Result of Service

The Evaluation Team will submit a concise evaluation report. Actual duration of the assignment is 31 days spread over a period of 7 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

7 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 The Terminal Evaluation will be an in-depth evaluation using a participatory approach whereby key stakeholders are kept informed and consulted throughout the evaluation process. Both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods will be used as appropriate to determine project achievements against the expected outputs, outcomes and impacts. It is highly recommended that the consultant(s) maintains close communication with the project team and promotes information exchange throughout the Evaluation implementation phase in order to increase their (and other stakeholder) ownership of the evaluation findings. Where applicable, the consultant(s) will provide a geo-referenced map that demarcates the area covered by the project and, where possible, provide geo-reference photographs of key intervention sites (e.g., sites of habitat rehabilitation and protection, pollution treatment infrastructure, etc.) THE PROJECT The Kingdom of Bahrain is a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) characterized by severe water scarcity and high vulnerability of its water resources to climate change. The country's water sector faces a combination of climate-related pressures that threaten both water availability and the long-term sustainability of water-resource management. These include rising temperatures, which increase water demand across municipal, agricultural and industrial sectors; sea-level rise, which increases the risk of saline intrusion into freshwater aquifers; and changes in rainfall patterns and intensity, which are expected to reduce aquifer recharge. The project was designed on the basis that, taken together, these climate impacts could reduce Bahrain's freshwater resources by approximately 50–100 million m³ per year in the short term. These climate pressures compound Bahrain's underlying structural water vulnerability. Although basic drinking-water demand is largely met through desalination, groundwater remains important for agriculture, industry, sanitation, and the irrigation of gardens and public spaces. Bahrain is also densely populated and has very low per-capita freshwater availability. Consequently, protecting groundwater reserves and managing demand are central to strengthening the resilience of the national water sector. Climate projections underpinning the project indicate that increasing temperatures could add approximately 5 million m³ per year to municipal water demand by 2030, with a comparable additional increase anticipated across agricultural and industrial users. At the same time, reduced aquifer recharge associated with changing rainfall and climatic conditions was estimated to result in losses of approximately 34–78 million m³ per year, alongside further losses associated with saline intrusion. Bahrain had limited capacity to comprehensively monitor freshwater reserves, process and analyse water-related data, model climate-change impacts on water supply and demand, and systematically incorporate climate risk into water-sector planning. These limitations constrained the integration of climate considerations into the emerging national water-management framework. More broadly, institutional capacity was insufficient to assess and quantify climate impacts, mainstream climate risks into water management, reform relevant policies and legislation, and design and implement measures capable of reducing demand and enhancing water supply under changing climatic conditions. Public awareness of climate-related water risks, water conservation and alternative water sources was also limited, contributing to low uptake of water-saving and recycling technologies. The project was therefore designed to address both climate-related risks to Bahrain's water resources and the institutional and governance constraints affecting the country's capacity to manage those risks. Strengthening the Water Resources Council and associated government institutions, improving the evidence base for decision-making, and supporting climate-informed water management were intended to create enabling conditions for broader replication and sustained investment. 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 Task Manager, Fund Management Officer, the Coordinator of the Climate Action Subprogrammes. SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES In close consultation with the Evaluation Manager, the Evaluation Specialist will make substantive and high-quality contributions to the evaluation process and outputs. More specifically: Inception phase of the Evaluation, including:

preliminary desk review and introductory interviews with project staff;
draft the reconstructed Theory of Change of the project;
prepare the evaluation framework;
develop the desk review and interview protocols;
draft the survey protocols (if relevant);
develop and present criteria for country and/or site selection for the evaluation mission;
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:
conduct further desk review and in-depth interviews with project implementing and executing agencies, project partners and project stakeholders;
(where appropriate and agreed) conduct an evaluation mission(s) to selected countries, visit the project locations, interview project partners and stakeholders, including a good representation of local communities. 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 Project/Task Manager 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 Consultant 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 environmental sciences, climate change, water resources management, international development, evaluation, or another relevant field 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 relevant professional experience in Bahrain is required, including experience in climate change adaptation and/or water resources management, as well as evaluation. Demonstrated experience in the evaluation of projects, programmes or policies at country level is required. Demonstrated technical knowledge of climate change adaptation is required, preferably in relation to water resources management and climate resilience. Experience evaluating projects implemented by the UN system, particularly UNEP, and experience evaluating projects financed by the Green Climate Fund is desirable. Experience working with government institutions and other national stakeholders in Bahrain is desirable. The consultant is required to be based in Bahrain for the duration of the assignment and available to undertake field visits within Bahrain.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English is required. Proficiency in Arabic 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 the Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP/GCF project Enhancing Climate Resilience of Water Sector in Bahrain