Overview
The Director of Evaluation heads the Evaluation Office, providing intellectual and organizational leadership for the evaluation function to enable organizational learning, accountability, and performance improvement.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide intellectual and organizational leadership and strategic guidance on the implementation of UNICEF’s evaluation policy and function.
- Set performance standards for methodological rigor, credibility, and use for various evaluation approaches.
- Provide an independent annual report to the Executive Board on the implementation of the evaluation policy.
- Prepare and revise the plan for global evaluations, focusing on impact, effectiveness, and value-for-money assessments.
- Design, commission, and manage independent corporate evaluations meeting international standards.
- Establish a comprehensive assessment system for the performance and quality of UNICEF’s evaluation function.
- Promote the use of evaluations and knowledge management through timely dissemination of results.
- Promote strategies and systems to build organization-wide evaluation and evaluative capacity.
- Develop and share innovative approaches and methodologies for evaluation work.
- Promote internal and external partnerships, particularly national ownership and leadership of evaluation activities.
Required Experience
- At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in conducting evaluation and/or research, and evaluation management.
- Substantial experience designing and implementing evaluations.
- At least 10 years in a senior position leading and managing an evaluation function or similar processes.
- Experience with rigorous evaluation methodologies, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental designs, and mixed-method approaches.
- Proven ability to assess causal impact, attribution/contribution, and cost-effectiveness in complex development and humanitarian contexts.
- Proven track records as an evaluator/social science researcher generating high-quality, policy-relevant evidence on program effectiveness and impact of humanitarian and development operations.
- Demonstrated expertise of evaluation standards, norms, and good practices as practiced by professional groups such as UNEG, OECD/DAC, ALNAP, and other relevant professional networks.
- Proven experience in leading diverse teams of evaluators at both corporate and decentralized levels of a large organization.
- Prior experience at the international level.
- Strong management and leadership skills.
- Excellent interpersonal, networking, and partnership skills.
- A track record in strategic and global thinking.
- Strong communication skills.
Qualifications
- Advanced university degree in evaluation studies, economics, research methods or related disciplines such as development planning, international development, public administration, or other closely related fields.
- Specialized training in statistics, econometrics, or quantitative and mixed research methods is an asset.
