National Consultant to support the Evaluation of the “Enhancing Social Cohesion through Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Marginalized Youth in Liberia (A-YEP) Project

The Position:

Liberia’s post-conflict dynamics continue to present structural vulnerabilities. Two decades after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, a significant segment of the population—particularly marginalized and "at-risk" youth—remains alienated from economic opportunities, decision-making processes, and essential social services. The proliferation of substance abuse has emerged as a major driver of community tension and human rights violations. Approximately 20% of Liberian youth regularly use illicit drugs or controlled substances, exposing them to stigmatization, police brutality, and exploitation by political actors.
To address these challenges, the Government of Liberia, in collaboration with the United Nations System, launched the ten-year At-Risk Youth Empowerment Programme (A-YEP)that has since evolved into the National Drug and Substance Abuse Programme (NADSAP). As part of this broader initiative, in 2023 the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) approved a joint project titled "Enhancing Social Cohesion through Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Marginalized Youth in Liberia". Jointly implemented by UNFPA, UNICEF, and WHO in collaboration with government ministries, local authorities, civil society organizations, and community structures. The project contributes to national peacebuilding priorities and supports implementation of the National Drug and Substance
Abuse Programme (NADSAP).

The project focuses on Montserrado and Grand Bassa Counties and employs an institutionalized, multi-pronged approach across three primary PBF-funded outcomes:
Outcome 1: Enhanced social cohesion and peaceful coexistence of marginalized youth and communities.
Outcome 2: Strengthened accountability by national and sub-national institutions in addressing the major needs of marginalized youth.
Outcome 3: Increased access to and utilization of drug addiction treatment, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services.
With the project reaching its planned 40-month operational window and ending on 28 December 2026, an independent final evaluation is required to evaluate overall performance, capture peacebuilding achievements, document key learnings, and inform future youth empowerment programming in Liberia. The international consultant will lead the evaluation while working with a national consultant to jointly achieve the evaluation deliverables.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact sustained results, ensuring effective external relations, communications, partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results

Purpose and objectives of the consultancy:
The overall objective of this consultancy is to conduct a rigorous, independent end-of-project evaluation to assess the extent to which the project achieved its intended objectives and targets. The evaluation will measure changes against established baseline values and targets, evaluate the effectiveness of the joint UN agency modality, measure shifts in community perceptions and peace dynamics, and provide evidence-based recommendations for scaling up under the National Drug and Substance Abuse Programme (NADSAP).

Scope of work:
(Description of services, activities, or outputs)

The evaluation will be conducted in Montserrado and Grand Bassa Counties. The targeted respondents of the evaluation include the marginalized young men and women (including the active drug users, former drug users, marginalised youths recovering from substance use, rehabilitated youths including the marginalised youths currently receiving rehabilitation and drug related treatment services within the Project) students and teachers,), community members, community leaders, law enforcement agencies (LNP, LDEA), line ministries (MYS, MOH, MOGCSP, MOJ, MoE), civil society organizations including CBOs, FBOs, youth groups /organizations, rehabilitation organizations health/MHPSS/GBV, SRHR service providers, County level leadership, and participating UN agencies (UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, UNDP, UNIDO).

Duration and working schedule:

This consultancy lasts two months (60 days), beginning upon contract signature and ending with the formal submission of the final Evaluation Report.

Place where services are to be delivered:

UNFPA Liberia Country Office with travel to the data collection sites within both Montserrado and Grand Bassa Counties

Deliverables and how work will be delivered (e.g., electronic, hard copy, etc.):

The national consultant will support the international consultant in executing the Evaluation and produce the following deliverables:
1. Stakeholder engagement meeting -entry planning meeting with the Technical Working Group and relevant stakeholders
2. Inception Report: Detailed methodology, data collection tools, evaluation matrix, sampling strategy, and data collection itinerary.
3. Field Data Collection Report: Execution of qualitative and quantitative field data collection in Montserrado and Grand Bassa Counties.
4. Draft Evaluation Report: Comprehensive draft report addressing all OECD-DAC criteria, outcome indicators, lessons learned, and recommendations.
5. Validation Workshop Report: Presentation of key findings to UN agencies, government partners, CSOs, and key stakeholders.
6. Final Evaluation Report: Finalized report incorporating feedback from stakeholders, including from the validation workshop and any other written feedback.

Evaluation Methodology:

The consultancy will use a mixed-methods, participatory, and gender-sensitive approach that prioritizes the "Do No Harm" principle. The evaluation will take a theory-based approach, utilizing the project’s Theory of Change (TOC) as the analytical framework. The evaluator is expected to examine the validity of the causal links between inputs, activities, outputs, intermediate outcomes, and long-term impact. If the ToC is found to be incomplete or implicit, the evaluator shall reconstruct the ToC in consultation with key stakeholders. Evaluation questions must test the critical assumptions, contextual risks, and drivers of change identified in the project design. The following will be conducted or considered during evaluation:
Desk Review: Conduct a thorough analysis of core project documents, including the PBF Signed Project Document, baseline mapping reports, annual/semi-annual PBF progress reports, M&E data, training, manuals, activity reports, and legal/policy frameworks.
Quantitative Data Collection: Primary data collection (survey/KAP assessments) matching indicators in the Results Framework to measure shifts in perception, drug abstinence levels, and service access.

Qualitative Field Research:

• Key Informant Interviews (KIIs): Conducted with representatives from UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, UNIDO, UNDP, MYS, MoE, MOH, MOJ (Probation Department/LDEA, LNP, Justice Actors), PBF Secretariat, CSOs, and youth organisations; county leadership, LRRRC management
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): Organized with marginalized young men, young women (including participants in the women's peer network groups), community members and leaders, and family members of rehabilitated youth.
  The evaluation will adhere to standard OECD-DAC criteria, tailored to the Peacebuilding Fund's evaluation guidelines:
  Relevance
• To what extent did the project address key drivers of youth marginalization, drug abuse, and community tension in the targeted counties?
• How well did the project design incorporate gender-responsive approaches, specifically through initiatives like the "Sister's Torch" model?
  Coherence
• To what extent was the project aligned with national policies, strategies, and frameworks, including NADSAP?

How effectively did the project complement and coordinate with related government, UN, donor, and civil society initiatives?

• What synergies were achieved through the joint UN agency implementation model?
• Were duplication risks minimized and complementarities maximized?
  Effectiveness
• To what extent were the project’s planned outputs and outcomes achieved against the indicator targets set in the Results Framework?
• To what extent did the capacity-building efforts for law enforcement (LNP/LDEA) result in measurable reductions in police brutality and human rights violations against marginalized youth?
• How effective were the MHPSS, SRHR, and detoxification services in facilitating recovery and community reintegration?
  Efficiency 

To what extent were financial and human resources allocated and utilized efficiently across the three UN implementing institutions (UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO)?

• How effective was the joint inter-ministerial and inter-agency management structure (Technical Working Group and Project Management Board(PMB) in driving project delivery?
  Sustainability & Ownership
• To what extent has national ownership been established through institutional commitments (e.g., the Ministry of Youth & Sports, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health)?
• To what extent are the established referral pathways, community support groups, and solidarity desks sustainable beyond PBF funding?
  Evaluation Design
  The evaluation shall employ a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. Data shall be triangulated across multiple sources to strengthen the validity and reliability of findings.

The consultant will develop:

• An evaluation matrix linking questions, indicators, sources, and methods;
• A sampling strategy for all respondent categories;
• Limitations and mitigation measures.
  Data shall be disaggregated by sex, age, location, and other relevant demographic variables wherever possible.

Supervisory arrangements:

The National Evaluation consultant shall report directly to the lead consultant, who will report to the UNFPA Programme Specialist for Data, Evidence and Results-Based Management under the overall supervision of the Deputy Representative.
The consultant shall work closely with the Evaluation Reference Group/Technical Working Group comprising representatives of UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, relevant government ministries, and key stakeholders.

Expected travel:

The evaluation will cover two counties: Montserrado and Grand Bassa

Required expertise, qualifications, and competencies, including language requirements:

The national consultant must meet the following requirements:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Social Work, Sociology, Public Health, or Development Management.
• Minimum 5–7 years of experience in field research and evaluation within Liberia.
• Deep understanding of local contexts, informal youth structures ("Ghettos"), and fluency in English

Inputs/services to be provided by UNFPA or implementing partner (e.g. support services, office space,
equipment), if applicable:

The UNFPA Country Office will provide efficient administrative support, workspace, and local transportation to facilitate the consultancy and ensure the timely, successful delivery of the assignment. The consultant is expected to have their own computer
 

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.