Evaluation specialists – forestry, bioenergy (woodstoves) and climate mitigation

Organizational Setting

The Office of Evaluation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, OED is conducting the independent evaluation of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) funded “Forest resilience of Armenia, enhancing adaptation and rural green growth via mitigation” project. The project’s overall objective is to strengthen the resilience of Armenia’s forest ecosystems and forest-dependent communities to climate change impacts, while contributing to rural green growth through climate change mitigation. This includes i) improving sustainable forest management, ii) promoting alternative livelihoods, and iii) reducing unsustainable fuelwood use by introducing energy-efficient woodstoves in forest-dependent communities in Lori and Syunik Marzes.

The evaluation’s overall objective is to assess the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact, in line with GCF and FAO evaluation criteria. It will examine the extent to which the project has achieved its intended results, contributed to climate change mitigation and adaptation, enhanced livelihoods, and generated lessons for scaling up similar interventions.

FAO Office of Evaluation seeks national and international consultants with proven expertise in evaluation, forestry, bioenergy (especially household woodstoves), and climate change mitigation to join the evaluation team. The selected experts will contribute their sector-specific technical knowledge within a rigorous, independent evaluation framework.

Reporting Lines
The consultants will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Office of Evaluation (OED) Director and the direct supervision of the assigned OED Lead and the OED Evaluation Manager. They will work in close collaboration with other members of the evaluation team.

Technical Focus 
Independent evaluation of project interventions in forestry and household bioenergy (energy-efficient woodstoves), including technical performance, sustainability, gender and social dimensions, climate mitigation/adaptation impacts, and contribution to rural livelihoods.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Contribute to the design of the evaluation methodology and data collection tools.
•     Review project documentation, technical reports, and relevant policies.
•     Where relevant, participate in field visits in Armenia, and/or virtual interviews with beneficiaries, project staff, government counterparts, and other stakeholders.
•     Support the assessment of the effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact of forestry and woodstove interventions.
•     Support the analysis of the results against the project’s Theory of Change and GCF objectives.
•     Integrate cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, social inclusion, and climate resilience.
•     Contribute to the draft relevant sections of the evaluation report, including findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
•     Bachelor’s degree in forestry, bioenergy, renewable energy, environmental sciences, or related field, with additional two years of level work experience.
•     At least 5 years of professional experience in forestry, biomass energy, climate mitigation or related sectors, with demonstrated evaluation experience in international development interventions
•     Full proficiency/working knowledge of English, knowledge of Armenian a distinct asset.

FAO Core Competencies
•     Results Focus
•     Teamwork
•     Communication
•     Building Effective Relationships
•     Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills 
•     Demonstrated experience in conducting evaluations of forestry (reforestation and community forestry) and/or bioenergy(woodstoves); and climate change mitigation/adaptation projects.
•     Strong technical knowledge in at least one of the following: sustainable forest management, community forestry, reforestation, bioenergy technologies (including household woodstoves), rural energy access, or related climate change mitigation approaches.
•     Proven ability to apply qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods, including data collection, analysis, and triangulation.
•     Familiarity with international standards, methodologies, and best practices in forestry and bioenergy evaluation.
•     Proven knowledge of FAO and GCF 
•     Excellent analytical, writing, and presentation skills, with the ability to prepare evidence-based findings and recommendations.
•     Experience working in multidisciplinary teams and with diverse stakeholders, including government, local communities, and development partners.

Selection Criteria

•     Relevance and depth of experience in evaluation of forestry, bioenergy, or climate-related projects.
•     Extent of technical expertise in sustainable forest management, energy-efficient woodstoves, biomass energy, and/or climate change mitigation.
•     Proven track record in applying internationally recognized evaluation methodologies.
•     Familiarity with the Armenian context and stakeholders is desirable or experience working in similar environments. 
•     Demonstrated ability to integrate cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, social inclusion, and climate resilience into evaluations.
•     Strong communication skills and ability to produce high-quality written outputs in English.