External Vacancy Announcement: Evaluation Specialist, P4, Fixed-Term, Amman, Jordan Country Office

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 127,176 USD and 163,967 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, Evaluation.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is leader in the region for the rights of its children. Working closely with the Government of Jordan, civil society, the private sector and communities, UNICEF Jordan Country Office aims to sustain results achieved for children to date, and strive to further improve policies, national institutions and programmes, for the well-being of every child in Jordan, in line with Jordan's Vision 2025 and the National Human Resources Development Strategy (2016-2025) towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Our programmes focus on improving the lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in the Kingdom, irrespective of their nationality, gender, religion or background. Our main pillars include: Child Protection; Education; Water, Sanitation & Hygiene; Adolescent and Youth Engagement; Health and Nutrition; Social Protection; and Operations.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the Representative, support the planning, design, implementation, and management of the Jordan Country Office Evaluation Plan in accordance with the UNICEF evaluation policy. The Evaluation Specialist ensures credibility, impartiality, and independence of the evaluation function in the JCO. He/she facilitates the development and implementation of evaluation workplans and provides guidance and technical support to programme sectors and to the Country Management Team as well as the national government on evaluation and on related matters. The effective technical and operational support provided by the Evaluation Specialist will enhance UNICEF’s capacity and credibility in delivering highly effective programs and concrete and sustainable results that directly improve services to mothers and children in the country. Specific tasks are highlighted below:

Evaluation Leadership and management

• Guide the office and partners to identify priority evaluation topics in accordance with the coverage guidelines of the UNICEF Evaluation Policy, and in accordance with the commitments contained in UNICEF’s Strategic Plan and in the agreed country programme.
• For UNICEF managed evaluations, formulates Terms of Reference and evaluation designs of high quality, in conversation with UNICEF programme specialists and programme partners.
• Manage the recruitment of appropriate and highly qualified consultants. Work closely with external evaluation consultants/teams to enable them to deliver results according to the agreed Terms of Reference. Take timely action and/or alert stakeholders to quality concerns and suggest actions to remedy any problems.
• Ensure all evaluations follows the ethical principles and standards outlined in the UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation and Data Collection and Analysis.
• Quality assure all evaluation products; inception reports, preliminary findings presentations draft evaluation reports, commenting matrix response.
• Facilitate the collection of comments for the commenting matrix from stakeholders and ensure that relevant stakeholders have the opportunity to meaningfully participate in evaluations at all stages.
• Develop and implement a multi-method communication plan to disseminate the evaluation report to intended audiences via user-friendly methods.
• Support the development of Jordan Country Office Results, support development of relevant donor proposals and ensure that key proposals include evaluation and check them for their evaluability, and Resource Matrix and Costed Evaluation Plan, Supports the development of donor proposals, paying attention to evaluability and to making sure there is a budget for evaluation
• Support the development of UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) monitoring, evaluation and research plans.
• Support stakeholders to prepare a formal management response that reflects their reaction/views on the evaluation recommendations.
• Responsible to upload all relevant evaluation documents into EISI.

Evaluation Capacity Strengthening and Partnership Building

• Build and strengthen strategic partnerships through networking and advocacy with local/national governments, UN system agency partners, donors, NGOs, funding organization, research institutes, including universities, and the private sector to reinforce cooperation and/or pursue initiatives.
• Implement capacity building initiatives, to enhance the competencies of a wide range of internal and external partners/stakeholders’ organizations in evaluation policies, procedures, tools and systems. Encourage staff and partners to complete available e-modules on evidence activities and participate in workshops of research management, impact evaluation, uptake, ethics, etc.
• Participate in strategic discussions, meetings and other international/national meetings and workshops. Exchange information and ideas to facilitate policy formulation, discussion and agenda setting on evaluation and research related issues.
• Introduce and implement best and cutting-edge practices on evaluation and research planning and document emerging practices. Institutionalize and disseminate best practices and lessons learned to maximize the use of E&R results to support improve programming and results delivery. Promote innovative approaches and good practices through advocacy and operational support/services.
• Support capacity building of national evaluation association that foster access by individual professional evaluators/researchers to knowledge, skills development, and networking opportunities.

Coordination and Networking

• Collaborate with Regional Evaluation Advisers and HQ Evaluation Office for overall coordination of priority evaluation activities, especially those of regional scope requiring the coordinated effort of multiple countries.
• Partner with the Regional Evaluation Adviser to ensure that current and accurate Evaluation reports and results are included in regional reports, multi-country studies, and knowledge sharing networks.
• Undertake lessons-learned reviews on successful and unsuccessful Evaluation practices and experience at the national level, and ensure they are shared as appropriate. Similarly, pay attention to Evaluation knowledge networks to identify innovations and lessons learned that may be relevant for the CO and partners to improve their Evaluation function

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

Education

An advanced University Degree in the social sciences, economics, public policy, statistics, or in research methods is required. A degree or certification/accreditation in evaluation is a significant advantage.

Work Experience

A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in the implementation of equity-focused evaluations and the management of the evaluation function at national and international level. Experience of evaluation in humanitarian settings is required. Experience in evaluation design and in conducting evaluations as per UNICEF and UNEG norms and standards for Evaluation in the UN System Experience in supporting national evaluation capacity and working with professional evaluation associations. Also familiarity with methods used in conducting both ‘up-stream’ evaluations (e.g. focusing on policies, strategies and systems), as well as ‘down-stream’ evaluations (e.g. focusing on delivery of programmes and projects) is an asset. in addition, experience in related evidence functions is an asset, including Social Policy, Public Policy, Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis, Research, Programme Audit, and Programme Planning and Monitoring. Experience in these areas cannot be substituted for the Evaluation experience but is an advantage.

Language Proficiency

Fluency in English. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion to deliver the best results for children. For this position, suitable female candidates from programme or industrial countries will receive preferential consideration, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements stated above

UNICEF offers a wide range of benefits to its personnel, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. The UNICEF Jordan has an elevator as well as accessible bathrooms. Core hours in UNICEF Jordan are from 09:00 to 15:15 (excluding lunch break), from Sunday to Thursday.

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.

UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

This position has been assessed as an not elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is neither: a role with direct contact with children, works directly with child, is a safeguarding response role or has been assessed as an elevated risk role for child safeguarding. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) applies.

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.