Evaluation Analyst (Independent Office of Evaluation), Rome

Job Title : Evaluation Analyst (Independent Office of Evaluation) - Rome, Italy

ID : 27439

Location : ROME

Date of issue : 03/27/2025

Close Date : (Midnight, Rome Time) 04/14/2025

Organizational Unit : Office of Evaluation

Full/Part Time : Full-Time

Regular/Temporary : Regular

Assignment Duration : 2 Years

Grade : P-2

Organizational Setting

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

In line with IFAD's Evaluation Policy (2021), the IOE multi-year strategy (2022-2027) and the Evaluation Manual (2022), the Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE) reports directly to the IFAD Executive Board (EB). The Evaluation Policy established that the evaluation function at IFAD will operate in line with internationally accepted principles for the evaluation of development assistance. The IFAD Evaluation Policy also states that the IOE Director will ensure that IOE is staffed by independent-minded, experienced professionals. IOE is a member of international evaluation networks, notably the Evaluation Cooperation Group (ECG) of the Multilateral Development Banks, the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG), the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI) and the International Research Group for Policy and Programme Evaluation (IntEval). It also participates in initiatives of regional and global evaluation Associations.

The Evaluation Analyst works under the overall policy and management guidance of the IOE Director as well as the direct supervision and guidance of the Lead Evaluation Officer or Senior Evaluation Officer.

Job Role

The Evaluation Analyst is responsible for analytical support to the full programme/project evaluation cycle of work.

Key Functions and Results

1. PROJECT EVALUATION: The Evaluation Analyst supports IFAD's success in advocating for the amelioration of rural food security and nutrition and the enabling of poor rural men and women to overcome their poverty through the undertake of project completion report validations and project performance assessments. The incumbent prepares reports in accordance with the Fund's evaluation policy and evaluation manual. Depending on experience, the Evaluation Analyst may also undertake selected project performance evaluations in line with IOE guidelines. Activities include but are not limited to:

• Undertake project completion report validations (PCRVs), in accordance with IFAD's evaluation policy, evaluation manual and guidelines for PCRVs. This includes preparing concise, reader-friendly and analytically rigorous PCRVs. Undertake, selectively and depending on experience, project performance evaluations (PPEs) in line with IOE guidelines for PPEs.

2. CONTRIBUTION TO HIGHER PLANE EVALUATION: The Evaluation Analyst supports IFAD's ability to achieve its mandate by contributing to corporate-level and country strategy and programme evaluations. Activities include but are not limited to:

• Collect and analyse data, and prepare desk review notes and analysis papers, which would inform the findings of the evaluations.
• Participates in field visits, as needed.
• Supports lead evaluators in mounting missions, communication work, workshop organization, and identification of consultants.

3. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: The Evaluation Analyst participates in enhancing institutional understanding of evaluation to promote and build on lessons learned and best practices. Activities include but are not limited to:

• Participates in in-house strategy formulation processes and country programme management teams (e.g. CPMTs) to ensure that lessons learned from evaluations are adopted in a timely manner in new projects, programmes and strategies.
• Participate in internal knowledge-sharing platforms to facilitate the timely adoption of lessons learned from evaluations into IFAD's operations and strategic planning.

4. Quality Assurance: Participate in IOE internal peer reviews of selected evaluations. This would include reviewing the draft evaluation approach papers and reports, and providing written comments for the purpose of enhancing the overall quality of the evaluations.

5. DIVISIONAL MANAGEMENT SUPPORT: The Evaluation Analyst will perform other related duties as required by the Director IOE and the incumbent's Deputy, including contributing to the further development of IOE strategy, methodology and processes.

6. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Evaluation Analyst is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources. This includes accountability for assigned financial and material resources and related processes including contracting.

Key Performance Indicators

The Evaluation Analyst contributes to IOE's main objective of producing: (i) an evaluation of the performance and impact of IFAD supported projects, IFAD's own performance as well as that of its partners; and (ii) learning effects and recommendations through evaluation work that lead to the improved performance of IFAD's financed operations, IFAD's policies and its strategies. The incumbent is expected to work independently on project-level evaluations. In addition, the incumbent also works on country-level and corporate evaluations within a team supervised by a senior evaluation officer.

Working Relationships

The Evaluation Analyst establishes effective working relationships to further the institutional understanding of evaluation as both an accountability and a learning process that must be conducted with an independent perspective and yet in close partnership with all partners involved. The incumbent contributes to learning and quality-assuring processes within the IOE, such as peer reviews. The incumbent uses evaluation as a source of knowledge on rural development issues that must be systematically communicated and disseminated to partners. To this end the Evaluation Analyst develops customized communication products as required and the deliveries are posted on IOE's publication website. Evaluation partners consist, inter alia, of counterparts in IFAD's Programme Management Department, project field staff, government and non-government agencies in IFAD's borrowing countries as well as other national and international development actors in rural development in these countries.

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies:

Level 1:

• Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains effective working relationships
• Communicating and negotiating - Communicates effectively; creates understanding between self and others
• Demonstrating leadership - Personal leadership and attitude to change
• Focusing on clients - Focuses on clients
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge & innovates
• Managing performance and developing staff -
• Managing time, resources and information - Manages own time, information and resources effectively eqpXGTN PHMNB
• Problem-solving and decision-making - Demonstrates sound problem-solving and decision-making ability
• Strategic thinking and organizational development - Personal influence
• Team working - Contributes effectively to the team

Education:

• Level - Advanced* university degree in Economics, Agriculture, Rural Development, Finance, Public Policy, Social Sciences, or related studies. Degree must be an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php

(*) Note: For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in the IFAD's Human Resources Implementing Procedures.

Experience:

• At least two (2) years progressively relevant, responsible professional experience in evaluation, project or country programme design, supervision, or loan/grant administration with International financial institutions, development cooperation agencies, etc. Experience in conducting evaluations will be a significant advantage. Prior experiences in designing and using research and survey tools; knowledge of quantitative or qualitative data analysis software (e.g. STATA, NVIVO) would be an advantage.

Languages:

• Required: English (4 - Excellent)
• Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic (3 - Good)

Skills:

• Economic evaluation: Know-how relevant to specific role in Evaluation roles (e.g. Monitoring and managing evaluation processes and methodologies, carrying out Programme/Project evaluation, Impact evaluation, Corporate-level evaluation)
• IFAD partners: Knowledge of IFAD's partners' functioning and mandate , such as the public sector (e.g. governments and policy, institutions and system), non-state actors (NGOs, CSOs, Foundations, etc.) and private sector actors
• Risk management (e.g. reputational): Identification and assessment of potential liabilities and risks in IFAD's activities, particularly vis-à-vis third parties; ability to handle risks via contingency and mitigation strategies
• Basic ICT & digital fluency: High level of digital literacy and ability to quickly get familiar with new digital tools (e.g. ability to carry out EPR data entry and extraction when budgeting; monitoring security systems, uploading content to inter/intra-net websites, etc.)
• Confidentiality & Discretion: Establishes self and division as trusted advisor to internal stakeholders by maintaining high level of discretion and confidentiality in assignments; demonstrates sound judgement when dealing with sensitive and/or confidential matters; drives good governance and is a "Culture Carrier" demonstrating IFAD institutional conscience through their work.
• Integrity and ethics: Strong emphasis on acting with honesty, not tolerating unethical behaviour, demonstrating equity, impartiality and sensitivity in exercising authority and interacting with staff, and other stakeholders. Conduct must be guided by IFAD core values, the Code of conduct and a high sense of ethics.
• Listening: Effective and active listening to others; understanding and acting upon indirect statements
• Programme/Project development, management: Know-how in Programme/Project development, implementation, management
• Rural Development: Expertise in social and economic development of rural communities in developing countries

Other Information

Applicants should note that IOE staff members are subject to the IFAD staff rules, policies and procedures. The Director, IOE has delegated authority to make personnel and operational decisions concerning IOE staff and consultants in accordance with the provisions contained in the IFAD Evaluation Policy (2021) as well as other applicable IFAD rules, Human Resource policies and procedures.

In accordance with IFAD's provisions, all new staff members will normally be placed at the first step in the grade level for which they have been selected. For information on IFAD's remuneration package, please visit IFAD's compensation and benefits page on our website. Applicants are invited to use the ICSC compensation calculator to estimate the salary and benefit entitlements. See here .

In the interest of making most cost-effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful. Candidates may be required to take a written test and to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.

IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic, social or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size or sexual orientation.

Please be aware of fraudulent job offers. IFAD does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Official communication from IFAD will always come from e-mails ending in @ifad.org