Senior Evaluation Advisor

Job DescriptionThe Environment Agency are fully committed to having an inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We don't just talk about diversity; we seek it, embrace it, and live it, for the benefit of our staff, our communities, and our environment.The Agency is transforming its regulation of the water industry. The last two years have seen an investment in new resources, and new powers such as those in the Water (Special measures) Act. We need to make sure we maximise the impact and public value of these investments, which are a key part of our Corporate Strategy, EA2030.We are looking for a Senior Evidence Advisor to work in our Evaluation Team. You will: Focus on ‘what works’ in the sphere of or the Environment Agency’s water industry enforcement actions, providing evaluation leadership in this topic area; Design and implement evaluation frameworks covering process, impact and value for money Build an evidence base, increasing the rigour of our evidence as measured against the Nesta scale; Implement qualitative and quantitative research methods Make recommendations for change to senior leaders with the aim of improving our operational performance, efficiency and effectiveness.The role will involve working with managers across the Environment Agency who are responsible for our water enforcement strategy at conceptual and operational levels. You will help them to understand how effective and cost–effective our interventions are, whether we’re using the best mix of interventions, and whether our interventions are generating deterrence which changes the behaviours of the industry. Sometimes you will need to use your influencing skills to present information that is new, complex and occasionally unwelcome or counter-intuitive. You will also commission and manage work delivery through contractors, and sometimes in partnership with academia, or colleagues across Defra Group.The teamThe Evaluation Team is in the Environment Agency’s Chief Scientist’s Group, part of the Environment and Business Directorate. We use evidence, expertise, engagement, and innovation to enhance and support delivery, influence policy and legislation, and secure resources to do more for the environment. In E&B we promote a positive, inclusive, and supportive culture where everyone feels valued. We’re a dispersed team and work with a wide range of technical and project teams across the country.Experience/skills RequiredYou will need an excellent knowledge of current approaches to evaluation. Taking HM Treasury's Magenta Book as a foundation you will understand a broad range of evaluation methods including qualitative and quantitative techniques and how to deal with complexity. In this work area we expect to use robust, theory based impact evaluation and or / quasi-experimental methods. You will possess good people skills, (e.g. structured interviewing, workshop facilitation), along with the ability to distil and present key evidence based messages. You may ideally also bring specialist skills that are relevant to evaluation such as economics, statistics, or broader understanding of social/operational research methods. Our focus is regulatory enforcement and so if you have background enforcement evaluation experience from another sector, or an understanding of water regulation from an operational perspective, that would be a bonus. You will have exemplary project and contract management skills and ideally some line management experience.Contact and additional informationYou’ll have an inclusive incident management objective in your development plan. We’ll help you find a role to suit your needs. Appropriate training will be given.You’ll have an EA Office base location, and as a national role the working location is flexible / hybrid. We use smart tools to stay connected, but some travel and overnight stays may be required.Please read the Candidate / Additional Information Pack for information. Any queries, contact jon.greaves@environment-agency.gov.ukApplications are “blind” assessed using your answers to the competency questions, and we aim to hold interviews inearly January.If you consent to being held on a reserve list, we’ll hold your details for 6 months and may offer you an alternative post.Competence 1Scientific KnowledgeDescriptionApplies scientific knowledge (various disciplines, depending on team role) to provide sound, science-based evidence to our internal and external customers.Our team builds Evaluations to answer stakeholder questions about “what works?”. Please tell us about a time when you used evaluation to develop sound evidence, in order to answer a stakeholder’s questions and / or inform their decision making. How did you approach the task? What evaluation methods did you use? What did you take into consideration? What was the result?Competence 2Influences and Persuades OthersDescriptionPresenting a case in a convincing and attractive way that will win people over, encouraging them to follow plans willingly; often succeeding where logic and reason alone would fail.Question: Evaluation sometimes produces controversial or counter-intuitive results which stakeholders find challenging. Describe a time when you have successfully persuaded a key stakeholder to follow your advice on the direction of a major project or piece of work. What was the situation? How did you present your argument? What do you think was the key to your success?Competence 3Environmental AwarenessDescriptionAppreciates the impact that activities have on the environment and identifies ways to protect and preserve the environment for the future [and limit negative environmental impactsMore information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack.What do you think are the main issues for England’s water environment at present? Describe how you came to your view?Appreciates the impact that activities have on the environment and identifies ways to protect and preserve the environment for the future [and limit negative environmental impactsMore information on how to answer competency questions can be found in the candidate pack.What do you think are the main issues for England’s water environment at present? Describe how you came to your view?Appreciates the impact that activities have on the environment and identifies ways to protect and preserve the environment for the future (and limit negative environmental impacts).What do you think are the main issues for England’s water environment at present? Describe how you came to your view?Competence 4Shapes organisational approach & deliveryDescriptionInforms Government Policy and / or designs, implements and supports an approach to translate it into cost-effective operational activity delivering outcomes for people and the environmentEvaluation can be used to generate organisational learning. Tell us about a time when you discovered or created some evidence, and used it to challenge existing thinking in an organisation?What was the evidence or learning?How did you make it heard?Was the change implemented and successful?If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Although the Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra, we subscribe to and align with the candidate guidance on the use of artificial intelligence found on the Civil Service Careers website. Please review for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.