Evaluation Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Office of Evaluation (OED) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is launching a thematic evaluation of the Programme Priority Area (PPA) on “Achieving Sustainable Urban Food Systems”, one of the 20 PPAs under FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-31. The PPA aims to empower national and local governments to reform agrifood systems urban and peri-urban agrifood systems for greater efficiency, sustainability and equity.

Purpose and Objectives of the evaluation:

This evaluation is conducted for learning and accountability purposes. It marks the first comprehensive assessment of FAO’s work in urban areas. The evaluation will cover the period from 2020-24, examining the evolution of FAO’s urban work and its transition into the current PPA. While grounded in a retrospective analysis, the evaluation will take a forward-looking and formative approach to provide insights for the future development of FAO’s urban food system efforts. It will assess FAO’s strategic positioning, coherence and contributions in this area, identifying lessons to refine policies and enhance programming. 

The evaluation will take place from February to August 2025. It will include six to eight country case studies, tentatively scheduled for March 2025. The final evaluation report is scheduled for presentation to FAO’s Programme Committee during its autumn session in 2025.
OED is seeking qualified individuals to join the evaluation team. Candidates should have demonstrated experience in supporting, managing, studying or evaluating urban and peri-urban agrifood systems, expertise across diverse regional contexts, and an academic background in sectors relevant to urban food system transformation.

Reporting Lines

The Evaluation Specialists will work under the direct supervision and close guidance of the OED Evaluation Manager, and under the overall responsibility of the OED Director.

Technical Focus 

The evaluation will be conducted by a multidisciplinary team under the supervision of an OED evaluation manager. OED is looking for a lead consultant with strong evaluation skills, along with team members with expertise in at least one of the following technical areas: 
 
•    Urban and territorial food systems planning and governance 
•    Urban and peri-urban agriculture
•    Value chain development (production/distribution/supply) 
•    Nutrition in urban contexts
•    Circular bioeconomy and food waste management
•    Urban forestry, management of urban parks and green spaces
•    Ecosystem services and climate change adaptation in cities
 
Candidates must not have been directly involved in the formulation, implementation or backstopping of FAO’s urban food system work.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Review documents and activities relevant to the evaluation in their respective areas of expertise.
•    Contribute to the development and refinement of the evaluation methodology
•    Collect and consolidate primary and secondary data through interviews (virtual or face-to-face) with FAO concerned officers and stakeholders such as government representatives, civil society and private sector, as appropriate.
•    Participate in evaluation missions to selected countries to engage with local partners and gather insights.
•    Synthesize and analyze collected data to generate evidence-based findings.
•    Draft specific sections of the evaluation report and contribute to evaluation products and deliverables.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    University degree in a relevant discipline such as urban planning, urban studies, food systems, geography, agricultural sciences, food security, agribusiness, nutrition, sociology, economics or evaluation with a focus on food systems
•    A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in evaluation or in the above-mentioned respective field of specialization
•    Working knowledge (level C) of English is required

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Working knowledge (level C) of French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian or Arabic is desirable.  
•    Proven experience in conducting or contributing to independent strategic evaluations
•    Relevant field experience of working and/or conducting evaluations in developing countries
•    Strong skills in stakeholder engagement, facilitation and interviewing 
•    Demonstrated expertise in urban food systems.