Organizational Setting
FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in more than 130 countries worldwide.
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 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 advances knowledge and 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 is conducting the thematic evaluation of FAO's seeds programming. The objectives of the evaluation are to identify and inform FAO management, Members, and resource partners about what is working well; acknowledge and diagnose aspects that are not, so they can be addressed; and lay the groundwork for future evaluations to generate evidence. The final product of this evaluation will include a description and categorization of FAOโs work on seeds by intervention-context typologies, along with a literature review and case studies showcasing FAO's work on the ground.
The evaluation of FAOโs seed programming is led by OED, with support from subject-matter experts, either as members of the evaluation team or as part of the advisory board. The subject-matter experts, as members of the evaluation team, are responsible for ensuring technical soundness on seed-related aspects within the methodological approach and evaluation deliverables. The advisory board will provide guidance on technical matters and validate the evaluation results. ย
Reporting Lines
The Evaluation Specialist reports to the senior Evaluation Officer in OED.
Technical Focus
Seed security and seed systems.
Evaluation Specialist (Evaluation Team):
The Evaluation Specialist, as part of the evaluation team, will be responsible for ensuring technical soundness on matters related to seed aid and seed systems throughout the evaluation process. This includes supporting the team in the design, data collection, and writing of the evaluation brief.
Evaluation Specialist (Advisory Board):
The Evaluation Specialist, as part of the Advisory Board, will be responsible for guiding the evaluation team in technical and strategic content, and providing feedback to the main deliverables of the evaluation.
Tasks and responsibilities
Evaluation Specialist (Evaluation Team):
โข ย ย ย ย Support the evidence review, ensuring the completeness of the database and variables for analysis, as well as the technical quality of the results;
โข ย ย ย ย Develop typologies of context-specific interventions based on FAOโs project portfolio and support their quality assurance;
โข ย ย ย ย Identify and support the conduct of case studies to showcase the diversity of FAOโs seed programme typologies;
โข ย ย ย ย Collaborate with the evaluation team on report writing, ensuring a complete and coherent report in both substance and style;
โข ย ย ย ย Carry out other tasks as needed to ensure the overall quality of the work.
Evaluation Specialist (Advisory Board):
โข ย ย ย ย Guide the Evaluation Team on key strategic and technical aspects throughout the evaluation processย
โข ย ย ย ย Provide feedback to key deliverables of the evaluation to ensure technical soundness and strategic relevance
โข ย ย ย ย Review the Evaluation Brief, the main deliverable of the evaluation, to ensure it meets the highest standards of state-of-the-art knowledge in the subject matter, is supported by the latest scientific evidence, and is strategically relevant to stakeholders.
โข ย ย ย ย Participate in meetings and workshops with key stakeholders at critical moments of the evaluation
โข ย ย ย ย Carry out other tasks as needed to ensure the overall quality of the work.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
โข ย ย ย ย For Consultants: Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in agriculture, socio-economic sciences, or a related field; Consultants with bachelor`s degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
For PSA.SBS: University degree in agriculture, socio-economic sciences, or a related field.
โข ย ย ย ย 5 years of relevant experience in seed emergency aid and/or seed systems development.
โข ย ย ย ย Working knowledge of English.
FAO Core Competencies
โข ย ย ย ย Results Focus
โข ย ย ย ย Teamwork
โข ย ย ย ย Communication
โข ย ย ย ย Building Effective Relationships
โข ย ย ย ย Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement