Evaluation Specialist
Suva
- Organization: UNV - United Nations Volunteers
- Location: Suva
- Grade: Mid level - UN International Specialist Volunteers
-
Occupational Groups:
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Closing Date: Closed
Details
Mission and objectives
The UN Development Programme is the lead UN agency fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in more than 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.
In the Pacific, UNDP provides regional and country support to ten countries (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) and regional support to five countries (Cook Islands, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tokelau), together with a total population of 2.4 million.
UNDP is guided by a Sub-regional Programme Document for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories 2018-2022, which in turn contributes to the achievement of an overarching UN system-wide Pacific Strategy. The Programme is shaped to assist countries to advance the global 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda tailored to each country's priorities, through focus on data, policy prioritization, participatory planning, and budgeting and monitoring - and with accelerated action to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNDP seeks to target the most vulnerable i.e. people experiencing hardship, the marginalized living in remote rural areas, those who are vulnerable to climate and disaster risks, as well as women and youth excluded from socio-political and economic participation. UNDP adheres to an inclusive, pro-poor and human rights-based approaches that leverage cross-practice, multi-disciplinary expertise of UNDP.
In the Pacific, UNDP provides regional and country support to ten countries (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) and regional support to five countries (Cook Islands, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tokelau), together with a total population of 2.4 million.
UNDP is guided by a Sub-regional Programme Document for the Pacific Island Countries and Territories 2018-2022, which in turn contributes to the achievement of an overarching UN system-wide Pacific Strategy. The Programme is shaped to assist countries to advance the global 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda tailored to each country's priorities, through focus on data, policy prioritization, participatory planning, and budgeting and monitoring - and with accelerated action to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
UNDP seeks to target the most vulnerable i.e. people experiencing hardship, the marginalized living in remote rural areas, those who are vulnerable to climate and disaster risks, as well as women and youth excluded from socio-political and economic participation. UNDP adheres to an inclusive, pro-poor and human rights-based approaches that leverage cross-practice, multi-disciplinary expertise of UNDP.
Context
The UNDP Multi Country Office (MCO) in Fiji, through the Management and Performance Oversight unit under the overall guidance of the Resident Representative provides effective oversight of programme and project management and ensuring the Office’s compliance with UNDP policies. The unit coordinates the implementation of the MCO Gender Strategy and Action Plan, gender mainstreaming efforts and coordination of the gender seal work across MCO. It also provides overall guidance on Programme resource management, portfolio management, pipeline development, project Quality Assurance (QA), focusing on results and target setting, monitoring, multi-year work planning, development effectiveness, and efficiency and donor reporting (annual and project). The unit further provides cost-efficiency analysis of the country programme delivery and capabilities required, consolidates MCO financial planning and financial and resource management performance and undertakes monitoring and addressing issues related to management performance trends identified by Integrated Financial Dashboard (IFD), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Audits, Quality Assurance reviews, Vital signs, Harmonized Cash Transfer (HACT), Transparency portal, and other corporate and regional tools and structures.
Based in UNDP Pacific office in Suva, Fiji, the Evaluation Specialist will;
• Ensure the UNDP Pacific Office 2025-2026 Evaluation Plan is implemented and completed within the agreed timeframe.
• Under the guidance of the Team Leader, work with UNDP respective programme/project leads to ensure high quality terms of references and evaluation reports are produced by the consultants.
• Review and update the evaluation reports and provide guidance to consultants.
• Develop an evaluation knowledge package based on findings and recommendations from UNDP Pacific evaluations from 2023-2025.
Based in UNDP Pacific office in Suva, Fiji, the Evaluation Specialist will;
• Ensure the UNDP Pacific Office 2025-2026 Evaluation Plan is implemented and completed within the agreed timeframe.
• Under the guidance of the Team Leader, work with UNDP respective programme/project leads to ensure high quality terms of references and evaluation reports are produced by the consultants.
• Review and update the evaluation reports and provide guidance to consultants.
• Develop an evaluation knowledge package based on findings and recommendations from UNDP Pacific evaluations from 2023-2025.
Task description
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Team Lead for the MPO Unit, the Evaluation Specialist will work in close collaboration with relevant project managers, regional technical advisors (RTAs) and team leaders under the UNDP Pacific portfolios. The Evaluation Specialist will engage in evaluation-related tasks, including: :
a.) Support to Management on evaluations:
• Support the development of planned evaluation using a portfolio approach for the MCO
• Support the evaluation manager and the MCO ensuring administrative and logistical aspects of evaluation planning, management and liaison with designated UNDP focal points throughout evaluation processes as necessary;
• Ensure editing of evaluation reports are up to UNDP Evaluation Standards for GEF projects ( GEF PROJECT EVALUATION GUIDELINES) and non-GEF projects ( UNDP EVALUATION GUIDELINES ). The evaluation reports are to align to the latest quality assurance standards set for UNDP evaluations;
b.) Evaluation Oversight and Quality Assurance
• Guide and quality assure the development and finalization of the evaluation terms of reference and the draft reports;
• Work with MCO Evaluation focal point to address the QA reports received from RBAP;
• Consolidate evaluation information such the Quality Assurance Report;
c.) Evaluation Capacity Building
• Participate in evaluation team meetings, and meetings of the Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific (RBAP) throughout the evaluation process;
• Participate and contribute initiatives shared from RBAP and/or Independent Evaluation Office (IEO);
• Contribute by conducting key Evaluation Office initiatives, and learning/training and information activities on evaluation organized by UNEG to develop skills.
d.) Evaluation Knowledge Management
• Document lessons learned and best practices to facilitate learning;
• Contribute to the development of communication and dissemination tools from evaluations are user ready to inform management;
• Consolidate evaluation information such the Quality Assurance Report working towards improving the overall quality of evaluations for the MCO.
e.) Results/Expected Outputs
As an active UNDP team member, the selected individual will provide efficient, timely, responsive and high-quality support on evaluation to the Fiji Multi-Country Office. The evaluation specialist will contribute to targeted result of producing credible and useful evaluations that enhance organizational learning within UNDP, engaging in a variety of activities and producing a range of outputs leading to results. These include:
• Briefing notes associated with background research are produced at a high level of accuracy, thoroughness, and clarity, enabling team members to readily grasp the key issues at hand;
• Sound operational management support to the conduct of evaluations, contributing to the smooth operations of these missions;
• Draft of concept and technical notes, terms of reference, presentations and other internal documents as well as reviews of evaluation deliverables (inception report, draft final reports) are provided in timely manner and at a high level of quality, timeliness, accuracy, thoroughness, and clarity, enhancing the overall quality of the outputs and activities at hand;
• Contributions to Evaluation Guidance, Policy and Communication initiatives and documents prepared by the Evaluation Office are well researched and well written, resulting in documents that help disseminate evaluation products and raise awareness of evaluation across the Organization;
• Copy editing and proof reading of other team member’s outputs adds value to their drafts;
• Participation in key team meetings in active, constructive and consistent with the UNDP values and competencies, contributing to the smooth project implementation and positive functioning of the team
• The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on the job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including implementing partners (IPs);
• Document lessons learned and best practices to facilitate learning;
• Contribute to the development of communication and dissemination tools from evaluations are user ready to inform management;
• Consolidate evaluation information such the Quality Assurance Report working towards improving the overall quality of evaluations for the MCO.
a.) Support to Management on evaluations:
• Support the development of planned evaluation using a portfolio approach for the MCO
• Support the evaluation manager and the MCO ensuring administrative and logistical aspects of evaluation planning, management and liaison with designated UNDP focal points throughout evaluation processes as necessary;
• Ensure editing of evaluation reports are up to UNDP Evaluation Standards for GEF projects ( GEF PROJECT EVALUATION GUIDELINES) and non-GEF projects ( UNDP EVALUATION GUIDELINES ). The evaluation reports are to align to the latest quality assurance standards set for UNDP evaluations;
b.) Evaluation Oversight and Quality Assurance
• Guide and quality assure the development and finalization of the evaluation terms of reference and the draft reports;
• Work with MCO Evaluation focal point to address the QA reports received from RBAP;
• Consolidate evaluation information such the Quality Assurance Report;
c.) Evaluation Capacity Building
• Participate in evaluation team meetings, and meetings of the Regional Bureau for Asia and Pacific (RBAP) throughout the evaluation process;
• Participate and contribute initiatives shared from RBAP and/or Independent Evaluation Office (IEO);
• Contribute by conducting key Evaluation Office initiatives, and learning/training and information activities on evaluation organized by UNEG to develop skills.
d.) Evaluation Knowledge Management
• Document lessons learned and best practices to facilitate learning;
• Contribute to the development of communication and dissemination tools from evaluations are user ready to inform management;
• Consolidate evaluation information such the Quality Assurance Report working towards improving the overall quality of evaluations for the MCO.
e.) Results/Expected Outputs
As an active UNDP team member, the selected individual will provide efficient, timely, responsive and high-quality support on evaluation to the Fiji Multi-Country Office. The evaluation specialist will contribute to targeted result of producing credible and useful evaluations that enhance organizational learning within UNDP, engaging in a variety of activities and producing a range of outputs leading to results. These include:
• Briefing notes associated with background research are produced at a high level of accuracy, thoroughness, and clarity, enabling team members to readily grasp the key issues at hand;
• Sound operational management support to the conduct of evaluations, contributing to the smooth operations of these missions;
• Draft of concept and technical notes, terms of reference, presentations and other internal documents as well as reviews of evaluation deliverables (inception report, draft final reports) are provided in timely manner and at a high level of quality, timeliness, accuracy, thoroughness, and clarity, enhancing the overall quality of the outputs and activities at hand;
• Contributions to Evaluation Guidance, Policy and Communication initiatives and documents prepared by the Evaluation Office are well researched and well written, resulting in documents that help disseminate evaluation products and raise awareness of evaluation across the Organization;
• Copy editing and proof reading of other team member’s outputs adds value to their drafts;
• Participation in key team meetings in active, constructive and consistent with the UNDP values and competencies, contributing to the smooth project implementation and positive functioning of the team
• The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on the job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including implementing partners (IPs);
• Document lessons learned and best practices to facilitate learning;
• Contribute to the development of communication and dissemination tools from evaluations are user ready to inform management;
• Consolidate evaluation information such the Quality Assurance Report working towards improving the overall quality of evaluations for the MCO.
This vacancy is now closed.