Evaluation Specialist (P-4), Evaluation Office, NYHQ, FT # 116991

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Evaluate

This position is based in UNICEF’s Evaluation Office in New York, which serves as the steward of UNICEF’s evaluation function. Its Director reports to UNICEF’s Executive Board through an annual report on the evaluation function and on selected evaluations. The Evaluation Office commissions and manages independent corporate evaluations and other evaluative exercises (e.g., evaluability assessments, syntheses, reviews), usually conducted in collaboration with external consultants but sometimes embedding Evaluation Office staff in the evaluation teams. It also leads in the development and implementation of evaluation policy, strategy and systems; oversees evaluation quality assurance processes; undertakes evaluation capacity development activities within and outside the Organization; actively promotes an enabling environment for evaluation and a strong evaluation culture; and ensures transparent access to evaluation information. The Office works closely with the Regional Evaluation Advisers in each of UNICEF’s seven regions to ensure a well-coordinated, collaborative, whole-of-organization evaluation effort and to continue to build the Organization’s community of practice. Working in a complementary manner with UNICEF’s other data, evidence and research functions, the Evaluation Office aims to deliver consistently timely, credible and useful independent analyses that harness knowledge that helps the Organization deliver results for children.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direction of the Director of Evaluation and the supervision of the Senior Evaluation Specialist (Institutional Effectiveness), the Evaluation Specialist is responsible for managing, and potentially conducting or being a member of external teams that are conducting, independent evaluations and other evaluative exercises of UNICEF’s overall organizational performance in the Institutional Effectiveness portfolio – i.e., those evaluations that transcend individual sectoral areas (e.g., health, education, WASH, child protection) and assess UNICEF’s overall organizational performance on measures of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and other evaluation criteria. Examples of areas covered by this portfolio are evaluations and other evaluative exercises that examine the Organization’s internal operations, institutional and structural arrangements, policies, support functions, results-based management systems, and overarching partnership approaches.

In accordance with UNICEF’s mission, guiding principles, standards, commitments, and accountability framework, and under United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) revised norms and standards, the Evaluation Specialist will ensure that all evaluations conducted under her/his leadership are of the highest relevance, timeliness, quality, credibility and utility possible, and that they support the organizational learning and accountability needs of UNICEF and its stakeholders in achieving results for children.

The incumbent will also contribute to cross-cutting initiatives within the Evaluation Office and the wider evaluation function within UNICEF.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Lead and/or contribute to the planning, implementation and rollout of independent evaluations of UNICEF’s overall institutional effectiveness.

• Contribute to strategic planning efforts to identify the highest-priority and most institutionally relevant evaluation themes in the portfolio, conduct internal and external consultations to refine and finalize these topics for inclusion in the UNICEF Plan for Global Evaluations, and present these topics to key stakeholders inside and outside the Organization.
• Draft well-tailored and well-written evaluation concept notes and terms of reference under the guidance and supervision of the Senior Evaluation Specialist and in close consultation with key internal and external interlocutors.
• Directly manage independent institutional effectiveness evaluations from start to finish, ensuring that these are as timely, credible and useful as possible in keeping with the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) revised norms and standards.  Where appropriate contribute to inception, data collection, data analysis and/or report drafting phases of individual evaluations as embedded team member.
• Oversee consultant selection processes and undertake final quality control of all outputs produced by consulting teams before these are shared with the Senior Evaluation Specialist.
• Ensure evaluations for which the incumbent is responsible remain on time, on budget and on target.
• Organize and execute activities to contribute to the uptake of individual evaluations for which the incumbent is responsible.
• Contribute to efforts to identify, and either utilize or pilot and bring to scale, creative and innovative approaches to the evaluation of institutional effectiveness, from best-in-class methodological approaches to alternative modalities for disseminating evaluation results and engaging with key stakeholders in ways that foster evaluation buy-in, learning and ultimately uptake at every stage of the evaluation process. Identify and deploy best practices to the wider evaluation function as appropriate.
• Undertake on-going consultation and coordination with headquarters divisions, regional offices, country offices and external partners, all in close collaboration with Regional Evaluation Advisers and where necessary Multi-Country Evaluation Officers.

2. Contribute to office- and function-wide initiatives and to the smooth overall functioning of the Evaluation Office and evaluation function.

• Contribute to technical and strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening the work of the Evaluation Office and the evaluation function more generally, and of the evaluation culture within the Organization.
• Contribute to office-wide processes, products and other outputs (e.g., strategic planning processes, drafting of annual reports, meeting agendas, syntheses, capacity development activities).
• Contribute to a positive spirit of teamwork in the Evaluation Office.
• Collaborate closely with other Evaluation Office colleagues, Regional Evaluation Advisers, and colleagues in UNICEF’s other knowledge and evidence functions to ensure a maximally efficient whole-of-Organization approach to planning, managing, conducting, and communicating on evaluations.

3. Undertake special assignments as required by the Senior Evaluation Specialist and/or Director of Evaluation.

• At the request of the Senior Evaluation Specialist and/or Director of Evaluation, contribute to individual initiatives to enhance the evaluation function and evaluation culture within UNICEF and among its partners.
• Represent the Senior Evaluation Specialist at select meetings, as necessary.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Advanced university degree or higher in organization management, organizational behaviour, evaluation, public policy, economics, statistics, social science, or another field relevant to Institutional Effectiveness.
• At least 8 years of professional experience as an evaluator or in a comparable role examining institutional effectiveness in multilateral agencies or equivalent large-scale public- or private-sector organizations.
• Solid track record for leading and managing mixed-method evaluations that rely on both qualitative and quantitative approaches and a variety of data collection modalities (surveys, interviews, focus groups, direct and indirect observations, desk reviews).
• Willingness/ability to keep up to date with the latest skills and organizational guidance in the field of evaluation.
• Demonstrated track record working collaboratively in a multi-cultural team environment to contribute positively to shared results.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Core Values

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability

Core competencies

• Builds and maintains partnerships (II)
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (II)
• Drive to achieve results for impact (II)
• Innovates and embraces change (I)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (II)
• Thinks and acts strategically (I)
• Works collaboratively with others (I)
• Nurtures, leads, and manages people (II)

Functional Competencies:

• Leading and supervising (1)

• Planning and organizing (2) 

• Formulating strategies and concepts (2)
• Analyzing (2)
• Relating and networking (2)
• Applying technical expertise (2)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF is currently undergoing organizational changes; therefore, the exact location of the post has yet to be determined. Selected candidates may be required to commence duties remotely until the location is confirmed. If reassigned or relocated to New York, candidates may be expected to relocate to a new location again during the initial contract or assignment period. When working remotely, the candidate will be expected to fulfill their functions during NYHQ core working hours (10AM-4PM) unless agreed otherwise by the Hiring Office.