Consultant Evaluation

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

8 October 2026-23:59-GMT-05:00 Eastern Standard Time (Panama)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of extreme weather shocks.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency, fighting hunger worldwide. The WFP evaluation function plays a key role in strengthening the organization’s contribution to ending global hunger.

The Evaluation Policy 2016-2021 aimed to embed evaluation into the heart of an organizational culture of accountability and learning, ensuring that evaluation is planned and budgeted for, and evaluation findings are comprehensively incorporated into all WFP’s policies and programs. In 2022, the Evaluation Policy for the 2022-2030 period renewed WFP’s commitment to ensure that evaluation evidence consistently and comprehensively informs decisions on WFP policies, strategies, plans and programmes.

At the regional level, WFP’s Office of Evaluation has established since 2017 a Regional Evaluation Technical Team (RETT) in the WFP Latin America and Caribbean Office (LACRO) to support the implementation of the WFP’s Evaluation Policy and its Corporate Evaluation Strategy at regional level. Formerly known as the Regional Evaluation Unit, the RETT aims to support the regional Management and regional and Country Office (CO) colleagues in meeting their responsibilities and accountabilities under the Evaluation Policy and Charter. The decentralized evaluation function in LACRO, which is work is guided by its Regional Evaluation Strategy (RES) 2023-2030 for the region, aims at fostering the use of demand-led decentralized and corporate centralized evaluation findings as per the Regional Evaluation Plan (REP).

The RES 2023-2030 has five pillars, namely: Pillar 1. Impartial, credible, inclusive and useful evaluations; Pillar 2. Appropriate and intended evaluation coverage & funding; Pillar 3. Enhanced CO and RB capacities to commission, manage and use evaluations; Pillar 4. Fostering evaluation use; Pillar 5. Active evaluation partnerships for an enabling environment for evaluation.

The Regional Evaluation Technical Team is seeking an international consultant to support the implementation of its Regional Evaluation Strategy. The focus of the assignment will be on, but is not limited to, promoting the use of evaluation evidence, good practices and lessons learned to inform programmatic decision-making within the region and supporting country offices in the management of their evaluations to ensure credible, impartial, and useful evaluations.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

The incumbent will report to the Regional Evaluation Officer in LACRO and will work closely with the Evaluation Officers within the unit. S/he will be responsible for the following key accountabilities:

EVALUATION SUPPORT AND CAPACITY STRENGTHENING

• Guide on the design and facilitation of learning events and peer to peer learning initiatives to strengthen internal evaluation capacities in the region.
• Contribute to the management of evaluation processes and budgets through technical guidance to Evaluation Managers in Country Offices in support of the production of independent, credible and useful evidence that meets high professional standards in line with UN norms and standards and codes of conduct for evaluation in the UN system, embodied in WFP’s Evaluation Quality Assurance System (EQAS).
• Engage with stakeholder groups, both internal and external to WFP, appropriately in the evaluation process and manage communications.
• Assist in sourcing, hiring and supervising external consultants to ensure the production of evaluations that meet EQAS requirements.
• Contribute to the application of the normative framework, quality support and assessment mechanisms and reporting on decentralized evaluations in supported countries.
• EVALUATION KNOWLEDGE SHARING AND EVIDENCE USE
  Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to enhance learning from and use of evaluation evidence in strategic planning processes and in policy, programme and project design.In support WFP’s evaluation culture of accountability and learning, conduct analysis and mapping of evaluation evidence needs and/or gaps, lessons or findings of strategic relevance emanating from evaluations, and coordinate the preparation of syntheses and/or summaries of evaluation evidence, on a needs basis.
  Develop tailored evaluation products that use innovative and user-friendly formats for country office Management and Programme Teams and ensure its dissemination in different internal and external communication channels.Organize and facilitate evaluation related learning events to share experiences and evaluation results and support the unit’s Evaluation Officers when they take the lead.Contribute to an active thematic exchange and discussions between LACRO specialists and country office staff to improve evidence-use and strengthening the learning agenda across the region.Act as focal point within the Regional Evaluation Unit for Knowledge Management and Evidence Use, staying abreast of relevant developments, making proposals to enhance this area of work under the Regional Evaluation Strategy and contributing to the evaluation function’s initiatives on evidence generation, management and use. EVALUATION PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKSParticipate in WFP internal evaluation expertise groups and contribute to the sharing of experience and development of good practices, as needed.Liaise and collaborate with other UN agencies as well as professional evaluation bodies to discuss common monitoring and evaluation issues, as needed.Other as required.
  
  DELIVERABLES AT THE END OF THE CONTRACT:
  
  Evaluation deliverables for supported decentralized evaluations reviewed and quality assured
• Tailored evaluation products or contributions to the development of tailored products to disseminate and share evaluation results and lessons
• Contributions and active participation in the unit’s peer sharing and learning events, meetings and webinars
• Coordination of evidence summaries or synthesis, based on the unit’s workplan
• Inputs and contributions to selected UN evaluation networks and groups.
  
  WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK: COMMON STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOUR:
• Leads by Example with Integrity
• Upholds WFP values, principles, and standards
• Demonstrates and encourages others to uphold the WFP values, principles and standards
• Respects others and values diversity
• Values diversity using respectful and inclusive language, and encourages others to do the same
• Stays focused and calm under pressure
• Stays focused and calm when under pressure, encourages others to do the same, and offers guidance and support to manage difficult situations
• Demonstrates humility and a willingness to learn
• Demonstrates humility and a willingness to learn and share knowledge, frequently seeking and acting on feedback, and pursuing opportunities to develop
• Drives Results and Delivers on Commitments Delivers results for maximum impact
• Identifies and aligns objectives to the required outcomes, holding self and/or others accountable for the delivery of results for maximum impact
• Delegates appropriately
• Delegates responsibly and provides appropriate support empowering others to deliver results
• Adapts readily to change
• Responds readily to change in different contexts and adapts accordingly
• Fosters Inclusive and CollaborativeIs inclusive and collaborative
• Promotes inclusive teamwork and psychological safety by encouraging colleagues to collaborate by sharing ideas and openly raising issues
• Gives timely and constructive feedback
• Supports development for others by giving timely and constructive feedback
• Builds and shares new perspectives
• Seeks out, trusts and listens attentively to diverse views to capture, learn, build and share new perspectives
• Applies Strategic
• ThinkingCommunicates and fulfils WFP’s vision
• Communicates and fulfils WFP’s vision and operational outcomes to deliver meaningful solutions
• Embraces curiosity and new ways of doing things
• Demonstrates curiosity, designs and implements new ways of doing things when relevant
• Analyses and evaluates data
• Gathers data and different perspectives, shar
• es knowledge and uses evidence to inform decision making
• Considers the impact of decisions
• Implements decisions, considering the risks and implications of actions for teams, projects and other initiatives
• Builds and Maintains Sustainable Partnerships
• Builds partnerships
• Initiates and builds partnerships by identifying and promoting opportunities for mutual areas of interest and benefit
• Collaborates to deliver common objectives
• Collaborates with partners to deliver common objectives by sharing information and working together on agreed solutions

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

Master or Advanced University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, education, statistics, development economics, monitoring and evaluation or other relevant fields; or First University degree with additional years of relevant work experience and/or training/courses. Advance University degree or Diploma on evaluation and/or Knowledge Management will be an asset.

Experience:

At least 6 (six) years of relevant professional experience in knowledge management and/or evaluations in development and/or humanitarian contexts is required.Experience in adult learning and/or in capacity strengthening/ development is desirable Familiarity with participatory presentation/ facilitation platforms such as Miro, Mural and/or Whiteboard and experience facilitating participatory events is an asset.Familiarity with the work of WFP’s evaluation function, or with other UN evaluation functions is an asset.

Knowledge & Skills:

Performance Management

Has organizational and management skills to potentially manage evaluation processes and budgets.Broad knowledge of internal and external best practices and partnerships to develop and implement optimal evaluation arrangements.

Technical Communication

Applies understanding of WFP and the evaluation mandate to communicate proactively the use of evaluation concepts and evidence to WFP management & other stakeholders for improving WFP programme performance.

Analysis

Demonstrates ability to make a balanced assessment of the relevance and quality of evidence for straightforward evaluations and to deepen independent analysis of the internal and external context influencing WFP performance.

Qualitative and Quantitative Methodology

Displays awareness and basic understanding of research methods and tools and their uses for monitoring and evaluation of a variety of programmes and policies for food assistance and other humanitarian efforts.

Communication & Use

Demonstrates good communication skills with the ability to convey clear, influential messages from complex data, using a variety of communication platforms (verbally and in writing).Demonstrates skills and judgment to communicate effectively evaluation concepts, summarize key evidence and present evaluation findings and recommendations to stakeholders.

Ethics

Understands the specific implications of ethics in evaluation and social research activities and is able to consistently ensure that appropriate actions are taken to safeguard ethics.

Languages:

Fluency in English and Spanish. Knowledge of French (desirable).

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Number of openings: 1
Based in: Panama City, Panama (Homebased)
Type of Contract: Consultant

Level: II
Duration: until 31 December 2026

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• All applications must be submitted exclusively through our online recruiting system. We do not consider CVs or applications sent by email, LinkedIn, or any other channel.

• We strongly recommend that your Workday profile is accurate and complete, and that all sections are filled in, including your employment history, academic qualifications, language skills, and UN grade (if applicable). Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• If you experience technical issues while submitting your application, you may contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org. Please note that this email is only for technical issues with an application - unsolicited applications or documents sent to this inbox will not receive a reply.

• At the application stage, the only required documents are your CV and Cover Letter. Additional documents (passport, certificates, recommendation letters, etc.) may be requested later in the process.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.

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Understanding contract types in WFP

To ensure that WFP is able to deliver on its mandate, a range of contract types exist depending on the duration and nature of work. Find out more here.

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Working with WFP

Our greatest strength is the people working around the world providing access to nutritious food and promoting lasting solutions to those we serve. WFP provides its staff with meaningful and impactful careers, continuous learning and training, and a multicultural and stimulating work environment.

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability.

About WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

Read more about WFP’s history here, and WFP’s mission here

Hear the voices of WFP

Want to hear what it’s like working for WFP? Check out our newsletter highlighting the career stories of our passionate staff here: Pathway to WFP | LinkedIn

Our values and behaviours

Integrity, collaboration, commitment, humanity, inclusion. These values inspire everything we do every day, allowing us to work towards a world with zero hunger. You can read more about the values here.

Our behaviour guides us in how we accomplish our mission. All WFP employees are expected to demonstrate the standards of behaviour described in the WFP Leadership Framework. Learn more about the WFP Leadership Framework here.

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