Technical Specialist Impact Evaluation - Rome

Vacancy No: IPEC/2011/05
Title: P3 Technical Specialist Impact Evaluation - Rome
Grade: P.3
Contract type: Fixed-Term Appointment
Duration of contract:  12 months with a possibility of extension 

Date: 18 May 2011
Application Deadline: 12 June 2011
(13 day(s) until closing deadline)
Currently accepting applications
Organization unit:   IPEC

ILO Office Rome

Duty Station:  Rome, Italy

We regret that due to the anticipated high volume of interest in this post, ILO will respond to short listed candidates only within 30 days of the closing date of this vacancy notice. To check whether the vacancy has been filled, please refer to the vacancy status of the list of positions that you applied for.

INTRODUCTION
The International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) is a technical cooperation programme of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and is operational in over 80 countries worldwide and supported by more than 20 donors. The aim of IPEC is the progressive elimination of child labour by strengthening national capacities to address the problem and by promoting a worldwide movement to combat it.

It works to achieve this in several ways: through country and regionally based programmes which promote policy reform and put in place concrete measures to eradicate child labour and through international and national campaigns intended to change social attitudes and promote the ratification and effective implementation of ILO Conventions on child labour. Complementing these efforts is in-depth research, legal expertise, policy analysis and programme evaluation carried out in the field and the regional and international levels.

IPEC partner agencies in a country include the ILO's traditional constituents, the Ministries of Labour, employers' and workers' organizations, as well as other concerned partners in the public and private sectors.

IPEC considers one of its key roles as a key facilitator of knowledge on child labour and the interventions and tools required for action against child labour

IPEC has put in place a strategy for making impact assessment a key part of technical advice and support to child labour intervenions and through its Design, Evaluation and Documentation (DED) section is working on key impact evaluation and assessment methodologies for child labour interventions, adapting and using the most appropriate qualitative and quantitative approaches. The focus is on developing the tools, methods and experience required to help IPEC, partners and other organisations to demonstrate which interventions work, how they work and what it will take to replicate or adapt interventions at community, institutional and policy level.

IPEC supports the Understanding Children's Work (UCW) programme as an inter-agency research cooperation initiative involving the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF and the World Bank. .UCW research activities are designed to inform policies that impact upon the lives of child labourers in countries where they are prominent. Research efforts help provide a common understanding of child labour in specific national contexts, and a common basis for action against it. UCW research also addresses a range of issues related to child labour, including education, migration and the employment outcomes of young people.

Evaluating the impact of interventions pertaining to child labour and related areas is another important area of UCW research. Through the development of research instruments, targeted field research, capacity building and research dissemination, this area of research contributes to building and spreading knowledge on the impact of specific programme interventions on child labour and ways to measure such impact.

The development of the strategy on impact assessment and evaluation is implemented through a number of ILO-IPEC global projects, including the project 'Building the knowledge base on the design and implementation of impact evaluation of child labour interventions', which started in 2008, is to be completed in 2013 and is implemented by the UCW framework

A recent development is the design and implementation of Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Systems or frameworks in the context of specific projects. The purpose is the strategic use of monitoring and evaluation to demonstrate impact and identify contribution from different interventions in action against child labour pursuing the most credible and robust methodologies.

The project:

The ILO-IPEC project 'Building the knowledge base on the design and implementation of impact evaluation of child labour interventions' implemented by UCW is aimed at providing robust empirical evidence on which programmes are effective at reducing CL. Through the combination of strategies mentioned above, this project contributes to building and spreading knowledge on the impact of specific programme interventions on CL and ways to measure such impact. The "public good" value of the project is three-fold: first, it will yield initial statistically-robust findings concerning the impact of CL-related programmes; second, it will use tested evaluation methodologies that can be applied to future CL impact evaluations; and third, it will improve access to information on CL impact evaluation methods and results for use in future evaluation and programming efforts. The knowledge generated will be used by a variety of actors (e.g., governments, international organizations, NGOs, multilateral and bilateral agencies) to help improve CL programme design and effectiveness, and to guide the expansion of programme interventions.

Specific project objectives include the following:

Develop and document impact evaluation design for specific child labour interventions;
Pilot test the methodologies in selected areas or sectors where IPEC has supported interventions over a period of time and as part of a Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation Systems
Provide technical and operational support to other impact evaluation initiatives in IPEC projects and projects by other organisations where IPEC might provide technical support
Develop an inventory of impact evaluations and reviews of child labour programs;
Support integrating child labour modules into planned impact evaluations by other organizations on programs in relevant policy areas;
Build capacity on child labour related impact evaluation, by training project staff charged with the design and implementation of the projects targeted in the impact evaluation exercise as well as other groups involved in the planning and implementation of child labour programmes;
Develop analytical policy-oriented work to inform program design by offering insight into stakeholders' perception and priorities, and help generate information on the social and economic context within which the program takes place. The policy-oriented work will be developed in the framework of the 'theory of change' underlying measured changes in outcome variables and identified the type of impact that is aimed for in a particular national or based context;
Disseminate the collected information through the knowledge centre.
Description of Duties
General duties

o The International Expert will support the implementation of the multi-year project aimed at building the knowledge base on the design and implementation of impact evaluations (IE) of child labour interventions.

o The International Expert will lend technical support to, all phases of the econometric impact evaluation process for selected project interventions (development of evaluation strategy, design and implementation of baseline and follow-up surveys, sampling strategy) as part of a Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation system.

o The International Expert will liaise closely with technical counterparts within the partner agencies, in all stages of the IE process. The International Expert will also contribute to development of replicable "protocols" and standardised instruments for the type of child labour interventions to be targeted by the evaluation exercise.

o The International Expert will be based in Rome (Italy) where he/she will join the UCW research team. The incumbent will complement the UCW research team by adding specific technical expertise on impact evaluation methodologies as well as practical field experience in the actual design and implementation of impact evaluations

Technical duties

o Contribute to design impact evaluations of specific interventions carried out by ILO-IPEC or other partners;
o Provide technical support to the design of the baseline and follow-up surveys and questionnaires;
o Collaborate with the project team, in particular with the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) officials of ILO-IPEC Projects, and other IPEC specialists on evaluation, impact assessment and data collection (baseline) to design the impact evaluation of selected interventions;
o If required, conduct the enumerator trainings to implementing partners;
o Participate in field missions as technical resource person. Advise and guide project personnel in order to ensure the evaluability of the project;
o Draft impact evaluation reports and, possibly, contribute to their publication in qualified journals;
o Contribute to the design, implementation and effective dissemination of policy-oriented, technically-rigorous empirical research relating to child labour and related issues such as education and youth employment to establish a sound 'theory of change'.

The International Expert will operate under the technical guidance of evaluation and impact assessment specialist in IPEC, ILO Geneva, and under the direct supervision of the P5 UCW programme coordinator, who is the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) or project manager for this project.

Required Qualifications

Education
Advanced university degree in economics or econometrics (or equivalent work experience)

Experience
Three years' experience at national level and two years' experience at international level in the following areas:

o Advanced skills in econometric analysis;
o Expertise in labour/public/development/education economics (at least one field);
o Specialist knowledge of impact evaluation methods;
o Proven experience in analysis of micro data from developing countries;
o Some degree of field experience in implementation of impact evaluation and survey based data collection exercise is required ;
o Experience in working both on child labour and impact evaluation will be an advantage.
o Documented publication and technical report writing required
Languages
Excellent command of English. Some knowledge of Spanish required and knowledge of French is an asset.
Additional Information:
Candidates who do not fulfill the required qualifications/experience are appointed at P2 level.

APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED DIRECTLY IF SELECTED FOR WRITTEN TEST.
APPLICANTS WILL BE CONTACTED DIRECTLY IF SELECTED FOR AN INTERVIEW.

APPENDIX I CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
- Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to ILO Staff Regulations and other relevant internal rules.
- The first contract will be issued for a twelve-month period (for Geneva-based positions) and a twenty-four month period (for non Geneva-based positions)
- A successful external candidate will be on probation for the first two years of assignment.
- Any extension of contract beyond the probation period is subject to satisfactory conduct and performance.

Grade: P.3

Salary and post adjustment (with dependants)		US$
Salary	Minimum	60013
rising to	Maximum	80416
Post adjustment for Rome	Minimum	40448
	Maximum	54200
Salary and post adjustment (without dependants)		US$
Salary	Minimum	56018
Maximum	Maximum	74762
Post adjustment for Rome	Minimum	37756
	Maximum	50389

Other allowances and benefits subject to specific terms of appointment:

    Children's allowance (except for the first child if the dependent rate of salary is paid in respect of that child);
    Children's education grant (per child per year);
    Pension and Health Insurance schemes;
    30 working days' annual leave;
    Assignment Grant;
    Entitlement to transport expenses of personal effects;
    Repatriation Grant;
    Home-leave travel with eligible dependants every two years;
    Rental subsidy (if applicable).


Recruitment is normally made at the initial step in the grade.
The Director-General reserves the right to appoint candidates at one level below the grade of the advertised post.
Salaries and emoluments are exempt from taxation by the Swiss authorities and, on the basis of international agreements or national law relating to presence or residence abroad, are generally exempt from taxation by other governments. In the absence of exemption, in most cases tax paid will be reimbursed in accordance with an ILO document which will be supplied upon request.

While the successful candidate will be initially working in Rome, he/she may be assigned to any duty station designated by the Director-General of the ILO.
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application form.
To apply, please visit ILO's e-Recruitment website at: erecruit.ilo.org. The system provides instructions for online application procedures.
The ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. Messages originating from a non ILO e-mail account - @ilo.org - should be disregarded. In addition, the ILO does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.

Depending on the location and availability of candidates, assessors and interview panel members, the ILO may use communication technologies such as Skype, Video or teleconference, e-mail, etc for the assessment and evaluation of candidates at the different stages of the recruitment process, including assessment centres, technical tests or interviews.

Applied through official website at https://erecruit.ilo.org/public/hrd-cl-vac-view.asp?jobinfo_uid_c=24666&vaclng=en