Result of Service

The Evaluation Specialist will submit a concise evaluation report. Actual duration of the assignment is 31 days spread over a period of 8 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

8 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 likelihood of 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 stakeholders') 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. THE PROJECT Benin's rural population was highly dependent on agriculture and natural resources for livelihoods. At project design, agriculture supported approximately 70 percent of the population and generated about 80 percent of export income. Most crop production was rainfed and was therefore sensitive to variations in rainfall and temperature. Central and northern Benin, where the project was implemented, were characterized by comparatively shorter growing seasons and lower annual rainfall than southern Benin. Climate change and variability were identified as increasing pressures on rural livelihoods, agricultural production, water resources and forest ecosystems. Observed changes included rising mean annual temperatures, fewer days with precipitation, and more frequent and intense droughts and floods. Climate projections used in the project design indicated continued temperature increases, particularly in central and northern Benin, together with greater intra-annual rainfall variability, delayed onset of the rainy season and more intense rainfall events. These changes were expected to contribute to soil desiccation, reduced water availability, erosion and flooding, and declining productivity of agricultural and forest landscapes. These climatic pressures interacted with existing socio-economic and environmental conditions. The Funding Proposal reported declining agricultural productivity associated with soil degradation and erosion, flooding, shorter growing periods and changes in rainfall timing. It also identified pressures on forests from drought and wildfire as well as from agricultural expansion, fuelwood harvesting and extraction of non-timber forest products. Between 1990 and 2015, Benin experienced an average annual forest loss rate of approximately 1.2 percent. Forest degradation reduced ecosystem goods and services used by rural communities, including water provision, flood buffering, and protection against soil erosion. The project was formulated around the relationship between climate impacts, reduced agricultural productivity, increased dependence on natural resources, forest and ecosystem degradation, and increased vulnerability of rural communities. It was designed to address these interconnected pressures through an ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) approach combining climate-resilient agriculture with restoration and management of degraded forest ecosystems. The intended results were organized around three areas: improved provision of ecosystem goods and services for climate-change adaptation through forest restoration; increased agricultural productivity to support livelihoods under climate change; and strengthened capacity and awareness to implement EbA and climate-resilient agriculture. The project design identified three principal barriers to the adoption and scaling-up of these approaches: (i) limited knowledge of climate-change impacts on agricultural and forest landscapes and of appropriate adaptation measures; (ii) limited technical and institutional capacity within government institutions and local communities to implement EbA and climate-resilient agriculture; and (iii) limited investment in community forest management and climate-resilient agriculture. Specific constraints included limited coordination between the agriculture and forestry sectors, insufficient extension support for small-scale farmers, limited capacity to prepare and implement forest management plans, and technical and financial constraints affecting community-based forest management. The pre-feasibility study was designed as a public-sector adaptation project targeting GCF result areas related to vulnerable people and communities, food and water security, and ecosystems and ecosystem services. The project was also designed in the context of Benin's national policies and initiatives on climate change, agriculture and forestry, including the Forest Law and the Plan Stratégique de Développement du Secteur Agricole. The objective of the project was to reduce unsustainable land-use practices and deforestation and strengthen the climate resilience of local communities by integrating climate-resilient agricultural techniques with the tailored restoration of degraded forest ecosystems. At impact level, the project was designed to contribute to the GCF adaptation results of increased resilience and enhanced livelihoods of vulnerable people, communities and regions and improved resilience of ecosystems and ecosystem services. The approved framework included final targets of 22,000 direct beneficiaries, comprising 11,000 women and 11,000 men; approximately 1.074 million indirect beneficiaries, with 50 percent women; and 3,600 hectares of degraded forests protected and strengthened in response to climate variability and change. THE EVALUATION TEAM For this Evaluation, the Evaluation Team will consist of a Principal Evaluator and one Evaluation Specialist who will work under the overall responsibility of the Evaluation Office represented by an Evaluation Manager, in consultation with the UNEP Task Manager, the Fund Management Officer and the Coordinator of the Climate Action Subprogramme. 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 and ensure that all evaluation criteria and questions are adequately covered. 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 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, forestry, agriculture, natural 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 Benin is required, including experience in climate change adaptation and/or ecosystem-based adaptation, forest and landscape restoration, climate-resilient agriculture and/or natural 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 ecosystem-based adaptation, forest and landscape restoration, climate-resilient agriculture, rural livelihoods 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 Benin is desirable. The consultant must already be based in Benin and available to undertake field visits within the country. The assignment does not provide for travel to Benin for the purpose of undertaking the consultancy. The consultant must not have been involved in the design or implementation of the project to be evaluated

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English and French is required.

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 Enhanced Climate Resilience of Rural Communities in Central and North Benin