Evaluation of the project “Long-term institutional support for integrating gender equality into UNCCD”

Result of Service

Evaluation report.

Work Location

Home-based.

Expected duration

3 months (part-time)

Duties and Responsibilities

Background note: Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. The Convention seeks to support countries to address Desertification, Land Degradation, and Drought (DLDD). (www.unccd.int) In September 2017, Parties to the UNCCD adopted a Gender Action Plan (GAP). The GAP accompanies the implementation of the UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework which enhances the implementation of the Convention, making it a more powerful and strategic instrument for transforming the livelihoods of millions of families. The Convention recognizes the importance of women in the implementation of the Convention and identifies critical areas for their engagement: (i) awareness-raising, and participation in the design and implementation of programmes; (ii) decision-making processes that men and women adopt at the local level in the governance of development, implementation and review of regional and national action programmes; and (iii) capacity-building, education and public awareness, particularly at local level through the support of local organizations. The GAP further specifies the UNCCD aims concerning gender equality through its five objectives: (1) To enhance women’s role as agents of change by addressing the gender inequalities they face; (2) To build the capacities of women and girls to access the resources they need to improve their livelihoods, manage land sustainably and become resilient to drought; (3) To build the technical capacities of UNCCD stakeholders at all levels to design and implement gender-responsive plans and programmes, including in land degradation neutrality (LDN) interventions; and (4) To develop a baseline on gender-related issues in land degradation and desertification, and monitor, report and regularly review progress in the implementation and achievement of objectives; and (5) To mobilize adequate resources to achieve these objectives. In March 2020, the Department of Foreign Trade and Development of Canada and the UNCCD signed a grant arrangement aiming at “Long-term institutional support for integrating gender equality into the UNCCD”. The overall aim of this project is the achievement of gender transformative results across the Convention through accelerated efforts to reduce desertification and land degradation impacts on women, girls and other marginalized groups. Objectives of the project: The project aims to enhance gender equality outcomes in countries where UNCCD stakeholders address desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD). It is built around two main outcomes accompanied by indicators, as follows: 1. Improved implementation of the UNCCD GAP Indicators: - # of Parties committed to take action on gender responsive land governance and tenure - # targeted stakeholders reporting on progress in strengthening laws and policies in relation to women’s rights to land tenure and access to natural resources - # of LDN implementing agencies and partners reporting the use of WOCAT tool and/or gender module - # of references in official UNCCD documents and decisions related to gender equality with respect to land tenure 2. Improved design and implementation of large-scale and financially viable gender-responsive land degradation neutrality transformative projects Indicators: - #/total of new/modified UNCCD transformative projects and programs (disaggregated by developing countries/LDCs) that are large-scale and financially viable - # of new/modified UNCCD transformative projects and programs that include gender-responsive objectives and activities and that are in line with the gender standards of financing sources - Total value of additional financial resources (in USD) targeted through support from this grant - # of new/modified UNCCD transformative projects and programs that include components on private sector collaboration Immediate outcomes and main outputs are also defined. Objectives of the evaluation: The evaluation of the project “Long-term institutional support for integrating gender equality into UNCCD” will provide an overview of its performance and results vis-à-vis the aims that were agreed for the project at the beginning. It will inform about the successes and challenges, with the aim to provide important lessons learned for next steps concerning gender equality in the UNCCD and its implementation. In longer term, the evaluation results are expected to enhance the effectiveness of UNCCD actions on gender equality and thereby contribute to enhancing women’s role and ownership in advancing sustainable land management and restoration of degraded land. The main audience of the evaluation will be the UNCCD secretariat and the GM, and the Department of Foreign Trade and Development of Canada as the donor for the project. The evaluation results will be of interest also more broadly to the UNCCD and its stakeholders. Duties & Responsibilities: The evaluator will work under the supervision of the UNCCD Evaluation Office and in close collaboration with the secretariat and the GM. Scope of the evaluation and main evaluation questions: The evaluation of the project will be independent – it will be structurally separate from the management and implementation of the project functions, and impartial. Its findings and conclusions will be based on sound evidence and objective analysis, clearly documented in the review report. Information will be triangulated as far as possible, and when verification is not possible, the single source will be mentioned. Analysis leading to conclusions will be clearly spelled out. The evaluation will be summative and focusing on the results achieved vis-à-vis the expectations set at the beginning of the project. It will identify successful approaches and effective strategies to achieve the results, as well as suggestions for addressing challenges faced, which will contribute to the development of similar activities in the future. Criteria for the evaluation: The criteria for the evaluation will be based on the OECD/DAC criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability. The provisional focus areas are outlined below; they may be further developed if deemed appropriate. Relevance: The evaluation will assess, in line with the OECD/DAC definition of relevance, ‘the extent to which the activity is suited to the priorities and policies of the target group, recipient and donor’. For this project evaluation, relevance is considered from two main perspectives: the global UNCCD process and the GAP (first outcome area of the project), and the stakeholders of the transformative projects (second outcome area of the project). Coherence: The review will consider the compatibility of the project with other actions to integrate gender equality in the context of the UNCCD, with the aim to clarify the added value of the project. Effectiveness and impact will be considered together. The project success in producing the programmed outcomes, outputs and targets, as outlined in the project agreement and the log frame, will be assessed. Any modifications/revisions made during the project implementation will be checked at the beginning of the evaluation process. The delivery of outputs will be assessed in terms of both quantity and quality, and reasons behind related successes or shortcomings will be clarified. The evaluation will identify major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the programmed outcomes. Based on the articulation of the overall objective of the project, the evaluation will assess the likelihood of the intended, positive long-term impacts becoming a reality. Any unintended positive effects will also be identified, as well as the likelihood that the intervention would contribute to unintended negative effects. The evaluation will look at the communication, experience-sharing and learning processes between the project and other activities on gender equality in the UNCCD context, as well as the public awareness activities that have been undertaken so far. Efficiency: In keeping with the OECD/DAC definition of efficiency, the evaluation will assess the extent to which project has delivered maximum results from the given resources. This will include an assessment of the cost-effectiveness and timeliness of executing its activities. Sustainability is understood as the probability of direct outcomes being maintained and developed after the close of the project. In this evaluation, sustainability will be considered from two perspectives: continuation of work to implement the GAP, and continued commitment and ownership of countries to the transformative projects (and particularly their gender components) that were supported through this project. Cross-cutting issues: In addition to the above criteria, the review will consider the quality and effectiveness of participatory approach throughout the project, with particular attention to the role of women in the activities that were carried out. Gender responsiveness will be integrated also to the evaluation process itself. The consultant to be selected to conduct the evaluation will prepare the following main products: - Inception report including a check of any modifications made to the project framework since the signing of the agreement, and preparation of detailed evaluation questions, a work programme and a tentative schedule for the evaluation process. The preparation of the inception report will involve discussions between the evaluator and the project team (secretariat and GM staff). - Preliminary summary of the main content of the draft evaluation report presenting an overview of the main findings and emerging conclusions and recommendations. The summary will be used for discussion with the UNCCD staff and representatives of Canada to ensure that all essential information sources have been accessed, and to factually check and to verify emerging findings. - Final report containing detailed analysis of the findings of the evaluation, lessons learned and recommendations.

Qualifications/special skills

- Masters degree in fields relevant to this assignment is required. - Professional expertise as an evaluation team leader or similar in evaluating development cooperation projects, including in the UN context is required. - Knowledge of international cooperation concerning topics relevant to this assignment (gender equality, land governance, land restoration, sustainable development treaties) is required. -Excellent written and verbal communication skills is required. - Experience in producing high quality written reports is required. - Knowledge of the UNCCD and/or the other Rio Conventions will be an asset.

Languages

- Fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Additional Information

Only individuals who can act as independent, individual economical operators are qualified to apply. Individuals who can provide their services only on account of an institution or enterprise are not eligible under this procedure. Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations Secretariat and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultant and individual contractor is responsible for determining tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. For remote consultancies, the selected candidate will be required to have a laptop or desktop PC (with Windows 11 or newer) or Mac (with the latest MacOS update), as well as a reliable, high-speed internet connection. An Office 365 license will be provided by the UNCCD to enable the candidate to access official emails, SharePoint, OneDrive and other office applications, such as Word and Excel. Further computer requirements: An antivirus application which receives regular updates; Browsers must be a newer version with regular updates enabled; Regular Windows 11 updates should be enabled with Windows laptop or PC. In addition, a mobile phone will be required to enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) through SMS or the Authenticator App.

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.