Fixed Term: Research & Evaluation Specialist, NOC, # 68585, Islamabad, Pakistan

UNICEF Pakistan is looking for a seasoned Research & Evaluation Specialist to join the dynamic Social Policy team in Islamabad, Pakistan.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Commitment!

Pakistan was the sixth country in the world to sign and ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less than one year after it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989. However, children and adolescents living in Pakistan still face acute challenges. 

UNICEF supports the Government of Pakistan to accelerate progress for children, work to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and help children realize their rights under the Convention on the Rights of Children. This will be made through, among others things, strong partnerships with provincial authorities, teachers and health professionals, frontline workers and social mobilizers, communities and families, and of course, the children and adolescents themselves. 

In particular, UNICEF will work so that:

• Every child survives and thrives -- being in good health, immunized, protected from polio, and accessing nutritious food.
• Every child learns.
• Every child is protected from violence and exploitation and registered at birth.
• Every child lives in a safe and clean environment, with access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. 

To learn more about UNICEF work in Pakistan, please visit the country   website, www.unicef.org/pakistan, and videos on YouTube and Vimeo.

1. Plan for Research and Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation (PRIME)

Ensure that the Country Office and national partners use a well-prioritized and realistic plan of research, monitoring and evaluation activities that will provide the most relevant and strategic information to manage the Country Programme toward achieving expected results and towards coping with potential and actual emergencies.

• Prepare PRIME and regularly track progress and report to senior management. Enhance the culture of evidence generation and use and make professional contributions to and provide technical assistance for the planning and establishing of major research, monitoring and evaluation objectives, priorities, and activities in UNICEF’s multi-year and annual PRIME exercises in consultation with all programmes and relevant partners. Ensure that the Plan is clear, practical and approved by the CMT and is managed properly taking into account any modifications that are necessary due to changes in the programme plans.
• Likewise, support the development of UNDAF M&E Plans that UNICEF is engaged in, from a sound results-based programming process.
• Identify the MER objectives, priorities, and activities required for effective CO and partner Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans. In humanitarian response situations, adjust the prevailing PRIME plan in accordance with MER guidance for emergency situations. Likewise, adjust the PRIME in accordance with the transition through the stages of transition and recovery.
• Identify gaps in knowledge and work with sector specialists to ensure these are addressed in planned evidence activities. Facilitate cross-sectoral collaboration in research and data collection activities.
• Provide technical support to ensure that a set of programme performance indicators is identified and adjusted as necessary in the context of the multi-year and annual PRIMEs and associated office-wide management plans and work plans.

2. Evaluation Function

Ensure that UNICEF-supported evaluations are designed and implemented to established UN quality standards, and the results are disseminated in a timely fashion to stakeholders in order to improve programme performance and contribute to wider learning:

• Guide the office and partners to identify priority evaluation topics in accordance with the coverage guidelines of the UNICEF Evaluation Policy, and in accordance with the commitments contained in UNICEF’s Strategic Plan and in the agreed country programme.
• Support development of national policy or policies (e.g., by sector) on evaluation by public, civil, and private partners. Support country-led evaluations of policies and programmes and the consideration of the results by partners. These country-led exercises may examine aspects of the UNICEF-government programme of cooperation, or may look at entirely national efforts.
• For UNICEF-supported evaluations, guide UNICEF programme specialists and programme partners to formulate Terms of Reference and evaluation designs of high quality. Manage the recruitment of appropriate and highly qualified consultants. Work closely with external evaluation consultants/teams to enable them to deliver results according to the agreed Terms of Reference. Take timely action and/or alert stakeholders to quality concerns, and suggest actions to remedy any problems.
• Review draft and final evaluation reports, and gather inputs from stakeholders in order to deliver feedback to the evaluators. Develop and implement a multi-method communication plan to disseminate the evaluation report to intended audiences via user-friendly methods. Support stakeholders to prepare a formal management response that reflects their reaction/views on the evaluation recommendations.
• Upload completed evaluations into the global Evaluation and Research Database to allow sharing and final quality review. Monitor and report on the implementation of agreed management response actions, including entering information in the designated corporate data base(s).

3. Research Management

Ensure that the Country Office has a high-quality research function and the research and studies are designed and implemented according to established UNICEF policies and procedures, and the results are disseminated in a timely fashion to stakeholders in order to improve programme performance and contribute to wider learning.

• Establish and facilitate research quality assure processes at the CO level in accordance with the UNICEF Policy on Research. Ensure that the Standard Operating Procedures outline the quality assurance process for research and that checklists, guidance and other tools are available to research project managers from all sectors.
• Convene the CO internal Research Steering Committee.
• Technically support UNICEF programme specialists and programme partners to formulate Terms of Reference for high quality research projects.
• Review the Terms of Reference for upcoming research projects and drafts of research reports.
• Assist with the peer review process of major research projects and coordinate feedback to Supervisor/CMT/stakeholders to ensure quality and compliance with the UNICEF Policy on Research and country office research priorities.
• Assist with the recruitment and selection of appropriately qualified research consultants, ensuring that the selection process is in compliance with UNICEF standards for performance, accountability, transparency and ethics.
• Assist research project managers from all sectors with the development of a multi-method communication plan to disseminate research findings to intended audiences via user-friendly methods.
• As part of Country Office Reporting, upload completed research reports to the global Evaluation and Research Database to allow global sharing and final quality review.
• Ensure all research follows the ethical principles and standards outlined in the UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation and data Collection and Analysis.

4. Evaluation & Research Capacity Strengthening:

Ensure that the evaluation and research capacities of the Country Office staff and national partners – including government and civil society – are strengthened, enabling them to increasingly engage in and lead evidence generating processes. Ensure that the UNICEF office is effectively linked to wider UNICEF E&R developments in a way that both contributes to and benefits from organizational learning on effective E&R management:

• Lead on the National Evaluation Capacity Development and Use among public sector partners to support long term system strengthening through development of evaluation policies for enhancing accountability and learning.
• Support the implementation of the signed Rolling Workplan with MoPD&SI.
• Support the evaluation and research taskforce in the CO in building their E&R capacity and making sure that the completed research /studies are disseminated through different sources including UNICEF webpage to make sure utilization of the results.
• Ensure that sufficient systems and procedures are in place at the Country Office to enable an appropriate ethics review of all UNICEF-supported evidence activities (evaluation, research, studies) as per the UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation and Data Collection and Analysis.
• Implement capacity building initiatives, to enhance the competencies of a wide range of internal and external partners/stakeholders organizations to build their E&R policies, procedures, tools and systems. Encourage staff and partners to complete available e-modules on evidence activities and participate in workshops of research management, impact evaluation, uptake, ethics, etc.

5. Coordination, Networking and Partnership Building

Ensure that the UNICEF office is effectively linked to wider UNICEF research and evaluation networks in a way that both contributes to and benefits from organizational learning on effective programme planning and M&E and research management. Also ensure that UNICEF work with regard to SDGs is well coordinated with UN and government partners.

• Build and strengthen strategic partnerships through networking and advocacy with local/national governments, UN system agency partners, donors, NGOs, funding organization, research institutes, including universities, and the private sector to reinforce cooperation and/or pursue initiatives.
• Collaborate with Regional Evaluation Adviser and HQ Evaluation Office as well as UNICEF Office of Research for overall coordination of priority research, monitoring and evaluation activities, especially those of regional scope requiring the coordinated effort of multiple countries.
• Partner with the Regional Evaluation Adviser to ensure that current and accurate evaluation data and results are included in regional reports, multi-country studies, and knowledge sharing networks.
• Coordinate with RCO and other UN agencies and public sector organizations to facilitate UNICEF programmes work on SDGs for children.
• Undertake lessons-learned reviews on successful and unsuccessful M&E practices and experience at the national level, and ensure they are shared as appropriate. Similarly, pay attention to M&E and research knowledge networks to identify innovations and lessons learned that may be relevant for the CO and partners to improve their M&E and research functions.
• Participate in strategic discussions, meetings and other international/national meetings and workshops. Exchange information and ideas to facilitate policy formulation, discussion and agenda setting on E&R related issues.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in the social sciences, economics, statistics, or in research methods is required.
  *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in the E&R of programmes and socio economic and other related issues at the international level some of which preferably were served in a developing country is required. Relevant experience in programme/project development E&R in a UN system agency or organization is an asset. Experience with leading data collection, evaluation or research efforts as a team leader or principal investigator is desirable.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.