Batch Recruitment - Evaluation Manager (Multi Country) , (P-4), 2 posts based in Costa Rica - #72359 and Uruguay - #103259

A Multi-Country Evaluation (MCE) Specialist post will be located either in a designated Country Office for which it is being established or outside them all. Irrespective of the location, a matrix management approach will be used in which the Regional Office and cooperating Country Offices contributes to the performance review of the MCE Specialist. The MCE Specialist reports to the Regional Evaluation Adviser (P-5) for oversight and technical guidance. The MCE Manager also has a matrix “dotted line” to the respective Representatives of the Country Offices that fall under his/her responsibilities, particularly in matters related to evaluation sponsorship, planning, funding and use. The MCE Specialist works in close coordination with the Country Office evaluation staff/focal persons in the development and implementation of the Country Office costed evaluation plan, support to Country-Office -level thematic evaluations, evaluation of humanitarian action L1, evaluability assessments, and other evaluation products for which COs are accountable, and support the CO in engaging competent evaluators who conduct their work in accordance with the evaluation policy norms and standards. The incumbent works in accordance with the norms and standards of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) and the UNICEF evaluation policy. S/he provides guidance to staff involved in managing evaluations in the countries under his/her responsibility and consults the supervisor when major policy decisions and actions must be undertaken.

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,  a better future

Evaluation is a key function in UNICEF. Evaluation in UNICEF serves interrelated purposes in support of the organization’s mandate. It supports learning and decision-making, which in turn support better results for children. Evaluation also helps to hold UNICEF accountable for contributing to results for children, or for not doing so. The evaluation function supports the development of national evaluation capacity, undertaken in collaboration with Member States and entities of the United Nations system, which should enhance the provision of timely evidence at the country level on the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and the fulfilment of the rights of all children.

UNICEF country programmes in Latin America and the Caribbean are typically designed to create the most appropriate enabling environment, through supporting adequate child-rights based policies and programmes and promoting legal frameworks in line with international rights-based standards, and improving learning and capacity of government institutions. Piloting and modelling are implemented in the field to create evidence and engage local partners to identify solutions for children to be replicated or scaled up. In addition, UNICEF is frequently invited to provide top-expert advice on child-related policies. This type of efforts is complex and highly demanding in terms of time, investment and capacity, considering that it usually requires an inter-sectoral approach to address key systemic barriers that impede the full realization of children’s rights.  This remains a challenge to demonstrate results that can be directly attributed to UNICEF and measure the actual contribution of UNICEF to high-level results.

The evaluation function in UNICEF LAC aims at helping to improve its performance and results, by supporting organizational learning and accountability. UNICEF LAC seeks to enhance the strategic role of Evaluations to understanding the context in which advocacy, policy advice, and models and scaled up pilots can reach results at scale.  Policy advocacy and technical assistance is present at all levels.

UNICEF LAC evaluations are mainly focused on assessing interventions at the outcome and output level. Although, some evaluations had an indication of impact results, evaluation analysis of long term and sustained results has been restricted. There is limited evidence that can validate the hypothesis (theory of change) that the activities, outputs and outcomes are reaching (or contributing to) long-term and sustained changes that can have an impact. Considering the nature of the work in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, the evaluation methods package UNICEF LAC is looking for is threefold: i) to assess the attribution of the effect of pilot / demonstrative projects; ii) to assess scaled up interventions; and iii) to assess policy advocacy and technical assistance at high levels.

For more information on UNICEF LAC Regional Office visit the website: https://www.unicef.org/lac/

How can you make a difference?

Under the supervision of our Regional Evaluation Adviser, the Multi-Country Evaluation Specialist is responsible for Multi-Country Evaluation Specialist (MCE) supports the country office M&E specialists/focal points in their duties in the assigned countries. The MCE Specialist ensures credibility, impartiality, and independence of the evaluation function in the COs under her/his responsibility. He/she also facilitates the development and implementation of evaluation workplans in each Country Office and provides guidance and technical support to sectors and to the Country Management Team as well as the national government on evaluation and on related matters. The MCE Specialist helps the Country Offices to manage its evaluation partnerships, including inter-agency relations within the UN, and collaboration with the Regional Office and Headquarters.  The Specialist may also be assigned more specific duties that enable her/him to be a resource person across the region, including methodological work, resource mobilization, and procurement support for evaluations. The Specialist is responsible for contributing to 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.

The Multi-Country Evaluation (MCE) Specialist post will be located one in San Jose, Costa Rica and another one in Montevideo, Uruguay Country Offices for which it is being established or at the Regional Level (Panama).   Irrespective of the location, a matrix management approach will be used in which the Regional Office and cooperating Country Offices contributes to the performance review of the MCE Specialist. The MCE Specialist reports to the Regional Evaluation Adviser (P-5) for oversight and technical guidance. The MCE Manager also has a matrix “dotted line” to the respective Representatives of the Country Offices that fall under his/her responsibilities, particularly in matters related to evaluation sponsorship, planning, funding and use.

The MCE Specialist works in close coordination with the Country Office evaluation staff/focal persons in the development and implementation of the Country Office costed evaluation plan, support to Country-Office -level thematic evaluations, evaluation of humanitarian action L1, ..evaluability assessments, and other evaluation products for which COs are accountable, and support the CO in engaging competent evaluators who conduct their work in accordance with the evaluation policy norms and standards.

The ask of the Multi-Country MCE include, but are not restrictive of the following:

1. Support the Country Offices under his/her responsibility and their national partners to develop and implement a plan of evaluation activities that will provide relevant and strategic information to manage Country Programmes and relevant national policies and programmes toward achieving results for children in both humanitarian and non humanitarian environments.
2. 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 programme performance and contribute to wider learning.
3. Ensure that evaluation capacities of Country Office staff and national partners – including government and civil society – are strengthened, enabling them to increasingly engage in and lead evidence generating processes.  Ensure that the Country Office is 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 in the social sciences, economics, public policy, statistics, or in evaluation or research methods. A degree or certification/accreditation in Evaluation is a significant advantage.
• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in the implementation of equity-focused evaluations and the management of the evaluation function at national and international level. Experience in development and/ or humanitarian settings;
• Experience in supporting national evaluation capacity and working with professional evaluation associations;
• Experience in evaluation design and in conducting evaluations as per UNICEF and UNEG norms and standards for Evaluation in the UN System;
• Familiarity with 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 an asset.
• 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.  Experience in these areas cannot be substituted for the Evaluation experience but is an advantage.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language or a prominent language of the duty stations covered by the MCE Post is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The competencies required for this post are….

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

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.