Director Independent Evaluation Office

Background

Applications for this vacancy MUST be sent with the relevant attachments to the following email address:  exo.cos@undp.org.   Only applications received at this email address will be accepted.  Kindly indicate the following reference on your application:  # IEO, DIRECTOR

UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. UNDP works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results. UNDP is working to strengthen new frameworks for development, disaster risk reduction and climate change. We support countries' efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals, which will guide global development priorities for the next 11 years.

UNDP’s Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) works to enhance UNDP's development effectiveness through independent thematic and programmatic evaluations and contributes to organizational learning, accountability and transparency. IEO assures the quality and use of UNDP evaluations by establishing norms, standards and guidelines and by knowledge sharing and networking with both internal and external partners. The IEO also hosts the Secretariat of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG).    

The Director heads an independent office, and provides all evaluation reports directly and independently to the Executive Board in line with the UNDP Evaluation Policy.   The impact of results will be to support the following:

• Credibility of UNDP through validation of UNDP results;
• Improved organizational learning, accountability and transparency;
• Strengthened evaluation functoin throughout UNDP, including country office, and
• Effective interagency coordination in evaluation

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

• Providing intellectual and organizational leadership and strategic guidance in the implementation of the UNDP evaluation policy through IEO's annual work programme that is approved by the UNDP Executive Board and that includes conduct of IEO's independent assessments of UNDP's programmes and activities;

• Leading IEO's development of rigorous evaluation tools, guidelines, methodologies and training initiatives to support results-orientation. Directing and managing the IEO, including strategic management of resources and resource mobilization;

• Setting and achieving UNDP's corporate goals vis-a-vis evaluation. Ensuring an evaluation culture in UNDP through promoting the use of evaluation findings, lessons and recommendations in policy and programme formulation. Ensuring compliance with requirements and tracking of recommendations. Reporting to the Executive Board on evaluation findings, development effectiveness and results. As an observer of the Operations Group and through regular presentations to the Management Group, s/he contributes to the deliberations of senior management;

• Actively promoting dialogue with partners and build strong partnerships within the UN system organizations. Serving as Executive Coordinator to the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) and overseeing the management of the Secretariat.

Specifically, the incumbent will:

• Provide intellectual and organizational leadership and strategic guidance to the implementation of the UNDP evaluation policy and UNDP's evaluation function by directing and managing the Independent Evaluation Office;

• Guide the Independent Evaluation Office in the systematic conduct of independent assessments of UNDP's programmes and activities; their effectiveness and impact. The Director also provides leadership to the undertaking of strategic evaluations of UNDP programme and management policies, and evaluation of the results of UNDP programmes at country, regional and global levels. S/he facilitates the corporate management dialogue on results of evaluations and assessments as a contribution to strategic planning;

• Interact and liaise with and report periodically to the UNDP Executive Board on evaluation findings, development effectiveness and results, UNDP programme performance and the overall exercise of the evaluation function of the organization and UNDP funds and programmes;

• Interact with the Executive Office of UNDP and also with UNDP’s senior management as an observer of the Organisational Performance Group (OPG) and through periodical presentations to the Executive Group (EG), to enable senior management to respond to evaluation findings and better exercise oversight over decentralised evaluations;

• Support the improvement of UNDP's development effectiveness through introduction of methodological innovations and application of evaluation to UNDP management. Leads the development of rigorous evaluation tools, guidelines, methodologies and training initiatives to support results-orientation in the organization;

• Support the implementation of UNDP's orientation towards becoming a highly networked and-knowledge­ driven organization through mainstreaming the culture of evaluation and evidence-based decision-making;

• Promote the use of overall evaluation findings, lessons and recommendations in policy and programme formulation throughout the organization and ensure that evaluation findings are accessible to staff and stakeholders and are built into the UNDP knowledge management systems. S/he ensures that strategic learning events and promotion of networking and dialogue on monitoring and evaluation are regularly organized and contribute to strategies for enhancing organizational learning within UNDP focus areas;

• Direct and lead the Independent Evaluation Office in setting corporate goals and the evaluation agenda and oversee the evaluation function in UNDP, including tracking compliance with evaluation requirements. S/he works closely with UNDP associated funds and programmes in policies on monitoring and eyaluation;

• Provide overall guidance in carrying out the evaluation agenda and maintain dialogue with programme countries and support country office efforts to strengthen the capacities of programme countries and UNDP offices in evaluation as an integral part of good governance;

• Actively promote dialogue with partners and build strong partnerships within the UN system organizations, multilateral banks, OECD-DAC, bilateral donors, and evaluation communities to ensure infusion of globally acceptable quality standards of monitoring and evaluation. S/he serves as the Executive Coordinator of the UN Evaluation Group and promotes harmonization and ioint evaluation within the UN svstem,

• With the support of the Deputy Director, s/he directs, monitors and manages the work and staff of the Office and ensures strategic management of resources. S/he leads donor liaison and resource mobilization for the evaluation function, as necessary.

Competencies

Knowledge of the United Nations

• The incumbent must have a thorough and nuanced understanding of the United Nations and multilateral context, as well as extensive familiarity of relevant United Nations values and topics, such as human rights, human development, gender, environment, and results based management, in order to provide effective leadership for all levels and all types of evaluation.
• S/he must provide overall strategic direction to evaluation staff for all levels and all types of evaluation, taking into account the broader goals, objectives and needs of United Nations and UNDP programmes and activities, as well as new directions and cutting-edge methods in evaluation.

Technical and professional skills

• S/he must have proven in-depth professional knowledge of the different components of the evaluation practice, including evaluation design, data collection and analysis, and reporting, and the skills needed to provide substantive guidance to staff on evaluation design methodology and reporting.
• S/he must have a proven ability to plan and implement an effective office strategy for systematic follow-up to evaluation recommendations and in developing an effective dissemination and outreach strategy for evaluation reports.
• S/he must show a concrete ability to guide the distilment, communication and reporting of best practices and lessons learned.
• S/he must have excellent presentation skills and the ability to represent the evaluation office at the Executive Board, senior level meetings and other high level fora.
• S/he must have excellent proven knowledge of emerging global development issues and evaluation trends that impact on the work of the Independent Evaluation Office and the skills necessary to advance the evaluation profession as part of the United Nations team as well as within the larger evaluation community.

Inter-personal skills

• The incumbent must have excellent proven oral and written communication skills, and the ability to effectively communicate complex information in a clear and concise manner to all audiences, as well as to provide guidance to staff on all written products and oral presentations.
• S/he must have demonstrated leadership competencies in understanding and respecting for differences in culture, local customs, religious beliefs and practices, gender roles, disability, age and ethnicity, and be skilful in incorporating these when undertaking and managing evaluations as well as when leading staff.
• S/he must have excellent negotiation skills that can be applied to complex situations, within and outside the office, on all issues related to evaluation.
• S/he must have excellent facilitation skills that can be employed in high level meetings and other interactions with colleagues, peers, and other internal and external partners.

Personal attributes

• The incumbent must have a thorough understanding of the Standards of ethical conduct for evaluators, be able to promote a strong ethic work environment in the office, have integrity and honesty in all working relationships and act as a role model for staff with regard to ethical behaviour.

Management skills

• The incumbent must have strong management skills to effectively monitor the flow of the office's evaluation work and products and to oversee the following office management tasks: organizing effective evaluation work, assigning evaluation tasks, setting up evaluation priorities, monitoring major project milestones, reviewing evaluation products for quality, establishing output goals and schedules, developing quality products, ensuring timeliness of products, and ensuring effective dissemination and utilization of evaluations.
• S/he must have excellent coaching and mentoring competencies.
• S/he must have strong networking skills, representing the office at senior level meetings, and cultivating good relationships with Member States, donors, and programme managers, while maintaining accountability and independence.
• S/he must have demonstrated leadership skills in promoting a positive work environment in the Evaluation Office by empowering staff, fostering creative problem-solving, ensuring transparent communication and participatory decision-making, and promoting open and effective interpersonal relationships among staff.
• S/he must have strong administrative skills needed to effectively manage and mobilize office resources so as to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness, including procurement, budget formulation, staff allocations and other administrative procedures.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree in a social science discipline or in a discipline related to international development, such as economics, law, business and public administration, political science or any other related field.

Experience:

• The incumbent must have at least 15 years of proven and progressively senior evaluation experience in leading, managing and conducting evaluations or in leading and managing similar processes involving monitoring and institutional assessments work at an international level, in multi-lateral contexts or within the UN system.
• S/he must have a documented proof of evaluation technical and professional skills and direct experience with evaluations in or for United Nations organizations, and / or other multi-lateral and bilateral development organizations, as well as demonstrated management and leadership experience.

Language:

• Fluency in English. Proficiency in at least a second UNDP working language (French or Spanish) is highly desirable.

Applications for this vacancy MUST be sent with the relevant attachments to the following email address:  exo.cos@undp.org.   Only applications received at this email address will be accepted.  Kindly indicate the following reference on your application:  # IEO, DIRECTOR