Fixed Term: Research & Evaluation Specialist, NO-C, Islamabad, Pakistan

Contract

This is a NO-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-3 contracts.

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, a new idea!

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges.

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilisers, communities and families, and of course the children and adolescents themselves.

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunized, protected from polio and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.

To learn more about UNICEF work in Pakistan, please visit the country website www.unicef.org/pakistan and videos on YouTube and Vimeo

The Research and Evaluation (R&E) Specialist reports to the Chief of Social Policy. Under the guidance of Chief of Social Policy, the R&E Specialist will ensure that the country office has useful, valid and reliable information and recommendations for adjustment on:

• the situation of protection and fulfillment of children and women rights,
• the performance of UNICEF-supported programmes including their relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability, and in emergency contexts, their coverage, coordination and coherence under the core commitments for children in emergencies.
• implementation and effectiveness of cross cutting strategies and strategic shifts, including equity in use of services and protection of rights, human rights based approach, gender equity, disaster risk reduction and other crosscutting areas that the country office will opt to focus on.

The incumbent will be expected to:

• Lead all evaluative and research work within the country office and provide quality assurance and technical oversight for high quality evaluation and research function for the country office.
• Work with one UN programme to support achievements of strategic outcomes under UNSDF by delivering valid and reliable information on the attainment of the SDGs and other goals, and on the performance of UN-supported programmes and to integrate evaluations under the UNSDF work.
• Be a leader within UNICEF Pakistan on equity focused and gender sensitive research and evaluations.
• Coordinate closely with the regional office, other country offices and headquarter staff in programme division and evaluation office.
• Work effectively with all programmes for a well established plan of research and evaluations outlined in regularly updated PRIME.
• Take on a leadership role in guiding evaluation within the On UN to maximize synergy on research and evaluations and support the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework for SDGs which enhances partnership between the UNCT, government and other key players to collectively track progress on SDGs and other international commitment for children. Lead the development of national capacities for evaluation and research within the public sector, with special attention to the interest, concern and participation of government, community, and civil society stakeholders.
• Support in creating a learning environment and creative knowledge through sharing relevant information/studies based on the outcomes of research and evaluation that would also enhance better planning, cross sector coordination and achievements of results.

How can you make a difference?

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks

1. Planning for Research and Evaluations

Ensure that the Country Office and national partners use a well-prioritized and realistic plan of research, integrated monitoring and evaluations (PRIME) that will provide the most relevant and strategic information to manage the Country Programme with regard to research and evaluations.

2. Evaluation Function

Ensure that UNICEF Pakistan has a high quality and robust evaluation function through evaluations designed and implemented as per UNICEF/UNEG quality standards, and the results are disseminated in a timely fashion to stakeholders in order to improve programme performance and contribute to wider learning.

3. Research and Situation Monitoring for programme development and management

Ensure that the Country Office has a high quality research function and that CO and national partners have timely and accurate measurement of change in conditions in the country including monitoring of socio-economic trends and the country wider policy, economic or institutional context, to facilitate planning and to draw conclusions about the impact of programmes or policies

4. Programme support for development and evaluation of social policies

Ensure that the Country Office has information and quality research to develop relevant social policies for UNICEF relevant sectors and integrate processes to evaluate social policies

5. M&E and Research Capacity Building

Ensure that the monitoring and evaluation capacities of Country Office staff and national partners government and civil society are strengthened enabling them to increasingly engage in and lead monitoring and evaluation processes.

6. Knowledge Creation through Coordination and Networking

Ensure that the UNICEF office is effectively linked to wider UNICEF research and evaluation networks in a way that both contributes to and benefits from organizational learning on effective programme planning and M&E and research management. Also ensure that UNICEF work with regard to SDGs is well coordinated with UN and government partners.

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

• Advanced university degree (Master's or above) in Social Sciences; Development Studies or Statistics.
• *A first University Degree (Bachelor's) in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in academic and research fields, programme management, monitoring and evaluation, in a related field.
• Experience in research quality assurance, framework development, the theory of change -log-frame, development of qualitative and quantitative indicators and proxies.
• Experience and updated knowledge on a variety of evaluative studies and approaches: cost-benefit analysis, randomized control trials, return on investment.
• Experience working with donors is essential, so it is the ability to present complex information in an executive and succinct manner.
• Other experience that can be considered an asset: Value for Money (VfM), nutrition, health, work with adolescents, WASH, Social protection, child protection.
• Understanding of the Pakistani context at a provincial level and experience working in changing and fast pace environments.
• Familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. 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 competencies required for this post are Builds and maintains partnerships, Nurtures, Leads and Manages People, Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, Drive to achieve results for impact, Innovates and embraces change, Manages ambiguity and complexity, Thinks and acts strategically, Works collaboratively with others.

View our competency framework at:

Competency Framework Brochure.pdf

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

Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

Remarks:

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• HEC Attested Degrees are a pre-requisite for employment at UNICEF. During the recruitment process candidates will be required to present HEC attested degrees/certificates.