Cooperation Framework Mid-Term Review Consultant

Result of Service

A final CF mid-term review report incorporating all stakeholder feedback, including an executive summary, findings, conclusions, and actionable recommendations for adaptive programming for 2026–2028.

Work Location

Maseru

Expected duration

2-months part-time.

Duties and Responsibilities

Background The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (Cooperation Framework) 2024–2028 is built on three strategic pillars: (1) Good Governance and Social Equity; (2) Equitable Food Systems, Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action; and (3) People's Well-being and Economic Development. The Cooperation Framework was designed through an inclusive national process aligned with the National Strategic Development Plan II, guided by the principle “Ka lebelo la Ntšoekhe” — symbolizing the urgency required to accelerate SDG implementation. Now in its third year of implementation, the Cooperation Framework is operating in a significantly changed environment, marked by economic fragility, climate vulnerability, governance reforms, high youth unemployment, and food insecurity. Of the 23 UN entities that have signed up to the Cooperation Framework, fewer than 30% are physically present in Lesotho, and several are transitioning to a multi-country office configuration. The MTR will assess how the reduced UN physical presence and increasing reliance on regional support could be leveraged for normative engagements, technical quality assurance, sustained support to cross-cutting priorities such as gender equality and LNOB among other issues. The Cooperation Framework is delivered through inter-agency structures including the Outcome Results Groups, the Operations Management Team (OMT), the Humanitarian Development Nexus Group (HNG), the Programme Technical Coherence Team, the United Nations Communications Group (UNCG), and the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Team. The review will replace the Joint Annual Performance Review for 2026. The Changing Development Landscape Lesotho's development landscape has shifted considerably since the Cooperation Framework was signed in 2024. Key drivers include growing uncertainty in global financing - particularly the reduction of Official Development Assistance (projected to decrease by 52% in 2026) - volatile Southern African Customs Union (SACU) revenues, and a major realignment of donor priorities. The conflict in the Middle East has compounded these pressures, driving up the cost of fuel and fertilizer. Because Lesotho relies heavily on imports, its economy remains highly exposed to global geopolitical and economic shifts - a vulnerability deepened by overlapping shocks, including the agricultural impacts of the 2024 El Niño event and the persistent crisis of youth unemployment. These shifts have had wide-ranging effects on Lesotho's development trajectory ahead of the 2030 deadline. Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been modest but measurable. The 2025 Sustainable Development Report gives Lesotho an SDG Index Score of 55.64, placing it 143rd out of 167 countries - a slight improvement on the previous year, reflecting continued, if slow, movement toward the 2030 Agenda. Despite this progress, the national SDG dashboard reveals persistent challenges across most goals. Specifically, 32% of SDGs are moving in the wrong direction, 46% show limited progress, and just 22% are achieved or on track. These pressures have squeezed Lesotho's fiscal space and constrained its ability to deliver on key development priorities. Economic growth fell sharply from 4.2% in 2024/25 to 1.4% in 2025/26, driven largely by external headwinds. The outlook remains weak: GDP growth is projected at around 1.1% in 2026, with only a gradual recovery expected - reaching 1.5% in 2027/28 and 1.6% in 2028/29 - as ongoing difficulties in the textile and diamond sectors continue to weigh on performance. Inflation stood at 4.3% in 2025 and was initially forecast to stabilize between 4.5% and 4.7% over the medium term, supported by easing food and fuel prices. However, the full impact of the Middle East crisis - including the depreciation of the South African rand - has yet to materialize, and inflationary pressures are likely to intensify in the months ahead. The Government has signaled a clear policy shift toward strengthening economic resilience, reinforcing fiscal discipline, and advancing private sector-led growth. Any review of the Cooperation Framework should align with and support this direction. Within the UN development system, the changing financing landscape has compelled several UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes to restructure their country presence, resulting in a reduced agency presence and greater reliance on regional technical support. This requires the UN Country Team (UNCT) to recalibrate its coordination and delivery models accordingly. Furthermore, the UN Secretary-General's UN 2.0 vision calls for a modernized UN system equipped with cutting-edge skills and a forward-thinking culture aimed at stronger results, better Member State support, and greater SDG impact. For Lesotho, this means the UNCT is expected to move beyond traditional project delivery toward more integrated, data-driven, and adaptive programming; a shift that is particularly important given the country's modest SDG progress and rapidly shifting development financing landscape. Under the Overall supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator, and with technical support of the RCO Team Leader the incumbent of the post will have to fulfil the following duties and responsibilities: i. Assess progress against Cooperation Framework outcomes and outputs across all three pillars; ii. Evaluate the continued relevance of the Cooperation Framework in light of emerging national and global shifts; iii. Examine the coherence, efficiency, and effectiveness of UNCT inter-agency coordination mechanisms and collective accountability systems such as joint planning, joint programming and monitoring frameworks; iv. Determine whether the Theory of Change remains valid given evolving risks, including political instability, climate impacts, and food system pressures; v. Assess the current UNCT coordination architecture and related implications on normative support, policy engagement, system-wide coordination functions and determine whether adjustments are warranted; and, vi. Provide actionable recommendations for adaptive programming for 2026–2028, including opportunities for joint programmes.

Qualifications/special skills

A Master’s degree in Development Studies, Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), or a related field such as Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, or Project Management is required. A first-level university degree, combined with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree Minimum 7 years of experience with UN programmatic reviews, analysis and evaluations required Knowledge of LDC contexts is desirable Experience in complex multi-agency evaluations is required Demonstrated expertise in gender-responsive evaluation methodologies; UN Coordination systems and integrated programming approaches is desirable Expertise in governance, food systems, climate, and social sectors is desirable

Languages

Fluency in both oral and written Engling is required

Additional Information

Not available.

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.