Position description
This temporary position is located in the Inspection and Evaluation Division (IED) of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) at Headquarters, duty station New York. The Chief of Section will lead and supervise evaluation staff and consultants in conducting evaluations of subprogrammes, mission components, programmes and thematic cross-cutting topics of the United Nations Secretariat. The Chief of Section will report to the Director of OIOS-IED. The Office of Internal Oversight Services is the internal oversight body of the United Nations and assists the Secretary-General in fulfilling his oversight responsibilities in respect of the resources and staff of the Organization through the provision of audit, investigation, and inspection and evaluation services. The Office of Internal Oversight Services is an independent office reporting to the Secretary-General and to the General Assembly. The Inspection and Evaluation Division focuses on the conduct of independent inspections and evaluations on behalf of the Secretary-General and the Member States. IED evaluations and inspections are meant to assist intergovernmental bodies and programme managers in assessing the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and impact of Secretariat programmes. In accordance with its mandate, set forth in General Assembly resolution A/RES/48/218 B (and later resolutions A/RES/54/244 and A/RES/59/272), the role of IED is to help assure the accountability of Secretariat programmes for attaining their mandates, while in the process foster institutional learning and improvement through reflection by programmes and Member States on performance and results.
Responsibilities
The Chief of Section will be responsible for the following duties:
- Supervises a section of evaluation staff in conducting evaluations and provides guidance to evaluation teams on scoping, planning, designing, collecting and analyzing data and report drafting for evaluation and inspection assignments of United Nations Secretariat programmes and activities, ensuring the timeliness, relevance, credibility, and utility; assumes team leadership of individual evaluation projects, as necessary
- Mentors, develops and provides guidance to staff in the section, including on evaluation methods and approaches
- Supervises and directly supports the development of evaluation designs, inception papers and terms of reference
- Supervises and directly undertakes data collection efforts across multiple qualitative and quantitative methods; reviews, analyzes and interprets data; and develops evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations
- Leads field missions, including provision of guidance to evaluation team members, external consultants, and other parties and drafting mission summaries
- Supervises preparation of draft and final evaluation reports and of various written outputs, including ensuring the incorporation of client comments
- Leads evaluation briefings to the Director, the Office of the Under-Secretary-General and evaluation clients
- Ensures quality standards for evaluations in the section
- Leads evaluations that are impartial, independent and credible and that meet professional standards
- Takes leadership of Division-wide initiatives for strengthening the work of IED, including work planning and staff development
- Undertakes administrative functions in the Division, including recruitment
- Provides substantive backstopping to the Director in presenting evaluations to the Committee for Programme and Coordination, the Fifth Committee, and other intergovernmental bodies
- Coordinates activities related to budget funding (division, section and evaluation project budget preparation and submissions, progress reports, and financial statements)
- Participates in the follow-up to evaluation assignments by: (a) tracking evaluation recommendations through OIOS Teammate+ and determining the final implementation of those recommendations and their outcomes
- Identifies priorities and risks facing individual evaluations, OIOS-IED, and OIOS more broadly, as well as strategies for addressing these.
- Serves as a spokesperson for OIOS-IED on assigned matters; supports the OIOS-IED Director and the OIOS Under-Secretary-General in their initiatives to strengthen Division- and Department-wide relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency
- Establishes and maintains effective relationships with evaluands, partners in the Secretariat, funds and programmes, OIOS Audit and Investigation Divisions, and others
- Leads team members’ efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need.
- Performs other related duties as required Work implies frequent interaction with the following: Establish and maintain relationships with counterparts; leadership, senior officers and programme managers in relevant Secretariat programmes and missions, UN funds and programs and other UN specialized agencies; consultants; representatives and officials in national governments; international organizations; members of intergovernmental bodies; and representatives of governments.
Results expected:
Produces high-quality and timely evaluations assigned to the section. Effectively develops, guides and supports staff in their professional development and in meeting their objectives. Provides substantive support in the servicing of various committees and intergovernmental bodies. Serves as an effective spokesperson internally and externally and forms strong partnerships with relevant parties.
Qualifications
Professionalism: Knowledge of inspection and evaluation and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review, edit the work of others. Ability to apply the United Nations regulations, rules, policies and guidelines in work situations. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Leadership: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow. Empowers others to translate vision into results. Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives. Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support. Anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions. Drives for change and improvement; does not accept the status quo. Shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing. Managing performance: Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority. Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting lines are clear to each staff member. Accurately judges the amount of time and resources needed to accomplish a task and matches task to skills. Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines. Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback and coaching to staff. Encourages risk-taking and supports creativity and initiative. Actively supports the development and career aspirations of staff. Appraises performance fairly. Judgement/decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation and comes to the heart of the problem quickly. Gathers relevant information before making a decision. Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them. Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization. Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information. Checks assumptions against facts. Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision. Makes tough decisions when necessary.
A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in evaluation of projects and programmes is required. Experience in supervising evaluation staff is required. Experience in the use of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methodologies is required. Experience working in an international organization is desirable. Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable. Experience evaluating the United Nations development, humanitarian, human rights or peace and security pillars is desirable.
Application instructions
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