Outcome and Impact Orientation (OIO) Consultant job at Development Links Consult (DLC)

Contract Type: Framework Agreement / Call-down basis
Accountable to: Resident Director
Immediate Supervisor: Operations Manager

About Organization:
Development Links Consult (DLC) is a growing consultancy firm registered in Uganda, operating on a wide scale across Africa. DLC’s mission is to enhance the scale and effectiveness of development interventions that target vulnerable groups. Our consultancy services are among others in the areas of: Program development, Safeguarding and Child Protection, Monitoring and Evaluation/Outcome and Impact Orientation (OIO), Grants management and partnership mediation, Organisational strengthening, Policy analysis and review, applied (action) research and Planning and execution of development-oriented events such as conferences, dialogue, and knowledge sharing encounters.

Job Summary:
Our firm provides Consultancy and Support Services (CSS) to a portfolio of 18 civil society organisations (CSOs) operating across Uganda. These partner organisations are funded by a major German development agency that supports faith-based and civil society initiatives globally. Through this engagement, our firm provides technical accompaniment and institutional strengthening to ensure that partner organisations meet the standards and reporting requirements of German development cooperation, particularly those linked to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

A key requirement under this partnership is the adoption of Outcome and Impact Orientation (OIO) in project management, ensuring that development interventions demonstrate measurable change for target populations and contribute to long-term sustainable development outcomes. To strengthen this approach across the partner portfolio, we seek experienced consultants to provide targeted technical assistance, mentoring, and capacity development to support partner organisations in improving their impact-oriented planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The consultant will provide technical support across the following key areas:

a. Outcome and Impact-Oriented Project Design

• Support partners to develop results-based project designs aligned with OIO principles.
• Facilitate strategic planning workshops to refine project objectives, indicators, and theories of change.
• Strengthen logical frameworks, results chains, and impact pathways.
• Support partners to integrate gender, inclusion, environmental sustainability, and human rights perspectives into programme design.

b. Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) Systems

• Develop or strengthen organisational PMEL frameworks and tools.
• Support the design of data collection systems, indicator tracking tools, and monitoring plans.
• Strengthen partners’ ability to analyse monitoring data and use findings for adaptive programme management.
• Introduce digital monitoring tools and knowledge management platforms where feasible.

c. Compliance and Reporting

• Guide partners in preparing project applications, organisational profiles (Project Information Sheets, and narrative reports.
• Support the preparation of half-yearly, annual, and final reports in compliance with donor standards.
• Provide technical feedback to ensure reports demonstrate clear outcome and impact evidence.

d. Evaluation and Learning

• Support partners in preparing Terms of Reference for external evaluations.
• Provide guidance on evaluation processes aligned with OECD DAC evaluation criteria.
• Support partners to integrate evaluation recommendations into organisational learning and programme improvement.

e. Organisational Systems Strengthening

• Support the development or refinement of information and knowledge management systems.
• Strengthen human resource management systems that support results-oriented performance.
• Support organisations to develop internal policies addressing cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, environmental sustainability, safeguarding, and inclusion.

f. Sustainability and Exit Strategies

• Support partners in developing sustainability and phasing-out strategies for target groups and projects.
• Strengthen organisations’ capacity to design long-term community ownership and sustainability mechanisms.

Deliverables:

The consultant will be expected to deliver:

• Short reports on consultancy services provided in response to expressed need from partners.
• Capacity strengthening plans
• Training sessions for partner M&E teams
• Compliance advisory notes where required
• Periodic technical assistance reports

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The consultant should possess:

• A postgraduate degree in Development Studies, Project Planning and Management, Social Sector Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, or a related field.
• Professional certification in Monitoring and Evaluation, Results-Based Management, or Project Management is an added advantage.
• Training in impact evaluation, development effectiveness, or organisational capacity development is desirable.

Required Experience

The consultant should demonstrate:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in development programme management or institutional capacity strengthening.
• Proven experience supporting civil society organisations or NGOs in Uganda.
• Demonstrated expertise in results-based management and PMEL system development.
• Experience working with donor-funded projects, particularly those funded by European donors.
• Demonstrated experience with BMZ-funded projects or EU development grants.
• Proven experience in donor proposal development, budgeting, and results framework design.
• Strong experience in report writing and compliance reporting for international donors.
• Practical knowledge of digital monitoring systems and knowledge management tools.

Competencies and Personal Attributes

The consultant should demonstrate the following qualities:

a. Professional Competencies

• Strong knowledge of results-based management and outcome-oriented development programming.
• Ability to design and implement PMEL frameworks and systems.
• Strong analytical skills in data interpretation and impact measurement.
• Excellent technical writing and documentation skills.
• Ability to translate complex donor frameworks into practical guidance for partner organisations.
• Strong facilitation skills for capacity-building workshops and strategic planning sessions.

b. Personal Attributes

• Excellent communication and mentoring abilities.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work with organisations at different levels of institutional maturity.
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work with faith-based organisations.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability.
• Problem-solving and solution-oriented mindset.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in diverse teams.

Assignment Modality

The consultants will be engaged on a framework or call-down basis and may support multiple partner organisations across Uganda.

The work will involve:

• On-site visits to partner organisations
• Remote mentoring and advisory support.
• Facilitation of capacity building workshops
• Periodic technical reporting to the coordinating office

Location

The assignment will be Uganda-based, with travel to partner project locations as required.

• Support partners to develop results-based project designs aligned with OIO principles.
• Facilitate strategic planning workshops to refine project objectives, indicators, and theories of change.
• Strengthen logical frameworks, results chains, and impact pathways.
• Support partners to integrate gender, inclusion, environmental sustainability, and human rights perspectives into programme design.
• Develop or strengthen organisational PMEL frameworks and tools.
• Support the design of data collection systems, indicator tracking tools, and monitoring plans.
• Strengthen partners’ ability to analyse monitoring data and use findings for adaptive programme management.
• Introduce digital monitoring tools and knowledge management platforms where feasible.
• Guide partners in preparing project applications, organisational profiles (Project Information Sheets, and narrative reports.
• Support the preparation of half-yearly, annual, and final reports in compliance with donor standards.
• Provide technical feedback to ensure reports demonstrate clear outcome and impact evidence.
• Support partners in preparing Terms of Reference for external evaluations.
• Provide guidance on evaluation processes aligned with OECD DAC evaluation criteria.
• Support partners to integrate evaluation recommendations into organisational learning and programme improvement.
• Support the development or refinement of information and knowledge management systems.
• Strengthen human resource management systems that support results-oriented performance.
• Support organisations to develop internal policies addressing cross-cutting themes such as gender equality, environmental sustainability, safeguarding, and inclusion.
• Support partners in developing sustainability and phasing-out strategies for target groups and projects.
• Strengthen organisations’ capacity to design long-term community ownership and sustainability mechanisms.

• Strong knowledge of results-based management and outcome-oriented development programming.
• Ability to design and implement PMEL frameworks and systems.
• Strong analytical skills in data interpretation and impact measurement.
• Excellent technical writing and documentation skills.
• Ability to translate complex donor frameworks into practical guidance for partner organisations.
• Strong facilitation skills for capacity-building workshops and strategic planning sessions.
• Excellent communication and mentoring abilities.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work with organisations at different levels of institutional maturity.
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work with faith-based organisations.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability.
• Problem-solving and solution-oriented mindset.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in diverse teams.
• Practical knowledge of digital monitoring systems and knowledge management tools.

• A postgraduate degree in Development Studies, Project Planning and Management, Social Sector Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, or a related field.
• Professional certification in Monitoring and Evaluation, Results-Based Management, or Project Management is an added advantage.
• Training in impact evaluation, development effectiveness, or organisational capacity development is desirable.