Result of ServiceAn assessment of the current indicators for national reporting on the strategic objectives of the 2018–2030 UNCCD Strategic Framework against criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, gender responsiveness and measurability. Findings in the assessment report will support the work of the IWG-FSF and serve as a reference for the development of a future monitoring framework. Work LocationHome based Expected durationJuly until October 2025. Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground: Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking the environment and development to sustainable land management. The vision of the UNCCD and its 197 Parties is to realize “a future that avoids, minimizes, and reverses desertification/land degradation and mitigates the effects of drought in affected areas at all levels – and to achieve a land degradation-neutral world consistent with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” The objective of the Convention is to support countries and communities with the rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable management of land and water resources, leading to improved living conditions. The implementation of the Convention is steered through the UNCCD 2018-2030 strategic framework which includes five strategic objectives and an implementation framework. Progress is periodically assessed through the UNCCD national reporting process, based on an agreed set of indicators. Since the adoption of the UNCCD 2018-2030 strategic framework, country Parties have submitted reports twice — in 2018 and 2022. The next reporting cycle is scheduled for 2026. There are seventeen indicators used for reporting, as adopted by Parties in decisions 7/COP.13, 11/COP.14 and 4/COP.16, including: proportion of degraded land (i.e. SDG indicator 15.3.1) and its sub-indicators (i.e. land cover, land productivity and soil organic carbon stocks); exposure of population to land degradation; drought hazard, exposure and vulnerability; poverty, water access and biodiversity related indicators; as well as indicators of financial and non-financial resources dedicated to supporting the implementation of the Convention. Reporting is facilitated through the provision of default data from global data sources, with free and open Earth Observation data underpinning many of the indicators. In decision 4/COP.16, Parties decided to establish an Intergovernmental Working Group on the Future Strategic Framework of the Convention (IWG-FSF), within the scope and mandate of the Convention, to: (a) Identify key elements for a post-2030 UNCCD strategic framework, building on lessons learned, as contained, inter alia, in the report of the Intergovernmental Working Group to Oversee the UNCCD 2018–2030 Strategic Framework Midterm Evaluation Process, and its follow-up; (b) Conduct a thorough analysis of current indicators for national reporting on the strategic objectives of the 2018–2030 UNCCD Strategic Framework with a view to making them more responsive for a post-2030 strategic framework of the Convention, while ensuring that future methodologies are feasible, simple to understand and within the capacities of Parties. In this regard, the purpose of this consultancy is to conduct an assessment of the current indicators for national reporting on the strategic objectives of the 2018–2030 UNCCD Strategic Framework to inform the work of the IWG-FSF. Duties and Responsibilities: Under the overall responsibility of the Science, Technology and Innovation Unit Chief, and the direct supervision of an assigned Programme Officer, the consultant will conduct an assessment of the current indicators for national reporting to inform the work of the IWG FSF. More specifically, the consultant will: 1. Familiarize him/herself with the UNCCD indicator and monitoring framework and with the results from the 2018 and 2022 UNCCD reporting processes; 2. Prepare an inception report for the assessment process, presenting the objectives and scope of the assessment, the methodology to be used, and a detailed and scheduled plan for the work to be carried out; 3. Conduct a comprehensive desk review of the current indicators based on relevant documentation and information (online or printed). Relevant review materials may include, among others: a) COP decisions; b) official documents from the sessions of the COP and its subsidiary bodies, especially those containing the analysis of the results of the 2018 and 2022 UNCCD reporting process; c) the report of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Midterm Evaluation of the UNCCD 2018–2030 Strategic Framework; d) the independent assessment for the Midterm Evaluation of the UNCCD 2018–2030 Strategic Framework; e) the final report of the external assessment of the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface; f) methodological documents for reporting; g) peer-reviewed scientific publications; h) as well as other relevant grey literature. 4. Design and conduct an electronic survey to gather information and views from national representatives to the UNCCD and other stakeholders (e.g. UNCCD technical partners), complementing and supplementing the outcomes of the desk review and of previous surveys undertaken as part of the Midterm Evaluation of the UNCCD 2018–2030 Strategic Framework. 5. Apply a structured evaluation approach to conduct a qualitative assessment of each indicator in the UNCCD monitoring framework using a set of criteria defined by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (i.e. OECD/DAC criteria), including: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability. Furthermore, each indicator will be assessed against additional criteria related to gender responsiveness and measurability. 6. Conduct a further assessment of the set of indicators as a whole against the mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive (MECE) principle, as a framework to evaluate its logical structure and comprehensiveness for monitoring desertification/land degradation and drought processes. 7. Prepare a preliminary report based on the outcomes of the assessment, to be presented at the first meeting of the IWG-FSF, tentatively in September 2025, for their review. 8. Prepare a final assessment report which incorporates any comment and recommendation from the IWG-FSF, to inform the subsequent activities of the group and serve as a reference for the development of a future monitoring framework. 9. Present the key findings of the final assessment report to Parties at the 23rd session of the Committee for the review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23), which will be held in Panama from 1-5 December 2025. Qualifications/special skills- Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in natural/environmental science, geography, statistics, economics and development studies or related discipline is required. - A minimum of ten (10) years of work experience in programme design, monitoring, and evaluation, especially in international development or policy contexts, is required. - Proven experience in identifying, applying and/or assessing sustainable development and /or environmental indicators is required. - Proven track record of developing well written, high-quality technical reports, assessments or scientific publications pertinent to the above disciplines is required (citation and, if available, hyperlink to at least at least three technical reports and/or publications in the relevant area should be provided as part of the application). - Ability to analyse data, draw conclusions, and make recommendations is required. - Ability to communicate findings clearly and effectively to stakeholders is required. - Familiarity or basic understanding of the UNCCD or other similar UN Agencies or Institutions would be a strong asset. - Familiarity with the OECD-DAC criteria and their application in evaluations would be an asset; - Strategic thinking, systems thinking and familiarity with the Theory of Change approach would be an asset; - Familiarity with results-based management (RBM) and logical frameworks would be an asset; - Knowledge of the operational use of Earth Observations for land surface analysis would be an asset; LanguagesFluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of one or more additional UN official language would be an asset. Additional InformationOnly 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 10 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 10 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 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.