Under the supervision of the Chief of Evaluation, the Evaluation Specialist will lead strategic, institutional and thematic evaluations and their methodological development, promote the use of evaluations findings, collaborate with UN and other evaluation partners, as well as provide evaluation capacity development.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Lead and conduct impartial and independent evaluations meeting the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) professional standards:
Lead and conduct evaluations, promoting stakeholder’s ownership and learning, alignment with country evaluation systems and partners participation;
Lead and supervise evaluations conducted by staff members and consultants;
Ensure high professional standards in line with UN Women Evaluation Policy and UN Evaluation Norms & Standards are applied;
Apply evaluation quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis tools, including impact evaluation and contribution analysis techniques and approaches.
Manage evaluations and ensure that the findings and recommendations of evaluations translate into action:
Prepare reports to senior management on a periodic basis on findings and recommendations of evaluations;
Organize meetings, workshops and other discussion fora to establish a dialogue on evaluation results and the evaluative knowledge management;
Coordinate with project / program managers on the project design, implementation and appraisal to ensure that evaluation results are taken into account;
Liaise with project/programme managers regarding to the recommendations and monitor the follow up on evaluations.
Provide evaluation capacity development support:
Provide training and coaching on evaluation, self-evaluation, monitoring and results-based management within the Evaluation Service and in other organizational units;
Provide advice/information/guidance to management and project/ programme managers on evaluations;
Substantially contribute to the development of methodologies for corporate evaluations, and to the review of guidelines, systems, procedures and tools related to evaluation;
Provide evaluation capacity development support to countries in support of the Independent Evaluation Service strategy and plan;
Provide support to quality assurance of Independent Evaluation Service evaluations.
Promote UN coordination on evaluation that is gender responsive:
Collaborate with other UN evaluation units on joint evaluation initiatives;
Participate in up to two United Nations Evaluation Group taskforces and substantial contribution to the inclusion of gender equality dimensions in system-wide evaluation;
Collaboration with professional evaluation bodies in the area of gender responsive evaluation in support of the Independent Evaluation Service strategy and plan.
Effectively deploy human and financial resources of the Independent Evaluation Service:
Plan evaluations and prepare evaluation budgets for individual evaluations;
Manage the use of resources for evaluations in line with assigned budget;
Select evaluation consultants based on terms of reference requirements;
Supervise evaluation team consultants and staff.
Provide technical support to knowledge management:
Keep abreast of developments in the area of evaluation, exploring innovative approaches in the area of gender equality and women’s empowerment;
Share information and experience in the Evaluation Community of Practice.
Perform other related duties and assignments as requested by the supervisor.
Key Performance Indicators:
Evaluations are completed on time, are of high quality, and are impartial, independent, credible, meet UNEG professional standards;
Timely and quality advice provided to UN Women stakeholders;
Timely provision of quality capacity development leading towards improved capacity amongst UN Women’s staff and partners;
Evaluation recommendations informing programme design, implementation and results;
Quality and timely collaboration with other UN agencies.
Required Skills and Experience:
Education:
Advanced university degree in evaluation, social science or related field, or combination of first level degree with relevant experience.
Experience:
A minimum of 7 years professional experience in conducting evaluations in the area of normative, coordination and/or operational development;
Proven experience in conducting and managing complex evaluations;
Experience working on gender equality and human rights;
Experience in gender equality analytical work and programming, and current development issues;
Experience implementing normative, coordination or development programmes an asset.
Experience related UN Women’s mandate and activities an asset.
Languages:
Fluency in English is required;
Fluency in French and/or Spanish, or knowledge of another UN official working language is an asset.
