Duties and Responsibilities
ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations systems designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. This consultancy is located at Headquarters in the Evaluation Office which reports directly to the Executive Director. The consultant reports to the Director of the Evaluation Office and the Evaluation Officer managing the evaluation. THE EVALUATION. The UNEP Enabling Subprogramme Finance and Economic Transformations (2018-2025) UNEP situational analysis indicates that the world faces three major environmental crises: climate change, biodiversity and nature loss, and pollution. These are all largely driven by human activity and unsustainable consumption and production patterns. UNEP's Strategy outlines transformative shifts targeting the drivers of these crises and assessing their impact. It maps out the actions needed to reshape our consumption and production patterns towards sustainability, framing UNEP's contribution in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). International scientific assessments make it increasingly evident that the world cannot sustain economic growth, and the development and human welfare gains to which it contributes, based on current consumption and production patterns, as well as underlying economic paradigms. Responding to this dual challenge of unsustainable mass production and consumption patterns and persistent poverty, requires a combination of new policies, redirected investment, application of environmentally sound technologies, international cooperation, and capacity development to reshape national economies and sustainable lifestyles. Important opportunities exist to decarbonize and manage resources more responsibly while also addressing sustainability, poverty, equity, employment, economic growth, security and health objectives. Through the Finance and Economic Transformations Subprogramme, UNEP is well placed to support and scale up the transition to sustainable development. The normative strength of the Finance and Economic Transformations Subprogramme (hereinafter referred to as 'FET-SP'), combined with proven approaches and solutions, has the potential to enable UNEP to take solutions to scale, especially at the country level, through partnerships including with the private sector, non-state actors, and other United Nations agencies. The Evaluation will review UNEP work related to FET-SP from 2018 - 2025 (covering MTS 2018-2021 and MTS 2022- 2025 and the associated POWs) against standard evaluation criteria (relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability, impact, project design, and cross-cutting factors affecting performance). THE EVALUATION TEAM. The Evaluation will be managed by the Evaluation Office of UNEP. The Evaluation Manager will provide guidance on the overall evaluation approach and quality assure the evaluation deliverables. S/he will ensure coordination and liaison with all concerned units and other key agencies and stakeholders. The Evaluation Office will be ultimately responsible for the final evaluation report and for its formal presentation to the UNEP audience. The core Evaluation Team will consist of two external Evaluation Consultants (Principal Evaluator and Evaluation Specialist, respectively) supported by two Evaluation Office staff members, (one of whom will be the Evaluation Manager). The Evaluation Team will be responsible for the development, research, drafting, and finalization of the Evaluation, in close consultation with the Evaluation Manager. Detailed roles and responsibilities related to data collection and analysis, and reporting will be agreed upon within the Team and specified in the Inception Report. Specific Responsibilities for the Evaluation Specialist: The Evaluation Specialist will carry out the Systematic Review of existing project evaluations from the sub-programme and contribute to the overall preparation of the evaluation report. A more detailed allocation of responsibilities between the Principal Evaluator and the Evaluation Specialist will be specified in the inception report. Roles will include: • Inception phase of the evaluation, including : o Map out the projects in the in the FET-SP portfolio and assess how they contribute to UNEP work covering MTS 2018-2021 and MTS 2022-2025 and the associated POWs results and indicators. Identify the projects that have the greatest impact on each subprogramme's indicators; o Get the list of project preliminary desk review and introductory interviews with project staff; o draft the reconstructed Theory of Change of the FET-SP; o prepare the evaluation framework; o develop the desk review and interview protocols; o draft the survey protocols (if relevant); o develop and present criteria for selection of the FET-SP initiatives for in-depth study; o plan the evaluation schedule; o prepare the Inception Report, incorporating comments until approved by the Evaluation Manager. • Data collection and analysis phase of the evaluation, including: o conduct further desk review and in-depth interviews with project implementing and executing agencies, project partners, and project stakeholders; o regularly report back to the Evaluation Manager on progress and inform of any possible problems or issues encountered and; o keep the Evaluation Manager informed of the evaluation progress and engage the Sub-Programme Coordinator of FET-SP in discussions on emerging findings throughout the evaluation process. • Reporting phase, including: o draft the Main Evaluation Report, ensuring that the evaluation report is complete, coherent, and consistent with the Evaluation Manager guidelines both in substance and style; o liaise with the Evaluation Manager on comments received and finalize the Main Evaluation Report, ensuring that comments are taken into account until approved by the Evaluation Manager; o prepare a Response to Comments annex for the main report, listing those comments not accepted by the Evaluation Consultant(s) and indicating the reason for the rejection. • Managing relations, including: o maintain a positive relationship with evaluation stakeholders, ensuring that the evaluation process is as participatory as possible but at the same time maintains its independence; o communicate in a timely manner with the Evaluation Manager on any issues requiring its attention and intervention. The evaluation consultant shall have had no prior involvement in the formulation or implementation of the Sub-Programme during the period being reviewed from 2018 to 2025 and will be independent from the participating institutions. The consultant will sign the Evaluation Consultant Code of Conduct Agreement Form. The evaluation consultant will be selected and recruited by the UNEP Evaluation Office through a consultancy contract. Comprehensive terms of reference will be shared with consultant separately.
Qualifications/special skills
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in environmental sciences, international development or other relevant political or social sciences area is required. A first level university degree (Bachelor's degree or equivalent) in the same areas in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A minimum of ten (10) years of technical / evaluation experience is required, preferably including evaluating large, regional or global programmes and using a Theory of Change approach. Solid research, data management, and writing skills are required. Experience working in an evaluation team as a team member is desirable. Advanced knowledge and experience in the following fields is desirable: • Resource efficiency (Circularity, Sustainable Consumption and Production); • Sustainable finance (Green Economy, Green Finance, Sustainable Public Procurement); • UN policy work and country support; • The UN system, in particular UNEP and partner agencies working with FET-SP; • Programme/Project management and Knowledge Management; • Multilateral Environmental Agreements, regional and national policy processes.
No Fee
THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.
