The Temporary Appointment post supports the RO’s evaluation partnerships, including inter-agency relations within the UN, and collaboration with the regional Office and Headquarters in relation to the Ukraine Emergency Response. The post also supports the coordination of all the evaluation activities taking place in relation to the Ukraine Emergency Response.
The Evaluation Specialist is responsible for the design and effective conduct and uptake of evaluations in accordance with the UNICEF evaluation policy. He/she ensures that the UNEG Norms and Standards for evaluation as well as well UNICEF evaluation coverage benchmarks and quality standards are upheld, including as follows:
Evaluation Leadership:
Support the ECA Regional Evaluation Adviser (REA) with the evaluation activities - develop and implement a plan of evaluation activities that will provide relevant and strategic information to manage UNICEF Emergency Response to Ukraine and relevant national policies and programmes toward achieving results for children in both Ukraine and neighboring and surrounding countries.
Support the ECA REA to ensure that a well-prioritized and strategic selection of evaluations at the Regional Office, Country Office and/or programme strategy level is managed so that each evaluation is designed and carried out with quality process and products and that evaluation results are useful to the intended audience.
Evaluation Conduct and Use:
Ensure that UNICEF-supported evaluations are designed and implemented to established UN quality standards, and the results are disseminated in a timely fashion and used by stakeholders in order to improve UNICEF humanitarian response and programme work to contribute to wider learning.
Evaluation Capacity Strengthening and Partnership Building:
Support the ECA REA to ensure that evaluation capacities of the RO, CO staff as well as the staff in neighboring and surrounding countries and national partners – including government and civil society – are strengthened, enabling them to increasingly engage in and lead evidence generating processes. Ensure that these staff and their partners are effectively linked to wider UNICEF capacity building developments in a way that both contributes to and benefits from organizational learning.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
An advanced university degree (Master’s) in social sciences, economics, public policy, statistics, or in research methods is required. A degree or certification/accreditation in Evaluation is a significant advantage.
A minimum of eight (8) years of professional experience in the implementation of equity-focused evaluations and the management of the evaluation function at national and international level is required.
Experience of evaluation in humanitarian settings is required.
Prior hands-on experience in middle and or high-income contexts is required.
Familiarity with emergency contexts in the UN System is an asset.
Relevant experience in supporting national (government) monitoring and evaluation is desirable.
Familiarity in evaluation design and in conducting evaluations as per UNICEF and UNEG norms and standards for Evaluation in the UN System is desirable.
Considerable experience with data collection and analytical methods used in conducting both ‘up-stream’ evaluations (e.g. focusing on policies, strategies and systems), as well as ‘down-stream’ evaluations (e.g. focusing on delivery of programmes and projects) is required.
Experience in related evidence functions is an asset, including Social Policy, Public Policy, Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis, Research, Programme Audit, and Programme Planning and Monitoring is an advantage,
Good understanding of the disaster risk reduction, humanitarian action, and development context in ECAR region is an asset.
Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and deliver under pressure is a requisite.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in a diverse organization tailoring language, tone, style, and format to match audience.
Ability and willingness to travel to emergencies countries if necessary.
Proficiency in English, written and verbal, is required. Working knowledge of another official UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) and/or regional language as needed to perform the role is an asset.
