Terms of Reference (ToR)
Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund (ARTF) Monitoring Agent (MA)
Job title: Project Lead
Location: Remote
Duration: Until December 2025 with possibility of extension
Background
The Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund (ARTF), established in 2002, is a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank to support the needs of the Afghan population. As one of the of the largest sources of development financing in Afghanistan, ARTF supports a diverse portfolio of projects targeting improvements in livelihoods, food security, water, sanitation, health, and capacity development. By providing critical funding, ARTF plays a crucial role in delivering essential services to vulnerable populations, contributing to stability and building resilience in the face of complex daily challenges.
BDO LLP serves as the Monitoring Agent (MA) for the World Bank, providing on-the ground oversight of all ARTF-funded projects. The ARTF MA ensures transparency and accountability, providing the World Bank and other stakeholders with visibility of and assurance over project implementation through both financial and physical monitoring.
POSITION SUMMARY
Under the supervision of the Team Leader, the Project Lead role will play a pivotal role in providing monitoring oversight and management of one (or more)[1] ARTF-funded projects.
This role requires a highly skilled and strategic individual to lead the design and implementation of a comprehensive monitoring and analysis framework, which jointly captures updates and findings from physical and financial monitoring of ARTF-funded projects to support regular third-party monitoring (TPM) reporting products and other project deliverables. Working closely with the World Bank (WB) and its partners (Asian Development Bank (ADB), UN agencies, and relevant stakeholders) and collaborating closely with the Team Leader and other ARTF MA technical colleagues, this role plays a crucial part in ensuring the success of the ARTF portfolio.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The ARTF MA Project Lead will be responsible for the following duties (not exhaustive):
- Manage the delivery of TPM activities outlined in the monitoring frameworks. This involves oversight of both financial and physical monitoring, in consultation with WB and its partners, and in close collaboration with the ARTF MA Team Leader, Financial Monitoring Lead and MA data collection teams.
- Support the design of Monitoring Frameworks including:
- review project and cross-portfolio indicators, including means of verification, significant negative findings, and red flags.
- oversee, the integration of physical and financial monitoring data collection approaches of WB partners’ TPM agents’ verification activities, including ad hoc/case studies, analytical frameworks and analysis products.
- Provide technical and strategic guidance to the ARTF MA data management team and review the quality of their outputs, including qualitative and quantitative data analysis and dashboarding.
- Provide technical guidance to ARTF MA data analysts, supporting in research methodology and data collection plans.
- Ensure that monitoring frameworks remain up to date as living documents, reviewing the appropriateness of performance indicators and ensuring that they align with workplans and reflect current agreements,
- Lead on reporting for One Project[2] within the ARTF portfolio, balancing the various needs of the WB and its partners (including accountability to donors), and adapting reporting mechanisms and products to the type of reporting and the timelines allocated by the WB and its partners.
- Draft monthly and quarterly reports and review reports drafted by team members.
- Organise and manage a consultation system for field staff to lead contextual analysis.
- Review project needs and identify and mobilise experts when necessary.
- Develop tailored learning products and other communication material to present monitoring findings and methodologies adapted to targeted audiences, including the WB, UN agencies, ARTF donors, the Interim Taliban Authority (ITA), etc.
- Regularly consult and engage partners (WB, WB partners, and ARTF donors) to understand their strategic direction, programmatic needs, and requirements, including modifications to digital platforms, dashboards, and reports.
- Design and implement appropriate changes in data collection methodologies and products to align with and address partners’ needs.
- Set up regular briefings for WB staff, presenting monitoring findings and updates on project/programme deliverables.
- Identify gaps in accountability and propose solutions to mitigate/address these gaps.
- Regularly consult with the ARTF MA Physical Monitoring Team Lead to ensure timeliness and quality of report submission.
- Review and copy-edit project deliverables prior to submission to the WB, UN agencies, ARTF donors, etc.
EXPECTED OUTPUTS
Oversight (lead the production and delivery) of, a key contributor to, or produce:
- Meeting minutes (discussion/action points) or follow-up communications to the WB and relevant UN agencies for all weekly/bi-weekly/monthly coordination meetings.
- 6-10 monthly reports;
- 3-5 dashboards (maintenance, modification, data updates);
- 3-5 quarterly reports, including various annexed products such as ad hoc/case studies, investigations, or fact sheets;
- Up to 10 presentations per quarter;
- Annual report
WORKING HOURS AND TRAVEL
For the majority of projects with the ARTF portfolio, client counterparts are based between DC and Kabul, with online meetings usually scheduled Monday to Friday between 6am EST and 11am EST.
International travel may be required for one week up to three times a year. The location is likely to be Dubai or Istanbul. It is unlikely that travel to Kabul is required.
REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in international affairs, social sciences, or related field required. Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum eight years of experience in humanitarian assistance- or development-related projects/program management roles, or relevant research/ M&E management positions required. Six years of such experience if the candidate holds a Master’s degree.
- At least five years of experience supporting third-party monitoring (TPM) projects, M&E support projects, and/or evaluations, including reporting.
- Experience with quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
- Strong understanding of databases and information systems.
- Demonstrable experience working on fragile and/or conflict-prone zones required, with a strong preference for experience for projects/programs implemented in Afghanistan.
- Experience in the following sectors: education, health, food security, WASH is preferred.
- Ability to build effective working relationships with colleagues and work in a fast-paced environment across multiple time zones while remaining flexible.
- Strong interpersonal, time management, and organizational skills required.
- Strong written and oral communication skills in English are required, as well as strong report writing skills.
[1] One large project or 2-3 small projects
[2] One large project (or 2-3 small projects)
How to apply
Interested, qualified candidates are requested to submit their CV and Cover Letter by no later than 28th March 2025 to: Majdalene.Bentaher@bdo.co.uk with the subject ‘ARTF MA Project Lead’.