Principal Evaluation Officer - High Level Evaluations Division

Grade: PL4
Position N°: NA
Reference: ADB/11/67
Publication date: 11/08/2011
Closing date: 10/09/2011

Objectives

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is a leading development institution in the continent, focused on promoting economic development and poverty reduction. It engages with the full range and complexity of development challenges in Africa. The main objective of the Operations Evaluation Department is to improve the performance of the Bank, its relevance to the development needs of its Regional Member Countries and to poverty reduction in Africa(*). The OPEV2 Division is responsible for conducting high level evaluations which include sector and thematic studies and evaluations of corporate performance.

Duties and responsibilities

The incumbent reports to the Manager of the High Level Evaluations Division in the Operations Evaluation Department. S/he will:

Conduct thematic (*), corporate and country assistance evaluations that are impartial, independent, credible and meet professional evaluation standards
- Define the objectives, scope, questions, method and analytical approach for the evaluation in an approach paper.
- When undertaking the evaluations, (i) assessing relevance and adequacy of the policy and institutional framework of the Bank, in particular in light of international good practices and concepts, (ii) evaluating the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the Bank’s assistance in a particular sector, country or on a particular cross-cutting issue, (iii) draw conclusions, lessons learned and recommendations relevant to the improvement of the Bank’s assistance, with a particular focus on the drivers contributing to the success or failure of Bank’s interventions. This involves undertaking desk reviews such as portfolio, quality at entry, literature or policy reviews as well as field case studies and holding interviews with Bank management and staff, beneficiaries, regional member authorities, other donors as well as NGOs or private sector organizations.
- Actively manage the consultants involved in the evaluation process to ensure a high quality product.
- During the evaluation process, engage key evaluation stakeholders including Bank management and staff (headquarters and field offices), understand, discuss and integrate, if relevant and the comments from the key evaluation stakeholders during the evaluation process. Manage the stakeholder reference group and organize workshops to facilitate the feed-back from the operation complex.
- Present and defend the evaluation report’s conclusions to the Board of Directors-specifically the Committee on Operations and Development Effectiveness (CODE), prepare written answers to questions raised by the Board members, and prepare summaries of the decisions recommended and the follow-up actions.
Conduct Meta evaluations
- Collect and analyze existing evaluation information to consider lessons that could be applied to the Bank.
- Define research protocols for how information will be organized to synthesize the lessons.
- Work with and manage the analytical inputs of specialists in the area of evaluation.
Disseminate evaluation results and lessons learned, follow-up of OPEV recommendations and strengthening of Bank’s evaluation capacities
- Ensure evaluation results are communicated across the Bank by producing summaries (e.g. Evaluation Briefs) and/or undertaking presentations to stakeholders and staff across the Bank.
- Review, analyze, and make comments on documents prepared by Units of the Bank (e.g. new policies, guidelines or manuals, Country Strategy Papers, Action plans, etc.) to ensure that lessons of experience are duly incorporated in new financed Bank Group operations;
- If necessary, represent OPEV in Bank Loans/Operations Committee or other working groups in order to ensure that relevant and useful lessons of experience in the country or the sector are reflected into the design and future implementation of the projects or programs.
- Strengthen Bank’s evaluation capacities both at headquarters and field levels through on-going evaluation work.
Cooperate and Coordinate with Evaluation Experts from other Multilateral and Bilateral Development Institutions
- Participate as a team member in joint evaluation missions of co financed projects/programs with other aid agencies, in joint training seminars/workshops on evaluation systems, and develop cooperation partnerships with bilateral and multilateral Evaluation Units in development agencies and with counterparts in RMCs.
- Provide assistance to Regional Member Countries in establishing and enhancing their evaluation capabilities through on-going evaluations.

(*) Areas of specialization in OPEV correspond to Bank Group sectors of intervention i.e.: Infrastructure, Transportation and Communication, Energy, Water Supply and Sanitation, Policy Based Operations, Industry, Finance and Private Sector, Agriculture and Rural Development, Social Sector including poverty reduction.

Selection Criteria

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

Professional and academic Skills Requirements: At least a Masters degree in economics, social sciences or other discipline; A minimum of 5 years’ experience in development evaluation or related field; broad knowledge of concepts and methodologies for evaluating development effectiveness, operational knowledge and experience in sectoral policy analysis, especially in the infrastructure, private or good governance sectors are advantages.

General Competencies: The work demands strong analytical skills, ability to work in a rigorous and evidence based manner in undertaking the evaluation work both at the policy and strategy as well as portfolio levels; attention to details (be rigorous); good organizational skills, clients and results oriented; intellectual leadership; ability to engage with different stakeholders; excellent writing skills, and good communication skills such as the ability to explain technical issues to a non-expert audience; Knowledge about results-based management and monitoring & evaluation as well as operational experience in the infrastructure or private sector fields are added advantages; proficiency in one of the two official languages of the Bank is required and a good working knowledge of the other is advantage; Computer literacy, including proficiency in MS Excel and knowledge of SAP is expected.