Independent Evaluation of FAO’s Work in Climate Change in Agriculture

The Office of Evaluation (OED) of the Food and Agriculture Organization is conducting a thematic evaluation ofFAO’s work in Climate Change in Agriculturefrom 2008 to the present and is currently seeking qualified candidates for the position of Evaluation Team Leader. The evaluation will include the agency’s work in forestry, fisheries, livestock and water, and assess its efforts regarding both climate change (CC) adaptation and mitigation.

The evaluation will serve both accountability and learning purposes for the organization and will assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact of FAO’s interventions regarding climate change. While being evidence-based, the evaluation will also aim to be forward-looking and utilization-oriented to inform FAO’s future strategy and work in the area.

The exercise will be managed by an OED Evaluation Manager and the evaluation team will consist of approximately six members. An external expert panel will also be involved to shape the scope of the evaluation as well as the final report. The evaluation will cover FAO’s work at the global, regional and country level, examining the agency’s normative, advocacy, strategic coordination and project activities. The methodology will include semi-structured qualitative interviews, field visits to selected countries and surveys to FAO member countries and partners.

An Evaluation Team Leader is being sought who has the following background and skills:

• Significant experience in leading large teams in evaluations of complex development programs and institutions;
• Solid expertise in climate change in agriculture or in one of FAO’s other technical areas of work, e.g. forestry, fisheries, water or livestock;
• Strong knowledge of FAO and its mandate, structure and programmes, or of other UN agencies engaged in climate change;
• Extensive knowledge of one of the following areas: - The international dialogue on climate change involving the UNFCCC, IPCC, other development institutions and donors; or - Strategy development on climate change at the organizational level;
• An ability to deliver quality outputs in a timely manner;
• Strong capacity to work well with others in a team

The Team Leader will participate in the entire evaluation process, including the development of the Evaluation Terms of Reference and the identification of evaluation team members. The duration of the consultancy will be from approximately May to December 2014.

The Team Leader should not have been involved in the design or implementation of FAO’s activities on climate change in recent years.

How to apply:

Interested candidates who meet the above criteria are invited to submit a CV and cover letter to Ashwin Bhouraskar (Ashwin.Bhouraskar@fao.org) and Faith Nilsson (Faith.Nilsson@fao.org). Please specify Evaluation of FAO’s Work in Climate Change in Agriculturein the email subject line.

The deadline for applications is 28 April 2014.