Evaluation Officer - Innovation (P-2), FT - ECARO o/p Istanbul - Turkey

Contract

This is a P-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 2 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 83,666 USD and 113,639 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

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, results

In the last years, UNICEF has significantly incorporated the use of digital innovations to increase reach, democratize information and even interact and engage with different users. This tendency has accelerated with the COVID-19 context, as social distancing restrictions affected social services traditionally delivered face-to-face. A recent example of this work includes a chatbot called Health buddy - mobile application which was developed, tested and expanded reach to support COVID-19 Risk Communication and Community Engagement. COVID has also challenged the evaluation functions to use more innovative data sources that before were not available, for example data from Internet, social media, satellite, imagery and other.

UNICEF has been able to adapt to the COVID19 context by designing innovative tools and innovative with evaluation methods, with the aim of bringing them to scale, as demand for it increases. The influx of migrants coming from Ukraine to different countries is a good opportunity for UNICEF to invest in digital interventions and use different data collection methods and analytical tools. With the aim of knowing if these interventions can be shape, re-shape to improve their performance overtime, and ultimate goals reaching to children, evaluation can provide important insights at different moment of innovation processes.

Digital interventions have an important advantage in relation to other type of interventions, as they occur in a virtual environment that permanently collects information, it is easier to reduce cost of traditionally expensive evaluation methods, such as Quantitative Impact Evaluations, using RCTs (Randomized Control Trials). The digital world allows for reaching a large population, profiling them with big data sources, and does not need to constrain to geographic boundaries. It also allows for real-time data and analysis through small-scale experiments, to assess intermediate outcomes and use those insights into adaptive management approaches and improve targeting for specific groups. This assignment intends to capitalize on the digital ecosystem to conduct RCTs, prioritizing innovative techniques to randomize and conduct surveys online.

How can you make a difference?

The Evaluation Officer (Innovation) is accountable for the accomplishment of evaluations of digital innovations and contributing to innovative evaluations by providing professional expertise and assistance in strengthening the RO evaluation function through supporting the RO and CO work on the use of experimental evaluations to assess the results of digital interventions.

The post will be supporting the implementation of the ECA digital evaluation portfolio and on the design/use of RCTs in digital innovations. The position is responsible for implementing small-scale evaluation activities at innovation project and activity level primarily in the way of conceptualization, analysis, interpretation, and problem identification, leading to drawing methodical conclusion and making analytical/operational recommendations. S/he will also organize capacity building webinars to UNICEF RO and COs as required.

Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primarily, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end-results:

1. Strategic planning and use of evaluations

• Contribute to and provide technical assistance for the planning and implementation of evaluation activities of RO and relevant CO evaluations in relation to digital innovations, including evaluative frameworks and evaluative work using experimental and quasi-experimental evaluation methodologies to help design, implement, and assess digital interventions.
• Contribute with innovative methods of data collection analysis for evaluations, such as natural language processing, big data including social media listening and sentiment analysis for behavior related evaluations, and other data science techniques.
• Monitor the effective and timely implementation of planned evaluations of digital innovations as per RO AWP and other agreements and plans.
• Track the reporting of evaluations of relevant evaluations of innovation work in the evaluation and research database.
• Timely reporting of management response actions of relevant evaluations of digital innovations; provide assistance in tracking to ensure that management response to the findings and recommendations of such evaluation is completed, recorded and followed up for implementation.
• Actively contribute to the effective dissemination and sharing of knowledge of findings, conclusions, recommendations and lessons from evaluations of relevant digital innovations to the regional audience to inform strategic planning and implementation.
• Contribute to the elaboration of evaluation syntheses, aggregated lessons learned on key issues related to regional priorities in case of digital innovations

2. Evaluation quality assurance

• Provide support and feedback to ensure that UNICEF quality assurance system is effectively integrated in evaluations of digital innovations conducted by RO and COs, and complies with UNICEF Policies, and Procedures, as well as the UNICEF Evaluation Policy and quality criteria of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG), when necessary seek expertise of knowledge institutions.
• Support effective implementation of the quality assurance system to ensure that there are no delays on the provision of feedback to terms of reference, draft evaluation reports, and management responses.
• Contribute to the effective dissemination and sharing of knowledge regarding the management of innovative evaluations and evaluation of digital innovations to ensure increased quality of evaluations.

3. Evaluation Capacity Building

• In close consultation with Regional Evaluation Advisor and Evaluation Specialists, contribute to formulation of RO and CO staff capacity development strategy and plans, and exercise effective leadership in implementing them, ensuring that relevant staffs have the basic knowledge and skills to fulfil their evaluation responsibilities, and training is planned and carried out to fill identified gaps.
• Provide technical support for implementation of capacity building and exchange initiatives within RO and COs, as well as other developmental partners when applicable.
• Conduct research on effective evaluation use and develop suggestions on how to operationalize innovative evaluations.
• Promote and provide support to ensure that RO and CO staff and national partners are aware of and have access to UNICEF monitoring and evaluation learning resources.

4. Regional, multi-country evaluations

• Support the management of regional evaluations of digital innovations, including facilitation of the conceptualization and design process, maintenance of quality assurance mechanisms, liaison with the evaluation teams and key stakeholders, facilitation of the data collection and feedback processes across different countries, and making arrangements for report review and finalization.
• Support regional and country office quick assessments of digital innovations using innovative methods such as digital RCTs using python, and any other processing language linked to online survey development to enhance data collection processes, create digital RCTs, and quick assessments.

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

• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s) in social sciences, with specialization in evaluation or research methodology, statistical analysis and programme analysis/evaluation and/or planning and programme management is required.
• A minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible professional work experience in planning, implementation, coordination, management of monitoring, evaluation and research is required.
• Knowledge and experience in designing and implementing experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations, including randomised evaluations, A/B tests, rapid-cycle experiments, nimble evaluations, etc. is preferred.
• Use of digital means for recruitment of respondents and data collection is an advantage.
• Knowledge of methodology of evaluation theories, standards and models, quantitative/qualitative/mixed methods, validity/reliability testing of data, data analysis and interpretation, and statistical inference methods is required.
• Experience with M&E data of digital solutions, applications analytics and familiarity of digital innovations for social good is an asset.
• Formal training in Python, SQL, Bash, and/or other language processing is an advantage.
• Understanding of UNICEF’s policies and procedures for programming, monitoring and evaluation guidelines is an asset.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in a diverse organization tailoring language, tone, style, and format to match audience.
• Proficiency in English, written and verbal, is required. Working knowledge of another official UN Language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) and/or regional language as needed to perform the role is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS). The UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1) Works Collaboratively with others (1) Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1) Innovates and Embraces Change (1) Thinks and Acts Strategically (1) Drive to achieve impactful results (1) Manages ambiguity and complexity (1) Nurtures, leads and manages people (1)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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: Please note that this FT position is for two years and reports to the ECA Regional Evaluation Adviser. The successful candidate for this emergency recruitment MUST be available to commence work within four weeks of receiving an offer.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.