Result of ServiceThe Evaluation Team will submit a concise evaluation report. Work LocationHome-Based with field visits Expected duration12 Months Duties and ResponsibilitiesORGANIZATIONAL 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 Headquarters in the Evaluation Office which reports directly to the Executive Director. The consultant reports to the Officer-in-Charge of the Evaluation Office and the Evaluation Officer managing the evaluation. UNEP SUBPROGRAMME ON NATURE ACTION (2014-2024) Three interconnected crises, climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, are putting our economic and social well-being at risk, while undermining opportunities to reduce poverty, and improve lives and livelihoods. Furthermore, they also risk irreversibly changing our relationship with the natural world. Nature underpins the functions and health of the planet and thereby the existence and health of humankind. Living in harmony with nature means “maintaining ecosystem services, sustaining a healthy planet and delivering benefits essential for all people”, as well as ensuring that “biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and wisely used” (Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), 2010). The Nature Action Subprogramme was formulated as “living in harmony with nature” whereby “recovery of nature occurs and is contributing positively to human well-being” and achieve three Medium Term Strategy (MTS) outcomes by 2025: • 2025 MTS Outcome 1: An economically and socially sustainable pathways for halting and reversing the less of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity is established. • 2025 MTS Outcome 2: Sustainable management of nature is adopted and implemented in development. • 2025 MTS Outcome 3: Nature conservation and restoration are enhanced. THE EVALUATION. The Evaluation is expected to help UNEP identify key lessons on strategic positioning, portfolio planning, management arrangements and programme implementation that will provide a useful basis for improved sub-programme design, coordination and delivery. The immediate and priority users of the Evaluation are UNEP senior management (including Division and Regional Directors), subprogramme coordinators and all UNEP units and staff involved in the Nature Action SP, the UNEP Committee of Permanent Representatives and UNEA. Interest in the Evaluation is likely to be shown by other stakeholders and partners, including: the UN Secretariat, UN or other international bodies working in the area of Nature Action, commissions and committees, donors, NGOs and civil society groups, research centres and academia, et cetera THE EVALUATION TEAM. The core Evaluation Team will consist of two external Evaluation Consultants (Principal Evaluator and Evaluation Specialist, respectively) supported by a UNEP Evaluation Manager). The Evaluation Team will be responsible for the development, research, drafting and finalization of the Evaluation, in close consultation with the Evaluation Manager. Detailed roles and responsibilities related to data collection and analysis and reporting will be agreed upon within the Team and specified in the Inception Report. Specific Responsibilities for Evaluation Specialist: The Evaluation Specialist will carry out systematic review of existing project evaluations from the subprogramme and contribute to the overall preparation of the evaluation report. The Evaluation Team will ensure together that all evaluation criteria and questions are adequately covered. More specifically: Inception phase of the evaluation, including: - preliminary desk review and introductory interviews with project staff; - Identification and articulation of casual pathways underpinning the subprogramme's Theory/ies of Change; - prepare the evaluation framework; - develop the desk review and interview protocols; - draft the survey protocols (if relevant); - develop and present criteria for selection of Nature Action initiatives for in-depth study; - plan the evaluation schedule; - prepare the Inception Report, incorporating comments until approved by the Evaluation Manager 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; - regularly report back to the Evaluation Manager on progress and inform of any possible problems or issues encountered and; - keep the Evaluation Manager informed of the evaluation progress and engage the Global Subprogramme Coordination on Nature Action in discussions on emerging findings throughout the evaluation process. 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(s) and indicating the reason for the rejection. The Evaluation Specialist shall have had no prior involvement in the formulation or implementation of the Subprogramme during the period being reviewed (2014 - 2024)and will be independent from the participating institutions. The consultant will sign the Evaluation Consultant Code of Conduct Agreement Form. The Evaluation Specialist will be selected and recruited by the UNEP Evaluation Office through an individual Special Service Agreement (SSA) consultancy contract. Comprehensive terms of reference will be shared with consultant separately. Qualifications/special skillsA first level university degree in environmental sciences, international development or other relevant political or social sciences area is required. An advanced degree in the same areas is desirable. Experience : A minimum of 10 years of technical / evaluation experience is required, preferably including evaluating large, regional or global programmes and using a Theory of Change approach; A broad understanding of science related to ecosystems management, which include advanced knowledge on: • Integrated ecosystem management; • Multilateral Environmental Agreements, regional and national policy processes • UN policy work and country support; • The UN system, in particular UNEP and partner agencies of the SP-NA; • Strategic management • Programme and project management; • Partnerships development, and knowledge management. Working knowledge of development oriented organizations, nature action, intergovernmental processes and United Nations coordination bodies are an added advantage. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English is a requirement. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE 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.