Title: Chief, Independent Evaluation Unit

Requisition ID: 5572
Grade: P5
Country: Austria
Duty Station: Vienna
Category: Professional and Higher
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: Staff-Full-time
Appointment Type: Fixed Term - 100 series
Indicative Minimum Net Annual Salary: 148,756 USD
Application Deadline: 9-May-2025, 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
Female candidates from all Member States are particularly encouraged to apply.

Organizational Context

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Offices.

The Office of Evaluation and Internal Oversight (EIO), is responsible for providing independent and objective assurance, advice, investigation, and evaluation to add value to and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of UNIDO’s operations, internal control framework, risk management, results-based management and governance processes. EIO provides evidence-based information that is credible, reliable, and useful, enabling the timely incorporation of findings, recommendations, and lessons learned into the decision-making processes at organization-wide, programme, and project levels. EIO also assesses the extent to which UNIDO’s programmes and projects, as well as thematic areas, correctly address and effectively achieve the stated objectives of the Organization. EIO is governed by its Charter, as approved by the Industrial Development Board.

The Chief EIO/IEU works under the overall guidance of the Director of the Office of Evaluation and Internal Oversight (EIO); and in close collaboration with the colleagues to achieve the mandate of the unit and the Office.

The Chief supervises the staff within EIO/IEU (a) in work that is integral to results achieved by the Office; (b) in creating an enabling environment which is catalytic to achieving results; (c) in building partnerships which result in strategic collaborations and (d) in achieving results which are cross-programme and inter-service oriented.

The UNIDO Staff Performance Management System reinforces the collaboration within formal units as well as among cross-functional teams. In this context, the incumbent collaborates with his/her supervisor and colleagues, in the country as well as in the region and in headquarters.

Staff -members in EIO are subject to the authority of the Director, EIO and the Director-General and in this context all staff are expected to serve in any assignment and duty station as determined by the needs of the Organization

Main Responsibilities

Technical

Leads the team in the Unit to:

• Develop and implement of the EIO Evaluation work plan in line with EIO Strategy for enhancing the impact and influence of EIO evaluations, integrating new methods and technology in evaluation;
• Undertake strategic (country-level and thematic) evaluations on cross-programmatic or institutional aspects;
• Undertake and manage independent evaluations to determine the relevance, coherence, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability and impact of PCPs, technical cooperation programmes and projects;
• Ensure quality of evaluations
• Monitor and track the implementation of evaluation recommendations by management;
• Promote continuous improvement within the Organization through feeding of evaluation findings, lessons learned and recommendations into policy, strategy and programme formulation and implementation;
• Promote the incorporation of evaluation findings and recommendations into the decisions of UNIDO appraisal and approval bodies; provide advisory services to the Executive Board for the approval of programmes and projects and in particular as concerns the integration of evaluation findings and recommendations and evaluability;
• Develop evaluation guidelines as well as methodological and training tools to support managers at UNIDO Headquarters and in the Field with a view to ensuring that established quality standards are met in the evaluation processes;
• Maintain dialogue with staff at Headquarters and in the Field as well as other stakeholders to promote the application of evaluation standards and ensure independence, transparency and stakeholder participation in all stages of the evaluation process;
• Prepare reports and briefs on evaluation findings and lessons learned;
• Maintain and develop partnerships with United Nations system organizations within the context of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) and with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development – Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) on evaluation-related work to ensure that UNIDO is fully abreast of developments in the evaluation field and able to implement good and best practices in evaluation;
• Ensure that human rights and gender issues are duly considered in the conduct of evaluation and in evaluation reports;
• Ensure that evaluation criteria are aligned to the UNIDO RBM framework and support, through the conduct of evaluation, that results information is collected and validated.
• Perform other related duties and assignments as and when required

  Managerial/Supervisory

  • Align the work programme of the unit with the EIO strategy and organizational priorities cascaded from the Director and in this context, formulate, cascade, implement and report on the priorities of the Unit.
  • Assign responsibilities to staff under his/her supervision, having a clear overview and monitoring mechanism; ensure that expectations of results and performance are clear; motivate staff under their supervision and hold them accountable.
  • Ensure appropriate monitoring of results, performance and completion of related reporting and feedback mechanisms.
  • Support the Director on the overall management of EIO, and in other special projects and assignments.