International Evaluation Specialist

Organizational Setting

FAO mandate in Georgia is to support national efforts to promote food security and sustainable development of agricultural sector. FAO priorities in Georgia reflect the objectives and priorities of the Government set in the strategy papers related to agricultural development. In essence FAO assists the Government in creating and implementing an institutional, legal and regulatory environment. At the same time, FAO supports individuals working in agriculture – farmers, cooperatives, companies etc. by providing technical and financial assistance.

Reporting Lines

The International Evaluation Specialist shall report to operate under the overall guidance and responsibility of the FAO Representative in Georgia; direct supervision of the FAO Programme Coordinator and close collaboration of the Evaluation Manager (National Monitoring and Evaluation Officer), Senior National Grant Management Expert and Policy Advisor, International Agronomist & Capacity Building Specialist and Agribusiness & Value chain expert.

Technical Focus

Support in conducting a mid-term evaluation of the project FAO Support to the Georgian agricultural sector under the ENPARD III program.

The overall objectives of the mid-term evaluation are:

• Assess the strategic relevance of the project’s interventions in responding to the needs of Georgia in agricultural sector;
• Assess the project’s contributions to results and outcomes in areas identified in the project;
• Identify lessons learnt as well as enabling and limiting factors for results;
• Assess the progress of the project towards its objectives;

The evaluation will examine the three areas:

area 1. Capacity development of the MEPA

area 2. Grant support to farmers/agricultural companies

area 3. Technical support to the farmers

The evaluation will also cover the following crosscutting issues: gender, climate smart agriculture, governance.

Tasks and responsibilities

The evaluation specialists will carry out specific tasks in accordance with the evaluation’s Terms of Reference, including:

• Finalization of evaluation ToR and evaluation tools
• Draft evaluation report
• Analyse the progress achieved by the project in accordance to the project Logical Framework Matrix and approaches used to address the project's results chain;
• Assess the delivery and development challenges faced by the project and the project beneficiaries and stakeholders, which are directly impacting the achievement of outcomes and outputs;
• Assess the potential for improved delivery and sustainability of the results and ongoing actions and provide recommendations ensuring sustainability of the activities and improved delivery;
• The assignment would preferably entail travel to Georgia, subject to travel rules of the country and of FAO in order meet with relevant stakeholders and collect data through individual interviews and groups discussions;
• Meet with relevant decision makers in the MEPA, review the progress done in terms of supporting development and implementation of the Agriculture and Rural Development Strategies and extension strategy; provide recommendations for improvement;
• Review the procedures and guidelines for grant application & approval and provide recommendations for improvement;
• Evaluate the progress of providing extension support to farmers and capacitating extensionists;
• Document lessons learned, promising practices, success stories and remaining challenges to be addressed;

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Doctor or master of sustainable agriculture, agricultural and biosystems, plant science or related field
• Minimum ten years of experience in project implementation and/or evaluation and/or research on subjects relevant to the ToR is required.
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO official languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian).

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent and relevance of experience in designing, planning, leading, and conducting development and humanitarian evaluations
• Knowledge of technical work in areas such as food security, nutrition, rural development, agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry, climate change adaptation and mitigation, etc.
• Proven knowledge/experience on the theme under evaluation.
• Experience in evaluation of EU funded projects is required.
• Experience in policy elaboration on agricultural development is required.
• Experience in evaluation or implementation of matching grant schemes for individuals is required.
• Knowledge of Georgian context and experience of working in Georgia will be an asset.