The Office of Evaluation (OEV) aims to contribute to ending global hunger by generating a strong evidence base of WFP’s successes and failures which can be incorporated into future policies, programmes and decision-making. OEV is responsible for delivering and supporting the quality of all WFP impact evaluations as per its quality assurance and assessment procedures and building organizational capacity to deliver them.
There are three categories of evaluation at WFP: i) Centralized evaluations are commissioned and managed by OEV and presented to the Executive Board for consideration. ii) Decentralized evaluations are commissioned and managed by country offices and Global headquarters divisions other than OEV iii) Impact evaluations are managed by OEV at the request of country offices.
As per the 2022 WFP Evaluation policy, impact evaluations measure changes in development outcomes of interest for a target population that can be attributed to a specific WFP programme through a credible counterfactual. They are usually undertaken during programme implementation over a multi-year period. Impact evaluations are not presented to the Executive Board. Impact evaluations are commissioned by OEV in line with corporate evidence priorities through impact evaluation “windows”. These windows are portfolios of impact evaluations in specific priority evidence areas, agreed with WFP management, that will be updated over time as the organization’s evidence priorities change.
Locating this global leadership position at the Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (APARO) in Bangkok positions WFP’s impact evaluation function at a critical intersection of inter-agency collaboration and academic excellence. Bangkok serves as the regional hub for a very large number of agencies (OCHA, FAO, IOM, UNDP, UNDRR, UNEP, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA, WFP, World Bank, etc.) offering unparalleled opportunities to align evidence priorities and implement joint UN impact evaluation windows. Alongside this multilateral density, the region boasts a large network of world-class academic and research institutions with impact evaluation capacity. The unique combination of UN partners, regional donors (e.g. ADB, NDB, GCF, JICA, KOICA, etc.), and local research capacity makes the Bangkok office a highly strategic base.
The position is based in Bangkok, Thailand and reports to the Director of Evaluation. The Senior Evaluation Officer Head of Impact Evaluation Team will provide independent impact evaluation evidence, assessing the performance and results of programmes and activities of WFP for accountability and learning to inform future direction. Reporting to the Director of Evaluation, you are expected to lead the Impact Evaluation Unit overseeing the planning and delivery of high-quality impact evaluations. You will be managing staff co-located in Rome, Regional Offices, and Country Offices (field coordinators). Your role will bridge technical and operational divisions, ensuring a unified, global approach to high-quality impact evaluation.