Evaluation Specialist, P-3, Temporary Appointment (364 days) # 124885, Evaluation Office, NYHQ

The Evaluation Office under the Institutional Effectiveness portfolio is seeking applications from experienced and responsible candidates for supporting and conducting institutional effectiveness evaluations. as well as support other evaluative exercises of UNICEF’s overall organizational performance to assess the organization’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and other evaluation criteria.

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

How can you make a difference?

The Evaluation Office commissions and manages independent corporate evaluations and other evaluative exercises (e.g., evaluability assessments, syntheses, reviews), usually conducted in collaboration with external consultants but sometimes embedding Evaluation Office personnel in the evaluation teams. It also leads in the development and implementation of evaluation policy, strategy and systems; oversees evaluation quality assurance processes; undertakes evaluation capacity development activities within and outside the Organization; actively promotes an enabling environment for evaluation and a strong evaluation culture; and ensures transparent access to evaluation information.

The Evaluation Office also conducts evaluations of institutional effectiveness to assess UNICEF’s overall organizational performance in achieving its intended results for children. These evaluations concentrate on broader institutional aspects of how UNICEF operates and how goal areas and other cross-cutting programmes are implemented. The institutional effectiveness portfolio focuses on the change strategies and enablers that support the Strategic Plan’s realisation and are critical to positioning UNICEF and its partners to succeed. Other areas covered by the institutional effectiveness portfolio include evaluative exercises that examine UNICEF’s internal operations, institutional and structural arrangements, policies, support functions, results-based management systems, and overarching partnership approaches.

Under the guidance and supervision of a Senior Evaluation Specialist, the Evaluation Specialist (Institutional Effectiveness) will be responsible for supporting and potentially conducting institutional effectiveness evaluations. The Evaluation Specialist will also support other evaluative exercises of UNICEF’s overall organizational performance to assess the organization’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and other evaluation criteria.

The incumbent will be responsible for:

1. Lead and/or contribute to the planning, implementation and rollout of independent evaluations of UNICEF’s overall institutional effectiveness (45%)
   • Contribute to strategic planning efforts to identify the highest-priority and most institutionally relevant evaluation themes in the portfolio, carry out qualitative and quantitative analyses (using, for instance, NVivo, Stata, SPSS, Excel, etc.) and secondary research, and participate in internal and external consultations to refine and finalize these topics for inclusion in the UNICEF Plan for Global Evaluations and Evaluation Office Annual Work Plan.
   • Contribute to drafting well-tailored and well-written evaluation concept notes and terms of reference under the guidance and supervision of the Senior Evaluation Specialist and in close consultation with key internal and external interlocutors.
   • Support the management of independent institutional effectiveness evaluations from start to finish, ensuring that these are as timely, credible and useful as possible in keeping with the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) revised norms and standards. Where appropriate, contribute to inception, data collection, data analysis and/or report drafting phases of individual evaluations as an embedded team member.
   • Arrange effective, participatory consultation processes with internal and external interlocutors (using Teams, Miro and other platforms), including scheduling meetings, interviews, preparing meeting logistics and taking notes.
   • Participate in the selection processes of external consultants and quality control processes of all outputs produced by consulting teams.
   • Contribute to efforts to identify, and either utilize or pilot and bring to scale, creative and innovative approaches to the evaluation of institutional effectiveness, from best-in-class methodological approaches to alternative modalities for disseminating evaluation results and engaging with key stakeholders in ways that foster evaluation buy-in, learning and ultimately uptake at every stage of the evaluation process. Identify and deploy best practices to the wider evaluation function as appropriate. 
   • Participate in on-going consultation and coordination with other headquarters divisions, regional offices, country offices and external partners, all in close collaboration with Regional Evaluation Advisers and where necessary Multi-Country Evaluation Officers.

1. Support the preparation of high-quality and user-friendly evaluation products and their wide dissemination (45%)
   • Review evaluation products, including reports, to ensure they are high-quality, easy to understand and suitable for their target audience.
   • Draft and contribute to implement communication plans for evaluation products, involving key stakeholders.
   • Contribute to developing useful, inclusive and engaging evaluation products that foster stakeholder buy-in, learning, and the uptake of findings and recommendations (for instance, videos, briefings, webinars, etc.).
2. Contribute to office- and function-wide initiatives and the smooth overall functioning of the Evaluation Office and evaluation function (10%)
   • Contribute to technical and strategic initiatives to strengthen the work of the Evaluation Office and the evaluation function more generally and of the evaluation culture within the Organization.
   • Contribute to office-wide processes, products and other outputs (e.g., strategic planning processes, drafting of annual reports, meeting agendas, syntheses, capacity development activities).
   • Contribute to a positive spirit of teamwork in the Evaluation Office.
   • Collaborate closely with other Evaluation Office colleagues, Regional Evaluation Advisers, and colleagues in UNICEF’s other knowledge and evidence functions to ensure a maximally efficient whole- of-organization approach to planning, managing, conducting, and communicating on evaluations.

This temporary 364 days, from August 2023 to July 2024. Key deliverables will be discussed with the supervisor at the beginning of the assignment, and they will include the support of up to four evaluation processes.

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

• Advanced university degree or higher in organization management, organizational behaviour, evaluation, public policy, economics, statistics, social science, or another field relevant to Institutional Effectiveness.
• Proven knowledge of qualitative and/or quantitative research software.
• At least five years of professional experience in programme development and implementation, monitoring and/or evaluation activities, examining institutional effectiveness in multilateral agencies or equivalent large-scale public- or private-sector organizations.
• Previous experience in conducting evaluations is an asset.
• At least one instance of exposure to UNICEF’s work in development and/or humanitarian action is desirable.
• Rising track record for supporting mixed-method evaluations that rely on both qualitative and quantitative approaches and a variety of data collection modalities (surveys, interviews, focus groups, direct and indirect observations, desk reviews).
• Willingness/ability to keep up to date with the latest skills and organizational guidance in the field of evaluation.
• Demonstrated track record working collaboratively in a multi-cultural team environment to contribute positively to shared results.
• Ability to manage many tasks and projects at the same time.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is an asset.

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 oth

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. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert diversity profile] are encouraged to apply.

[If Applicable] Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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). 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.