The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is recruiting a Monitoring & Evaluation Associate in Cotabato City, Philippines, under a one-year National Personnel Service Agreement (NPSA-7).
The position is open to internal and external applicants, with applications due by September 5, 2026, at 8:59 AM.
The role is focused on monitoring, evaluation, reporting and learning for UNDP peacebuilding projects in Mindanao. It is particularly suited to candidates with substantial professional experience in monitoring and evaluation, especially in peacebuilding, community development and community transformation.
Key Details of the UNDP Monitoring & Evaluation Associate Role
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Employer | UNDP |
| Position | Monitoring & Evaluation Associate |
| Job ID | 36589 |
| Location | Cotabato City, Philippines |
| Job type | Full time |
| Grade | NPSA-7 |
| Contract type | National Personnel Service Agreement |
| Contract duration | 1 year |
| Practice area | Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions |
| Required languages | English and Filipino |
| Education | Secondary education, or bachelor’s degree in relevant fields |
| Experience | 7 years with secondary education or 4 years with a bachelor’s degree |
| Application deadline | September 5, 2026, 8:59 AM |
The vacancy was posted on August 28, 2026, and the listed vacancy timeline is one week.
What will the Monitoring & Evaluation Associate do?
This position supports UNDP’s peacebuilding work in Mindanao by helping establish and operate the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) system for several projects.
The projects specifically identified in the vacancy are:
- Programme on Stabilization, Peacebuilding and Resilience Phase 2
- Joint Programme on Empowering Women for Sustainable Peace
- Preventing Violent Extremism
The Associate will work with local authorities, civil society organisations, UN agencies and other stakeholders. A major part of the job is making sure project results are properly monitored, documented and reported, while also helping teams respond to feedback and grievances from partners and stakeholders.
The role also contributes to quality assurance by tracking indicators, identifying implementation challenges and documenting lessons that can help project managers and the Project Board make informed decisions. The Associate is additionally expected to support capacity building and mentoring for project staff and partners on MEAL processes.
Main responsibilities in the position
The responsibilities span programme support, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, feedback mechanisms and knowledge management.
Programme management support
The Associate will help with planning, designing and managing peacebuilding projects. This includes contributing to annual work plans, preparing written analysis, supporting project governance events and helping prepare technical and donor reports.
The position may also involve working with think tanks, academic institutions and research organisations on specified action research activities.
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting
Monitoring and evaluation is the central component of the job. The Associate will maintain and update the project’s M&E plan, covering outputs, outcomes, indicators, data sources and collection methods.
The work includes:
- Developing M&E tools aligned with project indicators
- Guiding project staff and partners in using M&E tools
- Supporting quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis
- Maintaining the project’s data repository
- Preparing consolidated progress reports
- Identifying implementation bottlenecks and recommending solutions
- Supporting field visits and gathering change stories
- Assisting evaluation missions and data-quality assessments
- Supporting lessons-learning workshops
- Monitoring feedback and response mechanisms
- Tracking project risks and social and environmental safeguards
- Preparing monthly, quarterly and annual project reports
The Associate will also support monitoring and evaluation missions involving UNDP, the Philippine Government, the BARMM Government and donor representatives visiting project sites.
Who is eligible for this UNDP position?
The vacancy accepts candidates with either secondary education or a bachelor’s degree. A university or college degree in Economics, Statistics, Data Science, Development Studies or Business Administration will receive consideration, but the degree itself is not a requirement.
The experience requirement depends on education:
- Secondary education: at least 7 years of professional experience in monitoring and evaluation support for peacebuilding and/or development projects or programmes.
- Bachelor’s degree: at least 4 years of the same type of professional experience.
In addition, applicants need demonstrated experience in several areas. The vacancy specifically requires at least four years of experience in results-based monitoring and evaluation connected with peacebuilding, community area development and community transformation. It also requires at least four years of experience collecting and analysing M&E data and facilitating project reporting for decision-makers and development partners.
Candidates must also have at least four years of experience using MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint, database systems and report writing.
Additional experience that could strengthen an application
The vacancy lists several skills and experiences as desirable rather than required.
These include:
- Five years of experience with web-based monitoring and management systems, preferably Oracle (Quantum)
- Five years of experience working with institutional and community partners on monitoring and evaluation of peacebuilding or development programmes in different BARMM provinces
- Four years of demonstrated quantitative-data analysis using statistical software such as SPSS, Stata or R
- Previous working experience in Mindanao, particularly in the BARMM
For language skills, fluency in English and Filipino is required. Working knowledge of a BARMM dialect is an advantage.
What competencies does UNDP want?
Beyond technical M&E experience, the vacancy highlights several core competencies. The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate attention to detail and the ability to deliver quality work on deadlines, while also being adaptable, motivated and comfortable working through uncertainty.
The position also places emphasis on partnership building and respect for diversity and inclusion.
Technical competencies include partnership management, monitoring and evaluation, futures and foresight, collective intelligence design and data literacy. The role therefore combines conventional M&E work with stakeholder engagement, data interpretation and the ability to turn information into useful insights for decision-making.
Who will the Associate work with?
The Monitoring & Evaluation Associate will work under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Project Manager. The position is responsible for delivering specific project outputs and working with partners and stakeholders to support quality implementation and achievement of project targets.
The broader role involves coordination with government institutions, civil society organisations, UN agencies, project partners and other stakeholders involved in governance, stabilization, resilience and normalization initiatives.
Important application and recruitment information
This vacancy uses UNDP’s tiered application approach. The announcement explains that different tiers apply to different categories of existing UNDP, UNCDF and UNV personnel, while Tier 3 or no tier indicated covers other contract types from those organisations and other agencies, as well as external candidates. Applicants are instructed to check any tier indicated in the vacancy title and ensure they meet the applicable eligibility requirements.
The position is listed as open to internal and external applicants, and the deadline shown in the vacancy is September 5, 2026, at 8:59 AM.
UNDP also states that it does not charge applicants a fee at any stage of recruitment. Candidates are encouraged to read the organisation’s guidance concerning responsible use of AI during recruitment and selection.
UNDP further notes that it may select one or more candidates from the vacancy and may retain applications for consideration for other similar positions at the same grade with comparable requirements.
