UN Women: Individual Consultant - National Evaluation Consultant, Home-Based [Fiji / Samoa / Solomon Islands / Vanuatu] – Final Evaluation of Markets for Change (M4C) Phase II
UN Women
Consultancy Locallly Recruited Background:
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.
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) is the United Nations (UN) entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women1. Grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, UN Women 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. Per its triple mandate, it aims: (i) To support inter-governmental bodies, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, in their formulation of policies, global standards and norms; (ii) To help Member States implement these standards, standing ready to provide suitable technical and financial support to those countries that request it, and to forge effective partnerships with civil society, and (iii) To lead and coordinate the UN system’s work on gender equality, as well as promote accountability, including through regular monitoring of system-wide progress.
UN Women, through its Strategic Plan 2026-2029, delivers programmes across four thematic priority areas that contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment:
The UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office is based in Suva, Fiji and works alongside over 20 other UN agencies in the region and in 14 countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. The Fiji MCO is undertaking several evaluations and requires national consultants to support the conduct of these evaluations.
Rationale for Engagement of National Evaluation Consultants
Given the scope, complexity, and multi-country nature of the Final Evaluation of Markets for Change (M4C) Phase II, UN Women requires the engagement of external National Evaluation Consultants to support the conduct of the evaluation in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. The evaluation covers four countries and will involve extensive document review, stakeholder consultations, field-based data collection, and analysis across multiple marketplaces and institutional contexts. It also requires the application of gender-responsive, human rights-based, and culturally appropriate evaluation approaches in line with UNEG norms and standards and UN Women evaluation guidance.
The engagement of National Evaluation Consultants is necessary to ensure that the evaluation benefits from strong contextual knowledge of the countries and market systems in which the programme operates, including familiarity with local governance structures, market vendor environments, and relevant social and cultural dynamics. National consultants will also support efficient coordination of in-country consultations, facilitate communication with local stakeholders where relevant, and strengthen the quality, relevance, and credibility of data collection and interpretation.
In addition, the engagement of external consultants supports the independence and impartiality of the evaluation process, consistent with UN Women evaluation standards. National consultants will complement the technical leadership of the International Evaluation Team Leader by providing country-level evaluation support, including stakeholder mapping, field coordination, data collection, preliminary analysis, and inputs to reporting. Their engagement is therefore required to ensure adequate country coverage, methodological rigour, timely implementation, and contextually grounded findings across all programme locations.
Markets for Change / M4C
The Markets for Change (M4C) programme is a regional initiative implemented by UN Women to advance gender equality and strengthen the economic empowerment of women market vendors across Pacific marketplaces. The programme was initiated in 2012, building on lessons and evidence generated through the Partners Improving Markets (PIM) initiative implemented between 2009 and 2012. Through these initiatives, UN Women has supported efforts to strengthen market governance, improve market infrastructure and services, and enhance the participation and leadership of women market vendors in Pacific marketplaces.
Phase II of the M4C programme (2022–2026) builds on the results and lessons learned from earlier phases of the initiative. Phase II is implemented by UN Women in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is supported by the Governments of Australia and Canada. The programme operates across Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu and targets a diverse range of market vendors producing and selling agricultural produce, handicrafts, seafood, and prepared foods. Women vendors represent the majority of market participants, and face multiple barriers to economic participation, including limited access to infrastructure, services, financial resources, and decision-making processes.
Phase II aims to strengthen the socio-economic security and resilience of market vendors, particularly women, by strengthening gender-responsive market governance, enhancing women vendors’ leadership and participation in decision-making processes, strengthening institutional capacity among local authorities, and improving market infrastructure and services.
M4C Phase II focuses on four key outcome areas:
The programme also places emphasis on strengthening vendor resilience to emerging challenges, including climate change, natural disasters, and economic disruptions, while addressing structural gender inequalities and promoting inclusive participation.
To assess the results achieved and inform future programming, UN Women will conduct a Final Evaluation of Markets for Change Phase II. The evaluation will assess the programme’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and contribution to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in Pacific market environments. he evaluation will generate evidence, lessons learned, and actionable recommendations to inform future programming and policy initiatives aimed at strengthening gender-responsive market governance and advancing women’s economic empowerment in the Pacific region.
Purpose of the Evaluation
The purpose of the Final Evaluation of the M4C Phase II programme is to assess the programme’s overall performance, results, and contribution to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in Pacific marketplaces. The evaluation will examine the extent to which the programme has achieved its intended outcomes and will identify factors that have facilitated or constrained the achievement of results. The evaluation will follow the United Nations Evaluation Group Norms and Standards for Evaluation and the UN Women Evaluation Policy and corresponding guidance[1]
The evaluation serves both accountability and learning purposes. From an accountability perspective, the evaluation will assess the programme’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and potential impact, and will provide evidence on the use of resources and the results achieved. From a learning perspective, the evaluation will identify good practices, challenges, and lessons learned from programme implementation.
The evaluation findings and recommendations will inform decision-making by UN Women and its partners on future programming aimed at strengthening gender-responsive market governance and advancing women’s economic empowerment in the Pacific region. The evaluation will also contribute to organizational learning within UN Women and support evidence-based approaches to gender-responsive economic development in market environments.
Objectives
The overall objective of the Final Evaluation of the Markets for Change (M4C) Phase II programme is to assess the programme’s performance and results and to generate evidence, lessons learned, and recommendations to inform future programming on gender-responsive market governance and women’s economic empowerment in the Pacific region.
Specifically, the evaluation will:
In accordance with the evaluation objectives and guided by the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria, the evaluation will examine relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact. The questions presented below provide an overview of the evaluation areas of inquiry. The evaluation team will refine the evaluation questions and develop the evaluation matrix during the inception phase.
Description of Responsibilities / Scope of Work
The Final Evaluation will assess the implementation and results of the M4C Phase II programme (2022–2026). The evaluation will examine the programme’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and potential impact in advancing gender equality and the economic empowerment of women market vendors in the Pacific.
Geographic Scope
The evaluation will cover programme implementation in the four participating countries: Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Where relevant, the evaluation will consider both national-level and marketplace-level interventions supported under the programme.
Programmatic Scope
The evaluation will assess the programme’s contribution across its four outcome areas:
The evaluation will examine the programme’s strategies, implementation modalities, partnerships, and institutional arrangements, including collaboration with local authorities, market management committees, Market Vendor Associations, and other relevant stakeholders.
Thematic Scope
The evaluation will assess the programme’s contribution to:
Cross-cutting issues, including gender equality, human rights, disability inclusion, and resilience to climate and disaster risks, will be considered throughout the evaluation.
Timeframe
The evaluation will assess programme implementation from the start of Phase II in 2022 through the end of the programme period in 2026, with particular attention to progress made toward achieving intended outcomes and the sustainability of results.
Evaluation Criteria and Key Evaluation Questions
In accordance with the evaluation objectives and guided by the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria, the evaluation will assess the M4C Phase II programme using the following criteria: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability.
The evaluation will also consider cross-cutting issues related to gender equality, human rights, disability inclusion, and resilience. The key evaluation questions outlined below provide an overview of the areas of inquiry. The evaluation team will refine these questions and develop a detailed evaluation matrix during the inception phase.
Relevance
Relevance examines the extent to which the programme design and interventions respond to the needs and priorities of market vendors, particularly women, as well as national and regional priorities related to gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. Key evaluation questions include:
Coherence
Coherence examines the extent to which the programme is complementary and coordinated with other initiatives and actors operating in the sector. Key evaluation questions include:
Effectiveness
Effectiveness assesses the extent to which the programme has achieved its intended outcomes and contributed to strengthening gender-responsive market governance and women’s economic empowerment. Key evaluation questions include:
Efficiency
Efficiency examines the extent to which programme resources have been used effectively and whether implementation approaches have facilitated timely and cost-effective delivery of results. Key evaluation questions include:
Impact
Impact considers the broader, longer-term changes to which the programme has contributed. Key evaluation questions include:
Sustainability
Sustainability assesses the likelihood that programme results and benefits will continue beyond the programme period. Key evaluation questions include:
Cross-Cutting Issues
The evaluation will also examine the integration of cross-cutting principles related to gender equality, human rights, disability inclusion, and resilience throughout programme design and implementation. Key guiding questions include:
How did the programme contribute to strengthening the resilience of market vendors and marketplaces, particularly in relation to climate change, disasters, and economic shocks?
Evaluation Methodology
The evaluation will apply a non-experimental, theory-based and gender-responsive approach, using mixed methods that combine qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. This approach will account for the complexity of gender relations within Pacific market environments and ensure that evaluation processes are participatory, inclusive, and culturally appropriate.
The evaluation will use the programme’s existing Theory of Change as the analytical framework to assess the programme’s contribution to outcomes and results.
The evaluation will employ multiple data collection methods to generate credible, reliable, and evidence-based findings. These methods will include:
The evaluation will engage a wide range of stakeholders, including UN Women programme staff, government counterparts, implementing partners, Market Vendor Associations, direct beneficiaries, and other relevant stakeholders.
During the inception phase, the evaluation team will develop a sampling framework to ensure representation across key stakeholder groups and programme locations. The selection of marketplaces and sites will follow a representative sampling strategy to capture diverse programme experiences across Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
To ensure the validity and reliability of findings, the evaluation will apply triangulation across multiple data sources and data collection methods. The evaluation will examine both intended and unintended results, including positive and negative changes associated with programme interventions, and will analyse factors that may have facilitated or constrained the achievement of outcomes.
The evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) Ethical Guidelines and will apply a human rights-based and gender-responsive evaluation approach. The evaluation team and collaborators will follow the guidance provided in the UN Women Evaluation Handbook and adhere to the Global Evaluation Reports Assessment and Analysis System (GERAAS) quality standards.
Where possible, the evaluation will analyze and report findings using disaggregated data, including by sex, age, and location. The evaluation will apply an inclusive approach and ensure the principle of “do no harm” when engaging with stakeholders, particularly marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities, individuals of diverse SOGIESC, and ethnic minorities.
An ethical protocol for data collection will be developed and included as an annex to the inception report.
Evaluation Limitations
The evaluation may face certain limitations, including time constraints, availability of stakeholders for consultation, and possible data gaps related to programme monitoring information. The evaluation team will address these limitations through methodological triangulation, careful sampling of stakeholders and sites, and transparent documentation of any data limitations encountered during the evaluation process.
Ethical Considerations
The evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation and the ethical standards outlined in the UN Women Evaluation Handbook. As part of the contracting process, the evaluator will be required to sign the UN Women Evaluation Consultant Agreement Form, which reflects the UNEG Code of Conduct and ethical principles governing evaluation practice.
The evaluation will ensure that the rights, dignity, and safety of all participants are respected. Participation in evaluation activities such as interviews, focus group discussions, or surveys will be voluntary and based on informed consent. Confidentiality and privacy will be protected throughout the evaluation process.
All data collected during the evaluation will be submitted to the Evaluation Manager and will remain the property of UN Women. Proper storage and handling of data will be ensured to maintain confidentiality and data security. A data protection and ethical protocol will be developed during the inception phase and annexed to the inception report.
The evaluation will be conducted in an impartial and independent manner. While stakeholders may be consulted throughout the evaluation process, their involvement should not compromise the impartiality of the evaluation. The evaluator retains final responsibility for the findings, conclusions, and recommendations presented in the evaluation report and must be protected from any undue influence or pressure to alter evaluation findings.
Where the evaluation engages with rights holders who may have experienced violence or other sensitive situations, data collection must adhere to appropriate ethical protocols, including the WHO Ethical and Safety Recommendations for Research on Violence Against Women and relevant guidance on the collection and use of administrative data on violence against women.
If issues of wrongdoing, fraud, or other unethical conduct are identified during the evaluation, the evaluator must follow the relevant procedures of UN Women and UNDP while maintaining appropriate confidentiality. The UN Women Legal Framework for Addressing Non-Compliance with UN Standards of Conduct, including policies related to protection against retaliation, harassment, and abuse of authority, will apply.
Evaluation Governance and Management
The M4C Phase II Final Evaluation will be managed by the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Programme Specialist of the UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office (MCO) under the overall oversight of the Deputy Representative of the Fiji MCO.
An Evaluation Management Group (EMG) will provide oversight and quality assurance throughout the evaluation process. The EMG will comprise the UN Women M4C Programme Manager, the UN Women Deputy Representative (Fiji Multi-Country Office), and the UN Women Regional Evaluation Specialist, among others as required. The EMG will provide guidance during the evaluation process and will review and approve key deliverables, including the inception report, draft evaluation report, and final evaluation report.
An Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) will also be established. The ERG will include representatives from key stakeholder groups, including government counterparts, United Nations partners, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. The ERG will provide inputs throughout the evaluation process to ensure the evaluation remains participatory and reflects the perspectives of key stakeholders.
Specifically, the ERG will:
The evaluation team will consist of:
The evaluation team will be responsible for conducting the evaluation in accordance with this Terms of Reference and the agreed evaluation methodology. The evaluation team leader will have overall responsibility for the evaluation process and the preparation of evaluation deliverables, while the national consultants will support data collection, stakeholder consultations, and analysis.
The UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office will support the evaluation team by providing access to relevant project documentation and information sources, including project documents, donor reports, monitoring data, training reports, mission reports, meeting minutes, market assessments, and other relevant materials. A detailed list of documents will be provided to the evaluation team at the start of the assignment.
The Fiji MCO will also facilitate logistical arrangements for the evaluation, including coordination of field missions, stakeholder consultations, and communication between the evaluation team, UN Women staff, government counterparts, and other stakeholders. The evaluation team will participate in field missions and is expected to produce evaluation deliverables in accordance with UN Women Global Evaluation Reports Assessment and Analysis System (GERAAS) quality standards.
The national consultants will work closely with the international evaluation team leader throughout the evaluation process.
Evaluation Process and Deliverables
The overall evaluation process is expected to take approximately 45 working days for the evaluation team. Each national evaluation consultant will contribute an estimated 25 working days to the evaluation. The evaluation will be conducted in four main phases: inception, data collection and analysis, reporting, and dissemination. The overall evaluation process will be led by the International Evaluation Team Leader, with support from the National Evaluation Consultants.
Inception Phase (approximately 10 days)
During the inception phase, the evaluation team will review relevant documentation and refine the evaluation methodology. Key activities will include:
Data Collection and Analysis Phase (approximately 20 days)
During this phase, the evaluation team will undertake fieldwork and stakeholder consultations across the programme countries. Key activities will include:
Reporting Phase (approximately 15 days)
During the reporting phase, the evaluation team will prepare the evaluation report and incorporate feedback from stakeholders. Key activities will include:
Dissemination Phase
Following completion of the evaluation, UN Women will:
All deliverables must comply with UN Women evaluation standards and the GERAAS quality criteria.
Expected Deliverables of the National Evaluation Consultant
The following are expected deliverables from the Consultant:
| Deliverables | Description | Estimated Days (approx.) | |
| 1 | Desk Review and Inputs to Inception Phase. | Review programme documentation and contribute to refinement of methodology and tools. | 3 days |
| 2 | Data Collection and Analysis | Conduct interviews and consultations, participate in site visits, and prepare notes and summaries of findings using agreed templates. | 15 days |
| 3 | Inputs to Preliminary Findings and Draft Report | Provide analytical inputs to preliminary findings, presentations, and draft evaluation report in consultation with the team leader. | 7 days |
Institutional Arrangement
Options for site visits will be proposed in the Inception Report.
Payment will be made upon submission and approval of agreed deliverables by the supervisor.
All deliverables must comply with the UN Women Editorial Style Guide and must be prepared in English.
All data collected during the evaluation must be securely stored and submitted to the supervisor in Word, PowerPoint, or Excel format as required, in line with UN Women data management and confidentiality policies.
The Fiji Multi-Country Office will be responsible for formatting the final evaluation report in accordance with UN Women publication and branding guidelines.
All evaluation outputs will undergo quality assurance review in accordance with the UN Women Evaluation Report Quality Assurance process, and the final report must meet GERAAS quality standards.
UN Women will provide the consultant with background information, contacts, scripts and concept suggestions when required.
The Consultant is expected to work remotely using his/her own computer but may access the UN Women Office for printing of relevant documents or should he/she be required to work on-site at any point during the assignment.
All deliverables must comply with the UN Women Editorial Style Guide and must be produced in English.
If requested, all data collected by the consultant must be submitted to the supervisor in Word, PowerPoint, or Excel format.
Proper storage and handling of data must comply with UN Women policies on data management, confidentiality, and information security.
Duration of the Work
The duration of this assignment will be 25 working days over a 5-months period of work assignment.
Duty Station
This is a homebased position.
Travel, where required for specific assignments, will be arranged and paid separately in accordance with UN Women policies.
The consultant will work both home-based and in person, reporting to the nearest UN Women office, if required, depending on the requirements of the evaluation assignment.
Any travel costs outside of home-based location will be covered separately by UN Women with prior approval based on agreed upon routing and in conformity with UN Women applicable travel rules and regulations.
Performance Evaluation
Contractor’s performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of the products delivered.
Financial Arrangements
Payment will be disbursed on a monthly basis upon submission of report with carried out activities and timesheets and certification by the Supervisor that the services have been satisfactorily performed.
Competencies :
Core Values:
Core Competencies:
Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework:
Functional Competencies:
Required Qualifications
Education and Certification: functional
Experience:
Experience working with the UN system.
Languages:
Supporting Annexes:
The following documents provide additional guidance relevant to this evaluation:
Statements :
In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.
Diversity and inclusion:
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, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment 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. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)
Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.
