The United Nations World Food Programme is hiring an International Consultant on Evaluation.
JOB TITLE : International Consultant on Evaluation & Learning
TYPE OF CONTRACT : Regular Consultant
UNIT/DIVISION : Evaluation, RBD
DUTY STATION (City, Country) : Dakar, Senegal
DURATION : 11 months
REMUNERATION : Attractive Salary
About the United Nations World Food Programme
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.
Background and purpose of the assignment
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. As a major part of WFP’s accountability framework, evaluations assess the performance and results of WFP’s policies, strategies, programmes, and activities for accountability and learning to inform future direction. The Evaluation Policy 2016-2021 aims to strengthen WFP’s contribution to ending global hunger by embedding evaluation into the core of its culture, ensuring evidence-based decision making in all its work.
Since 2017, a new Regional Evaluation Officer (REO) position in the Dakar Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa (RBD) is supporting the regional Management and regional and Country Office (CO) colleagues in meeting their responsibilities and accountabilities under the Evaluation Policy and Charter. Framed by the first Regional Evaluation Strategy (RES) 2018-2021 recently approved by the Regional Evaluation Committee (REvCo), the regional decentralized evaluation function aims at fostering the use of CO-led decentralized and corporate centralized evaluation findings.
In helping to implement the RES, the Evaluation Unit of the Regional Bureau in Dakar is seeking to fill one (1) international consultant position on evaluation with development/humanitarian experience to be based in Dakar Regional Bureau.
The jobholder will support the REO on his tasks related to the implementation of the Regional Evaluation Strategy with a focus on evaluation utility, use, and Knowledge Management, which includes a close collaboration with the Programme and Monitoring functions, among others. It is expected that the jobholder will reinforce the dissemination of and learning from evaluation results, lessons learned and best practices across the region.
Accountabilities and Responsibilities
The jobholder will report to the REO or alternate in RBD. S/he will be responsible for the following key accountabilities:
Contributing to ensure consistent application of the Decentralized Evaluation Quality Assurance System (DEQAS) and related services by means of coaching, technical support and learning services to COs and RBD colleagues, and ensuring appropriate use of quality support advisory services.
Making evaluations findings accessible, developing innovative, userfriendly and informative products tailored for CO Management, Programme Teams, and WFP partners as applicable.
Promoting use of evaluation findings and related evidence (studies, strategic and programme review processes, Annual Performance Planning and reporting exercises, etc.) by any appropriate mean. This includes developing KMrelated procedures and products (eg. Synthesis, Briefs, Best practices), technical assistance, direct training and workshops, as well as supporting CO Management as required in addressing recommendations from evaluations to ensure that follow-up actions are taken and/or adjustments are made to programme design and implementation.
Supporting the thematic exchanges and discussions between RBD specialists and CO staff aiming to improve evidenceuse and strengthen the learning agenda across the region.
Take responsibility for integrating protection and gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men.
Assisting the REO in helping to contribute to national and regional Evaluation Capacity Development activities.
Other as required.
Travel to WFP field operations is required.
Qualifications and Experience
Education:
Master or Advanced University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, statistics, development economics, performance management, monitoring and evaluation; or First University degree with additional years of relevant work experience and/or training/courses.
Advance University degree or Diploma on Evaluation and/or Knowledge Management will be an asset.
Experience:
Six (6) years of valuable relevant professional work experience in evaluation-related activities in development and/or humanitarian international cooperation.
Has worked in humanitarian or development contexts.
Has experience with UN agencies in the field of M&E, Knowledge Management or Reporting.
Knowledge & Skills:
Performance Management & Technical Skills
Broad and authoritative knowledge of diverse evaluation practices, concepts, and principles.
Broad knowledge of internal and external best practices and partnerships to develop and implement optimal evaluation arrangements.
Has organizational and management skills to manage evaluation processes and budgets.
Methodology, Approaches and Analysis
Has knowledge of and ability to develop high-quality terms of references for evaluations, including clear and focused evaluation questions.
Has knowledge of a range of evaluation methods, data collection and analysis methods seeking advice where appropriate.
Has knowledge of how to analyze data from diverse sources.
Communication & Use
Demonstrates communication skills with the ability to create clear, influential messages from complex data, using a variety of communication platforms (verbally and in writing).
Demonstrates skills and judgment to communicate effectively evaluation concepts, summarize key evidence and present evaluation findings and recommendations to stakeholders.
Ethics
Understands the specific implications of ethics in evaluation and social research activities and is able to consistently ensure that appropriate actions are taken to safeguard ethics.
Demonstrates ethical behavior at all times and communicates WFP’s expectation that all WFP personnel act ethically in furtherance of the ideals of the UN and WFP’s mission.
Languages:
Fluency (level C) in French and English is required. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of Portuguese will be an asset.
Functional Capabilities
Strategic Management
Demonstrates good understanding of humanitarian and development actions in different contexts and knowledge of global geo-political issues and UN Reform, and applies it to enhance existing monitoring and evaluation systems that support WFP’s strategic objectives.
Is able to demonstrate to stakeholders the value of monitoring and evaluation for policy and programming in the achievements of the SDGs.
Has ability to analyze the existing evidence base, needs and design a comprehensive monitoring, review and evaluation plan that will address learning and accountability needs.
Performance Management
Solid performance management cycle skills to support (or lead when required) the design and implementation of monitoring review and evaluation systems in line with WFP corporate standards.
Knowledge of internal and external best practices and contributes to the development and implementation of optimal monitoring, review and/or evaluation arrangements.
Good understanding of the Theory of Change (ToC) approach and process and is able to support the CO team in developing a ToC for moderately complex programmes.
Knowledge of international norms and standards for evaluation and is able to apply them appropriately, seeking advice where needed.
Methodology, Approaches and Analysis
Ensures selection and application of high quality, credible, analytical approaches and qualitative and quantitative methods appropriate to WFP monitoring, review and evaluation needs.
Has knowledge of and ability to develop high-quality terms of references for evaluations and reviews.
Has knowledge of a range of evaluation methods, data collection and analysis methods and is able to define key methodological requirements for various types of evaluations and critically review the evaluation design proposed by evaluation teams seeking advice where appropriate.
Is able to validate data quality and ensure that data collection and analysis have been conducted ethically.
Communication & Use
Demonstrates skills to communicate effectively key evidence from monitoring, reviews and evaluations to a range of stakeholders.
Demonstrates active listening and conflict resolution skills to promote constructive engagement from stakeholders with diverse, complex and high-stake interests and seeks guidance and engagement from CO management where appropriate.
Ethics
Demonstrates ethical behavior at all times and communicates WFP’s expectation that all WFP personnel act ethically in furtherance of the ideals of the UN and WFP’s mission.
Understands the specific implications of ethics in monitoring, review and evaluation activities and is able to consistently ensure that appropriate actions are taken to safeguard ethics.