A call for candidates for the Europe and Central Asia Regional Office EVALUATION ROSTER

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Monday 3 Oct 2022 at 21:55 UTC

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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, hope

How can you make a difference?

The Evaluation Section at the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECA) seeks to establish a Roster of Evaluation experts with a range of skills and expertise. Becoming a Pre-qualified Candidate in the UNICEF Roster is a one-off standard application that opens the door for potentially multiple assignments within a three year period. Once pre-qualified, technically and reference cleared, candidates will be eligible for direct recruitment by UNICEF offices in the region within the validity of the roster (3 years). Significant reductions in the time required by UNICEF to process contracts and for a consultant to be operational are expected. Over the three year period, UNICEF will make extensive use of the roster for eligible consultancy requirements; this is therefore a unique opportunity for any interested and qualified consultant to submit one single application and if entered onto the Roster to be immediately considered for any future assignments by UNICEF in the relevant area of expertise.

BACKGROUND

UNICEF is an organization with a universal mandate, representing the interest of children –- over one third of the global population. The mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child and to ensure every child has the opportunity to lead a decent life, realize their potential, and have their rights respected, protected, and fulfilled. The Strategic Plan 2022-2025 explicitly recognizes the critical role of evidence in achieving these results.

As an organization, UNICEF has to respond to a world that is changing at a faster rate than ever before, changes that represent threats as well as opportunities. In this context evidence becomes an increasingly important asset; evidence to guide interventions in favour of children in a diverse and changing landscape; evidence on if and how particular innovations and technological changes can work for children; evidence to underpin policy advocacy towards governments and other actors who set the policies that will make the most difference for children. Data collection, evaluation, and research represent the three pillars of UNICEF’s evidence generation efforts.

The purpose of evaluation is to ensure that UNICEF has timely, strategically focused and objective information on the performance of its policies, programmes and initiatives to produce better results for children and women. It is to strengthen evidence-based decision-making and advocacy, transparency, coherence and effectiveness. Furthermore, the purpose and use of evaluation is to determine the relevance, impact, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the interventions and contributions of the organizations of the United Nations system.

Getting the right data into the right hands at the right time to impact decisions for children requires the appropriate balance of data demand, supply and use. When all three pieces are functioning well, data can be used to inform strategic planning, to monitor and adjust performance of government systems, and to engage communities in dialogue. When any element of this chain falls short, the potential of data to improve results for children also falls short. UNICEF’s approach to data is based on a commitment to strengthening government systems. Because data are a core element of every part of government with which UNICEF interacts, it is not limited to a single government office or sector. UNICEF also has a leadership role to play in influencing the policies, standards and investments – both within and outside of government – that shape the future of data.

SKILLS REQUIRED

In order to support the above, the UNICEF Regional Office for ECA is seeking technical expertise, competencies and skills in one or more following areas:

  1. Research and evaluation

    [3.1] experience in designing and implementing theory-based/non-experimental/qualitative evaluations (Contribution Analysis, Realist Evaluation, Outcome Harvesting, Contribution Tracing, QCA, Process Tracing, Most Significant Change, Casual Loop-Diagrams, Soft System Modelling, Participatory System Mapping, Agent-Based Modelling, Bayesian-Belief Networks). [4.1] experience in designing and implementing experimental , quasi-experimental designs and pre-experiments (RCT, Multi-arm trial, Nimble RCT, A/B test, Cluster randomised trial, Stepped wedge and wait-list designs, Cross over design, Multi-site trial, Realist trial, Hybrid trial, Adaptive trial, DinD, Statistical matching, RDD, Synthetic control, Pre-post testing, Rapid Cycle testing, Prototyping) [5.1] Experience in designing and implementing mixed methods impact evaluations combining non-experimental and experimental designs (Quan led, Qual led, Equal designs) [6.1] experience in designing and implementing participatory evaluations (Engaging communities in data collection and validation, Engaging children and young people in data collection, Engaging children and young people in design, data collection, analysis, dissemination, Engaging hard-to-reach and excluded populations in design, or in data collection, or in analysis, or in dissemination) 7.1 experience in designing and implementing case study evaluations; 8.1 Experience in conducting various types of evaluation (Process Evaluation, Evaluability Assessment, Summative Evaluation, Rapid Evaluations, Evaluations in Humanitarian Settings) 9.1 Experience in doing evaluative activities (Desk Review, Literature Review, Rigorous Reviews e.g. realist review, systematic review, Evidence Mapping, Meta-Analysis, Re/constructing ToC in workshops, Developing Causal Pathways, Setting up M&E systems, Social Media Listening (and other Big Data) use for evaluation, VfM, Social and Behavior Change use for evaluation, Gender Analysis/Reviews, Stakeholder Analysis, Cost Benefit Analysis, Economic Evaluation, Scalability Assessment, MERL Framework For Interventions at the Policy/National and Project Level

  2. Thematic/policy areas [10.1]

Child Protection, Education, Health, Youth Participation and Engagement, Communications, Institutional evaluations, ECD/ECE, WASH, Immunisation, Social Policy

  1. Administrative data and data on hard-to reach populations [11.1]

Estimating hard-to-reach populations (incl marginal, hidden, excluded); Use of administrative data available, household survey data

  1. D****is****semination and visualisation [12.1]

Dashboards, - Web-Based Visualisation of Findings from Complex System Level Research, Studies and Evaluation; Mobile App Based, Infographics, Video

  1. Proof-reading and Proof-editing of evaluation products [13.1]

Proof-reading, proof-editing

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

- Advanced university degree from an accredited academic institution, preferably in evaluation, social studies or a related field

- Minimum of five years of relevant professional experience (work experience in the ECA region, in UNICEF is an asset)

- Fluency in English is required and preferably at least one of the major languages used in the region

- Experience of research in at least one of the disciplines relevant to the following regional priorities for children in the region:

    • human and child rights;
    • child protection;
    • access to the justice system;
    • early learning and school readiness;
    • Early Childhood Development;
    • inclusive quality education;
    • maternal and child health;
    • prevention, care and treatment of children with HIV and AIDS;
    • social protection;
    • social inclusion;
    • gender equality;
    • public finance management;
    • protection from risks of disasters;
    • adolescent well-being.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

Any candidate to the UNICEF's Pre-qualified Consultants Roster should be:

  • Able to communicate effectively to varied audiences, including formal public speaking;
  • Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment;
  • Able to work with different stakeholder from government institutions, academia and NGOs;
  • Able to analyze and integrate diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources;
  • Able to produce high quality reports and presentations;
  • Able to demonstrate, apply and share evidence derived from research;
  • Adopt a flexible attitude and adaptability to rapidly changing circumstances;
  • Computer literate;

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

How to Apply Applicants are invited to:

  1. Duly complete the the online application including technical questions,
  2. Attach latest CV (P11 form supersedes CV)
  3. A sample of a short-written work (3 pages) and/or a link to your work.
  4. you’re a cover letter with a daily fee. Note we will only look at the first 3 pages. The sample needs to be a public document.
  5. Online form should include information on supervisors and referees.
  6. Daily fee should be provided. Applications without a daily fee will not be considered.

Please apply to the Regional Roster by the indicated online deadline.

Please note that only candidates who are under serious consideration will be contacted. Once pre-qualified, consultants will be eligible for direct recruitment by offices in the region for a three year period. In the selection of its staff and consultants, UNICEF is committed to gender balance and diversity without distinction as to race, sex or religion, and without discrimination of persons with disabilities: well qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

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 offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org