Evaluation Officer (internal and external)

Org. Setting and ReportingUNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5.8 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA's services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference for one of the most vulnerable communities in the world, UNRWA would like to hear from you. The Evaluation Officer reports to the Chief Evaluation Division. ResponsibilitiesParticipates in, coordinates, or conducts evaluations that are impartial, independent, credible, and meet professional standards: Effectively participates in the evaluation of projects, programmes and policies; assists in the supervision of evaluations conducted by consultants; Applies high professional standards in line with the norms and standards for evaluation in the UN System; applies evaluation, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis tools, techniques and approaches; Cooperates with other UN evaluation units and professional evaluation bodies. Promotes the usefulness of evaluations and follow-up on evaluation findings and recommendations: Reports to management on findings and recommendations of evaluations; Organizes meetings, workshops and other discussions to establish a dialogue on evaluation results; Ensures that evaluation results are taken into account for the continued implementation of projects/programmes and for the design and appraisal of new projects/programmes; Ensures that project/programme managers respond to recommendations and monitors the follow-up on evaluations. Promotes the evaluation function in the Agency: Reviews evaluation reports for quality control purposes; provides: support / guidance / advice / capacity building to UNRWA staff members in the conduct of decentralized evaluations; Contributes to the development and review of policies, guidance, systems, procedures and tools related to evaluation; keeps abreast of developments in the area of evaluation. Effectively deploys human and financial resources of the Evaluation Division: Plans evaluations and prepares evaluation budgets for individual evaluations; effectively and efficiently manages the use of resources for evaluations; Selects evaluation consultants based on requirements; assists in supervising evaluation consultants. CompetenciesUN Core Values of Integrity, Professionalism and Respect for Diversity, and Core Competencies of Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results apply by default. Planning and Organizing. Formulating Strategies and Concepts Applying Technical Expertise Managing Complexity and Change Innovating and Taking Risks EducationAdvanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in social sciences, economics, development studies, international relations, public/business administration, management or other related fields. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of seven years of progressively responsible relevant professional experience in qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation, programme planning, programme cycle management or related field is required. Background in international relations and knowledge of current development issues is desirable Experience related to the organization’s mandate and activities is desirable Experience in the use of various research methodologies and software packages is desirable Candidates are required to make a declaration as to whether they have any current or past affiliations with non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, political organizations, military, or have/are engaged in activities or have made any public statements, that could be seen to impact their neutrality, objectivity or independence in the performance of their duties for the UN / UNRWA. Any declaration will not necessarily disqualify candidates from consideration for this post. Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution in social sciences, economics, development studies, international relations, public/business administration, management or other related fields is required. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English and Arabic are required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).