Evaluation Officer (Decentralized Offices)

Job Posting Organization:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established to lead international efforts to combat hunger. With a mission to achieve security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food security for all, FAO ensures that people have regular access to sufficient high-quality food to lead active and healthy lives. Founded in 1945, FAO has grown to include 195 members, comprising 194 countries and the European Union, and operates in over 130 countries worldwide. The organization implements a diverse portfolio of projects, programs, and initiatives across various sectors, including animal production and health, fisheries, nutrition" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">food and nutrition, food systems and safety, forestry, social protection, inclusive rural development, and more. FAO's independent Office of Evaluation (OED) plays a crucial role in evaluating the strategic alignment, implementation, efficacy, and efficiency of its work, generating credible evidence to inform decisions and support oversight. OED values motivated candidates who aspire to contribute to FAO's mission of ending hunger by generating transformative knowledge for its member nations and partners.

Job Overview:
The Evaluation Officer (Decentralized Offices) position is located in the FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAF) in Accra, Ghana. This role involves reporting to a more senior Evaluation Officer within the Office of Evaluation (OED). The primary focus of this position is on evaluations, where the officer will be responsible for planning, designing, conducting, and promoting the use of evaluations. This work is essential for enhancing results accountability to the Director-General and the Governing Bodies, as well as enriching learning within the organization and improving results-based management. The Evaluation Officer will design and conduct evaluations of various projects, programs, and thematic or geographic areas, with a strong emphasis on measuring impacts. The officer will prepare evaluation reports and related materials, ensuring the quality of work conducted or managed, and assist in enhancing the quality of evaluations conducted by others. The role also involves presenting findings and recommendations to relevant audiences and promoting the use of evaluations in the design and implementation of strategies, programs, and projects. The Evaluation Officer will keep abreast of methodological developments in evaluation and contribute to the development of evaluation methodologies and tools, actively participating in multidisciplinary evaluation teams and liaising effectively with other units within the organization.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Evaluation Officer will have a comprehensive set of duties and responsibilities, including: designing and conducting evaluations of projects, programs, and thematic or geographic areas with a focus on measuring impacts; preparing evaluation reports and related materials such as briefs, papers, and presentations; applying rigorous analytical thinking in leading and conducting analyses (both qualitative and quantitative) and preparing dissemination materials; ensuring the quality of work conducted or managed, including reports and presentations; assisting in the quality enhancement of evaluations conducted by others; presenting findings, conclusions, and recommendations of evaluation reports to relevant audiences; promoting the use of evaluations to ensure their results are considered in the design and implementation of strategies, programs, and projects; staying updated on methodological developments in evaluation and contributing to the development of evaluation methodologies and tools; actively participating in multidisciplinary evaluation teams with internal and external partners; effectively liaising with other units to promote a results-based and evaluation culture; and performing other duties as required.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must meet the following minimum requirements: an advanced university degree focused on research and evaluation methods in fields such as data science, economics, econometrics, geography, political science, public policy, sociology, or statistics; a minimum of five years of relevant experience in conducting and managing development evaluations at global, regional, or country levels; and a working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English, along with intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish).

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree in research and evaluation methods, with a focus on relevant fields such as data science, economics, econometrics, geography, political science, public policy, sociology, or statistics. A Ph.D. degree is highly desirable, indicating a higher level of expertise and research capability in the relevant areas.

Experience:
Candidates should possess a minimum of five years of relevant experience in conducting and managing development evaluations at various levels, including global, regional, or country levels. Experience in multiple locations or areas, particularly in field positions related to FAO's mission, such as agriculture, nutrition, emergency and resilience, and climate mitigation, is highly desirable. This experience should be demonstrated in the candidate's CV.

Languages:
The mandatory language requirement for this position is a working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English. Additionally, candidates must have intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO language, which could include Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish. Proficiency in these languages is essential for effective communication and collaboration within the organization and with its partners.

Additional Notes:
Additional notes regarding this position include the expectation for candidates to upload a list of peer-reviewed publications as a separate document, excluding articles published in predatory journals. Candidates must also provide a writing sample of an impact evaluation conducted, along with a brief justification for the selected writing sample, a presentation based on that writing sample, and a cover letter. The position may involve full-time work and could be subject to contract duration and seniority level considerations.