Jennifer Mutua
Nairobi
Summary
Accomplished monitoring and evaluation expert with extensive experience in strategic planning, project management, and data analysis across diverse sectors including climate change, gender equity, education, and urban development. Demonstrates a proven track record in leading multi-stakeholder initiatives, securing funding through proposal development, and delivering impactful evaluations for international organisations such as UNFCCC, World Bank, and UNDP. Adept at integrating cross-cutting issues like social equity and environmental sustainability into policy frameworks and programme implementation. Skilled in utilising advanced tools such as NVivo for qualitative analysis and proficient in virtual collaboration platforms. Committed to driving evidence-based decision-making to enhance socio-economic outcomes globally while continuously advancing expertise in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence for big data analytics. M&E, Gender, Program and Climate Change Expert with extensive national, regional, and global experience. Delivered high-level evaluations and technical reports through mixed-methods research and survey design, aligning project objectives with national Vision 2030 priorities and SDGs. Engaged stakeholders across sectors, fostering collaboration for sustainable development and social equity.
Overview
4
4
Languages
1
1
Certification
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
M&E consultant expert
Agence Française de Développement’s (AFD)/Espelia, France
05.2023 - 07.2024
- M&E expert among urban specialists in Team undertaking the Ex-post Evaluation of the 10-years Kisumu Urban Project (KUP). The overall objective of the project was to strengthen institutional capacities of the city authority for improved service delivery and socio-economic conditions for the residents through the aforementioned, wide range of interventions.
- Ensured accountability for project achievements through rigorous evaluation processes.
- Specific tasks delivered upon: Structuring of the evaluation process by defining methodology, process and tools for the study through desk reviews, stakeholder framing interviews and preparation of inception report.
- Evaluative field data collection and analysis (interviews with key stakeholders, observations and FGDs, including with communities’ beneficiaries).
- Preparations of draft and final reports that included conclusions, lessons learnt and recommendations.
- Organisation of findings stakeholders’ validation workshop.
- Integrated environment/climate change, social and gender equity focusing on youth and women (especially regarding employment/small businesses) as cross-cutting issues in the assessment, highlighting key findings from team participation.
- Drawing lessons learnt for future urban projects in Kenyan intermediary cities and more broadly for AFD’s interventions in secondary cities in other countries.
- Produced a filmed evaluation to share conclusions with urban practitioners and students in France and Africa, enhancing knowledge transfer and application.
- Video shoot demonstrating the outcomes of the project.
Technical Team Expert (TTE)
UNFCCC
08.2023 - 01.2024
- Provided support to developing Member States, particularly in Africa, on climate finance, technical assistance, capacity building, and technology transfer initiatives.
- Reviewed Italy's 8th national communication and 5th biennial climate report to confirm compliance with UNFCCC decisions and guidelines.
- Engaged with reporting parties to clarify requirements and gather responses through UNFCCC BR-VTR platform and in-country interactions.
- Key highlights: Participated in the various technical team review analysis phases/processes (including two guidance conferences, pre-technical analysis/technical analysis week (remotely online & in Rome).
- Conducted desk and in-country reviews as well as participation in team report drafting (with key findings and recommendations) based on: National circumstances.
- Adaptation actions taken on climate impacts in alignment to EU and green transition priorities, with special focus on policies/strategies/plans, institutional arrangements, funding and capacity building, research & systematic observation, monitoring & evaluation as well as education, training and public awareness.
- Climate vulnerable sectors, opportunities/challenges (industry, water supply, tourism, cultural heritage, agriculture, forestry, infrastructure and transport) and areas such as coastal zones and urban areas.
National Technical Team Expert (TTE)
UNFCCC
05.2022 - 03.2023
- Trained UNFCCC’s TTE on Climate Change Member States’ review of Biennial Update Reports (BURs) for Annex-I and National Communications for Non-Annex I Parties.
- Monitored existing institutional and domestic Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) arrangements for tracking national greenhouse gas emissions according to the Party’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in the Carbon Reduction Strategy under the Paris Agreement, supporting continuous preparation of BURs and national communications.
- Conducted desk reviews and contributed to team report drafting, focusing on national climate circumstances, adaptation for climate resiliency, low carbon development pathways, and integration of climate risks into sectoral strategies/action plans aligned with National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) and the Party’s Vision 2030 agenda.
- Identified finance, capacity building, technical and technology needs, along with constraints and gaps in climate change sectors for mitigation/adaptation, including power generation, industry, transport, water and wastewater management, and Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses (AFOLU).
- Practical experience in the first Trinidad and Tobago/Malawi BURs review on climate needs and financing/capacity building/technical/technology support received guided by Conference of Parties’ (COPs) relevant guidelines/decisions as follows:
- Contributed to various technical team analysis phases and processes, including two guidance conferences and pre-technical and post-technical analysis weeks, participating remotely.
- Assessed current status of Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) to identify gaps.
- Information related to Climate finance/technical/capacity building/technology of support received by origin, type (grant, concession etc) and channel of financing such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), as operating entities of the UNFCCC’s financial mechanism.
- Related to above was tracking, review and making entries, where relevant via the UNFCCC’s BUR-VTR platform’s outputs including those between the TTEs and the Party such as gaps identified in their BUR and their response, accordingly.
Project Coordinator/ Consultant
World Bank/Government of Kenya’s Monitoring & Evaluation Department (MED)
12.2018 - 06.2022
- Co-ordination of pilot County evaluation capacity building project (Kericho -health sector/Kilifi-water sector) whose planned activities were advocacy, M&E trainings and management/conducting of rapid evaluation, towards the promotion of the evaluation of the SDGs.
- Managed consultants' activities, addressing issues and queries in collaboration with World Bank team leader and national and county government partners.
- Providing support and technical input into the consultants' activities (evaluations TORs consultative development inception, draft and final reports drafting as well as advocacy and training manuals for County technical staff and ESK members.
- Strategic mobilization of all key national and county levels stakeholders (including high political and technocratic leadership).
- Led consultative conceptualization with stakeholders, resulting in successful funding proposal writing.
- Organised planned events in collaboration with World Bank country office and national government, including trainings, advocacy sessions, and dissemination workshops for evaluation findings.
- Integrated climate change, social equity, and gender responsiveness into project management processes to enhance policy effectiveness.
- Contributed to the project's Reference Group, collaborating with representatives from the World Bank, national government, and consultants to provide quality assurance and technical input into project activities.
Founder/Chair
Evaluation Society of Kenya- ESK/Monitoring & Eval
11.2008 - 11.2019
- Spearheaded strategic and operational support for organisational evolution and management of Society, delivering impactful voluntary assistance.
- Strategic mobilisation of stakeholders that led to the establishment of a joint ESK/MED-led national stakeholders EvalSDGs' Technical Working Group (TWG) for promoting the evaluation of the SDGs, in alignment to the Vision 2030.
- Developed consultative proposals for funding support of World Bank pilot county evaluation and Unicef-ESK institutional strengthening projects.
- Participated in multi-stakeholder efforts to promote national uptake of M&E, strengthening ESK's relevance and influence in an emerging profession.
National Development Co-operation Expert
German Institute for Development
12.2017 - 03.2018
- Conducted a German government’s Country Portfolio Review (CPR) of technical co-operation as a member of a joint Kenya/German team using quantitative and qualitative data mixed methods.
- Analysed German government’s development co-operation profile, identifying strengths and weaknesses to inform strategic improvements.
- Analysis of the implementation of the German government’s country strategy and the bilateral portfolio.
- Developed conclusions and recommendations for strategic orientation of German country portfolio to enhance future effectiveness.
- Assessed socio-economic outcomes and impacts on citizenry across sectors such as industry, agriculture, climate change, and environmental projects, incorporating employment, youth, and gender as cross-cutting themes.
- Conducted field interviews with joint team members to gather insights..
- Mapping out of key stakeholders to interview.
- Conducted field interviews with joint team members to gather insights.
- Analysis of forms of funding/technical assistance.
Associate Research Analyst
Ghubril International, Canada
06.2017 - 09.2017
- Mapped and analysed leading international donors and their current and future programmes, informing strategic recommendations through comprehensive desk reviews.
M&E/Gender Consultant – Team Member
AgDevCo/ DFID/Market Research Associates
12.2016 - 03.2017
- Prepared gender assessment's inception, draft, and final reports, offering critical feedback and insights that shaped overall findings.
- Analysed gender-analysis case study for agribusinesses in rural Mozambique, highlighting key findings on efficiency and impact.
- Developed evaluation questions that improved clarity and focus of project analysis.
- Provided feedback on the creation of data collection and analysis tools to ensure effectiveness.
- Undertook field trip to Mozambique and conducted in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with and for stakeholders.
MLE services team member
ESK/Tegemeo Institute, Egerton University, Kenya
Nairobi
08.2015 - 02.2016
- Designed and created survey tools to gather data effectively.
- Managed the administration of an online survey to collect stakeholder responses.
- Conducting face-to-face interviews with relevant stakeholders (that included government, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), World Bank, UN System; small/medium-size consultancy firms and individuals).
- Preparation of draft and final survey reports.
- Technical and strategic contributions to the multi-stakeholders’ findings dissemination/validation workshop.
- Participated in a joint team study, aimed at assessing the status (demand and supply sides) of M&E, towards its promotion and capacity building for the Kenya agricultural sector as follows:
International M&E and gender consultant
UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna
Vienna
02.2015 - 07.2015
- Incorporated gender considerations throughout all stages of the evaluation process.
- Created evaluation design matrix aligned with OECD DAC criteria to guide the assessment process.
- Collaborated in global evaluation study assessing effectiveness of best value for money procurement for cancer equipment, providing key insights for Member States.
- Conducted case studies in Kenya and Armenia to analyse procurement effectiveness.
- Executed field missions in Vienna and Kenya, conducting key informant interviews with stakeholders including IAEA leadership, government officials, and Kenyatta National Hospital representatives.
- Developed field data collection and analysis instruments.
- Conducted a desk review of relevant documents and administered online surveys with analysis.
- Prepared and presented the evaluation report.
Associate Consultant
Capra International, Canada
Home-based
07.2013 - 12.2013
- Assessed team evaluation of Global Thematic Evaluation of UNDP MDGs’ Achievement Fund across 50 countries, ensuring alignment with MDGs and principles of Paris Declaration for Development effectiveness, enhancing delivery of outputs and outcomes for citizenry.
- Identified best practices and lessons learned to generate evidence-based knowledge, informing development interventions and policy-making at national, regional, and global levels.
- Developed thematic windows for sectors such as children, food security, gender equality, and climate change, facilitating targeted interventions across diverse development areas.
- Assessed agricultural, environmental and livelihoods programs for Jordan and Afghanistan.
- Conducted desk reviews for 10 countries under my charge (Sudan, S. Sudan, Namibia, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Croatia, Macedonia, Timor Leste, Lebanon and Jordan).
- Reviewed Namibia's National Gender program.
- Analyzed data by NVivo coding.
Regional Program Officer
Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE)
Nairobi
02.2009 - 02.2012
- Coordinated program and M&E activities for National Chapters (NCs)/NGOs in Eastern and Horn of Africa aimed at promoting girls’ education with the following key highlights:
- Reviewed and consultatively with management approved NCs operational funding proposals.
- Provided technical input and guidance to NCs on the implementation and reporting of FAWE youth empowerment models such as the Scholarship, Gender-responsive Pedagogy and TUSEME (Speak Out), that put special focus on policy and community advocacy to realize this.
- Provided technical input and guidance to NCs on the implementation of the Packard Foundation’s Adolescence Sexual Reproductive Health (ASRH) project.
- Provided technical input and guidance to FAWE Tanzania and Ethiopia on the implementation of UNICEF-ESARO funded projects.
- Provided technical oversight and guidance in the region towards the enhancement of gender mainstreaming of education policies through policy analysis, program plans and advocacy for Ministries of Education and Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs).
- Coordinated the management of impact evaluations in six countries in the Continent. Included development of TORs, coordinating logistical plans for consultants; providing input into data collection instruments, draft inception/final reports and participation in the dissemination and communication of findings.
- Provided technical input and guidance to NCs for integrating impact evaluation findings into AWPs, enhancing evidence-based programming.
- Facilitated M&E trainings for NCs and Ministry of Education staff e.g., in Zanzibar and Southern Sudan.
- Provided technical input and guidance to NCs on proposal writing, project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation with the integration of gender as an issue of special focus.
- Guided NCs on effective stakeholder mapping and mobilisations including of national partners and of communities and capacity building.
- Contributed to the collaborative creation of M&E project tools to enhance effectiveness.
- Consolidated sub-regional technical semi and annual reports, aligning results-based and gender perspectives with FAWE’s strategic plan and donor reporting requirements.
- Provided technical input and guidance to NCs on the formulation of AWPs, integration of relevant M & E frameworks (aligned to FAWE’s strategic plan) and follow-up on implementation and reporting.
- Collaborated with communications department to guide NCs in organising national advocacy and communications campaigns using M&E data and relevant IEC materials.
- Conducted M&E visits to countries under my charge.
M & E Specialist
UNDP/Ministry of State for Planning
Nairobi
06.2005 - 01.2009
- Seconded by UNDP provided technical expertise in the multi-stakeholder joint tracking and feedback of the Vision 2030/Economic Recovery Strategy (ERS), with the integration of climate/environment, social-equity and gender issues as cross-cutting in the multi-sectoral policies/projects/programs, including of industry as follows:
- Guided Ministries in developing strategic plans and establishing results-based M&E systems, enhancing alignment with national priorities.
- Coordinated the activities of the NIMES’ Project M&E multi-stakeholder Technical Advisory Group (TAG).
- Engaged in joint activities of the NIMES’ Quantitative and Qualitative indicator TAG, including the multi-stakeholder review and revision of The Vision 2030’s national indicators.
- Participated in the commissioning and management of the mid-term and end-term evaluations of the Economic Recovery Strategies/ 1st Medium Term Plan’s (MTP) of the Vision 2030 Economic Blue Prints, including: input into TORs, inception, draft and final reports.
- Participated in the consolidation of Ministerial Annual Monitoring Reports (MAMERs) and District Annual Monitoring Reports (DAMERs) into national Annual Progress Reports (APRs), with environment, gender and social-equity being of special focus.
- Conducted M&E trainings for Ministries and Districts.
- Served as focal person for gender integration within the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) to promote gender equity in reporting frameworks. at MED and liaised with the Ministry of Gender’s focal person to ensure the integration of gender in the NIMES’s reporting framework.
- Conducted joint team monitoring field visits, engaging stakeholders to raise awareness of NIMES and its objectives.
- Organised national stakeholder forums, documenting discussions and disseminating reports to facilitate informed decision-making.
- Contributed to the successful preparation of the 5-year strategic plan for the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF- 2009-2013) and the UNDP Country Program Action Plan, including the development of the UNDAF and UNDP country action plans’ M&E frameworks.
Resource Mobilization Officer
Machakos Town Community Welfare Group
Machakos
04.2004
Education
Certificate - Executive Leadership Programme in Evaluation and the SDGs
UNITAR/Claremont University
12-2017
Certificate - International Programme for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET)
World Bank/University of Bern
Bern, Switzerland07-2023
Certificate - Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) review trainings
UNFCCC
02-2025
MA - Gender and Development Studies
University of Nairobi
Nairobi, KenyaBA - Sociology and Philosophy
University of Nairobi
Nairobi, KenyaSkills
- Great knowledge of MS Office applications (Word, Excel, ADOBE, Outlook, PowerPoint, Nvivo) Great use of internet (including Skype, Zoom, WebEx, Google and Microsoft Teams virtual meeting platforms) and email Currently learning the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as it emerged including on big data analytics
- Project management
- Funding proposal development
- Strategic planning
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Data analysis
Languages
English
Proficient
C2
Kiswahili
Proficient
C2
Kikamba
Proficient
C2
French
Beginner
A1
Certification
- World Bank/University of Bern, Switzerland - International Programme for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET -July 2023) certified
- World Bank - Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) certified
- Executive Leadership Programme in Evaluation and the SDGs (UNITAR/Claremont University –November 2017) certified
- Building Better from the Beginning: Developing Theories of Change in the Context of Climate Change and Ensuring Quality at Entry for Climate Change and Environment Programs, Workshop (UNDP NEC Conference, Istanbul, Turkey, October 2017) certified
- National Evaluation Capacities (NEC) and the Role of National Evaluation Societies- NES-(Institute of Development Policy and Management - University of Antwerp, Belgium, October, 2015) certified
- Participatory Planning M&E -PPME (Waggeningen University, Netherlands, 2010) certified
- Governing for Development - Special Focus on the Paris Declaration for Development Aid Effectiveness (University of Antwerp, Belgium, 2009 ) certified
- Monitoring Education Quality in Africa, Workshop (SACMEQ and IIEP, UNESCO/FAWE Paris, France 2009 certified
- International Program for Development Evaluation Training - IPDET (Carleton University / World Bank Canada, 2008) certified
- Entrepreneurship at a time of technological change/project management ( Mount Carmel Training Center (MTC), Israel, 2004- certified
References
1. Prof. Elizabeth Kuria
Designation: Consultant/lecturer – Kenyatta University
Tel: +254 721-433-619
Email: elizabethnkuria@gmail.co m
2. Dr. Samson Machuka
Designation: Consultant/Lecturer
Tel: +254 721-666-532
Email: smmaseses@gmail.com
Membership In M&E Associations
- ESK
- African Evidence Network (AEN)
- International Development Evaluation (IDEAS)
- EvalForEarth.
M&E Programmes and Conferences Participated
- 2024-12-01, Mogadishu, Somalia, Annual National M&E Conference, Panelist & Presenter
- 2024-09-01, Virtual, ESK: Tracing ESK's path of spearheading the M&E Professionalisation Journey, Video
- 2024-12-01, Mogadishu, Somalia, Annual National M&E Conference, Panelist & Presenter
- 2024-09-01, Virtual, ESK: Tracing ESK's path of spearheading the M&E Professionalisation Journey, Video
- 2018-11-01, Mombasa, Kenya, Kenya M&E Week, Presenter & session chair
- 2020-02-01, New Delhi, India, EvalFest, Panelist
- 2017-10-01, Istanbul, Turkey, National Evaluation Capacities Conference (NEC), Panelist
- UNFCCC, Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) review trainings, 2018-04-01
- World Bank/University of Bern, Switzerland, International Programme for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET), 2023-07-01
- World Bank, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA), 2023-01-01
- UNITAR/Claremont University, Executive Leadership Programme
Timeline
Technical Team Expert (TTE)
UNFCCC
08.2023 - 01.2024
M&E consultant expert
Agence Française de Développement’s (AFD)/Espelia, France
05.2023 - 07.2024
National Technical Team Expert (TTE)
UNFCCC
05.2022 - 03.2023
Project Coordinator/ Consultant
World Bank/Government of Kenya’s Monitoring & Evaluation Department (MED)
12.2018 - 06.2022
National Development Co-operation Expert
German Institute for Development
12.2017 - 03.2018
Associate Research Analyst
Ghubril International, Canada
06.2017 - 09.2017
M&E/Gender Consultant – Team Member
AgDevCo/ DFID/Market Research Associates
12.2016 - 03.2017
MLE services team member
ESK/Tegemeo Institute, Egerton University, Kenya
08.2015 - 02.2016
International M&E and gender consultant
UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna
02.2015 - 07.2015
Associate Consultant
Capra International, Canada
07.2013 - 12.2013
Regional Program Officer
Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE)
02.2009 - 02.2012
Founder/Chair
Evaluation Society of Kenya- ESK/Monitoring & Eval
11.2008 - 11.2019
M & E Specialist
UNDP/Ministry of State for Planning
06.2005 - 01.2009
Resource Mobilization Officer
Machakos Town Community Welfare Group
04.2004
Certificate - Executive Leadership Programme in Evaluation and the SDGs
UNITAR/Claremont University
Certificate - International Programme for Development Evaluation Training (IPDET)
World Bank/University of Bern
Certificate - Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) review trainings
UNFCCC
MA - Gender and Development Studies
University of Nairobi
BA - Sociology and Philosophy
University of Nairobi