Regional Evaluation Specialist for Africa, Home Based

Organization: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Closing date: Friday, 27 January 2023

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT : 2203478

Regional Evaluation Specialist for Africa

Job Posting: 30/Dec/2022

Closure Date: 27/Jan/2023, 10:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit : OED

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition : Consultant

Grade Level : N/A

Primary Location: Home-Based

Duration : 6 months with possible renewal

Post Number : N/A

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.

Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values

FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

Organizational Setting

Following the recommendation of the Evaluation of the Evaluation Function (2016) to explore decentralization of evaluation, a move towards decentralizing evaluations started in January 2019, with the decentralization of all project mid-term evaluations. In May 2020, the FAO Programme Committee approved a proposal submitted by OED on "Enhancing the use of evaluation for learning in FAO at regional and country levels through decentralized evaluation". Starting June 2021, concentrated efforts for decentralization were launched, with OED preparing a series of measures to support successful implementation. Within OED, a dedicated group of staff has formed a Decentralization Support Team to provide individual support to each evaluation process. In addition, OED will developped materials, guidance, and manuals as well as further develop and sustain capacity development efforts. One additional measure to assist in the management and support of decentralization was the recruitment of Regional Evaluation Specialists (RES) to be stationed in each of FAO’s five regional offices. RES are responsible for managing the final project evaluations in the region, according to an evaluation plan developed in consultation with country offices of the Region and shared in advance by OED. They are also responsible for ensuring dissemination of the results of the evaluation, and creating learning opportunities at regional and country level, based on evaluation results, in close cooperation with the regional field programme and knowledge management teams. Given the growing portfolio of project evalautions to be conducted in the Africa Region during 2023 and the strengthening of the regional evaluation network at country level, OED is looking for a second Regional Evaluation Specialist to support tasks and responsabilities in the region.

Reporting Lines

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the OED Evaluation Officer responsible for project evaluations in Africa region.

Technical Focus

Project evaluations, communication and utilization of evaluations.

Tasks and responsibilities

Review and agree with OED over evaluation plans and agreed timelines for the completion of assigned decentralized evaluations in the region

Liaise with relevant country offices on the process, timelines, and completion of each evaluation

Report to the regional senior management team and OED on the implementation of the evaluation plan and alert them in case of timing issues

Review relevant background documentation and liaise with project key informants to develop evaluation ToRs, including evaluation design and methodology.

Identify the evaluation team and launch their recruitment, in line with FAO processes and procedures.

Contribute, as necessary, to the preparation of data collection tools, including the evaluation matrix, questionnaires, check-lists and interview protocols as appropriate; and/or revise their quality.

Apply OED evaluation guidance and standards, and seek QA support from OED

Ensure the collection of primary and secondary data by the evaluation team through, inter alia, interviews and meetings, face to face or virtual, with FAO concerned officers during the country visits, with key stakeholders including the Government, the FAO Representation, external partners, project teams and ultimate beneficiaries as appropriate

Review and quality check deliverables of the evaluation team, including inception report, draft and final evaluation report

Ensure budget and needed resources availability

Ensure evaluation is credible and absent from any conflict of interest

Complete evaluation on time and disseminate

Oversee the completion of management response and dissemination of report

Identify, along with country office evaluation focal points and regional office representatives, opportunities for communication and dissemination of relevant evaluation results, in coordination with the programme, strategic analysis and knowledge management teams

Organize communication and knowledge sharing events in the region to promote use of evaluation results, in collaboration with the regional knowledge management teams

Gather information on main lessons and recommendations for different topics, and share them with all concerned stakeholders, either through webinars or specific presentations

Contribute to the development and dissemination of capacity building activities for evaluation focal points and other FAO actors involved in evaluation processes in the region

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

University degree in Economics, Agriculture, Social Sciences, Rural Development or a related field

At least 5 years of relevant experience in in conducting and managing evaluations at the global, regional or country levels

Relevant work experience in the Africa region would be an asset

Working knowledge of English and French (level C1)

FAO Core Competencies

Results Focus

Teamwork

Communication

Building Effective Relationships

Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

Work experience in more than one location or area of work.

Extent and relevance of experience in designing, planning, leading and conducting development evaluations.

Demonstrated knowledge and experience in managing evaluation processes and creating opportunities for increasing the use of their results.

Sound understanding of the functioning of UN agencies and the UN system is considered a strong asset.

Demonstrated analytical skills and ability to write clear and concise reports and to communicate evaluation results to various types of audiences

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)

Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list

Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

For more information, visit the FAO employment website

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills

Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile

Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application

Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications

Incomplete applications will not be considered

Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application

Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered

Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile

We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org

Link to the organization’s job posting: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1672427469754