Temporary Evaluation Officer - Gland, Switzerland

Closing date:

30 August 2012

BACKGROUND

According to its Statutes, IUCN has the obligation to hold a World Conservation Congress every four years. From 1948 to 1996, IUCN held an Assembly of member organizations only. The IUCN Members’ Assembly, the highest decision-making body of IUCN, brings together IUCN Members to debate and establish environmental policy, to approve the IUCN Programme and to elect the IUCN Council. Since 1996, the Congress has grown to include the Forum, open to all, to debate major sustainable development issues, propose solutions and facilitate the sharing of information and experiences. The 2012 World Conservation Congress will be held from 6 to 15 September 2012 in Jeju, Republic of Korea. Between 5,000 and 8,000 participants are expected.

Evaluations of the World Conservation Congress have been standard practice in IUCN since the Amman Congress of 2000. The general intent of each evaluation has been to ensure that successive Congresses learn from the experience and continue to deliver against the requirements in the IUCN Statutes and the expectations of Members and participants.

The main purpose of the IUCN 2012 World Conservation Congress evaluation is to assess the extent to which the World Conservation Congress as it is currently conceived is an effective vehicle for driving change in the conservation agenda and whether the event itself has been optimized in terms of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency. To that end, the specific objectives of the evaluation are:

1. To measure the satisfaction of participants with the Congress;
2. To assess the effectiveness of the organization and management of the Congress
3. To explore possibilities for improving the motions and resolutions process, including streamlining, improving the level of participation in the voting process and the contribution of the Forum to discussions and decisions made during the Members’ Assembly;
4. To track the relevance and effect of resolutions over the next two to three years.

Within the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, the temporary Evaluation Officer will play a key role in the conduct of the evaluation of the 2012 World Conservation Congress. The position requires a solid experience in evaluation and strong group facilitation skills.

Applications are encouraged from locally-based candidates with an existing work permit for Switzerland, or Swiss or EU/EFTA nationals.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Evaluation Officer will join the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit just after the 2012 World Conservation Congress. His/her primary responsibilities will include the following:

1. Support the work of the Future Congress Working Group, by conducting interviews, organizing and facilitating focus group sessions and documenting results;
2. Prepare, administer and compile results from an electronic survey of all Congress participants, with an expanded survey for Members;
3. Prepare, administer and compile results from an electronic survey of all Secretariat staff who worked at the Congress, following up with interviews with a smaller sample;
4. Working with the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit and Global Policy Unit teams, develop and implement a means for tracking the implementation of resolutions.


SALARY

Available funding for this position will cover a gross annual salary of CHF 96'000, subject to deductions for social security contributions and second-pillar pension, and before tax.

REQUIREMENTS

• Post-graduate/advanced degree in social science

• 5-7 years of professional experience in planning, monitoring and evaluation and extensive experience in conducting interviews with a wide range of stakeholders, including with senior management

• Demonstrated ability to effectively facilitate focus groups, compiling results and reporting clearly on conclusions and recommendations

• Experience in the administration of surveys, compiling results and writing utilization focused reports to facilitate judgment, decision making and action by stakeholders

• Experience in event evaluation would be an asset

• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team and communicate in a cross-cultural environment.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

• Excellent written and spoken English is essential; knowledge of French and/or Spanish a considerable asset

APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST).

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: http://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/