Temporary Appointment: Evaluation Specialist, P4, (Six months), Evaluation Office, NYHQ, # 127821

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

The Evaluation Office, at UNICEF HQ in New York, provides global leadership and oversight for the evaluation function. As such the office is responsible for developing an agenda and work plan to evaluate UNICEF’s programmes and processes. We conduct and/or manage independent, corporate evaluations and evaluation syntheses, provide technical assistance and quality assurance for evaluations commissioned at the decentralized level (country and regional offices, as well as other divisions in HQ offices), and develop evaluation methods. Evaluation Office is also responsible for publishing a global evaluation plan that accompanies respective corporate strategies.

We are seeking for an international Evaluation Specialist to support the Evaluation Office, to support with implementation and design of global evaluations; to produce utilization-focused evaluations with the most appropriate and relevant methodologies, and to assist with overall management under the guidance of the Senior Evaluation Specialist, Strategic Plan Goal Areas 2&5.

How can you make a difference?

The overall purpose of this temporary Evaluation Specialist assignment is to manage UNICEF corporate evaluations and other evaluative products within the thematic Goal Areas 2 and 5 of the Strategic Plan 2022-2025, including those that are part of the Plan for Global Evaluations 2022-2025.

Toward this end, the Evaluation Specialist, under the supervision and guidance of the Senior Evaluation Specialist for Goal Areas 2 and 5, will manage all phases of the evaluations under her or his responsibility. This includes, preparing desk reviews and concept notes to scope the evaluation focus and methodological design; identify relevant documentation and key stakeholders; draft terms of reference; quality assure the appropriate use of methodological approaches; manage evaluation teams; and quality-assure all deliverables. 

This assignment will entail a need for strong collaboration with the Evaluation Office, other key stakeholders within and outside of UNICEF, and selected consultants and consulting teams.

Key Responsibilities:

The Evaluation Specialist will be specifically responsible for accomplishing the following tasks in a timely manner and at a high degree of quality, credibility, and utility:

• Undertake preparatory desk reviews and search for data sources relevant to the evaluations and provide supplementary analysis as requested and guide the evaluation methodology.
• Define evaluation needs and draft and finalize relevant terms of reference for evaluations, including programmatic theories of change (if not already available), scope, methods, and overall approaches.
• Assist the identification of key stakeholders to be interviewed by the evaluation team and key documents to be included in desk reviews.
• Assist in identifying key issues for further investigation during the evaluation process.
• Provide documentation on the key UNICEF interventions in as required by the evaluation.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders on the evaluation.
• Contribute to data collection and analysis as an embedded team member where relevant, under the direction of the senior evaluation specialist.
• Provide support with contracting process and coordinate with operations manager, HR and Supply division as needed.
• Provide regular updates on progress to the Senior Evaluation Specialist and Director.
• Contribute to office-wide initiatives of the Evaluation Office, upon request; and
• Undertake other tasks as necessary.

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

• Advanced university degree in social sciences, demography, economics, social policy research or a related technical field. Holding PhD degrees represent a significant advantage.
• At least 8 years of progressively responsible work experience and expertise in development evaluation or related role in planning, programme management, research, or knowledge management; work within the UN system is an advantage.
• Experience undertaking a synthesis of large numbers of documents, using quantitative and qualitative research approaches; experience with AI tools such as data mining to produce synthesis reports is an advantage.
• Knowledge of UNICEF evaluation function’s policy and processes, including work at the country, regional, and headquarter levels.
• Understanding of UNICEF programmes (sectoral, cross-sectoral, and cross-cutting) is a clear advantage. 
• Knowledge and experience of UNICEF’s programme priority areas, preferably in the thematic areas of GA 2 (including education topics, early childhood development, teaching and learning), GA 5 (such as child poverty, child multi-deprivations in urban and slums, social policies, including adaptable social protection), as well as cross-cutting issues, including children with disabilities, gender, climate change, and adolescents.
• Willingness to undertake administrative tasks, as related to contracting, logistic support of evaluation mission.
• Excellent data analytical skills and interpretation. S/He must have the ability to write clearly and concisely and have sound quantitative skills (managing, analyzing and interpreting data).
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language or a language spoken in a number of programme countries is an asset.
• Strong evaluation management and collaboration skills.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. 

Remarks:

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be cancelled.

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

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