UN Women: National Consultant-Evaluation Dhaka, Bangladesh (Homebased with travel to UN Women project location)
UN Women
Consultancy Locallly Recruited Background/Context
UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.
UN Women is seeking to recruit a National Evaluation consultant to work with the evaluation team leader in the conduct of the interim evaluation of the EmPower Programme, explained below. The consultant will report to the Regional Evaluation Specialist and be jointly supervised by the Monitoring and Evaluation Analyst of the Country Office and work closely with the UN Women and UNEP EmPower team to complete this assignment.
The UN Women Independent Evaluation Service (IES) evaluates the work of UN Women to enhance organizational accountability, provide evidence-based information for decision-making and to contribute to learning on gender equality and the empowerment of women. UN Women IES is conducting the joint evaluation of the EmPower Programme, a joint regional initiative of UN Women and UNEP, to conduct the evaluation more efficiently and ensure key lessons learned on gender inequality and climate change inform programming at both regional and global levels moving forward. It will be a joint evaluation between UN Women and UNEP, in accordance with the guidance from UN Evaluation Group, and involve the evaluation entities of both organizations following their evaluation policies.
The EmPower Programme addresses the intertwined challenges of gender inequality and climate change in the Asia and the Pacific region. Funded by the Governments of Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland with USD 25 million, the programme promotes gender-responsive, human rights-based climate action. Phase II (2023–2027) builds on Phase I by scaling proven interventions and focusing on strengthening regional collaboration. The programme covers the Asia and the Pacific region with a focus on Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Viet Nam.
As the programme enters its consolidation phase, the evaluations will examine the effectiveness and sustainability of EmPower’s multi-country, multi-partner model, and how it has adapted to changing funding landscapes—balancing phase-out with new resource mobilization to ensure continuity, institutionalization, and scaling of transformative practices.
Findings from the evaluation will be used to strengthen ongoing implementation, inform future joint programming, and enhance learning and accountability across UN Women, UNEP, national and regional partners, governments, civil society, and donors, ensuring that evidence-based recommendations support both programme adaptation and broader strategic decision-making. An IES-led process will enable timely, evidence-based recommendations for adaptive management, maximizes cost efficiency by leveraging internal expertise, redirects savings to programming, and ensures lessons are internalized across UN Women, UNEP, and partners.
Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work
Scope of Work:
Evaluation consultants are integral members of the evaluation team. The work of the consultant will be home-based with domestic travel expected within Bangladesh and they will need to connect with the team during Asia and the Pacific working hours via online platforms. Under the overall oversight of the Regional Evaluation Specialist and in close collaboration with UN Women and UNEP focal points for Bangladesh and evaluation team members, the consultant will contribute to the following phases of evaluations:
Inception Stage:
• Reviewing all relevant documents (i.e. Strategic notes, project documents, donor and/or other monitoring reports, evaluation and audit reports, etc.) to identify efforts relevant to the evaluation topic.
• Contribute to the development of an inclusive Evaluation methodology which is tailored to relevant inquiry in the programme area (including through the evaluation matrix, data collection tools etc)
• Translate the data collection tools into local languages ensuring cultural sensitivity.
Data Collection Stage:
• Support and lead interviews, focus group discussions, and consultations by taking detailed notes and ensuring adherence to ethical guidelines.
• Contribute to evaluation analysis by capturing results, challenges, gaps and learning pertinent to the evaluation topic.
• Providing translation/interpretation support as necessary.
Reporting Stage:
• Provide substantive inputs to the final synthesis report.
• Support to case study through inputs.
• Other tasks as assigned by the supervisor.
Deliverables:
Deliverable Expected completion time (due day) Working Days Payment Milestone
Translation of data collection tools to local context.- 25 February 2026- 2 days- 10 % of the total contract value shall be paid upon submission of deliverables-01 and all certified and acceptance by UNW contract administrator
Conduct data collection and provide interview notes in English from data collection (includes both virtual and in-person data collection). - 30 March 2026- 10 days- 50 % of the total contract value shall be paid upon submission of deliverables-02 and all certified and acceptance by UNW contract administrator
Substantive inputs provided to final synthesis report along with case study. - 30 June 2026- 7 days- 35 % of the total contract value shall be paid upon submission of deliverables-03 and all certified and acceptance by UNW contract administrator
Support addressing feedback provided by the EMG and ERG- 30 July 2026- 1 day- 05 % of the total contract value shall be paid upon submission of deliverables-04 and all certified and acceptance by UNW contract administrator
Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel: This is a home-based consultancy. Domestic travel is required for this consultancy.
UN Women has developed a UN Women Evaluation Consultant Agreement Form for evaluator that must be signed as part of the contracting process, which is based on the UNEG Ethical Guidelines and Code of Conduct. All data collected by the consultant must be submitted to the evaluation manager in Word, PowerPoint or Excel formats and is the property of UN Women. Proper storage of data is essential for ensuring confidentiality and a data protection plan will be developed during the inception phase. The evaluation’s value added is its impartial and systematic assessment of the project. As with the other stages of the evaluation, involvement of stakeholders should not interfere with the impartiality of the evaluation. The evaluators have the final judgment on the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the evaluation report, and the evaluator must be protected from pressures to change information in the report. Proper procedures for data collection with rights holders who may have been affected by violence must be adhered to as outlined in the Improving the collection and use of administrative data on VAW and WHO Ethical and Safety Recommendations for research on violence against women. Additionally, if the evaluator(s) identify issues of wrongdoing, fraud or other unethical conduct, UN Women and UNDP procedures must be followed and confidentiality be maintained. The UN Women Legal Framework for Addressing Non-Compliance with UN Standards of Conduct, and accompanying policies protecting against retaliation and prohibiting harassment and abuse of authority, provide a cohesive framework aimed at creating and maintaining a harmonious working environment, ensuring that staff members do not engage in any wrongdoing and that all allegations of wrongdoing are reported promptly, investigated and appropriate action taken to achieve accountability.
The evaluation will adhere to the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Evaluation. All AI tools and methods applied will comply with principles of transparency, accountability, fairness, and data privacy. Ethical considerations will be prioritized to ensure that AI use does not introduce bias, compromise confidentiality, or undermine human oversight. The evaluator will document AI-related processes and decisions to maintain integrity and trustworthiness throughout the evaluation.
Supervision & Performance evaluation:
The consultant’s performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the services delivered. The contract performance shall be evaluated and monitored by the Programme Analyst, DRR and regional office.
Travel and DSA: No DSA will be paid at the duty station(s). For this consultancy, the duty station is considered Dhaka. If unforeseen travel outside the duty station not required by the Terms of Reference is requested by UN Women, and upon prior agreement/approval, such travel shall be UN Women’s expenses, and the individual contractor shall receive a per-diem not to exceed United Nations daily subsistence allowance rate in such other location(s).
Competencies
Core Values:
• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalism
Core Competencies:
• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example
Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:
https://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/employment/application-process#_Values
FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:
• A proven track record in conducting assessments/evaluations/studies in the development sector.
• Demonstrated research and analytical abilities
• Experience collaborating with diverse stakeholders,
• Experience in facilitation and communication
• Familiar with the UN programming principles, the SDGs, and the development financing frameworks.
Required Qualifications
Education and Certification:
• Master’s degree or equivalent in Gender, Development Studies, International Affairs or similar fields is required.
• A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
• At least five years of progressively responsible work experience in evaluation, research, review, assessment related to GEWE, specifically in Bangladesh
• Strong knowledge and understanding of GEWE issues in Bangladesh including gender-responsive governance and women’s economic empowerment.
• Proven experience working on gender equality and women’s rights, specifically in Bangladesh
• Analytical skills with strong drive for results and capacity to work independently.
• Excellent English communication and writing skills. Working knowledge of Bengali (Bangla) is an added advantage.
Languages:
• Fluency in English and Bengali (Bangla) is required.
Evaluation criteria:
The total number of points allocated for the technical qualification component is 100. The technical qualification of the individual is evaluated based on the following technical qualification evaluation criteria:
At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All recruitment/procurement is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity, and organizational need.
If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.
UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
