Evaluation Officer (Impact Evaluations)

Overview

Lead impact evaluations of projects and programs to enhance results accountability.

You have:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a social science field or evaluation, with a focus on research and evaluation methods.
• Seven years of demonstrated work experience conducting impact evaluations.
• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO language.

Organizational Setting

FAO is a specialized agency leading international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO strives to build more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

To this end, FAO implements a wide portfolio of projects, programmes, and initiatives across multiple sectors, including fisheries, forestry, animal production and health, land and water, plant production and protection, inclusive rural development, food and nutrition, food systems and safety, social protection, information management systems / data systems for monitoring and decision making, and others. FAO has a growing portfolio of work in the development and humanitarian (emergency and resilience interventions) sectors. FAO conducts its work through a skilled technical workforce and internal and external partnerships.

FAO evaluates the strategic alignment, implementation, efficacy, and efficiency of its portfolio of work through its independent Office of Evaluation (OED), which is led by a Director who reports to the FAO Governing Bodies and to the Director-General. OED evaluates FAO strategies, initiatives, programmes, and projects at the global, regional, and national levels. OED seeks to generate credible and useful evidence and insights to inform decisions, support oversight, and help FAO achieve its mission. In so doing, OED provides results accountability to both member nations and the Director-General. OED also participates in system-wide evaluation initiatives, thereby contributing to assessments of development and humanitarian effectiveness by the UN system. OED values candidates who are highly motivated to excel and want to join OED colleagues in generating transformative knowledge for FAO, its Member nations, and the fields in which FAO operates to achieve its mission of ending hunger.

The position is located in the Office of Evaluation (OED) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Evaluation Officer (Impact Evaluations) reports to a Senior Evaluation Officer.

Technical Focus

Impact evaluations of projects and programmes

Key Results

Planning, designing, conducting and promoting the use of evaluations, thereby contributing to enhanced results-accountability to the Director-General and the Governing Bodies, enriched learning by the Organization, and mentoring of junior evaluation staff.

Key Functions

• Participates actively and productively in multidisciplinary evaluation teams, often with internal and external partners.
• Designs and leads impact evaluations of complex projects, programmes, operations, and themes using experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluation designs, including randomized control trials, regression discontinuity, and propensity score matching.
• Applies rigorous analytic thinking in leading the analysis of data collected (qualitative and quantitative) and the preparation of evaluation reports and other materials for dissemination.
• Presents findings, conclusions and recommendations of evaluations to relevant audiences.
• Promotes the use of evaluation findings in the design and implementation of strategies, programmes and projects.
• Liaises and collaborates with other units of the Organization to promote results-based and evaluation culture, and enhanced learning from evaluations.
• Keeps abreast of methodological developments in evaluation.
• Guides junior evaluation officers and consultants in conducting evaluations.
• Performs other duties as required.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a social science field (such as economics, sociology, or psychology) or evaluation, with a focus on research and evaluation methods.
• Seven years of demonstrated work experience conducting impact evaluations.
• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies

• Results Focus
• Leading, Engaging and Empowering
• Communication
• Partnering and Advocating
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
• Strategic Thinking

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable.
• Ph.D. is highly desirable.
• Extent and relevance of technical expertise in leading and conducting impact evaluations (that is, using designs that establish cause and effect relationships rigorously) as demonstrated by at least 3 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Proven ability to deliver clear and concise reports and presentations as demonstrated through (1) a writing sample of an impact evaluation conducted and a presentation based on that writing sample (both to be uploaded and submitted with the application), and (2) a presentation to a panel on a topic to be provided to those selected for interviews.
• Work experience in fields related to FAO's mission is highly desirable (such as agriculture, nutrition, emergency and resilience, and others).
• Three publications in peer-reviewed journals.

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Potential interview questions

Added 2 days ago - Updated 6 hours ago - Source: fao.org