Evaluation Officer (Impact Evaluations) Vacancy-Job Ref: ECITFAO/1002/202462

Evaluation Officer (Impact Evaluations) Vacancy-Job Ref: ECITFAO/1002/202462

Rome (Italy)

JOB DESCRIPTION

FAO is a specialized agency leading international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO strives to build more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

To this end, FAO implements a wide portfolio of projects, programmes, and initiatives across multiple sectors, including fisheries, forestry, animal production and health, land and water, plant production and protection, inclusive rural development, food and nutrition, food systems and safety, social protection, information management systems/data systems for monitoring and decision making, and others. FAO has a growing portfolios of work in the development and humanitarian (emergency and resilience interventions) sectors. FAO conducts its work through a skilled technical workforce and internal and external partnerships.

FAO evaluates the strategic alignment, implementation, efficacy, and efficiency of its portfolio of work through its independent Office of Evaluation (OED), which is led by the Director, OED who reports to the Governing Bodies and to the Director-General. OED evaluates FAO strategies, initiatives, programmes and projects at the global, regional and national levels. OED seeks to generate credible and useful evidence and insights to inform decisions, support oversight, and help FAO achieve its mission. In so doing, OED provides results accountability to both Member Nations and the Director-General. OED also participates in system-wide evaluation- initiatives, thereby contributing to assessments of development and humanitarian effectiveness by the United Nations (UN) system. OED values candidates who are highly motivated to excel and want to join OED colleagues in generating transformative knowledge for FAO, its Member Nations, and the fields in which FAO operates to achieve its mission of ending hunger.

The post is located in OED at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Evaluation Officer (Impact Evaluations) reports to the Senior Evaluation Officer, OED.

Technical Focus
Impact evaluations of projects and programmes.

Key Results
Planning, designing, conducting and promoting the use of evaluations, thereby contributing to enhanced results-accountability to the Director-General and the Governing Bodies, enriched learning by the Organization, and mentoring of junior evaluation staff.

Key Functions
• Participates actively and productively in multidisciplinary evaluation teams, often with internal and external partners.
• Designs and leads impact evaluations of complex projects, programmes, operations, and themes using experimental and quasi-experimental impact evaluation designs, including randomized control trials, regression discontinuity, and propensity score matching.
• Applies rigorous analytic thinking in leading the analysis of data collected (qualitative and quantitative) and the preparation of evaluation reports and other materials for dissemination.
• Presents findings, conclusions and recommendations of evaluations to relevant audiences.
• Promotes the use of evaluation findings in the design and implementation of strategies, programmes and projects.
• Liaises and collaborates with other units of the Organization to promote results-based and evaluation culture, and enhanced learning from evaluations.
• Keeps abreast of methodological developments in evaluation.
• Guides junior evaluation officers and consultants in conducting evaluations.
• Performs other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in a social science field (such as economics, sociology, orpsychology) or evaluation, with a focus on research and evaluation methods.
• Seven years of demonstrated work experience conducting impact evaluations.
• Three publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies
• Results Focus
• Team Work
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills
• Ph.D. is highly desirable.
• Extent and relevance of technical expertise in leading and conducting impact evaluations (that is, using designs that establish cause and effect relationships rigorously) as demonstrated by at least 3 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Proven ability to deliver clear and concise reports and presentations as demonstrated through (1) a writing sample of an impact evaluation conducted and a presentation based on that writing sample (both to be uploaded and submitted with the application), and (2) a presentation to a panel on a topic to be provided to those selected for interviews.
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.
• Work experience in fields related to FAO’s mission is highly desirable (such as agriculture, nutrition, emergency and resilience, and others).

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