Evaluation of Subprogramme 4: Statistics, the Information Society and Technology (2020-2025)

Result of Service

Ultimate Results of Service and Delivery Dates • Inception Report: The evaluator will submit a draft Inception Report totalling not more than 10 pages, in addition to associated annexes. The Inception Report will summarize the desk review and propose the evaluation methodology and sampling strategy/ies to be used in the evaluation, along with a detailed workplan, draft evaluation matrix, stakeholder matrix, and quality assurance mechanism. Any revisions to the Inception Report will be implemented no later than one week following receipt of comments. o The Inception Report shall, where relevant, address the integration of human rights, disability inclusion, gender equality, and environmental issues. The Inception Report should contain ideas for further exploration to support organisational learning, to be done either as part of this evaluation or separately by ESCWA itself. • Debriefing Meeting: Following the completion of the data collection and field mission phase, and prior to the delivery of the draft evaluation report, the evaluator should hold a debriefing meeting for the presentation of the preliminary findings to the project team. • Draft Evaluation Report: Following data collection and the analysis of findings, the evaluator will submit a Draft Evaluation Report. The Draft Evaluation Report will be user-friendly, well-structured and evidence-based, totalling not more than 40 pages, in addition to a 2-page Executive Summary and associated annexes. • The Draft Evaluation Report will summarize the agreed-upon methodology listed in the Inception Report, describe the evaluation’s data collection and analytical approach, and present findings. In addition, the evaluator should develop clear action-oriented recommendations, which are forward-looking and will enable ESCWA to leverage and capitalize on innovative practices emerging from the Reform. o The Draft Evaluation Report will be reviewed by ESCWA’s SPARK Section, and the programme team, before being discussed with the evaluator. • Final Evaluation Report: The Final Evaluation Report that should incorporate the comments and feedback from the Evaluation Manager and the programme team, is expected. The Final Evaluation Report shall, where relevant, address the integration of human rights, disability inclusion, gender equality, and environmental issues. o The Final Evaluation Report shall contain information (data, findings, expert views) that may allow ESCWA to identify lessons for wider organisational learning or for potential changes to relevant organisational policies, irrespective of the extent to which the evaluation recommendations make reference to such information.

Work Location

Remote

Expected duration

5 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background Subprogramme 4 Statistics, the information society and technology (subprogramme 4) aims to strengthen official statistical systems and advance the information society in the Arab region by improving the quality, availability and use of data, while accelerating the integration of technology and innovation for sustainable development. It focuses on enhancing national statistical capacities to adopt international standards and innovative data sources; supporting evidence based policymaking through improved production and use of statistics, including gender and disability data; and guiding digital transformation through policy advice on emerging technologies. The subprogramme also promotes regional dialogue and partnerships among governments, experts, civil society and the private sector to maximize the value of statistics, geospatial data, digitization and new technologies in support of the 2030 Agenda. Duties and Responsibilities Purpose of the Evaluation Evaluations at ESCWA strive to demonstrate the difference that is being made by the work of ESCWA, and its impact on member States and their citizens. This evaluation will aim to determine the extent to which subprogramme 4 is achieving its intended results, the pathway to these results, and the elements that contribute most significantly to the achievement of these results. In addition, it will also consider how the project brings about any unintended results that may have occurred. The evaluation will serve three main purposes: • It will provide a basis for evidence-informed decision-making, strategic planning, and risk management. • It is a means to demonstrate accountability to the organization’s Executive Management and member States for performance, relative to ESCWA’s mandate and strategic objectives. • It will inform and facilitate organizational learning by identifying evidence-based findings, lessons to be learned, and recommendations for action that enhance the next generation of ESCWA’s work. The evaluation will therefore take both a summative and a formative approach. It will look at results achieved or not achieved so far (summative) with a view to inform ESCWA’s work in the future (formative). The evaluation will be conducted in line with ESCWA’s Evaluation Policy (2025), and the UNEG Norms and Standards for Evaluation.. The evaluation will strive to employ development best practices with regard to promoting gender equality and a human rights-based approach, including the rights of persons with disabilities. The evaluation will be facilitated and coordinated by ESCWA’s Strategic Planning, Accountability, Results and Knowledge team. Scope of the Evaluation The evaluation will be forward-looking and will objectively and systematically assess the performance of the subprogramme in terms of its relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. Furthermore, the evaluation will assess the extent to which gender, human rights, disability inclusion, environmental concerns, and other cross-cutting issues were incorporated or mainstreamed into the subprogramme. The evaluation will cover the period from January 2020 to December 2025. Areas of focus for each sub-programme evaluation include: • Key aspects of UN and ESCWA reforms, including the merger of the Statistics Division and the Technology for Development Division into one Cluster, as relevant; • The overall coherence of the subprogramme’s work and the extent to which its work has been synergetic; • The relevant IT- and AI-enabled tools/systems/platforms developed by the subprogramme; • Organisation-wide policies, as relevant, to promote organisational learning. Evaluation Criteria The following key evaluation questions per criteria will guide the evaluation. The evaluator/s is expected to refine evaluation questions where necessary and to include the refinement in the Inception Report. Relevance • To what extent are the objectives and expected accomplishments of the subprogramme aligned with: o ESCWA's strategic framework and programme budget? o Regional development priorities and challenges? o The 2030 Agenda and relevant SDGs? • To what extent do the subprogramme's interventions respond to the evolving needs and priorities of member States? • How well do the subprogramme's products and services (research, policy advice, capacity-building, convening) address identified gaps and demands? • To what extent are the needs and priorities of vulnerable or marginalized population groups reflected in the subprogramme's design and implementation? • How relevant are the subprogramme's thematic areas and approaches in the current regional context? • To what extent has the subprogramme adapted to emerging regional challenges and opportunities? Coherence • To what extent did the merger of the Statistics and Technology divisions create positive synergies, or did it result in parallel, siloed work streams? • How well does the subprogramme align its data and technology initiatives with the interventions of UN Country Teams and the League of Arab States to avoid duplication? • How well does subprogramme 4 align its scope and collaborate with other teams in ESCWA to avoid duplication and improve efficiency? For example with DSDSD. • Are there opportunities for greater coordination, collaboration, or integration with other subprogrammes within ESCWA and other institutions? Effectiveness • To what extent have the planned outputs and activities been delivered as intended? • To what extent have the expected accomplishments/outcomes been achieved? • How effectively has the subprogramme contributed to strengthening the capacities of member States and other stakeholders? • To what extent have knowledge products and policy recommendations been utilized by target stakeholders? • What factors facilitated or hindered the achievement of results? • How effectively has the subprogramme integrated cross-cutting issues such as gender equality, human rights, disability inclusion, youth, and environmental sustainability? • How could other factors have contributed to the achievement of the identified results? • How were key partnerships integrated in the delivery of the programme to maximise the achievement of results? Efficiency • To what extent were financial, human, and technical resources used efficiently to produce outputs and outcomes? • To what extent were management arrangements conducive to efficient implementation? • How cost-effective were the different types of interventions (e.g., research, policy advisory services, capacity-building, regional forums)? • To what extent did coordination within ESCWA and with external partners reduce duplication and generate synergies? • Were monitoring, reporting, and learning mechanisms adequate to support adaptive management and efficient implementation? • Could similar results have been achieved with fewer resources or through alternative approaches? Impact • What, if any, high-level effects did the programme cause (such as changes in norms or systems)? • To what extent has the subprogramme influenced policies, legislation, strategies, institutions, or practices in member States? • To what extent has the subprogramme contributed to regional cooperation, knowledge exchange, and policy dialogue? • To what extent did the intervention lead to other changes, including “scalable” or “replicable” results? • While long-term transformative impact may be difficult to measure, what 'early signals' of impact – such as specific policy adoption, changes to statistical regulations, or behavioral shifts – can be directly traced to the subprogramme's interventions? Sustainability • Have capacities, systems, and institutional arrangements been strengthened sufficiently to maintain benefits? • To what extent have knowledge products, tools, methodologies, and networks continued to be used after their initial delivery? • What risks could affect the sustainability of the results, and how have they been addressed? • Did the subprogramme successfully establish formal 'institutional homes' (e.g., permanent national observatories, explicit operational manuals, or formal focal points) within Member State governments to ensure tools and data platforms survive beyond ESCWA's direct involvement? • To what extent has the subprogramme fostered partnerships and mechanisms that can support continued implementation and scaling up? • What evidence is available to indicate that the results of the programme can be maintained by stakeholders? Gender, Human Rights, Disability Inclusion, and Environmental Issues • To what extent were issues of gender, human rights, disability inclusion, and the environment incorporated into the design, planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation practices of the programme, as well as the results achieved? • To what extent did the programme respond to and affect the rights, needs and interests of different stakeholders, including women, men, youth, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups? Evaluation Methodology Management and Governance Arrangements All evaluation methodologies are to be reviewed by ESCWA’s SPARK Section and approved by ESCWA’s Senior Management. • The evaluation will be conducted by an external consultant/s. • The evaluator is expected to identify the main objectives achieved through the implementation of the programme, intended and unintended, as established by key stakeholders and relevant documentation, and the pathways that led to achieving them, with particular focus on innovative practices and initiatives that can be leveraged to further enhance ESCWA’s work. • The evaluator is expected to ensure a mixed method (qualitative and quantitative), inclusive, and participatory approach, with adequate triangulation across methods, to arrive at credible, reliable, and unbiased findings. • The evaluator will also ensure that all aspects of the evaluation are gender and human rights sensitive (including a special focus on the rights with person with disabilities). In addition, the evaluator must ensure that he/she always complies with the UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation during the conduct of the evaluation. The above methodology is indicative. The evaluator is expected to build upon it and present a robust evaluation methodology within the inception report, including addressing and refining the evaluation questions. Quality Assurance Mechanism The evaluator will employ a quality assurance mechanism of her/his preference (either an internal or an external system can be used), which will provide quality checks throughout the evaluation process. This quality assurance mechanism will be indicated in the Inception Report and in the Final Evaluation Report. In addition, ESCWA will review the evaluation report prior to finalization to ensure that it aligns with the UNEG Quality Checklist for Evaluation Reports , particularly with reference to the quality of recommendations. Evaluation Ethics The evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation; and all rights and confidentiality of information providers will be prioritized and safeguarded as per UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation.

Qualifications/special skills

A Master's degree in management, evaluation, or related area is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Minimum of 5 years of experience conducting assessments, reviews or evaluations of projects, programmes or policies in the UN or international context is required. A high level of knowledge in the distilling, communication and reporting of findings, forward-looking recommendations, best practices, and lessons learned is required. Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to effectively convey complex information in a clear and concise manner to both governmental and UN audiences is required. Work experience in STATISTICS and/or THE INFORMATION SOCIETY AND TECHNOLOGY issues is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. For this position, fluency in English is required. Fluency in Arabic is desirable. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

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.