Senior Evaluation Officer
Organizational Context
The Senior Evaluation Officer position is within the Strategic Planning, Programme Management, Evaluation and Change Management Service of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva, Switzerland. The incumbent reports to the Chief of the Service, contributing to the effective functioning of the OHCHR's evaluation system.
Job Purpose
The Senior Evaluation Officer is responsible for ensuring that evaluations are conducted impartially, independently, and credibly, adhering to the highest professional standards and United Nations norms. This role involves leading the design and management of programme and process evaluations, integrating cross-cutting issues like gender, and providing technical guidance to staff. The officer ensures evaluation results inform strategic and programmatic decision-making, facilitates management responses, monitors recommendation implementation, and contributes to capacity development in Results-Based Management (RBM). The position also involves representing OHCHR in relevant professional networks and ensuring evaluation findings are utilized for organizational learning and improvement.
Responsibilities
Ensures impartial, independent, and credible evaluations, leading the design and management of programme and process evaluations in collaboration with relevant divisions. Integrates gender and other cross-cutting issues into the OHCHR evaluation system. Provides technical guidance and support to staff for evaluations, assessments, and reviews, conducting them as needed. Upholds the highest professional standards for evaluations, aligning with UN norms and innovative practices. Participates in performance and impact evaluations by other entities and cooperates with UN evaluation units to share lessons learned, potentially representing OHCHR in the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG). Ensures evaluation results inform strategic and programme-level decision-making, preparing reports and briefings for senior management. Coordinates management responses to evaluation findings, develops action plans for recommendation implementation, and liaises with divisions responsible for execution. Prepares progress reports on recommendation implementation for relevant entities. Ensures evaluation findings influence the design and appraisal of strategies, policies, and projects. Designs and implements evaluation capacity development programs, supports RBM training, and contributes to a network of evaluation focal points. Provides supervision for evaluation colleagues, assists in resource planning, and effectively selects and supervises consultants. Leads the application of the evaluation function at strategic and policy levels, ensuring it serves as a feedback loop within the RBM system and supports the Performance Monitoring System.
Work Experience
A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in programme management is required. Seven years of recent experience as an Evaluation Officer within the UN system or a similar international organization is essential. Experience in human rights evaluation and programming, knowledge management, Results-Based Management (RBM), and organizational change is desirable.
Skills
Professionalism, Planning and Organizing, Accountability, Judgement/Decision Making, Building Trust, Evaluation Design, Methodologies, Sampling Techniques, Data Collection, Quantitative Analysis, Gender Mainstreaming, Results-Based Management (RBM), Knowledge Management, Supervision, Leadership.