Evaluation Officer, P2, Post # 126892, 364 days, [Temporary Appointment] Evaluation Office, New York

• Country: USA
• Organization: UNICEF 
• Deadline: 2023-11-24
• No of Vacancies: N/A

Key Responsibilities

1. Contribute to the planning, implementation and rollout of independent evaluations of UNICEF’s overall institutional effectiveness (50%)

• Carry out qualitative and quantitative analyses and secondary research to identify topics for inclusion in the UNICEF Plan for Global Evaluations and Evaluation Office Annual Work Plan, and inform the design of planned evaluations (using Stata, SPSS, Excel, NVivo, etc.).
• 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 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 and interviews, preparing meeting logistics and taking notes.
• Contribute to efforts to identify and either utilise 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 broader evaluation function as appropriate.

2. Support the preparation of high-quality and user-friendly evaluation products and their wide dissemination internally and externally (30%)

• Assist in writing and formatting evaluation reports and other products, ensuring that they are clear, concise, and well-organized in line with UNICEF Evaluation Reporting Standards, and UNICEF Global Evaluation Reports Oversight System.
• Draft communication and dissemination plans for evaluation products involving relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Facilitate the implementation of communication and dissemination plans using various communication channels.

3. Strengthen data documentation and knowledge management (20%)

• Ensure that all data collected and analyzed during evaluation processes are accurately and comprehensively documented. This includes proper labelling, organizing, and storing data files for easy retrieval.
• Establish and adhere to metadata and documentation standards to consistently label, describe, and archive data and information.
• Ensure sensitive data and information security and confidentiality, per UNICEF Policy and Personal Data Protection.
• Maintain a well-organized archive of past evaluation reports for reference and analysis. Implement a system for easily retrieving archived documents and analysing the follow-up and uptake of evaluation recommendations.
• Document best practices and lessons learned from each evaluation of institutional effectiveness to inform future evaluations and improve the overall evaluation process.
• Clearly document the evaluation methodologies used, including data collection tools, sampling techniques, and data analysis procedures for future reference.
• Collaborate with ICT Division to ensure that the knowledge management systems and data storage for institutional effectiveness evaluations are efficient, secure, and aligned with UNICEF standards.

4. Contribute to the 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-organisation approach to planning, managing, conducting, and communicating on evaluations.

Duration

This temporary appointment is for 364 days, from January to December 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…

• A Master’s degree or higher in evaluation, social sciences, economics, public administration, or another related discipline.
• Familiarity with the fundamentals of evaluation, including research methodologies, data collection and analysis, and statistical techniques.
• At least three 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.
• Proficiency in data management and data analysis tools, such as Excel, SPSS, or other statistical software.
• Ability to conduct literature reviews and gather relevant research to inform the evaluation process.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to interpret data and draw meaningful conclusions. Previous experience in conducting evaluations is an asset.
• Strong attention to detail to ensure data accuracy and a commitment to maintaining the highest ethical standards, especially when dealing with sensitive data and information.
• At least one instance of exposure to UNICEF’s work in development and/or humanitarian action can be an advantage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively convey evaluation results to diverse audiences. Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is an asset.
• Demonstrated track record working collaboratively in a multi-cultural team environment to contribute positively to shared results.
• Strong organizational and time management skills to handle multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.

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