Evaluation Officer

Job Posting Organization:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established to lead international efforts to defeat 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 enough high-quality food to lead active, 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 Office of Evaluation (OED) plays a crucial role in evaluating the strategic alignment, implementation, efficacy, and efficiency of its work, generating credible evidence and insights to inform decisions and support oversight. OED values motivated candidates who are eager to contribute to the mission of ending hunger through transformative knowledge generation.

Job Overview:
The Evaluation Officer position is situated within the Office of Evaluation (OED) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. The role involves reporting to a senior Evaluation Officer and focuses on evaluations. The key results expected from this position include planning, designing, conducting, and promoting the use of evaluations, which contribute to enhanced results accountability to the Director-General and the Governing Bodies, as well as enriched learning within the organization. The Evaluation Officer will support evaluations of various programs and projects, assist lead evaluators in preparing evaluation reports, and help organize meetings, missions, workshops, and other events. The role also requires keeping abreast of methodological developments in evaluation and contributing to the development of evaluation methodologies and tools. Collaboration with other units within the organization and with evaluation units of other UN organizations is essential to promote a results-based and evaluation culture.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Evaluation Officer will be responsible for several key functions, including:

• Supporting evaluations of programs, program components, or clusters of projects.
• Assisting lead evaluators in the preparation of evaluation reports and related materials.
• Organizing and preparing for meetings, missions, workshops, and other events.
• Staying updated on methodological developments in evaluation and contributing to the development of evaluation methodologies and tools.
• Collaborating with other units within FAO to promote a results-based and evaluation culture.
• Engaging with evaluation units of other UN organizations and professional evaluation bodies.
• Designing and conducting evaluations focused on measuring outcomes and impacts.
• Supporting the preparation of evaluation reports, briefs, papers, and presentations.
• Contributing to the development and improvement of OED corporate processes through research and analysis. 1
• Applying rigorous analytical thinking in conducting analyses and preparing dissemination materials. 1
• Ensuring the quality of work conducted or managed, including reports and presentations. 1
• Actively participating in multidisciplinary evaluation teams with internal and external partners.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must meet the following minimum requirements:

• An advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) 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 three years of relevant experience in supporting, designing, planning, and/or conducting evaluations.
• Proficiency in English (working knowledge - level C) and intermediate knowledge of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish - level B).

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree, specifically a Master's degree or equivalent, with a focus on research and evaluation methods. Candidates should have a strong foundation in relevant fields such as data science, economics, econometrics, geography, political science, public policy, sociology, or statistics, which are essential for conducting evaluations effectively.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of three years of relevant experience in the field of evaluations. Candidates should have experience in supporting, designing, planning, and conducting evaluations, demonstrating their ability to contribute effectively to the evaluation process. Experience in multiple locations or areas of work, particularly in field positions, is highly desirable, especially in fields related to FAO's mission, such as agriculture, nutrition, emergency and resilience, and climate mitigation.

Languages:
Candidates must have a working knowledge of English (proficiency - level C) and intermediate knowledge of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish - level B). Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset, enhancing the candidate's ability to communicate and collaborate in a diverse international environment.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in Rome, Italy, at the FAO headquarters. Candidates are required to submit several documents as part of their application, including a cover letter, descriptions of relevant studies, examples of findings from their work, a CV, disclosure information if applicable, and references. The documents must be uploaded as specified in the job posting to be considered for the position. The role is full-time, and candidates should be prepared to engage in a collaborative and dynamic work environment focused on achieving FAO's mission of ending hunger.