five years (2018-2023) to provide support towards contributing to balanced, sustainable growth and reduction of urban poverty in Bangladesh. LIUPCP will work nationwide and cover poor people living in slums and informal settlements in selected Pourashavas and all City Corporations in Bangladesh.
The programme has five Outputs:
Output 1: Strengthened pro-poor urban management, policy and planning
Output 2: Strong community organizations and an effective voice for the urban poor built
Output 3: Improved economic and social well-being for the urban poor
Output 4: More secure tenure and housing finance for the urban poor
Output 5: Improved resilient infrastructure in and serving low-income settlements
The ultimate intended beneficiaries of this intervention are the poor and vulnerable urban people, now and in future years. Based on evidence outlined in the previous UPPR reviews and similar types of urban interventions in Bangladesh, the NUPRP reasonably expects a wide range of benefits to result from the interventions at community, municipal and national levels. Given the ever-expanding size of the urban centers and the populations that will be linked to employment opportunities, interventions targeting urban poor people should affect overall economic growth, income inequality, employment and the poverty situation.
The Local Government Division (LGD), Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and UNDP are the Implementing Partners.
The Research and Reporting Analyst ensures leadership when implementing the knowledge management activities of the Project in coordination with senior Programme colleagues, and also in ensuring the quality of commissioned research. S/he will also ensure that all project reports are to quality and to time. In addition, the Research and Reporting Specialist ensures to respond, in a timely manner, to ad hoc information requests from FCDO, UNDP and GoB and in disseminating quality information, including successes and lessons learnt, to a range of stakeholders.
Summary of key functions:
- Conducting research on project activities, identifying success stories/lessons learned and documenting it for further dissemination. Coordinate with senior programme colleagues to keep abreast of project activities during the process.
- Development of strategic knowledge management products to help fulfil project/organisational goals.
- Management and coordination of internal and external reporting processes with senior project staffs.
- Support for and effective coordination with M&E and Communication Teams to achieve shared objectives.
- Support LIUPCP and UNDP to maintain organisational credibility by ensuring quality assurance of commissioned works, all major reports and publications, concept papers, research, evaluation etc. to a high standard.
The Research and Reporting Analyst will work under the overall guidance and the direct supervision of the International Project Manager.
Supports facilitation of knowledge building and sharing in the area of research and reporting focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Coordination and leadership of development of the project’s knowledge management activities to identify storylines of achievements of LIUPCP and development/coordination during the production of a synthesis of different knowledge, communication and outreach material including lessons learned and best practices. Recommendation for potential further research and analysis.
- Carrying out of extensive field missions across the towns/cities to identify and capture relevant information for analysis, reporting and marketing.
- Facilitation and participation in results-oriented reporting/ knowledge management training efforts.
- Timely preparation and submission of quality reports to FCDO, UNDP, GoB and other stakeholders.
Support the M&E and Communications Teams in the implementation of monitoring and reporting policies and strategies, focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Provision of regular update and input in monitoring of project activities, to assess overall project implementation with respect to project objectives, outputs and indicators;
- Provision of effective troubleshooting, suggestion for corrective measures to be undertaken, and make arrangements of technical assistance to implementing partners based on results of monitoring, where necessary
- Timely reporting arrangements are in place and being implemented to ensure that the reporting requirements are met in a timely manner.
- Timely collection of information and drafting of ‘human interest stories’ of persons impacted by UNDP supported programming.
- Support and provide strategic guidance to Communications Team in producing relevant materials for visibility, media and other purpose including video clips and associated scripts.
- Provision of guidance to implementing partner and serves as focal point for M&R in line with UNDP monitoring and reporting policies, procedures and practices;
- Effective showcasing to external stakeholders on progress made and impacts delivered by LIUPCP.
Support the M&E teams in the project and Country Office in the implementation of evaluation plan, focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Provision of guidance to implementing partner and serves as focal point for M&R in line with UNDP evaluation policies, procedures and practices
- Provision of input for the Project Manager on the needs for evaluation based on the donor agreements
- Analysis based on data collection for the evaluation process as necessary and requested by independent evaluators;
- Coordination with the project team, project board and the stakeholders to ensure smooth conduct of the evaluation;
- Provision of high quality of data and strategic inputs for improving the existing M&R systems.
- Timely implementation of evaluation recommendations.
Conduct desk and field research to develop knowledge products on key emerging issues on urban poverty, urbanization, urban governance and SDGs attainment.
- Provide support and strategic advice to all project interventions after conducting extensive research.
- Review literature to identify appropriate research methodology and potential areas of value addition by UNDP
- Perform background research (qualitative and quantitative) on project activities.
- Support and participate in conducting in-depth research and analysis of primary and secondary data
- Prepare and update database and analyses data using appropriate tools and techniques
- Interpret, analyze results and bring out policy implications
- Develop knowledge products on key emerging issues
- Review reports and strategy papers
- Compile the researched material in a systematic way and prepare background briefs/briefing notes as and when required.
- Provide effective support to management of the Project and UNDP.
- Provide guidance to consultants/executing agencies on routine implementation of the projects and monitor the quality of their works.
Support hiring expert researchers and consultants when commissioning large studies, and ensure a rigorous impact evaluation. Conduct quality assurance of commissioned tasks in collaboration with the consultants. Support to widely disseminate the results and findings.
- Support to develop TOR to hire expert researchers and consultants
- Contribute to assess the candidature of the expert researchers and consultants
- Monitor the activities of the expert researchers and consultants
- Review work plans, programme/project papers and reporting documents when commissioning large studies
- Confirm quality assurance of the commissioned task by working in collaboration with the consultants
- Support to widely disseminate the results and findings of large studies.
- Liaise closely with media and communication counterparts to plan launches, events and other activities designed to bring attention to the results and findings of the project
- Undertake any other functions or responsibilities which may be assigned by the International Project Manager and UNDP Management Team.
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making
- UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.
Digital & Innovation
- Data storytelling and communications: Skilled in building a narrative around a set of data and its accompanying visualizations to help convey the meaning of that data in a powerful and compelling fashion.
External relations & advocacy
- Event planning and execution: Ability to plan, manage and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as overall brand and mandate.
Business Direction & Strategy
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with Project’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions; Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for Project
Business Development
- Collective Intelligence Design : Ability to bringing together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions
- Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
- Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally
- Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making
- Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Development Studies, Social Science or related field is required, or
- A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
- At least 2 years (with Master’s degree) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national and international level in development issues both in the field and HQ; experience in high quality reporting, communication and donor relations
- Ability to think clearly and analytically.
- Experience in reporting and research.
- Experience working with a donor agency an asset.
- Experience of working with multidisciplinary teams.
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems
- Ability to plan own work, setting priorities and completing it under pressure or when faced with competing demands.
- Experience working with development organizations preferably with UN agencies
- Strong knowledge and understanding of development organizations’ reporting deliverables and ability to strategically develop close linkage with M&E and Communication for shared outcome.
- Country specific knowledge or previous experience of the urban landscape in Bangladesh is desirable
Required Language:
- Excellent command of English language (both written and verbal).