Senior Evaluation Specialist (Systemic Strengthening), P-5

Duty Station: UNICEF-New York, Evaluation Office Contract Type: Fixed Term Long-Term Staff Application Deadline: 6 March 2014 If you are a programme management and evaluation professional, and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to receive an application from you. Over 230 UNICEF professional staff have Evaluation in their job title, and the accountability to provide good evaluative evidence involves many hundreds more staff. This incredible human resource base can deliver and use high quality evaluative evidence when supported by the right information systems, processes, external experts, knowledge, and national counterparts. Understanding how these complex parts can and should fit together, and then developing strategies to make them work as in integrated and strong evaluation system is the challenge. The P-5 Senior Evaluation Specialistwith support from 2 additional staff in the Evaluation Officewill lead UNICEFs in meeting that challenge.

Summary of Responsibilities
Under the general direction and supervision of the Evaluation Office Director, responsibilities include: 1. QUALITY ASSURANCE: To lead in the design and implementation of quality assurance processes that effectively support evaluation efforts at all levels. To include in particular a focus on these areas:

a. Fostering a consistent understanding of the evaluation policy by all stakeholders, including leading the development of necessary technical elements (e.g. guidelines, tools, and templates); b. Developing processes to streamline technical assistance within Evaluation; c. Establishing and managing corporate agreements with external bodies to provide technical support to UNICEF offices in areas such as bidding, TOR review, consultant provision etc.; d. Undertaking client satisfaction exercises with varied stakeholders as needed.
2. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT and COMMUNICATIONS: Lead on improved communications and within the Evaluation function in UNICEF, including work in at least these 4 areas: a. Maximizing the impact of existing management information systems supporting evaluation and overseeing the addition of new systems as demand and opportunity permit; b. Developing a systemic vision and strategy for evaluation communications, including the definition of audiences, procedures, platforms, and partnerships; c. Promoting a `community of practice` on evaluation through web-based and related linkages. d. Overseeing and promoting the growth of a knowledge management approach that especially seeks to unite regional and global knowledge, including the production of UNICEF working papers and other materials. 3. HUMAN RESOURCES: Coordinate joint efforts between the Evaluation Office and the Division of Human Resources related to finding and making available adequate staff and consultant candidates, including the following: a. Developing and implementing staff and external staff candidate skills assessment exercises, including within generic recruitment efforts to establish talent pools; b. Developing consultant rosters with performance assessment ratings; c. Developing methods to improve the performance assessment of M&E staff; d. Developing and overseeing a strategy to enhance UNICEF staff skills in evaluation through approaches including self-learning, peer support, mentoring, and formal training. 4. MAJOR EVALUATIONS: To ensure that systemic strengthening efforts are properly evaluated and reviewed: a. On a bi-annual basis, conducting at least 1 independent evaluation on a systemic strengthening theme; b. Ensuring systemic strengthening issues are examined within global evaluations managed by other members of the Evaluation Office; and within evaluations conducted by regional offices or country offices; c. Helping respond to requests for information from external stakeholders that are reviewing UNICEF evaluation performance. 1

5. INNOVATION: To identify relevant innovations in technology and other disciplines that are likely to impact or are already impacting evaluation practice, and to develop a structured approach for testing and integrating desirable innovations into UNICEF`s evaluation work. As a related field, to lead UNICEF in establishing how to evaluate programmatic innovations considered to be critical or to have high potential for broad impact.

6. NATIONAL EVALUATION CAPACITY BUILDING: To foster policy level and technical partnerships at all levels
that support the development of national, regional, and global evaluation capacity. To focus on the system partnerships (e.g. associations, networks) as a means to realize UNICEF and UN commitments to support evaluation capacities of civil society and public entity groups.

Qualifications
1. Advanced university degree in social sciences or related field, with a strong preference for Evaluation and/or Planning. 2. Minimum 10 years of relevant work experience at national and international levels in programme management, monitoring and evaluation; over 5 years of which should be in developing countries. 3. Experience in conducting or managing evaluations, especially at the regional or country office levels. 4. Programming or evaluation experience with high levels of partnership management skills required. 5. Fluency in English. Proficiency in a second UN language an advantage.

How to Apply
Interested candidates may follow the direct link http://bit.ly/1kkwr8a or log in as an applicant on our Careers page http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/ for more information/to apply by 6 March 2014.

Background Information
Please visit http://www.unicef.org/evaluation/ for information and resources related to UNICEFs Evaluation function.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.