[Hiring] International Consultant for Programme Quality Assurance and Oversight @UNDP

Role Description

The Retainer Technical Consultant for Programme Quality Assurance and Oversight will be reporting to the Regional Programme Management Specialist at Programme Support and Management Unit (PSMU) for the Asia-Pacific region and will be supported by a Programme Associate who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues. The consultant will play a proactive role in supporting the oversight of appraisal mechanisms, the quality assurance of field documentation and reviews, and the capacity assessment of offices to increase Delegation of Authority (DoA) for project approval, and related capacity-building support. The consultant works in close collaboration with regional programme teams, country offices (COs), multi-country offices (MCOs), and non-physical presences (NPPs) to ensure effective programme quality assurance and oversight, including special reviews and advisory inputs as required.

Responsibilities/Scope of Work

• Programme Quality Assurance and Appraisal Support
  • Provide technical support to assess and strengthen regional and country-level programme quality assurance and oversight mechanisms.
  • Deliver structured quality assurance feedback and recommendations.
  • Support the strengthening and standardisation of appraisal processes.
  • Develop an oversight strategy with clear activities and responsibilities.
• Quality Assurance of Field Documentation and Reviews
  • Contribute to systematic sample-based quality assurance reviews of field-level documentation.
  • Collaborate closely with regional programme teams to ensure coordinated support.
• Capacity Assessment for increasing DoA to field offices
  • Support implementation and monitoring of the capacity assessment plan.
  • Conduct capacity assessments and formulate evidence-based recommendations.
• Capacity Building and Technical Advisory Support
  • Design and deliver targeted capacity-building initiatives.
  • Provide hands-on advisory support to programme and operations teams.

Expected Outputs

• Quality-assured appraisal reviews, including written technical feedback.
• QA assessment notes and reports on field documentation and review processes.
• Capacity assessment reports for COs/MCOs/NPPs related to Delegation of Authority (DoA).
• Capacity-building outputs, including training sessions and advisory support documentation.
• Analytical briefs and knowledge products highlighting trends and lessons learned.
• Ad hoc technical advisory outputs in response to emerging programme quality assurance needs.
• Oversight strategy with clear activities and tools to detect delays.
• Synthesis of best practices and lessons learned for adaptive oversight.

Consultant's Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy without official travel.

Competencies

• Core Values:
  • Integrity
  • Professionalism
  • Respect for Diversity
• Core Competencies:
  • Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
  • Accountability
  • Creative Problem Solving
  • Effective Communication
  • Inclusive Collaboration
  • Stakeholder Engagement
  • Leading by Example
• Functional Competencies:
  • Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting.
  • Ability to build strong relationships with clients.
  • Ability to manage complexities.

Education and Certification

• Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant disciplines is required.
• A first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted.
• PRINCE2® Practitioner and/or Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification is an asset.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in project and programme management.
• Proven track record of quality assurance of programme design and reporting.
• Technical expertise in all aspects of project management.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages.
• Experience in data analysis, knowledge management, or reporting is an asset.
• Prior relevant experience in the UN System is desirable.
• Prior relevant experience in the Asia-Pacific region is desirable.

Languages

• Fluency in English is required.

How to Apply

• Fill in the online application in Quantum.
• A cover letter with a maximum length of 1 page.
• Examples of previous work will be requested from shortlisted candidates only.