Evaluation Consultant for Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP Project 'Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+)' (SMA ID 92165)

Result of Service

The Evaluation Team will submit a concise evaluation report. Actual duration of the assignment is 50 days ( within a period of 6 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

6 months

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 the 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 PROJECT The United Nations - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Programme (UN-REDD Programme) is the UN knowledge and advisory platform on forests and climate, with a focus on implementing the Warsaw framework and Articles 5 and 6 of the Paris Agreement. In particular, it provides global knowledge and convening support, as well helping Parties develop and implement their national REDD+ strategies. The UN-REDD has played a critical role in supporting countries to develop their National REDD+ strategies and build the basic REDD+ architecture. In the context of the UN-REDD Programme, the objective of the UNEP Project 'Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+)' (SMA ID 92165) was to help countries implement actions that deliver both carbon and noncarbon benefits from forests in accordance with UNFCCC decisions. The project was implemented through programmatic technical assistance and/or discrete projects in the following countries: Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ghana, Cote d´Ivoire, DRC, Ethiopia, Republic of Congo, Uganda, Zambia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Vietnam. Nevertheless, the project had wider geographical reach, engaging many other countries through regional and global knowledge management and communications events. This project contributed to the UNEP Medium Term Strategy 2018-2021 and 2022-2025. It was central to the delivery of the Climate Change/Climate Action Sub-programme Expected Accomplishment (c) which was focused on REDD+ as a form of climate change mitigation. It aimed to provide technical support for countries to meet the UNFCCC Warsaw pillars for accessing results-based payments, as well as helps to meet a number of Sustainable Development Goal targets and corresponding indicators. THE EVALUATION TEAM For this Evaluation, the Evaluation Team will consist of an Evaluation Consultant who 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 and the Subprogramme Coordinator. Specific responsibilities for the Evaluation Consultant: In close consultation with the Evaluation Manager, the Evaluation Consultant will be responsible for the overall management of the Evaluation and timely provision of its outputs, data collection and analysis and report-writing. More specifically: 1. 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. 2. 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 the independence of the Evaluation and the confidentiality of evaluation interviews; • prepare case studies of selected projects/grants; • review and summarise findings from completed evaluations/reviews; • regularly report back to the Evaluation Manager on progress and inform of any possible problems or issues encountered; • keep the Project/Task Manager informed of the evaluation progress and engage the key stakeholders in discussions on emerging findings throughout the evaluation process; • present preliminary findings to key stakeholders. 3. 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; • prepare a summary of the key evaluation findings and lessons; • present evaluation findings to key stakeholders. 4. 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 attention and intervention. The Evaluation Consultant shall have had no prior involvement in the formulation or implementation of the project and will be independent from the participating institutions. The consultant will sign the Evaluation Consultant Code of Conduct Agreement Form. The Evaluation Consultant 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, 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 years (7) years of technical and/or evaluation experience preferably including evaluating large, regional or global programmes, multilateral framework programmes/projects and using a Theory of Change approach is required. A good/broad understanding and technical experience of climate change is required. 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. Knowledge of Spanish is desirable.

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.