WFP is looking for International Consultant on Evaluation & Learning -Dakar, Senegal
| TYPE OF CONTRACT: | Regular Consultant |
| UNIT/DIVISION: | Evaluation, RBD |
| DUTY STATION (City, Country): | Dakar, Senegal |
| DURATION: | 11 months |
| REMUNERATION | Attractive Salary |
About wfp :
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.
Background and purpose of the assignment :
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. As a major part of WFP’s accountability framework, evaluations assess the performance and results of WFP’s policies, strategies, programmes, and activities for accountability and learning to inform future direction. The Evaluation Policy 2016-2021 aims to strengthen WFP’s contribution to ending global hunger by embedding evaluation into the core of its culture, ensuring evidence-based decision making in all its work.
Since 2017, a new Regional Evaluation Officer (REO) position in the Dakar Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa (RBD) is supporting the regional Management and regional and Country Office (CO) colleagues in meeting their responsibilities and accountabilities under the Evaluation Policy and Charter. Framed by the first Regional Evaluation Strategy (RES) 2018-2021 recently approved by the Regional Evaluation Committee (REvCo), the regional decentralized evaluation function aims at fostering the use of CO-led decentralized and corporate centralized evaluation findings.
In helping to implement the RES, the Evaluation Unit of the Regional Bureau in Dakar is seeking to fill one (1) international consultant position on evaluation with development/humanitarian experience to be based in Dakar Regional Bureau.
The jobholder will support the REO on his tasks related to the implementation of the Regional Evaluation Strategy with a focus on evaluation utility, use, and Knowledge Management, which includes a close collaboration with the Programme and Monitoring functions, among others. It is expected that the jobholder will reinforce the dissemination of and learning from evaluation results, lessons learned and best practices across the region.
Accountabilities/responsibilities :
The jobholder will report to the REO or alternate in RBD. S/he will be responsible for the following key accountabilities:
- Contributing to ensure consistent application of the Decentralized Evaluation Quality Assurance System (DEQAS) and related services by means of coaching, technical support and learning services to COs and RBD colleagues, and ensuring appropriate use of quality support advisory services;
- Making evaluations findings accessible, developing innovative, userfriendly and informative products tailored for CO Management, Programme Teams, and WFP partners as applicable;
- Promoting use of evaluation findings and related evidence (studies, strategic and programme review processes, Annual Performance Planning and reporting exercises, etc.) by any appropriate mean. This includes developing KMrelated procedures and products (eg. Synthesis, Briefs, Best practices), technical assistance, direct training and workshops, as well as supporting CO Management as required in addressing recommendations from evaluations to ensure that follow-up actions are taken and/or adjustments are made to programme design and implementation;
- Supporting the thematic exchanges and discussions between RBD specialists and CO staff aiming to improve evidenceuse and strengthen the learning agenda across the region;
- Take responsibility for integrating protection and gender perspectives in all areas of work, to ensure equal participation of women and men;
- Assisting the REO in helping to contribute to national and regional Evaluation Capacity Development activities.
- Other as required.
Travel to WFP field operations is required.
Qualifications & experience required :
| Education: | Master or Advanced University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, statistics, development economics, performance management, monitoring and evaluation; or First University degree with additional years of relevant work experience and/or training/courses. Advance University degree or Diploma on Evaluation and/or Knowledge Management will be an asset. |
| Experience: | Six (6) years of valuable relevant professional work experience in evaluation-related activities in development and/or humanitarian international cooperation. Has worked in humanitarian or development contexts. Has experience with UN agencies in the field of M&E, Knowledge Management or Reporting. |
| Knowledge & Skills: | Performance Management & Technical Skills Broad and authoritative knowledge of diverse evaluation practices, concepts, and principles. Broad knowledge of internal and external best practices and partnerships to develop and implement optimal evaluation arrangements. Has organizational and management skills to manage evaluation processes and budgets. Methodology, Approaches and Analysis Has knowledge of and ability to develop high-quality terms of references for evaluations, including clear and focused evaluation questions. Has knowledge of a range of evaluation methods, data collection and analysis methods seeking advice where appropriate. Has knowledge of how to analyze data from diverse sources. Communication & Use Demonstrates communication skills with the ability to create clear, influential messages from complex data, using a variety of communication platforms (verbally and in writing). Demonstrates skills and judgment to communicate effectively evaluation concepts, summarize key evidence and present evaluation findings and recommendations to stakeholders. Ethics Understands the specific implications of ethics in evaluation and social research activities and is able to consistently ensure that appropriate actions are taken to safeguard ethics. Demonstrates ethical behavior at all times and communicates WFP’s expectation that all WFP personnel act ethically in furtherance of the ideals of the UN and WFP’s mission. |
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Languages: | Fluency (level C) in French and English is required. Intermediate knowledge (level B) of Portuguese will be an asset. |
4Ps core organisational capabilities :
| 4P Theme | Capability Name | Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level |
| Purpose | Understand and communicate the Strategic Objectives | Utilizes understanding of WFP’s Strategic Objectives to communicate linkages to team objectives and work. |
| Be a force for positive change | Proactively identifies and develops new methods or improvements for self and immediate team to address work challenges within own work area. | |
| Make the mission inspiring to our team | Identifies opportunities to further align individual contributions with WFP’s mission of making an impact on local communities. | |
| Make our mission visible in everyday actions | Helps colleagues to see the link between their individual tasks and the contributions of their unit’s goals to the broader context of WFP’s mission. | |
| People | Look for ways to strengthen people’s skills | Is able to identify, support and encourage focused on-the-job learning opportunities to address gaps between current skillsets and needed future skillsets for WFP. |
| Create an inclusive culture | Recognizes the contributions of teammates and encourages contributions from culturally different team mates to recognize the value of diversity above and beyond just including it in programming for beneficiaries. | |
| Be a coach & provide constructive feedback | Provides and solicits ongoing constructive feedback on strengths and development opportunities to help develop individual skills, whilst also helping others identify areas for improvement. | |
| Create an “I will”/”We will” spirit | Sets clear targets for self and others to focus team efforts in ambiguous situations (e.g., unprecedented issues and/or scenarios) | |
| Performance | Encourage innovation & creative solutions | Thinks beyond team’s conventional approaches to formulate creative methods for delivering food aid and assistance to beneficiaries. |
| Focus on getting results | Maintains focus on achieving individual results in the face of obstacles such as volatile or fragile environments and/or organizational roadblocks. | |
| Make commitments and make good on commitments | Takes personal accountability for upholding and delivering upon team’s commitments and provides assurance to stakeholders. | |
| Be Decisive | Demonstrates ability to adjust to team’s plans and priorities to optimize outcomes in light of evolving directives, while also responding quickly in high-pressure environments, such as in emergency settings. | |
| Partnership | Connect and share across WFP units | Demonstrates an understanding of when and how to tactfully engage other units in conversations on impact, timing, or planning |
| Build strong external partnerships | Networks regularly with key external partners using formal and informal opportunities to understand each partner’s unique value proposition, and to build and strengthen relationships | |
| Be politically agile & adaptable | Demonstrates ability to adapt engagement approach in the context of evolving partner circumstances and expectations | |
| Be clear about the value WFP brings to partnerships | Demonstrates ability to articulate to internal and external audiences the value that individual contributions and immediate teams bring to partnerships. |
Functional capabilities :
| Capability Name | Description of the behaviour expected for the proficiency level |
| Strategic Management | Demonstrates good understanding of humanitarian and development actions in different contexts and knowledge of global geo-political issues and UN Reform, and applies it to enhance existing monitoring and evaluation systems that support WFP’s strategic objectives. Is able to demonstrate to stakeholders the value of monitoring and evaluation for policy and programming in the achievements of the SDGs. Has ability to analyze the existing evidence base, needs and design a comprehensive monitoring, review and evaluation plan that will address learning and accountability needs. |
| Performance Management | Has solid performance management cycle skills to support (or lead when required) the design and implementation of monitoring review and evaluation systems in line with WFP corporate standards. Has knowledge of internal and external best practices and contributes to the development and implementation of optimal monitoring, review and/or evaluation arrangements. Has good understanding of the Theory of Change (ToC) approach and process and is able to support the CO team in developing a ToC for moderately complex programmes. Has knowledge of international norms and standards for evaluation and is able to apply them appropriately, seeking advice where needed. |
| Methodology, Approaches and Analysis | Ensures selection and application of high quality, credible, analytical approaches and qualitative and quantitative methods appropriate to WFP monitoring, review and evaluation needs.
Has knowledge of and ability to develop high-quality terms of references for evaluations and reviews.
Has knowledge of a range of evaluation methods, data collection and analysis methods and is able to define key methodological requirements for various types of evaluations and critically review the evaluation design proposed by evaluation teams seeking advice where appropriate.
Is able to validate data quality and ensure that data collection and analysis have been conducted ethically. |
| Communication & Use | Demonstrates skills to communicate effectively key evidence from monitoring, reviews and evaluations to a range of stakeholders.
Demonstrates active listening and conflict resolution skills to promote constructive engagement from stakeholders with diverse, complex and high-stake interests and seeks guidance and engagement from CO management where appropriate. |
| Ethics | Demonstrates ethical behavior at all times and communicates WFP’s expectation that all WFP personnel act ethically in furtherance of the ideals of the UN and WFP’s mission. Understands the specific implications of ethics in monitoring, review and evaluation activities and is able to consistently ensure that appropriate actions are taken to safeguard ethics. |
CLOSURE DATE: 13 May 2019
