Senior Research and Evaluation Specialist, Nairobi

Senior Research and Evaluation Specialist, Nairobi
Closing Date: Friday, 03 September 2010

Senior Research and Evaluation Specialist
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Children's Fund
Closing date: 03 Sep 2010
Location: Kenya - Nairobi Regional Office

Purpose of the Position
Under the direct supervision of the Regional Advisor, Child Survival and Development and in close coordination with the Chief of Policy and Evidence Unit (Health Section, PD), you will design, sets up and coordinate at the Regional level situation analysis, implementation research and large scale high-quality evaluations in health and nutrition with a focus on Catalytic Initiative countries. Also sets up, coordinate and runs training courses for UNICEF staff and partners who will be taking part in the evaluation and research activities, in order to promote UNICEF as an intellectual leader and partner on evidence generation on child-and maternal health and nutrition strategies and interventions. Identify, set up and supervise collaborations with national partner institutions. Promote active exchange of knowledge and high quality evidence between HQ Divisions, Regions, and Countries.
Key Expected Results

You will design and carry out situation analysis on countries and implementation research on health interventions

1. Work with the Regional Office and the Health Section in NYHQ to identify and prioritize implementation research topics.

2. Provide coordination between the Region and the Health Section in NYHQ to carry out situation analysis and implementation research on identified priority areas, (one of the studies will aim to identify successful strategies to reach the unimmunized population in ESARO/WCARO).

3. Define the overall design of the research (an initial situation analysis followed by operational research) together with Policy and Evidence Unit (Health Section, PD) and in collaboration with the Regional Health Advisor, Regional M&E Advisor and with the counterpart in ESARO/WCARO.

4. Identify, with the help of the Regional Health Advisor, country office staff to be involved in the situation analysis and implementation research and obtains CO support.

5. Adapt the design of the research to the local situation, with the colleagues working in each country office, ensuring comparability of the data collected.

6. Coordinate and monitor data collection, overseeing quality of the data. Is responsible, under the supervision of the P&E Unit, of the data analysis.

7. Write the documents and reports to present the results of the evaluation internally and to relevant external partners.

You will organize and coordinate training activities for UNICEF staff and relevant partners

1. Under the supervision of P&E Unit, organize and coordinate both courses and on-the-job training, of UNICEF staff involved in the implementation of evidence generating activities. Is responsible for ensuring that such staff will get the necessary primary and ongoing training with internal resources and external partnerships. This responsibility will be shared with the P&E Unit in NYHQ.

2. Identify, with the help of the Regional health Advisor, country office staff to be involved in the training and seeks approval from their superiors.

3. In particular, coordinate:

    * training activities for UNICEF staff involved in the implementation large scale evaluations (in CIDA countries).

    * training activities for UNICEF staff involved in the execution of the implementation research activities (in several countries) and is responsible for the initial situation analysis and the operational research.

    * training activities for UNICEF staff involved in the use of routine data (most countries in the region), in performing situation analysis and in the search for and use of evidence.

    * training activities for staff from relevant partner organizations involved in the execution of the implementation research activities (within the Learning Platform).

You will collaborate with Regional M&E Advisor on ongoing [and small-scale] evaluation activities in health and development of situation analysis in selected countries

Actively collaborate with the Regional M&E Advisor in the design and implementation of other evaluations (rather than monitoring activities) that need to be undertaken in the Region on health interventions, strategies and programs.

You will disseminate evidence generated

Ensure that findings and evidence generated as a result of the high-quality evaluations, implementation research and situation analyses is presented to all relevant UNICEF staff working in the Region, by organizing ad hoc events or taking part in existing ones, in collaboration with IKMU and with the approval of P&E Unit.

You will network with relevant external partners to establish effective collaborations in generating evidence

1. Identify, with the help of the Regional Health Advisor, the Regional M&E Advisor and the P&E Unit, relevant partners to involve in the generation of evidence (situational analysis, evaluations, implementation research). Define possible channels for collaboration and establish agreements with partner institutions.

2. Identify potential candidates for the Learning Platform and seeks for Regional Health Advisor and P&E Unit approval.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate

Advanced University Degree in Public Health or Epidemiology.

Ten years of progressive work experience working for international organizations in public health, epidemiological studies, project design, programme management, or monitoring and evaluation.

Fluency in English and another UN language.

Competencies of Successful Candidate

Has highest-level communication skills, including engaging and informative formal public speaking.

Creates and encourages a climate of team-working and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment.

Consistently achieves high-level results, managing and delivering projects on-time and on-budget.

Has high-level leadership and supervisory skills; provides others with a clear direction; motivates and empowers others; recruits staff of a high caliber; provides staff with development opportunities and coaching.

Sets, develops and revises organizational strategy and develops clear visions of the organization's future potential.

Analyzes and integrates diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.

Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups. Actively nurtures good relationships with people across all organizational levels and boundaries, and with government leaders and stakeholders.

Demonstrates, applies and shares expert technical knowledge across the organization.

Remains alert for changing conditions and develops and oversees large-scale change initiatives to incorporate them.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and gender equality in its workplace. Women and nationals of developing countries are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply

If you want a challenging career while improving the lives of children around the world UNICEF, the leading children's rights organization, would like to hear from you.

Visit us at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ to register in our new e-Recruitment system and apply to this and other vacancies, quoting E-VN-2010-001910. Applications must be received by 03 September 2010.
Please note that only candidates who are under serious consideration will be contacted.

In the selection of its staff, UNICEF is committed to gender balance and diversity without distinction as to race, sex or religion, and without discrimination of persons with disabilities: well qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Reference Code: RW_88LPM3-8