Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is the specialized Agency of the United Nations leading international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to high-quality food.

To this end, FAO implements a wide portfolio of projects, programmes, and initiatives across multiple sectors. These include animal production and health, fisheries, food and nutrition, food systems and safety, forestry, social protection, inclusive rural development, information management systems / data systems for monitoring and decision making, land and water, plant production and protection, and others. FAO has a growing portfolio of work in the development and humanitarian (emergency and resilience) sectors.

FAO evaluates the strategic alignment, implementation, efficacy, and efficiency of its portfolio of work through its independent Office of Evaluation (OED), which is led by the Director of the Office of Evaluation (OED) who reports to the Director-General and the FAO Programme Committee.

OED evaluates FAO strategies, initiatives, programmes, and projects at global, regional, and national levels. OED seeks to generate credible and useful evidence and insights to inform decisions, support oversight, and help FAO achieve its mission.

In so doing, OED provides results accountability to both the Director-General and Member Nations . OED also participates in system-wide evaluation initiatives, thereby contributing to assessments of development and humanitarian effectiveness by the UN system.

OED values candidates who want to join OED colleagues in generating transformative knowledge for FAO, its Member Nations, and others working in the fields in which FAO operates to achieve its mission of ending hunger.

The position is located in the Office of Evaluation (OED) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Deputy Director reports to the Director of the Office of Evaluation (OED).

Summary of Duties and Functions 

• Provide technical and management leadership in the Office of Evaluation (OED), ensuring adherence to the Charter of Evaluation and FAO Basic Texts, FAO’s new Evaluation Policy (once approved and including UNEG Evaluation Principles), and OED’s Strategy, and helping revise these foundational documents as needed over time.
• Serve as acting Director when the Director is absent.
• Represent OED on behalf of the Director, as needed.
• Provide strategic inputs and support to the Director of OED in advising the Director-General, Governing Bodies, and Senior Management.
• Effectively manage human and financial resources under delegated authority, promoting the continued development and effective functioning of a global evaluation function with personnel in locations throughout the world.
• Lead the development and regular updates of a multi-year global Learning Agenda for FAO to reflect learning priorities and guide the development, revisions, and execution of OED’s Strategy.
• Oversee clearance of evaluation reports for publication and preparation of presentations to FAO Management and Governing Bodies.
• Lead innovations in OED processes to promote efficient functioning of OED. This includes, for example, leading revisions to portfolio management, monitoring, risk management, and data governance (in compliance with FAO’s Data Protection Policy).
• Lead innovations in conducting evaluations to improve quality and ensure work at the cutting-edge of evaluation methodology, such as enhancing quality assurance and quality review processes.
• Effectively integrate cross-cutting equity and inclusion issues in OED processes (such as recruitment) and in evaluations. This includes consideration of individual characteristics (such as gender and disability status), human rights, and humanitarian principles.
• Foster effective dissemination and use of evaluations (findings, lessons learned, and recommendations) to promote continuous improvements, organizational objectives, and broader impacts in the fields in which FAO operates—helping promote a culture of evidence at FAO and beyond.
• Continuously strive to strengthen the evaluation function at FAO globally, and in collaboration with evaluation personnel, collaborators throughout FAO (such as the Evaluation Committee and Programme Committee Secretariat), UN Systems organizations (particularly Rome-based agencies), and other partners.
• Proactively contribute to efforts to recruit personnel, build collaborations, forge partnerships, and engage with other organizations and professional networks (in particular in the UN, academia, and private sectors).
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  Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in a social science field (such as economics, sociology, or psychology) or evaluation, with a focus on research and evaluation methods
• Minimum twelve years of postgraduate professional experience in conducting rigorous evaluations in complex development and/or humanitarian contexts, mobilizing resources (fundraising in support of evaluations), and organizational management and leadership
• At least three publications in peer-reviewed journals
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish). 

Technical/Functional Skills

• Ph.D. is highly desirable
• Career focused on evaluations
• Outstanding research, analytical, and communication skills (orally and in writing, in particular ability to communicate clearly and concisely) as demonstrated through a cover letter, CV, a writing sample of an impact evaluation conducted, and a presentation based on that writing sample (all to be uploaded and submitted with the application)
• Extensive management experience in positions of leadership in organizations dedicated to evaluation, including ability to develop strategy, negotiate with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, monitor organizational performance, and manage and mentor personnel in a multi-cultural environment to work collaboratively in teams focused on high and efficient performance
• Demonstrated technical expertise in leading and conducting rigorous evaluations (that is, using designs that are well aligned with the evaluation questions and, if seeking to measure impacts, using designs that establish cause and effect relationships)
• Extensive knowledge of development and/or humanitarian response approaches, with evaluation expertise in areas relevant to FAO’s mandate 
• Excellent knowledge of evaluation norms, standards, and advances in methodology with ability to apply this knowledge in evaluations, particularly to maintain ethical standards, independence, objectivity, and impartiality in the management, conduct and dissemination/use of evaluations.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements