Evaluation Specialists (Evaluation Team Members)

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background, and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member nations, and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct and to uphold our values. FAO has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and FAO, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination
• All selected candidates, therefore, will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

Organizational Setting The Office of Evaluation (OED) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is launching an independent evaluation of the FAO project titled “Sawlog Production Grant Scheme (SPGS) Phase III”. The SPGS Phase III is a 5 year and 7 months project with a budget of €16.04 million, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization on behalf of the Government of Uganda. The project sought to increase the incomes of the rural population through commercial tree planting by small, medium and large-scale private sector actors and the local communities, while at the same time helping to mitigate climate change effects through intensive afforestation. The project aimed to achieve its objectives by: • Supporting the development of commercial plantations according to acceptable standards. • Promoting the establishment of an enabling environment for commercial forestry and capacity building of public and private sector institutions. • Supporting the downstream industrialization of processing and utilization of forests products. • Supporting private and public sector actors to conduct research to improve the body of knowledge in commercial forestry. The evaluation will take place between June and September 2021. The data collection and field visits will be carried out in July 2021. Reporting Lines The evaluation team will work under the overall responsibility of OED Director and the close technical and methodological guidance of the OED Evaluation Manager. Composition and profile of the evaluation team OED is looking for two independent consultants to join the evaluation team. The candidates should have demonstrated evaluation experience and a background in the following domains: 1) timber processing and market development, utilization of forests products, and forest value-chain development; and 2) gender in forestry, socio-economic development, and inclusive value chains. Candidates should have not been involved in the formulation, implementation or backstopping of the project or any of the activities to be evaluated and will be required to sign a declaration of conflict of interest. Tasks and responsibilities The evaluation team members will: • Contribute to the Evaluation methodology and the finalization of the evaluation tools, such as evaluation matrix, evaluation questions, inception report, checklists, survey and other data collection tools. • Lead the collection of primary data through face-to-face or virtual interviews with key stakeholders including government members, external partners, project teams and beneficiaries as appropriate. • Assemble, read and utilize relevant secondary data, as required and identified in the evaluation matrix. • Consolidate all evidence collected during the evaluation process in a structured format following the key evaluation questions and criteria. • Deliver articulate written inputs on the specific areas of assessment, as per the evaluation Terms of Reference. • Present findings of the evaluation to key stakeholders during planned debriefing sessions as required. • Prepare the evaluation draft and final report according to specifications provided by OED. CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING Minimum Requirements • Advanced university degree in a relevant discipline (forest science, wood science, agricultural economics with specialization in value chains, natural resource economics, rural development, gender etc). • A minimum of 10 years of evaluation experience or professional experience in areas related to the project (timber processing and market development, utilization of forests products, inclusive forest value-chain development, gender in forestry, socio-economic development). • Practical experience in forest value-chain development in the region is considered a strong asset. • Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of another FAO language (French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic). FAO Core Competencies • Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement Technical/Functional Skills • Previous experience in conducting/participating in the evaluation (independent) of strategic and complex capacity development programmes or projects. • Strong stakeholder engagement, facilitation skills and interviewing skills. • Excellent knowledge and experience on the analysis and development of inclusive forest value chains. • Excellent knowledge of gender and environmental issues related to forestry. • Demonstrated experience in evaluation. In particular, good experience in conducting evaluation interviews and focus group discussions and in report writing. Knowledge of participatory evaluation techniques is strongly desired. Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency