Result of Service

Evaluation of the Development Account COVID-19 Joint Short-Term 2023X: Transport and trade connectivity in the age of pandemics will have achieved the following results:

* Assessed results and established the link between achievents and activities of the intervention

* Assessed the response delivery and external coordination based on the OIOS COVID-19 response evaluation protocol, including the extent of gender, human rights and disability mainstreaming

* Identified good practices and lessons learned from the project that could feed into and enhance the implementation of related interventions. Work Location

Home Based

Expected duration

28/11/22 - 31/07/23 Duties and Responsibilities

This TOR is for a consultant who will act as an Evaluation Team Leader to conduct an independent evaluation of Development Account COVID-19 Short-Term Joint Project 2023X: Transport and trade connectivity in the age of pandemics, which is jointly implemented by UNCTAD and five Un regional commissions respectively for Africa (ECA), Europe (ECE), Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and Western Asia (ESCWA).
This evaluation will constitute a terminal evaluation of the Project which started in May 2020 and ended in June 2022, covering all phases, clusters and activities. Terminal evaluations are mandatory for all Development Account-funded projects with a value above $ 1 million. The primary intended users of the evaluation are the management of the implementing entities. The evaluation will also provide accountability to project beneficiaries and member States. Furthermore, the evaluation will form a key input to the programme-level evaluation of the Development Account's response to COVID-19 whose results will be presented to the General Assembly, through the biennial progress report on the implementation of the Development Account.

The main purpose of the evaluation will be to support accountability for results and to enable learning. The evaluation is expected to address the evaluation questions in the Terms of Reference for the evaluation, which falls under the following eight criteria: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, coherence, gender, human rights and disability.

The evaluation will be a transparent and participatory process involving the Project's implementing entities and key stakeholders. It will be conducted base on gender and human rights principles and adhere to the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG)Norms and Standards for Evaluation.

The evaluation will apply a mixed-method design, including a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis to inform findings. The tentative methodology for the evaluation includes but not limited to: (1) A desk review of project documents; (2) Questionnaires (in appropriate languages) to relevant stakeholders in countries participating in a sample of project activities; (3) Interviews (including telephone, online or in-person) with key stakeholders; and (4) case study/ies.

The independent final project evaluation will be managed and coordinated by UNCTAD's Independent Evaluation Unit, with the support of an Evaluation Advisory Committee (EAC) that comprises a representative from each of the evaluation units of the partner entities (ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA) and the Evaluation Officer with the Capacity Development Programme Management Office/DESA. The EAC primarily serves a quality assurance function and facilitates support to the Evaluation Teams as necessary.

An Evaluation Reference Group (ERG) consisting of a representative from each UN partner entity (e.g., the DA Focal Point for each entity) and the DA-PMT will review and contribute inputs to key steps in this evaluation such as the TOR and draft final report.

The project Coordination Team will facilitate the Evaluation Team's access to relevant Project documentation and stakeholders; and lead the preparation of a response to the recommendations directed to the participating entities, including an implementation plan.

Under the supervision of the Chief of the Independent Evaluation Unit, the Consultant is expected to participate in briefing and debriefing meetings, discussions, mission travels if applicable; guide and coordinate the team member in their specific work, discuss their findings, conclusions and recommendations and prepare the draft and the final report, consolidating the inputs from the team member(s) with his/her own. More specifically, the Consultant will assume the following responsibilities:

* Initial review of key project document
* Preparation of an inception report with a finalized evaluation scope and focus, evaluation questions and methodology, including information on data sources, sampling and key indicators, stakeholder mapping/analysis, selection of case studies, as well as survey design
* Desk review of remaining Project documents
* Data collection and analysis based on the finalized methodology
* Preparation of an evidence matrix presenting a summary of evidence collected through each data collection method by evaluation question
* Development of a draft evaluation report, based on the template presented in Annex I, for review by the Evaluation Manager, Project Coordination Team, the EAC and the ERG
* Revision/finalization of the evaluation report, including all annexes, based on comments received
* Preparation of a 3-pages summary of the evaluation report and e presentation (PPT) on key findings, conclusions and recommendations
* Presentation of evaluation report and discussions with relevant stakeholders such as Project Coordination Team, DA focal points of participating entities and DA-PMT. Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (Master) in economics, international development, evaluation, or related field.
Experience: At least 15 years of experience in conducting evaluations, preferably on interventions in the areas of trade-related technical assistance and capacity building. Solid understanding of the UN context and the Sustainable Development Goals. Ability to develop clear, realistic, feasible recommendations. Experience in leading complex public policy and/or development programme evaluations. Experience in evaluating COVID-19 response projects is and advantage. Languages

Fluency in oral and written English

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.

This vacancy is archived.

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