Senior Evaluation Specialist at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Duties

In Headquarters

• Lead the design and timely management of global independent strategic, thematic and/or Level 3 Emergency Response Evaluations.
• Deploy on mission as needed, notably scoping and draft report/ recommendation co-creation phases to build stakeholder involvement and ensure products are developed to standard.
• Lead the dissemination and follow-up activities on global and/or L3 Emergency Response Evaluations.
• Contribute to strengthening the global normative evaluation framework, including the revision of policies, strategies and procedures.
• Enhance the technical quality of UNHCR’s evaluation approaches, methodologies and tools.
• Lead, where requested, the updating of technical evaluation guidelines and capacity development products and services.
• Contribute to the preparation of other technical evaluation products including evaluation syntheses.
• Lead and participate in the selection and procurement of quality evaluation services (evaluation firms and individual consultants).
• Provide technical assistance and quality assure decentralized evaluations commissioned by divisions.
• Respond to requests for details of the evaluation work programme and activities.
• Participate in conferences, workshops, and seminars relevant to UNHCR’s evaluation work and contribute to UN professional evaluation practice through active participation in UN Evaluation Group working groups and events.
• Provide technical continuity and advice on specialist evaluation areas to rotational colleagues.

In a Regional Bureau

• Lead the design and management of independent Country Strategy Evaluations (CSEs).
• Deploy on mission as needed, notably scoping and draft report/ recommendation co-creation phases for CSEs and technical assistance in commissioning and design of decentralized evaluations to build stakeholder involvement and ensure products are developed to standard.
• Lead the dissemination and follow-up activities of independent CSEs.
• Contribute to strengthening the global normative evaluation framework, including the revision of policies and procedures with a specific emphasis on those relevant to the decentralized evaluation function.
• Enhance the technical quality of UNHCR’s evaluation approaches, methodologies and tools.
• Lead, where requested, the updating of technical evaluation guidelines and capacity development products and services.
• Contribute to the preparation of other technical evaluation products including evaluation syntheses.
• Lead the development and strengthening of the evaluation function within the region, including generating awareness and demand among senior management at bureau and operation levels; establishing a regional work programme, building a network of focal points, generating resources, and supporting decentralized evaluation conduct in line policy requirements.
• Enhance the technical aspects (both quantitative and qualitative) of decentralised evaluations commissioned by UNHCR are improved through expert advice and guidance.
• Ensure the quality of decentralized evaluations commissioned by regional bureaux and country operations.
• Contribute to the design of evaluation-related training modules and materials for the decentralized function, and deploy to facilitate evaluation-related awareness raising, training and/or capacity building sessions as required.
• Respond to requests for details of the evaluation work programme and activities.
• Participate in conferences, workshops, and seminars relevant to UNHCR’s evaluation work and contribute to UN professional evaluation practice through active participation in UN Evaluation Group working groups and events.
• Ensure continuity for the evaluation function and perform an advisory role in the regions.
• Support risk assessment and discussions within the Evaluation Office team and proactively manage risks related to evaluation conduct and use for evaluations for which the S/M is responsible, escalating the risk to the Head of Evaluation Office, as needed.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

• For P4 - 9 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 8 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 7 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

• Social Science;
• Economics;
• Law;
• International Development; or another relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

• Research & Evaluation Methods;

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

• Proven track record as an evaluator of humanitarian or development operations, programmes and projects. Experience with a range of evaluation purposes, objectives and methodologies. Demonstrable expertise of evaluation norms and standards. At least 5 years applied research or M&E related experience. Good knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation methods/approaches, statistics, data collection tools and analytical approaches. Experience of leading and managing evaluation processes, including ideally managing multi-disciplinary teams with variable evaluation experience. Experience of working with and influencing senior decision makers, including in delivering challenging, or potentially contested, key messages.  Experience in developing and/or delivering M&E or evaluation-related capacity building content. Experience of building effective working relationships with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Desirable

• Formal qualification or certification in evaluation work. Substantial experience in a humanitarian or development context. Knowledge of UNHCR programmes and other humanitarian operations in a variety of geographical locations. Ability to write publications with minimal editorial supervision. Relevant work experience in field contexts, ideally including in refugee and displacement response contexts.

Functional Skills

• SO-Research
• DM-Data Collection and Analysis
• IM-Statistics Analysis
• Available: EL-Evaluation of humanitarian operations
• MG-Policy Development, Evaluation, Research, Publication
• CO-Strategic Communication
• (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

• For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
• For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

• Accountability
• Communication
• Organizational Awareness
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

• Empowering and Building Trust
• Judgement and Decision Making
• Leadership
• Managing Performance
• Managing Resources
• Strategic Planning and Vision

Cross-Functional Competencies

• Analytical Thinking
• Planning and Organizing
• Policy Development and Research