Evaluation Consultant

WFP seeks candidates of the highest integrity and professionalism who share our humanitarian principles

Selection of staff is made on a competitive basis, and we are committed to promoting diversity and gender balance

Context and Background

The WFP Evaluation Policy 2016-2021 reaffirms WFP’s commitment to the value of evaluation in its performance management, accountability and learning systems, in compliance with the United Nations’ evaluation principles, norms and standards. 

The Evaluation Policy articulates a clear vision for WFP Evaluation Function as follows: “WFP’s contribution to ending global hunger is strengthened by evaluative thinking, behavior and systems embedded in its culture of accountability and learning.”  WFP has selected a new model for its evaluation function, which combines centralized evaluation with demand-led decentralized evaluation, in line with Strategic Plan commitments and related organizational strengthening initiatives. This model implies: i) maintaining the high quality of WFP’s centralized evaluation function while applying a phased approach to developing a decentralized function over the life of this policy, with the Office of Evaluation (OEV) setting the framework of norms and standards, accountabilities and coverage; ii) enhancing capacity across WFP to meet stakeholders’ requirements for accountability; and iii) strengthening its culture of learning, together with its partners, and facilitating evidence-based decision-making.

Within this context, the consultant is required to provide support and contributions to: i) strengthening of impartiality provisions and ethics; ii) updating of the evaluation consultant roster; iii) preparation of the evaluation policy review; iv) support to decentralized evaluations commissioned by Headquarters Divisions; v) WFP support to national evaluation capacity development; and vi) embedding of an effective evaluation culture and function throughout WFP.

Supervision: Overall supervision will be provided by the Deputy Director of Evaluation (with functional reporting to the Senior Evaluation Officer, Head of the Capacity & Quality Unit).

Within the delegated authority, the Staff will be responsible for the following duties:

Responsibilities

1. Contribution to strengthening of impartiality provisions and ethics. The evaluation policy identified provisions to strengthen impartiality of decentralized evaluations. These now need to be further developed and pulled together in a coherent package of measures to be embedded in appropriate systems and processes. Similarly, the ongoing revision of the UNEG ethics guidance will need to be strategically reflected in the OEV ethics guidance and its appropriate implementation across all evaluations (centralized and decentralized) ensured.
2. Updating and maintaining an evaluation consultants’ roster. OEV developed in 2017 an independent evaluation consultant roster that needs to be expanded to be more inclusive geographically and whose quality and utility need to be further enhanced according to the needs of both OEV and regional evaluation officers.  Expand current content for expanded geographic inclusiveness. This will entail reaching out to various evaluation networks and technical capacity to assess relevant senior evaluation expertise to be included in the roster, especially to conduct decentralized evaluations.
3. Contribution to the review of the evaluation policy. According to the evaluation policy a review is due in 2020 and preparation to that exercise will take place during the last quarter of 2019. The consultant is expected to work closely with the deputy director to set up the  consultation process with a wide range of stakeholders at various levels of the organization, including WFP senior management, the drafting of the TOR and the identification of the high level team to undertake the review in 2020. 
4. Support to decentralized evaluations: Under WFP Evaluation Policy, evaluation has become everyone’s business; the centralized evaluation function has been complemented by a demand-led decentralized evaluation function. While the REOs are the primary port of call to support country offices in the planning and commissioning of decentralized evaluations, the consultant is expected to support some of the WFP Headquarters Divisions to commission, manage and use quality decentralized evaluations, including advice to ensure that impartiality provisions are in place; technical support on the scoping and design of evaluations, sourcing of robust evaluation teams, management of evaluation processes and dissemination of evaluation findings. 
5. National evaluation capacity Development: Following up on the UN system-wide commitment to support country-level capacity building for the evaluation of development activities, OEV and the Regional Evaluation Officers (REOs) identified priority areas for WFP action in each region, which were reflected in the Regional Evaluation Strategies. The consultant is expected to identify and document best practices in each region in collaboration with the REOs, update WFP NECD Conceptual Framework developed early 2018 and support knowledge sharing across regions. The consultant is also expected to support OEV Deputy Director/staffing coordinator in developing and implementing a coherent professional capacity development approach for all OEV staff.
6. Contribution to overall Evaluation Function: The consultant is also expected to contribute to embedding an effective evaluation culture and function throughout WFP  by participating in communication efforts to raise WFP's staff awareness of the DE function across the organization, taking part to the Global Evaluation Meeting (May); contributing to OEV Evaluation Newsletter, developing specific decentralized evaluation communication products as required; and contributing to the online Evaluation Community.

DELIVERABLES DURING THE CONTRACT:

The key results have an impact on the overall effectiveness and success of WFP’s Evaluation Policy and OEV’s work. In particular, the consultant’s work contributes to:

• Package of impartiality measures embedded in WFP systems and processes
• Expanded and updated Evaluation Consultant Roster
• TORs for the evaluation policy review drafted
• At least one Decentralized Evaluation commissioned by a HQ Division supported
• NECD Best practices documented and conceptual framework updated

  Education and Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Advanced University degree in International Development, Economics, Social Science or other relevant field, or First University degree with an additional years of related work experience and/or training/courses.

Experience:

• At least ten years of relevant professional experience in international development or humanitarian work both in the field and Headquarters.
• A minimum of five years of experience in evaluative activities spanning a range of policies and programme initiatives.

• Participated in defining the strategic direction and objectives of the evaluation function. Experience of management of high-performing teams of specialists/consultants.
• Has managed multiple projects and implemented enhancements to evaluation systems and standards.

Skills requirements:

Knowledge & Skills:

• General knowledge of UN systems policies, rules, regulations and procedures governing administration.
• Solid knowledge of evaluation ethics and ability to consistently apply this knowledge in most evaluations; able to ensure that ethics are incorporated into the evaluation process; able to uphold ethics; and able to maintain independence and impartiality under pressure.
• Solid knowledge of international norms and standards for evaluation, the ability to apply them appropriately, seeking advice where appropriate.
• Solid knowledge of human rights and gender equality and ability to ensure that evaluation design, questions, and analysis incorporate this knowledge into most of the settings.
• Solid knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods for monitoring and evaluation and good understanding of developing practices in analytical approaches.
• Fully computer-literate with excellent skills in Word, Excel, Power Point and database management.

Languages:

• Fluency in English language.  Intermediate knowledge of a second official UN language: Arabic, French, Spanish, and/or WFP’s working language, Portuguese.

Initial Duration

Initial duration of assignment is 11 months with possibility of extension.

Start date is September 2019

Terms and Conditions

WFP offers a competitive compensation package which will be determined by the contract type and selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Please visit the following websites for detailed information on working with WFP.

http://www.wfp.org Click on: “Our work” and “Countries” to learn more about WFP’s operations.

Deadline for applications: 29 July 2019

Ref.: VA No. 106294

Qualified female applicants and qualified applicants from developing countries are especially encouraged to apply

WFP has zero tolerance for discrimination and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.