Background

The Evaluation Office (EO) reports directly to the UN Women’s Executive Director and is responsible for the following key functions:

  • Developing and implementing UN Women’s corporate evaluation strategy and policy and submitting an annual report on the evaluation function and for raising key and critical issues derived from evaluation exercises that are of significance on corporate strategic discussion, planning and design on institutional activities and processes.
  • Developing and implementing a corporate evaluation plan through the direct management and conduct of corporate evaluations of programming and institutional dimensions of UN Women.
  • Developing and maintaining a corporate system to track management responses to evaluations and a publicly accessible online repository of evaluation reports.
  • Facilitating the use of corporate and decentralized evaluation findings and lessons learned for program design through participation in Project Appraisal Committee (PAC).
  • Supporting decentralized evaluations through technical support/guidance, providing easy access to evaluation tools and framework, institutional evaluation planning, building capacity of stakeholders to conduct evaluation and providing other evaluation related services to ensure the conduct of proper and effective evaluation exercises.
The Chief of the EO reports directly to the Executive Director, UN Women for general direction and supervision and is responsible for the overall strategic direction, planning, implementation, oversight and management of all corporate evaluation initiatives and activities in EO and for overseeing all technical support and services provided to decentralized evaluation activities. S/he leads the development and implementation of corporate evaluation agenda and plans and acts as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director and Senior Management on all matters related to evaluation.  

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

  • Corporate evaluation goals and strategic planning
  • Leadership and overall management of the Evaluation Office (EO)
  • Corporate reporting and feedback on evaluation
  • Development of rigorous evaluation tools, guidelines and systems
  • Representation and partnership building
Description of Functions:

Corporate evaluation goals and strategic planning:
  • Direct and lead the EO in setting corporate goals and the evaluation agenda. Oversee the evaluation function in UN Women, including tracking compliance with evaluation requirements;
  • Provide leadership to the undertaking of strategic evaluations of UN Women programme;
  • Establish the EO work plan and operational budget; identify projects/programs and other topics to be evaluated and determine order of priority for the team;
  • Guide and supervise the EO team in the systematic conduct of independent assessments of UN Women’s programmes and activities, their effectiveness and impact in compliance with UN Women and UN evaluation standards, policies and norms. Oversee the quality control of evaluation deliverables;
  • In consultation with relevant officials in the Programme Division oversee the planning, management and implementation of thematic and country program/project evaluations and other types of evaluations conducted in UN Women at the regional, country and thematic level to ensure that evaluations are carried out according to schedule and that finding and recommendations are acted upon and implemented;
  • Facilitate, in collaboration with Programme Division, the corporate management dialogue on the results of evaluations and assessments as a contribution to strategic planning;
  • Provide strategic advisory support and overall guidance to country offices and HQs units on evaluation matters and in carrying out the corporate evaluation agenda and strengthening capacities;
  • In close consultation with the Programme Team (Regional) in Programme Division provide technical assistance and support to UN Women regional offices in conducting evaluations that are consistent with a Results-Based Management system and standards of quality to which UN Women is committed.
Leadership and Overall Management of the Office:
  • Provide strategic guidance and oversee the overall management of the EO including human resources and financial management, to ensure adherence to policies and procedures and the accountability framework;
  • Establish the EO annual work plans and set objectives, performance measurements, standards and expected results in collaboration and discussion with the EO team;
  • Guide the preparation of and approve budget proposal for financial, human and other required resources to ensure the office operates efficiently. Decide on the optimum and appropriate allocation and management of resources;
  • Supervise and assess work in progress to ensure delivery of results according to performance standards, overall objectives and accountability framework. Provide intellectual leadership and technical guidance and timely take decisions to meet objectives;
  • Promote teamwork to ensure harmonization, linkages, collaboration and synergy ensure that staff members are provided sufficient information, guidance and support to perform and deliver results according to the organizational, personal and professional standards of efficiency, accountability and integrity.
Corporate reporting and feedback on evaluation:

  •  Interact, liaise and report periodically to UN Women’s Executive Board on evaluation findings and the overall exercise of the evaluation function in the organization;
  • Submit mandated reports for management and governing bodies on findings, recommendations and lessons learned from programs on gender equality, women’s rights and empowerment, highlighting critical areas of strategic importance to enhance UN Women development planning, advocacy and mobilization;
  • Advise the Executive Director on strategic and critical issues related to evaluation findings requiring her action and/or intervention. Monitor and follow-up on recommendations and alert management to take prompt action in order to ensure compliance;
  • Manage and coordinate responses to corporate requirements or demands from external parties on evaluation related matters;
  • Promote the use of overall evaluation findings, lessons and recommendations in policy and programme formulation throughout the organization. Ensure that evaluation findings are accessible to staff and stakeholders and are built into the UN Women knowledge management systems.
Development of rigorous evaluation tools, guidelines and systems: 
  • Introduce innovation and cutting edge techniques and approaches to facilitate evaluation;
  • Lead and manage the development of rigorous evaluation tools, guidelines and methodologies to support results orientation and enhance the efficacy of evaluation exercises, including establishing a corporate system to track management responses to evaluations and to allow a publicly accessible online repository of evaluation reports;
  • Ensure high quality methodological and process standards through strict guidance to and oversight of the EO’s team, in adherence to UN Women’s Evaluation Policy;
  • Design and implement Evaluation Capacity Development (ECD) in UN Women;
  • Ensure that strategic learning events and promotion of networking and dialogues on monitoring and evaluation are regularly organized and contribute to strategies for enhancing organizational learning with the UN Women focus areas. Plan, manage, implement and evaluate impact of, training and other capacity building activities to build the knowledge and skills of UN Women staff to commission/conduct evaluations and to use their findings to enhance program planning and implementation to achieve optimum and quality results.
Representation and Partnership Building: 
  • Represent UN Women in international and inter-agency meetings on matter related to Evaluations ensuring that UN Women interests are well represented at all times;
  • Manage the collaboration with UN evaluation units and other organizations and networks dealing with evaluations;
  • Actively promote dialogue with partners and maintain partnerships with other evaluation bodies in the UN System to keep abreast of/share ideas on best practices and lessons learned and to collaborate on the development of evaluation knowledge management products and tools;
  • Actively participate in and contribute to the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) for the development of evaluation policies and best practices;
  • Provide leadership in EO’s participation in UNEG in accordance with UN Women’s mandate to play an innovative and catalytic role in relation to gender equality and women’s empowerment within the overall UN system for development cooperation.

Impact of Results:

  • The ability of the Chief of the EO to effectively plan, implement, manage and oversee evaluations carried out in UN Women and the development of easily accessible and user friendly tools, systems and mechanisms will impact directly on the appropriateness and quality of UN Women initiatives and activities across all programmes and projects. and  on the overall success and sustainability of UN Women’s initiatives and activities in promoting gender equality and women’s rights.

 

Competencies

Core values and Guiding principles:

  • Integrity: Demonstrate consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN Women in actions and decisions, in line with the UN Code of Conduct.
  • Professionalism: Demonstrate professional competence and expert knowledge of the pertinent substantive areas of work.
  • Cultural sensitivity and valuing diversity: Demonstrate an appreciation of the multicultural nature of the organization and the diversity of its staff. Demonstrate an international outlook, appreciating difference in values and learning from cultural diversity.
 
Ethics and Values:
  • Demonstrate and promote ethics and integrity by creating organizational precedents.
Organizational Awareness:
  • Build support for the organization and ensure political acumen.
Development and Innovation:
  • Support staff competence development, and contribute to an environment of creativity and innovation.
Work in teams:
  • Build and promote effective teams.
  • Demonstrate ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
Communication and Information Sharing:
  • Create and promote an environment for open and effective communication.
Self-management and Emotional Intelligence:
  • Stay composed and positive even in difficult moments, handle tense situations with diplomacy and tact, and have a consistent behavior towards others.
Conflict Management:
  • Surface conflicts and address them proactively acknowledging different feelings and views and directing energy towards a mutually acceptable solution.
Continuous Learning and Knowledge Sharing:
  • Share knowledge across the organization and build a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.
Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making:
  • Ensure fair and transparent decision making processes and manage risk.
Functional Competencies:
  • Good technical knowledge of the different components of evaluation, including evaluation design, data collection and analysis and reporting.
  • Substantive knowledge of gender equality/gender responsive evaluations, respective methodological approaches and demonstrated knowledge of HR approach.
  • Ability to direct, lead and manage results-oriented strategic and thematic evaluations.
  • Substantive knowledge and understanding of evaluation and development evaluation techniques approaches and impact as a strategic corporate tool and excellent knowledge of emerging global issues and evaluation trends.
  • Broad and in depth knowledge in aid/social development issues particularly those pertinent to UN Women strategic priorities on gender issues and women’s rights.E
  • Excellent theoretical, intellectual and technical skills in measurement and evaluation, including grasp of methodological and operational dimensions and the ability to link corporate and country level issues.
  • A proven track record of leadership and team management, and drive for results with the ability to transfer knowledge and skills.
  • Ability to forge strategic partnerships, and strong negotiation, networking and advocacy skills.
  • Ability to go beyond established procedures and models, creation of new approaches and introducing strategic innovations.
  • Good knowledge of Results-Based Management principles and approaches.
  • Excellent presentation skills and the ability to represent the organization at senior level meetings and high level fora.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Master’s degree (or equivalent) in social sciences, development planning, public or business administration, or related technical field. Formal qualifications in evaluation theory, methods and techniques, the use of evaluation tools, and/or research methodologies in development.
Experience:
  • At least 15 years substantive experience and expertise in the development field in general and in results-based management, particularly in  measurement and management for results.
  • Minimum 7-10 years experience in evaluation that combines intellectual, strategic and managerial leadership in international development issues, programme management and evaluation, analysis of socio-economic issues and related policies with specific focus in the area of gender issues and women’s rights at the international level, preferably in developing countries within the UN system, Agencies, Funds or Programs or renowned institutions/academia.
  •  Considerable experience in the design, implementation and management of evaluation projects/programmes in socio-economic or related development fields essential. 
Language Requirement:
  • Fluency in English is required. Proficiency in another UN working language is highly desirable.

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment

Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment.