UN Women: International Evaluation Consultant, Home-Based, International C at UNDP

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Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

21 Jul, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

22 Apr, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Evaluation design, Gender-responsive evaluation, Human rights-based approach, Stakeholder engagement, Data collection, Qualitative research, Quantitative research, Project management, Report writing, Conflict-affected context analysis, Monitoring and evaluation, Theory of change, Facilitation, Analytical frameworks, Strategic decision-making

Industry

International Affairs

Description

Background: UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Afghanistan remains one of the world’s most complex and protracted crises. Afghan women and girls face severe restrictions on their rights and participation in public life, compounded by humanitarian and economic challenges. UN Women Afghanistan remains committed to supporting Afghan women and girls and ensuring their leadership and participation in all response efforts. The Country Office focuses on five programmatic pillars: (1) Integrated Programming and Localization; (2) Women’s Civil Society; (3) Policy and Research; (4) Economic Resilience and Empowerment; and (5) Coordination, Access and Humanitarian Response. The office operates from Kabul with sub-offices in Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kandahar, and Nangarhar. The Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA) was established on 20 October 2021 to support UN joint programming addressing basic human needs in Afghanistan, complementing ongoing humanitarian efforts. Since 2022, STFA programming has aligned with the UN Transitional Engagement Framework (TEF) strategic priorities 2 and 3, later extended through 30 June 2023. From July 2023, STFA aligned with the UN Strategic Framework for Afghanistan (UNSFA) 2023–2025, which was further extended until 2027. In this context, women-led and women-focused organizations (WLOs) play a catalytic role. Strengthening their institutional and technical capacity and systematically integrating them into humanitarian and basic human needs programming, is therefore critical not only for improving service delivery and accountability but also for advancing localization, social cohesion and gender equality in Afghanistan. The consultant will be reporting to Programme Management Support Manager, and will be supported by Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Specialist who will be the point of contact on the contract and payment issues. This is an re-opening of the position that was advertised before. Candidate who applied earlier will still be considered, and do not need to re-apply Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work Field presence will be required in both the Eastern and Western Regions, with site visits conducted in selected provinces to ensure direct engagement with WLOs, mentoring INGOs, and relevant coordination stakeholders. The evaluation consultant will: * Conduct field visits to selected project sites in the Eastern and Western regions (including provinces where the 14 WLOs operate); * Undertake key informant interviews with WLO leadership and staff, INGO mentors, UN Women, TFMU representatives and other relevant stakeholders; * Facilitate focus group discussions, where feasible, with beneficiaries of seed grant-supported activities; * Particular attention will be paid to assessing institutional changes within the fourteen WLOs, the application of strengthened capacities in seed grant-supported interventions, and the project’s contribution to intended results and alignment with UNSFA priorities. The international consultant will be supported by a national consultant who will be involved in all phases of the evaluation, from the design and development of evaluation tools to data collection, reporting and dissemination of results. The national consultant will accompany the international evaluation consultant for the data collection at the field and support with translation and delivery of the tools. The international evaluation consultant will hold the overall responsibility for the design and implementation of the evaluation. S/he will be responsible for the production and timely submission of all expected deliverables in line with the Terms of Reference (ToR). The duration of the assignment/consultancy is 40 working days (over a period of two months) after signing of contract. Days are inclusive of travelling, field work and reporting. Below is the evaluation phases Inception phase (Evaluation Team responsible – 10 days) * Conduct a desk review of past reports, the project results framework, project activity documentation produced by UN Women and other documents including the baseline and the monitoring mission reports. * Develop a methodology for the evaluation, evaluation matrix, sampling frame, data collection tools and ethical protocol. * Finalize the stakeholder analysis. * Review the existing TOC and reconstruct (based on consultations / workshop with the programme staff). * Develop relevant qualitative and quantitative data collection tools. * Conduct an inception workshop/consultation with the Evaluation Reference Group (key project stakeholders) (PowerPoint presentation). * Prepare a draft inception report to be shared with the EMG and ERG and finalize upon receiving feedback. Data collection and analysis phase (Evaluation Team responsible – 20 days) * Data Collection and preliminary analyses. * Debriefing with the UN Women Afghanistan Office after field visit. * Preliminary findings - validation meeting with Evaluation Reference Group (key stakeholders) on preliminary findings, conclusions and recommendations (PowerPoint presentation). Reporting phase (Evaluation Team responsible – 10 days) * Develop a draft report as per UN Women GERAAS quality checklist for evaluation reports * Finalize the report with feedback from key stakeholders (minimum 2-3 rounds of review will be required). * Track all comments received and the evaluation team response for transparency. The evaluation will be commissioned by the UN Women Afghanistan Country Office and conducted by an evaluation team comprising one international consultant (team leader) and one national consultant. The consultants will be supervised by the Programme Management Support Manager and will work in close collaboration with the Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Specialist. Evaluation Management Group (EMG): An Evaluation Management Group (EMG) will oversee the evaluation process. The EMG will be chaired by the Programme Management Support Manager and will include representatives from UN Women Afghanistan Country Office and the Trust Fund Management Unit (TFMU). The EMG will provide overall oversight, review key deliverables (inception report, draft and final report), and ensure alignment with STFA priorities and UN Women evaluation standards. Technical Quality Assurance: The UN Women Regional Evaluation Specialist will provide technical guidance and quality assurance to ensure compliance with UNEG Norms and Standards and UN Women evaluation requirements. Evaluation Reference Group (ERG): An Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) will be established with representatives from key stakeholders, including UN agencies, CSOs, and donors. The ERG will be consulted on the inception report, preliminary findings, and draft report to ensure participation and validation of results. The international consultant will lead the overall evaluation design, analysis, and reporting, while the national consultant will provide contextual expertise and support data collection, stakeholder consultations, and coordination within Afghanistan. Administrative and Logistical Support: The UN Women Afghanistan Country Office will support the evaluation by providing the consultants with access to relevant project documentation and information. This will include project documents, donor reports, proposals, meeting minutes, training reports, mission reports, and monitoring data. A detailed list of documents will be shared with the evaluation team during the inception phase. The UN Women Afghanistan Country Office will also provide logistical and administrative support, including facilitating communication between the evaluation team and senior management, project staff, and key stakeholders, as well as supporting travel arrangements and other logistical requirements necessary for the successful implementation of the evaluation. Deliverables The evaluation is expected to be conducted within 8 weeks from the date of contract signature. The evaluation consultant will deliver the following outputs: No. Deliverable Description Timeline (from contract signing) 1 Inception Report and presentation (with all feedback integrated until cleared) Refined evaluation methodology, evaluation matrix, detailed data collection tools (KIIs/FGDs), stakeholder engagement plan, risk mitigation approach, and detailed fieldwork plan. (10 Days) 2 Fieldwork Completion & Debrief Completion of desk review and field data collection (Eastern & Western Regions). Submission and presentation of preliminary findings (PowerPoint) to UN Women, TFMU, and relevant stakeholders. (15 Days) 3 Draft Final Evaluation Report and presentation Comprehensive draft report (max 50 pages excluding annexes), structured according to agreed ToR format and OECD-DAC criteria. (10 Days) 4 Final Evaluation Report Final revised report (not more than 25 pages) incorporating stakeholder feedback including to the STFA Steering Committee. Includes executive summary, findings, conclusions, lessons learned, recommendations, and annexes (evaluation matrix, tools, stakeholder list, etc.). (5 Days) Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel This is a home-based consultancy. As part of this assignment, there will be a maximum of three trips to 1 trip each to Kabul, Herat and Jalalabad in Afghanistan. Competencies : Core Values: * Integrity; * Professionalism; * Respect for Diversity. Core Competencies: * Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues; * Accountability; * Creative Problem Solving; * Effective Communication; * Inclusive Collaboration; * Stakeholder Engagement; * Leading by Example. Please visit this link [https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf] for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: Functional Competencies: * Demonstrated ability to apply gender-responsive and human rights-based evaluation approaches (HRBA), including integration of gender equality, inclusion, and LNOB principles * Strong expertise in evaluation design and methodology, including theory-based approaches, mixed methods, and robust analytical frameworks * Ability to assess programme performance using OECD/DAC criteria and link findings to results-based management and strategic decision-making * Proven skills in stakeholder engagement and participatory evaluation methods, including facilitation of KIIs, FGDs, and validation workshops * Strong understanding of fragile and conflict-affected contexts, including localization, humanitarian–development nexus, and socio-political dynamics * Ability to ensure ethical and high-quality evaluation processes, including adherence to UNEG standards and production of clear, actionable, GERAAS-compliant reports IV. Required Qualifications: Education and Certification: * Master’s degree in the field of relevance for the evaluation (i.e. Social Sciences, Gender Equality, Evaluation, international affairs). * A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience: * At least 7 years of work experience in leading or conducting evaluations, particularly gender-responsive evaluations is required. * Proven experience of including gender analysis and human-rights based data collection approaches in gender responsive evaluations is required. * Knowledge of the role of UN Women or the UN system and its programming, coordination, and normative roles at the regional and/or country level is desirable. * Experience working in conflict countries is required. * Working in the Asia and the Pacific region is desirable. Languages: * Language proficiency in English required. * Knowledge of Dari/Pashto is desirable. Statements : In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment. Diversity and inclusion: At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need. If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application. UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.) Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.

Responsibilities

The consultant will lead the evaluation of UN Women Afghanistan's programmatic pillars, focusing on institutional changes within women-led organizations. Responsibilities include designing the evaluation methodology, conducting field visits, facilitating stakeholder interviews, and producing comprehensive evaluation reports.