Result of Service

The Evaluation Team will submit a concise evaluation report. Actual duration of the assignment is 40 days spread over a period of 5 months to be delivered as follows: Inception Report (30%) Draft report 40%) Final Evaluation Report (30%)

Work Location

Home based with field visits

Expected duration

5 months (part time)

Duties and Responsibilities

ORGANIZATION 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 Evaluation Manager and the Director of the Evaluation Office. THE EVALUATION In UNEP, project-level communication support towards putting platforms, workflows, guidance and policies in place is provided by the Communication Division to support personnel across UNEP to carry out their work and to ensure high-quality communications. Project communication and related public awareness work is typically undertaken by project/programme management staff and UNEP's partners. In line with the UNEP Evaluation Policy and the UNEP Programme and Project Management Manual, the Strategic Evaluation is undertaken to assess the performance of UNEP’s project and programme communication over the period 2021-2026 towards results achieved; inform project communications within the implementation of the current Medium-Term Strategy 2026-2029 and generate learning and identify recommendations to strengthen communication dimensions in UNEP projects to improve project effectiveness, particularly at the outcome level and in the longer-term. The Evaluation has two primary purposes: i) to provide evidence of results to meet accountability requirements, and (ii) to promote operational improvement, learning and knowledge sharing through results and lessons learned. Therefore, the Evaluation will identify lessons of relevance for future project formulation and implementation on communication dimensions. The Strategic Evaluation will be an in-depth study using a participatory approach whereby the key stakeholders are kept informed and regularly consulted throughout the evaluation process. Evaluation findings and judgments will be based on sound evidence and analysis, clearly documented in the evaluation report. Information will be triangulated (i.e., verified from different sources) to the greatest extent possible. Analysis leading to evaluative judgments will be clearly spelled out. THE EVALUATION TEAM For this Evaluation, the Evaluation Team will consist of a Principal Evaluator and one Evaluation Specialist and will work under the overall responsibility of the Evaluation Office represented by an Evaluation Manager, in consultation with the UNEP Global Lead Project Communications Officer (Evaluation Focal Point) and the Director of the Communication Division. SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES In close consultation with the Evaluation Manager, the Evaluation Specialist shall support the drafting and timely provision of evaluation outputs. The Evaluation Team will work together to undertake the following: Inception phase of the Evaluation, including:

preliminary desk review and introductory interviews with staff;
draft causal pathways at the level of project communication in UNEP;
a detailed description of the methods and analytical tools, including digital tools, that the Evaluation will use;
an annotated table of contents for the evaluation report; and
distribution of roles and responsibilities related to data collection and analysis and reporting among the Evaluation Team members.
develop the desk review and interview protocols;
draft the survey protocols (if relevant);
plan the evaluation schedule;
prepare the Inception Report, incorporating comments until approved by the Evaluation Manager Data collection and analysis phase of the Evaluation, including:
present brief synthesised findings and annex detailed material arising from any case studies.
interview relevant project teams as well as staff members of the Communication Division, Policy and Programme Division (PPD), Regional Offices, Legal Unit representatives and Office of the Chief Digital Officer. Ensure independence of the Evaluation and confidentiality of evaluation interviews.
regularly report back to the Evaluation Manager on progress and inform of any possible problems or issues encountered and;
keep the Evaluation Focal Point informed of the evaluation progress. Reporting phase, including:
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;
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
prepare a Response to Comments annex for the main report, listing those comments not accepted by the Evaluation Team and indicating the reason for the rejection; and
(where agreed with the Evaluation Manager) prepare an Evaluation Brief (2-page summary of the evaluand and the key evaluation findings and lessons) Managing relations, including:
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;
communicate in a timely manner with the Evaluation Manager on any issues requiring its attention and intervention. The Evaluation Specialist shall have had no prior involvement in the formulation or implementation of UNEP projects and programmes and will be independent from the participating institutions. The consultant will sign the Evaluation Consultant Code of Conduct Agreement Form. The Evaluation Specialist will be selected and recruited by the UNEP Evaluation Office through a consultancy contract. Comprehensive terms of reference will be shared with the consultant separately.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in communications, 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 seven (7) years of technical/ evaluation experience, preferably including evaluating, large, regional or global programmes and using a Theory of Change approach is required. Experience in digital communications is required. Good understanding of media, advocacy and communication in the context of development oriented organizations and intergovernmental processes is desirable. Knowledge of the UN system and specifically the work of UNEP is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in English is required. Fluency in French or Spanish is desirable.

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.

Evaluation Specialist for Strategic Evaluation of Communication Dimensions of UNEP’s Projects and Programmes