Evaluation Specialist (Impact Evaluation), P4, 364 days, Evaluation Office, NYHQ

Contract

This is a P-4 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 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 171,387 USD and 220,969 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, evaluate

The Evaluation Office commissions and manages independent corporate evaluations, Level 3 humanitarian evaluations, impact evaluations and other evaluative exercises (e.g., evaluability assessments, syntheses, reviews). The Evaluation Office also leads on the development and implementation of evaluation policy, strategy and systems; pilots innovative data and methodological approaches; oversees evaluation quality assurance processes; and undertakes evaluation capacity development activities within and outside UNICEF. It actively promotes an enabling environment for evaluation and a strong evaluation culture and ensures transparent access to evaluation information. The Evaluation Office works closely with the Regional Evaluation Advisers and multi-country evaluation specialists in each of the seven UNICEF regions to ensure a well-coordinated, collaborative, whole-of-organization evaluation effort and to continue to build the organization’s community of practice. Working in a complementary manner with other data, evidence and research functions within UNICEF, the Evaluation Office aims to deliver consistently timely, credible and useful independent analyses that harness knowledge to help the organization deliver results for children.

The Evaluation Office has recently launched the UNICEF Evaluation of Impact Strategy and Action Framework 2022–2025, which sets the institutional priorities and vision for a harmonized and strategic approach to the generation and use of impact evidence at UNICEF. The Impact Catalyst Fund is an integral part and the main incentive mechanism of Strategic Pillar I of the Impact Strategy. It aims to build a multi-country impact evaluation portfolios covering new and priority areas of UNICEF programming. We are seeking an Evaluation Specialist (Impact Evaluation) to support Evaluation Office and the global Evaluation function in implementing the Impact Strategy, with the focus on expanding the initiation and coverage of impact evaluations across UNICEF thematic areas. EO values highly motivated candidates that strive to excel and stay abreast of the latest evaluative knowledge and methodological innovations.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direction of the Director of Evaluation and the supervision of the Senior Evaluation Specialist (Impact and Methods), the Evaluation Specialist (Impact Evaluation) will be responsible for technical supervision of the impact evaluation portfolio of the newly formed partnership between the Evaluation Office and BMZ (Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), which focuses on adaptive social protection in fragile contexts, as well as technical leadership of the Impact Catalyst Fund (Call 2023 on Child Marriage and Social Norms thematic window. In this dual role, the incumbent will contribute to the planning, design, analytical strategy, standardization of methodological approaches and harmonization of impact evaluation tools according to international and sector-specific standards. The incumbent will also provide strong leadership in the development, validation and scale-up of innovative approaches to the evaluation of impacts and outcomes in fragile and humanitarian contexts with a rigorous counterfactual.

In accordance with the UNICEF mission, guiding principles, standards, commitments and accountability framework, and under the revised United Nations Evaluation Group norms and standards, the Evaluation Specialist (Impact Evaluations) will ensure that all evaluations conducted under her/his leadership are of the highest technical quality, relevance, timeliness, credibility and utility possible, and that the evaluations support the organizational learning and accountability needs of UNICEF and its stakeholders in achieving results for children.

The incumbent will also contribute to cross-cutting initiatives within the Evaluation Office and the wider evaluation function within UNICEF, including capacity building, learning activities and communication and advocacy efforts.

Key functions/accountabilities:

1. Technical leadership: Support the Evaluation Office and, in turn, the global evaluation function to plan, design and implement multi-country portfolios of impact evaluations in the programme areas of social protection (UNICEF Goal Area 5) and child protection (UNICEF Goal Area 3). Thematic areas of focus will include adaptive social protection (fragile contexts) and harmful practices (e.g. child marriage).

2. Standardization: Lead the development and application of the standardized methodological approaches, tools, analytical packages and management approaches in the above thematic areas and to ensure cost-effectiveness, replication and harmonization of outcome and impact measurements in a credible manner.

3. Methodological innovation: Contribute to and promote the diversification and innovation of methodological and data approaches to measure outcome- and impact-level change in areas with a particularly sparse impact evidence base – fragile and humanitarian contexts, hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations, etc.

4.Learning and capacity development: Support the development and rollout of learning and capacity-building activities that raise awareness and promote the initiation and better use of impact evaluations by UNICEF and its national partners, including academic and research institutions of the global South. Mentor young evaluators and junior staff.

5.Partnerships: Initiate and actively engage in internal and external partnerships, including with other UNICEF evidence divisions, multilateral and bilateral organizations, other United Nations agencies and academic institutions.

1.Technical leadership

a) Multi-country impact evaluation portfolio on adaptive social protection in fragile contexts(BMZ partnership)

Support the Evaluation Office with the technical implementation of the multi-country evaluation portfolio on adaptive social protection with a focus on child outcomes and resilience in fragile contexts, implemented in partnership with the UNICEF Innocenti - the Global Office of Research and Foresight. During the period 2023–2024, the following major efforts and responsibilities will be required:

• Lead the Impact Feasibility Assessment to select four country cases for rigorous impact evaluations (randomized controlled trials) in fragile contexts.
• Serve as Principal Investigator and co-Principal Investigator on four rigorous impact evaluations including the design and technical specifications of impact evaluations and preparation of their activities (e.g. the projects’ timelines, human resource requirements, the analysis of data collected (qualitative and quantitative) and the preparation of evaluation reports and other materials for dissemination).
• Manage staff and consultants and collaborate closely with regional and country office evaluation specialists and social protection focal points throughout the duration of the programme.
• Leverage the capacity and expertise of national and international partners working in this area and ensure visibility of UNICEF and donor efforts.

• Alongside the Senior Evaluation Specialist and interdivisional partners, the incumbent will contribute to overall programme development across data, research and evaluation components and support better alignment and complementarity of evidence.

  b) The Impact Catalyst Fund Call 1 – Child Marriage and Social Norms thematic window

• Provide ongoing technical assistance to the country offices selected for matching grants support and technical assistance including planning, design and, in some cases, direct implementation of chosen rigorous methodology alongside partners, quality control of the intermediary and final products.

• Support with trainings on validation of the standardized tools, harmonization of data and analysis wherever appropriate.
• Coordinate with all impact evaluation leads at the country and regional levels on all issues related to the Impact Catalyst Fund matching grant 2023 conditions and implementation progress, including availability of funds and their expenditure.

2. Standardization

• Contribute to the development of harmonization of questionnaires, outcome indicators, training packages and technical modules across multiple countries in the relevant thematic areas.
• Work closely with other Evaluation Office units, regional evaluation teams and other development partners, lead the development of technical guidance papers and methodological packages that support the cost-effective and timely implementation of impact evaluations in fragile and humanitarian contexts.

3. Methodological innovation

• Collaborate with other Evaluation Office and regional teams to develop, initiate, test and scale up innovative methods to measure outcome- and impact-level change in fragile and humanitarian contexts and other areas with recognized challenges to construct a counterfactual or reach vulnerable populations.
• Experiment with multimethodological approaches and different types of data and tools (including machine learning) to provide contextualized, cost-effective and timely evidence where it matters.

4. Learning and capacity development

• Contribute to the learning events (webinars, thematic events and conferences) organized by UNICEF or external partners.
• Contribute to the development of training modules on impact evaluations for the national partners with a focus on relevance, contextualization, methodological appropriateness, and innovation.
• Support national partners, particularly academic and research institutions, young evaluators and researchers in their technical skills development and promote stronger national ownership of impact evidence.
• Mentor junior evaluation staff and consultants involved in multi-country impact evaluation portfolios

5. Partnerships

• Coordinate and provide input into existing and new partnerships and the evaluation and thematic communities of practice.
• Represent the Evaluation Office and UNICEF at international forums, academic conferences and other events, disseminate Evaluation Office products and advance the Evaluation Office’s contribution to international impact evaluation standards and practice.
• Contribute to other Evaluation Office and inter-divisional evidence generation initiatives.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or PhD) in social sciences (e.g., economics, public policy, evaluation or a related field).
• A minimum of eight years of technical leadership experience in impact evaluation with with a proven record of publications in a peer-reviewed journals.
• At least three years of work experience related to (adaptive) social protection with a focus on child outcomes. Thematic expertise in social norms, harmful practices and gender is highly desirable.
• Solid track record of leading and managing mixed methods impact evaluations that rely on both qualitative and quantitative approaches and a variety of data collection modalities (surveys, interviews, focus groups, direct and indirect observations, desk reviews).
• Willingness/ability to keep up to date with the latest skills and organizational guidance in the field of evaluation and to explore innovative and creative ways to apply a combination of novel data and methodological approaches.
• Demonstrated track record of working collaboratively in a multicultural team environment to contribute positively to shared results.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of another United Nations language (French in particular) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable [Insert diversity profile] are encouraged to apply.

[If Applicable] Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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 are also 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.

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