evaluation specialist ( Team Leader)FAO

Organizational Setting
The Office of Evaluation (OED) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is conducting a final evaluation of a national project in the Philippines financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project title is "Dynamic Conservation and Sustainable Use of Agro-biodiversity in Traditional Agro-ecosystems of the Philippines' (GCP/PHI/062/GFF) and is being implemented between July 2016 and June 2021.
This project supports the Government of the Philippines to conserve globally important agro-biodiversity in traditional agro-ecosystems in the Philippines through promotion of dynamic conservation practices with the intention of upscaling results and approaches on a wider scale. The project objective is therefore "to enhance, expand and sustain the dynamic conservation practices that sustain globally significant agricultural biodiversity (ABD) in traditional agro-ecosystems of the Philippines". The widespread uptake should bring environmental and human welfare benefits (physical, mental, economic), that represent the project's long-term development objective.
The project is structured around three project components:
Mainstreaming agro-biodiversity considerations into policy and legal frameworks, development strategies and institutional structures (addressing enabling policy environment, legal frameworks and strategies to promote traditional ABD and a coordinated approach);
Pilot activities to enhance and expand dynamic conservation practices for agro-biodiversity in three pilot communities (Community-based capacity-building of ABD and the development of opportunities for local communities to derive economic, livelihood and food security benefits from ABD conservation and sustainable use)
Dissemination of information, awareness raising and preparation for scaling-up. (Addressing the low awareness of the socio-economic and cultural values of ABD to make decision-making more effective and evidence based, based on results and experiences delivered through Components 1 and 2).
The pilot activities are being implemented in Ifugao Province (two municipalities) and South Cotabato Province (one municipality).
Reporting Lines
The Evaluation Team Leader responds to the OED evaluation manager under the general responsibility of the Office of Evaluation (OED).
Technical Focus
The OED evaluation manager will recruit a team composed of one international evaluation team leader, as well as one national evaluation consultant based in the Philippines. This vacancy is for the position of international evaluation team leader.
The team as a whole will be qualified in the following areas:
Project evaluation, particularly evaluation of agricultural development and GEF-funded projects is an asset;
Technical understanding of agriculture, biodiversity and traditional agro-ecosystems management;
Familiarity with the region's/country's biodiversity, socio-economic and legislative context, problems of traditional agro-ecosystems management and agriculture;
Results-based Monitoring systems, surveys, data-collection and analysis.
Tasks and responsibilities
The FAO Office of Evaluation (OED) will guide this evaluation. The evaluation team leader's responsibilities are to:
Work in close collaboration with the OED Evaluation manager responsible for this evaluation;
Review relevant background documentation made available by OED and the project team;
Prepare an Inception Report, that includes (i) a short background of the project; (ii) an evaluation Theory of Change, (iii) refined methodological approach to be adopted by the evaluation team (iv) an evaluation matrix, (v) a stakeholder analysis (mapping who the stakeholders are in the overall project, where they are and what their role is in the project, who would be key to contact); and (vi) a short section on limitations and risks, timeline and deliverables -- with comments/inputs from the national evaluation consultant;
Take the lead in the preparation of the data-collection design, including the agenda, (remote) data-collection tools, questionnaires, check-lists and (face to face or virtual) interview protocols as appropriate, coordinating the inputs/comments from the national evaluation consultant;
Lead and coordinate the collection and analysis of primary data through remote data-collection tools and through collaboration with the national evaluation consultant through, inter alia (i) desk research; (ii) remote (e.g. Skype or Zoom) or face-to-face interviews (COVID-19 restrictions permitting with relevant project stakeholders in Manila such as the Lead Coordinating Agency (DA-BAR), as well as with the concerned FAO officers, such as the FAO Regional Office in Bangkok, the FAO country office and the in-country implementation teams; (iii) remotely supervise the national consultant for field visits to the project sites (COVID-19 restrictions permitting), interviews at local level and observation of the project activities; and (iv) participation in briefings and debriefings.
Lead and coordinate the collection of relevant secondary data and additional desk research, as required and identified in the evaluation matrix;
Ensure that all the primary and secondary data collected are recorded during the evaluation process, and organized in a structured format agreed with OED and the Evaluation Manager, (e.g. preparation of interview notes, tables, etc. and that all collected docs are saved in OneDrive or MS Teams);
In consultation with the Evaluation Manager, lead the final analysis and discussion of findings within the evaluation team (and to some extent with the project team) to reach preliminary conclusions that answer all evaluation issues and questions, and preliminary recommendations in line with the findings and conclusions. Ensure that all the findings are sufficiently triangulated and validated;
Participate and present in briefing and debriefing meetings with the GEF, FAO Representation in the Philippines and the project team, discussions with the evaluation team and relevant stakeholders (this includes PowerPoint presentation and presentations on Zoom);
Coordinate the participation and contribution of the national evaluation consultant in all deliverables as required. Supervise him/her during the field data-collection by having regular calls and updates and guide the preparation /comment on the mission report;
Draft the evaluation report and related appendices/annexes; address and incorporate comments received;
Lead, coordinate and prepare all deliverables according to specifications provided in the Evaluation ToRs. These include: field work design and remote data-collection design and respective tools, interview notes, updates on data-collection, debriefing sessions, guidance and comments on the mission report, the first draft and final draft Evaluation Report, the integration of comments and suggestions received during the stakeholder meetings, and after circulation to OED, FAO, GEF and other stakeholders (such as the Government), as appropriate; finalization of the Evaluation Report; and the preparation of the comment matrix.
Expected timeframe
The core phase of the evaluation exercise is expected to take place between February - June 2021;
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
Advanced University degree in evaluation, agriculture, (agro-)economics, environmental studies, development studies, or another related field;
A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in leading project evaluations, preferably of rural/agricultural development projects and/or programs
Working knowledge of English, which is the language through which all the evaluation communication, documents and reports are expected, and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO official languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian).
FAO Core Competencies
Results Focus
Teamwork
Communication
Building Effective Relationships
Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
Extent and relevance of experience in designing, planning, leading and conducting project evaluations;
Experience in evaluating projects at field level and facilitating evaluation processes. In particular, good capacity to design and carry out remote data-collection and remote and/or in-person key informant interviews with different types of project stakeholders, conduct focus group discussions, use participatory evaluation techniques and construct a theory of change;
Experience in evaluation report writing and the preparation and execution of (PowerPoint) presentations and interviews on Zoom;
Extent and relevance of technical experience in agricultural development, agro-biodiversity and traditional agro-ecosystems management;
Familiarity with the region's/country's biodiversity, socio-economic and legislative context, problems of traditional agro-ecosystems management and agriculture;
Work experience in the Philippines is an asset;
Familiarity with Global Environment Facility (GEF) projects and evaluations is an asset;
Duty-station in the region or convenient time zone is a plus.
Additional Selection Criteria
The evaluation team members must be independent from both the formulation and implementation of the project. Therefore, applications will not be considered from evaluators who have had any direct involvement with the design or implementation of the project. Any previous association with the project, the executing partners, and other partners/stakeholders must be disclosed in the application.
FAO

Philippines
Permanent
Full-time