Head of Evaluation Office

The Head of Evaluation Office provides senior-level leadership, coordination, and quality oversight of the evaluation function in UNHCR. The incumbent leads the development and implementation of evaluation policy, supports evaluation activities across the organization, and represents UNHCR in inter-agency evaluation fora and networks.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the implementation of the UNHCR Evaluation Policy and Evaluation Strategy across the Organization ensuring the continued development of the evaluation function in close collaboration with regional bureaux, divisions, and country offices.
• Lead any necessary evaluation policy or strategy revisions/updates.
• Coordinate the annual evaluation planning and budgeting, consulting with senior management on the selection of topics for centralized evaluations, and issue/publish bi-annual workplans.
• Ensure that technical guidance, advice and support is available to regional bureaux and divisions, as well as country and multi-country offices, towards the general development and strengthening of the decentralized evaluation function.
• Promote the effective use of evaluation resources and ensure timely implementation and reporting.
• Establish and maintain processes that ensure evaluations are contextually relevant and reflect the operational and protection dimensions of UNHCR’s work.
• Lead the development and adaptation of evaluation methodologies suitable for diverse operational environments.
• Ensure quality assurance for centralized and decentralized evaluations, including technical support, capacity development, and final review of evaluation reports prior to publication.
• Oversee the development of a communications and external engagement strategy for the Office, ensure its implementation and facilitate regular engagement with internal stakeholders, including senior management.
• Promote the dissemination and use of evaluation findings and lessons learned across the organization.
• Represent UNHCR in external meetings and inter-agency fora on evaluation.
• Maintain and strengthen cooperation and partnerships with other evaluations services and professional networks to contribute to inter-agency evaluation, learning and evaluation guidance and normative development initiatives.
• Contribute to UN System wide and joint efforts on evaluation and professionalization.
• Coordinate the Annual Programme Review ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and effective use of evaluation resources.
• Lead risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives.
• Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels.
• Allocate resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans.
• Ensure that risks are managed to acceptable levels and escalate, as needed.
• If a Risk Owner, designate the Risk Focal Point and certify that the annual risk review is completed and ensure that the risk register is updated during the year, as needed.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• For P5 - 12 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 11 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 10 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree
• Field(s) of Education: Social Sciences; Economics; International Development; Public Policy or other relevant field.
• Certification in research and evaluation methods is essential.
• Experience leading and managing evaluation/research functions in complex international organizations of which at least five have been in managing and conducting independent evaluations, preferably in the humanitarian sector.
• Proven track record as an evaluator/social science researcher of humanitarian or development operations, programmes and projects with an international organisation, NGO or consulting company.
• Demonstrated expertise of evaluation standards, norms and good practices as practised by professional groups such as the United Nations Evaluation Group, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development/Development Assistance Committee (OECD/DAC), Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action (ALNAP) and other professional networks.
• Experience with a range of evaluation purposes, objectives and methodologies.
• Good knowledge of qualitative and quantitative data collection, monitoring and reporting systems and tools, and results based management in the UN System.
• Field experience, preferably in a UN humanitarian or development organization in monitoring and evaluation leadership role.
• Demonstrable experience and knowledge of humanitarian response and coordination, ideally specifically related to refugee response.
• Solid understanding of developments within the inter-agency humanitarian and development world, and how they may impact UNHCR and its evaluation function.
• Experience of working with and influencing senior decision makers, including in delivering challenging, or potentially contested, key messages.
• Advanced diplomatic, representational and communication skills.
• Proven ability to write for publications with minimal editorial supervision.
• Excellent team management and leadership skills, strong presentation skills, and a consistent commitment to the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
• Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Skills

• Research and evaluation methods
• Evaluation Management
• Independent Evaluation
• Humanitarian Program Evaluation
• Development Evaluation
• Evaluation standards and norms
• Qualitative Data Collection
• Quantitative Data Collection
• Monitoring and Reporting
• Result-Based Management
• Humanitarian Emergency Response Coordination
• Refugee response knowledge
• Inter-agency humanitarian knowledge
• Senior decision maker engagement
• Diplomatic Communication
• Publication Writing
• Team Management
• Leadership
• Presentation Skills

Languages

English