Evaluation Officer

UNICEF works in the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents – and to protect the rights of every child, everywhere. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive and fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines, we support child health and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, quality education and skill building, HIV prevention and treatment for mothers and babies, and the protection of children and adolescents from violence and exploitation. Before, during and after humanitarian emergencies, UNICEF is on the ground, bringing lifesaving help and hope to children and families. Non-political and impartial, we are never neutral when it comes to defending children’s rights and safeguarding their lives and futures.

The UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa (WCARO) is responsible for providing guidance and technical assistance to 24 countries in the region towards a more strategic and impactful programming for children. The Regional Office consists of a number of sections (e.g. Child Protection Communication for Development, Education, Health, Nutrition, WASH, etc…). Each section includes a M&E Focal Point. A professional post exclusively dedicated to Evaluation (Regional Adviser for evaluation) was recently added to the Organization’s organigram. WCARO is currently recruiting a UN volunteer that could assist WCARO in strengthening its evaluation function further.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action..

- the project: This UNV assignment is part of the United Nations Evaluation Group-United Nations Volunteers (UNEG-UNV) young evaluator programme. The programme seeks to recruit and deploy young monitoring and evaluation (M&E) professionals across the UN system, at national and international levels, to support the effective delivery of Agenda 2030 and enhance national evaluation capacity development.

The young evaluator programme was initiated by the UNEG working group on young and emerging evaluators in 2023 and was endorsed with commitments by the Heads of Evaluation Offices of various UN agencies during the 2024 UNEG Annual General Meeting. This programme represents a renewal of the initial partnership in 2018. The 2018 partnership recognized an opportunity to complement existing M&E capacities in the UN system through the deployment of youth UNVs and advocated for a coalition of UN entities to support this effort. Over 1,800 people registered and submitted applications to volunteer under the 2018 initiative with a representation of over 100 different nationalities and more than 56 per cent of applicants being from the Global South.

The young evaluators programme aims to build upon the achievements of the 2018 coalition, expanding its targets and outreach as more organizations pledge their commitments to building capacities of youth in evaluation.

Under the direct guidance Regional Evaluation Adviser, the UNV Evaluation Specialist will undertake the following tasks:

• Assist with conducting and/or managing and evaluations that are impartial, independent, credible and meet professional standards.
• Assist with WCARO’s day-to-day management of evaluation processes;
• Support the planning stage of evaluations by contributing towards the development of evaluation terms of reference, the selection of the evaluation team and establishment of reference groups (this would include constant communication with Country Office M&E and sectoral staff in the region);
• Provide scheduling and logistical support for individual evaluations and evaluation field visits;
• Support evaluations conducted by staff members and consultants;
• Support the application of quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis tools, techniques and approaches;
• Review and assure the quality of documents: Evaluation terms of references (ToR), inception or draft final reports, shared by WCARO COs or RO sections;
• Ensure full compliance of evaluation outputs the principles outlined in the UNEG ‘Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation’ and the UNEG Code of Conduct for Evaluation in the UN System (both documents can be found at the following
• Ensure full compliance of evaluation outputs with UNICEF Ethical standards and GEROS guidelines;
• Collate all comments received on draft inception and evaluation report in a matrix and follow up to ensure that the evaluation team address all of them o
• Support the dissemination and use of evaluation results;
• Facilitate/support the development of a management response and dissemination of the evaluation report and its findings with all evaluation stakeholders, based on the Regional Evaluation Advisers’ instructions;
• Ensure a high level of communication with the Country Office throughout the entire process.
• Contribute to the visualization of evaluation findings and conclusions towards better dissemination and use
• Summarize the results of evaluation products submitted to UNICEF RO (e.g.inception
• As appropriate, assist overall national evaluation capacity development (NECD) activities; support for staff to address all issues, challenges and policy questions relating to M&E in the office; when working with national staff or (non-)governmental counterparts, set aside dedicated time for capacity development through coaching, mentoring and formal and on-the-job training;
• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible