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Job Title:   Research & Evaluation Specialist (UN Jobs)

Organisation: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

Grade: NOC

About US:

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is mandated by the UN general assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

Job Summary:   The Research & Evaluation Specialist will  ensure that the UNICEF Country Office has useful, valid and reliable information on the situation of children’s and women’s rights (situation monitoring); the performance of UNICEF-supported programmes, including during emergency situations.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Situation Monitoring and Country Analysis of data on child deprivation

• Ensure that the Country Office and national partners have timely and accurate measurement of change in conditions in the country at national and subnational level, including monitoring of socio-economic trends and the country’s wider policy, economic or institutional context, to facilitate planning and to draw conclusions about the impact of programmes or policies.
• Ensure the country office has a coordinated, multisectoral and strategic workplan aligned with the national strategy for development of statistics (NSDS) priorities for children in strengthening the national statistical system.
• Support partners in the digital transformation of the national statistical system (CRVS and sector admin data systems) including establishment and management of national statistical databases that are sustainable and interoperable (ex. mainstreaming SDMX standards), ensuring that key indicators are readily accessible by key stakeholders.
• Facilitate and coordinate data and statistics demand generation and use at country office level across sections, with partners and government through relevant processes and fora, including with country research and evaluation data needs where relevant (for example, in country situation analysis, sectoral analyses child poverty, education sector analysis, Common Country Assessment, Risk analysis and Early Warning Monitoring Systems, and annual and Mid-Term Reviews).
• Develop a joint Situation Monitoring and Assessment system owned by all key partners which supports the preparation of country level statistical and analytic reports on the status of children’s and women’s rights issues; and which allow, when opportunities emerge to influence developmental and social policies. To include technical support to global reporting obligations including national reports on progress toward the SDGs, and toward CRC, CEDAW, and CRPD fulfilment.
• Support country office and national data system readiness and preparedness strengthening and during humanitarian response situations, provide support for multisectoral or sectoral rapid assessments (inter-agency or independently if necessary) to be carried out within the first 48-72 hours, working in close collaboration with the humanitarian clusters partners.
• Supports the collection, analysis and user-friendly presentation of data on multidimensional and monetary child poverty, including strengthening national capacity to collect routinely, report and use data for policy decision-making.

Technical support to Country Programme development and monitoring, with tools and guidance over the situation analysis of children

• Conduct technical review of the relevant documentation used in the formulation of the new Country Programme, in terms of the appropriate use of up-to-date data that inform the situation of children and women in the country.
• As the country level focal point on data, research and evaluation participate in relevant regional network meetings, calls and initiatives to shape the regional strategic discourse relating to data, evaluation, research, and knowledge management.
• Strengthen data, research, and evaluation partnerships within the UN Development System (for example, represent UNICEF in relevant working groups), governments and other key players to collectively streamline evidence generation investments aligned to national needs, tracking progress on SDGs, policies, programmes, and other relevant commitments for children.
• Contribute to the conceptualization and technical participation in the UN Development System efforts on strengthen coordinated monitoring of the SDGs.
• Supports correct and compelling use of data and evidence on the situation of children and coverage and impact of child focused services – in support of the country programme and effective partnerships between UNICEF and the Government, bilateral and multilateral donors, NGOs, civil society and local leaders, the private sector, and other UN agencies.
• Provides timely, regular data-driven analysis for effective prioritization, planning, and development; facilitates results-based management for planning, adjusting, and scaling up specific initiatives to reduce child poverty.
• As country office data steward, strengthen country office capacities and ensure all country office work in data and statistics are responsible, quality, and ethical that safeguards children’s rights as per UNICEF Personal data protection policy, Ethical standard in evidence generation procedure, responsible and quality data for children’s principles and framework.

Evaluation and Research

• Ensure that the Country Office and national partners use a well-prioritized and realistic plan of research and evaluation activities that will provide the most relevant and strategic information to manage the Country Programme in development and humanitarian situations, including tracking and assessing UNICEF’s distinct contribution.
• Develop and maintain country office standard operating procedures on development, prioritization, management and quality assurance of the country office evidence generation activities aligned with national priorities, UNSDCF and country programme evidence needs.
• Support the development and updates of the Costed Evaluation Plan (CEP), and the Integrated Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Plan (IMERP). Ensure plans and progress are up to date in UNICEF information management platform (EISI – Evidence Information Systems Integration) for all evidence generation activities (research, studies, and evaluations).
• Technically support programme colleagues and partners to formulate Research and Evaluation Terms of References (TORs). Ensure TORs are reviewed by members of the Country Office Data, Research and Evaluation Committee, and that Evaluation TORs receive quality assurance by ESARO.
• Ensure that UNICEF-supported evaluations are designed and implemented to established UN quality standards. It is expected that all evaluation deliverables will receive quality assurance by ESARO, and feedback will be included during revision/finalization processes.
• Monitor the quality of field work and data management during the implementation phase, and the quality of the analysis during the report writing phase.
• Ensure that a management response to the evaluation recommendations is completed, recorded, and followed-up for implementation. Most specifically, ensure that evaluation recommendations are submitted to the Country Management Team and follow-up actions recorded in CMT minutes.
• Disseminate evaluation findings and recommendations to the intended audiences in user-friendly methods. Ensure that effective participatory feedback is provided to community and civil society stakeholders.
• Support the development of UNSDCF Monitoring, research and Evaluation Plans, and take an active part in the development and conduct of joint evaluations and UNSDCF evaluations.
• In humanitarian response situations, within the first month, draft and recommend a simple one-month data-collection plan to cover key data gaps as required for the initial emergency response, working in close collaboration with the humanitarian clusters partners.
• After the initial humanitarian response, support management of the medium-term response with a revised IMERP.
• Ensure that evaluation capacities of Country Office staff and national partners are strengthened enabling them to increasingly engage in and lead evaluation processes. Support the development and implementation of the Country Office National and Evaluation Capacity Development (NECD) priority activities with relevant partners.
• Collaborate to implement capacity building strategies as a joint commitment with other developmental partners. Utilize a range of appropriate skills building strategies including self-learning, seminars and workshops and practical experience in order that UNICEF and UN staff have the basic knowledge and skills in understanding and applying new M&E policies, tools, methods to fulfil their responsibilities. Similarly, design and implement strategies suited to the skills needs of national partners.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Research & Evaluation Specialist job must hold an advanced university degree in statistics, demography, development planning, social sciences, or a related technical field.
• Experience required: Five years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme, situation and child monitoring.
• Must have proven experience in design and implementation of national social development surveys, such as DHS/MICS and management of national social data banks and conducting situation analysis on children and women.
• Language requirements: Fluency in English and another UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish). Fluency in the national language of the duty station an asset.
• UNICEF’s Core Values: 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: (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,

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

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested applicants who wish to join United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) should apply online at the link below

Click Here

Deadline: 25th April 2024

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