Multi-Country Impact Evaluation Specialist, P4, Evaluation Office at UNICEF

How can you make a difference?

• Under the direction of the director of evaluation and the supervision of the senior evaluation specialist (impact and methods), the multi-country impact evaluation specialist will identify opportunities to increase coverage of impact evaluations and provide technical leadership in implementing the Impact Catalyst Fund’s multi-country thematic window/windows. Working collaboratively with the evaluation team in UNICEF Regional office in East and South Africa (ESAR), UNICEF country offices, and other UN partners based in Nairobi, the incumbent will support planned and ongoing impact evaluations, contribute to strengthening institutional and national capacities in impact evaluations, and lead on scale-up of innovative approaches in rigorous impact evaluations in fragile and humanitarian settings.
• In accordance with the UNICEF mission, guiding principles, standards, commitments and accountability framework, and under the revised United Nations Evaluation Group norms and standards, the Multi-Country Impact Evaluation Specialist will ensure that all evaluations conducted under her/his leadership are of the highest technical quality, relevance, timeliness, credibility and utility possible, and that the evaluations support the organizational learning and accountability needs of UNICEF and its stakeholders in achieving results for children.
• The incumbent will also contribute to cross-cutting initiatives within the Evaluation Office and the wider evaluation function within UNICEF, including learning activities, strategic communication, and advocacy efforts.

Summary Of Key Functions/accountabilities

Technical leadership:

• Support the Evaluation Office and, in turn, the global evaluation function to develop, design, manage and implement multi-country portfolios of impact evaluations in the programme areas of strategic importance. Currently, UNICEF Evaluation office implements two ICF thematic windows: in adaptive social protection (UNICEF Goal Area 5) and child protection (UNICEF Goal Area 3). Other thematic areas are being currently considered for the third call of ICF.
• Serve as Principal Investigator and co-Principal Investigator on selected IEs. This includes the design and technical specifications of all impact evaluations and preparation of all activities, including the projects’ timelines, human resource and partnership requirements, the analysis of data collected (qualitative and quantitative) and the preparation of evaluation reports and other materials for dissemination.
• Manage staff and consultants and collaborate closely with regional and country office evaluation specialists and programme practitioners.
• Leverage the capacity and expertise of national partners working in the thematic area and ensure visibility of UNICEF and donor efforts.
• Provide technical assistance to UNICEF regional and COs in developing Terms of Referencing and proposals for rigorous mixed-methods evaluations.

Standardization:

• Lead the development and application of the standardized methodological approaches, tools, analytical packages and management approaches in the chosen thematic areas and to ensure cost-effectiveness, replication and harmonization of outcome and impact measurements in a credible manner.
• Contribute to the development of harmonization of questionnaires, outcome indicators, training packages and technical modules across multiple countries in the relevant thematic areas

Methodological innovation:

• Contribute to and promote the diversification and innovation of methodological and data approaches to measure outcome- and impact-level change in areas with a particularly sparse impact evidence base particularly in fragile and humanitarian settings.
• Collaborate with global and regional evaluation teams to develop, initiate, test and scale up innovative methods to measure outcome- and impact-level change in fragile and humanitarian contexts and other areas with recognized challenges to construct a counterfactual or reach vulnerable populations.
• Lead the development of technical guidance papers and methodological packages.
• Learning and capacity development:
• Support the development and rollout of learning and capacity-building activities that raise awareness and promote the initiation, implementation and better use of impact evaluations by UNICEF and its national partners, including academic and research institutions of the global South.

Partnerships:

• Initiate and develop internal and external partnerships, including with other UNICEF evidence divisions, multilateral and bilateral organizations, other United Nations agencies and academic institutions to increase the coverage of impact evaluations at UNICEF.
• Fulfil other evaluation functions that strengthen quality, credibility, relevance, and visibility of impact evaluations at UNICEF and United Nations Community.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master or PhD) in social sciences (e.g., economics, public policy or a related field).

Experience

• A minimum of eight years of technical leadership experience in rigorous impact evaluation (e.g. RCT) within an international organization, development agency, academia, government or the private or non-profit sectors.
• Thematic expertise in areas relevant to the UNICEF core areas – education, child protection, social protection, WASH, health and nutrition with a particular focus on child outcomes.
• Solid track record of leading and managing mixed methods impact evaluations that rely on both qualitative and quantitative approaches and a variety of data collection modalities (mobile surveys, interviews, focus groups, direct and indirect observations, desk reviews).
• Willingness/ability to keep up to date with the latest skills and organizational guidance in the field of evaluation and to explore innovative and creative ways to apply a combination of novel data and methodological approaches.
• Demonstrated track record of working collaboratively in a multicultural team environment to contribute positively to shared results.
• Fluency in English; knowledge of another United Nations language (French in particular) is an asset.

Desirables

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.