Principal Evaluator for Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP/GEF Project at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

PROJECT

These 5 projects were formulated in response to the National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) and were developed in line with the GEF-5 Cross-Cutting Capacity Development Strategy. In the context of these projects, the aim was to synergise with existing national baseline projects to enhance, increase or strengthen the capacity of national institutions for the implementation and monitoring of international conventions and environmental management. This was intended to be done by institutionalizing identified tools and practices for environmental information and knowledge management and to use information and knowledge for both policy development and planning as well as for monitoring and evaluating environmental impacts and trends.

The Individual Project Objectives are as follows:

• Afghanistan - The objective of the project is to build Afghanistan’s core capacity to implement NCSA priority actions and International Environmental Conventions in a decentralized manner
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - To enhance capacities of institutions for environmental management in Bosnia and Herzegovina by institutionalizing identified tools and practices for environmental information and knowledge management
• Cameroon - To strengthen institutional capacity in the implementation of international conventions as a follow-up to the National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) Cameroon
• Haiti - To enhance capacities for Haiti to strengthen the Government capacity for decision making in national priority plans with emphasis in forest and coastal-marine ecosystem regeneration
• St. Lucia - To strengthen institutional capacity for the implementation and monitoring of international conventions as a follow-up to the National Capacity Self Assessment (NCSA) of St. Lucia and to better integrate environmental concerns, and the value of ecosystems, into its broader development frameworks
• Synergised Objective - Enhance/increase/strengthen capacity of national institutions for the implementation and monitoring of international conventions and environmental management by institutionalizing identified tools and practices for environmental information and knowledge management (and improving decision making/integrate into wider development frameworks).
• The Principal Evaluator will be responsible, in close consultation with the Evaluation Office of UNEP for overall management of the Evaluation and timely provision of its outputs. The Principal Evaluator will ensure that all evaluation criteria and questions are adequately covered.

Specific Responsibilities for Principal Evaluator:

• The Principal Evaluator will be responsible, in close consultation with the Evaluation Manager, for overall management of the Evaluation and timely provision of its outputs.

The Principal Evaluator will deal with all five projects:

• GEF ID 5017 - Developing Core Capacity for Decentralized MEA Implementation and Natural Resources Management in Afghanistan
• GEF ID 5302 - Capacity Development for the Integration of Global Environmental Commitments into National Policies and Development Decision Making in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• GEF ID 5557 - Developing Core Capacity for MEA Implementation in Haiti
• GEF ID 5060 - Developing Core Capacity for MEA Implementation in Cameroon
• GEF ID 5197 - Increase St. Lucia's Capacity to Monitor MEA Implementation and Sustainable Development

More specifically:

• Inception phase of the Evaluation, including:
• preliminary desk review and introductory interviews with project staff;
• draft the reconstructed Theory of Change of the project;
• prepare the evaluation framework;
• develop the desk review and interview protocols;
• draft the survey protocols (if relevant);
• develop and present criteria for country and/or site selection for the evaluation mission;
• 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;
• (where appropriate and agreed) conduct an evaluation mission(s) to selected countries, visit the project locations, interview project partners and stakeholders, including a good representation of local communities. Ensure independence of the Evaluation and confidentiality of evaluation interviews.
• regularly report back to the Evaluation Manager on progress and inform of any possible problems or issues encountered 
• keep the Project/Task Manager informed of the evaluation progress.

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 and indicating the reason for the rejection; and
• (where agreed with the Evaluation Manager) prepare an Evaluation Brief (2-page summary of the evaluand and the key evaluation findings and lessons)

Managing relations, including:

• maintain a positive relationship with evaluation stakeholders, ensuring that the evaluation process is as participatory as possible but at the same time maintains its independence;
• communicate in a timely manner with the Evaluation Manager on any issues requiring its attention and intervention.

Qualifications/special skills

• Academic Qualifications: A first level (Bachelor's) university degree in environmental sciences, international development or other relevant political or social sciences area is required and an advanced (Master's) 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; and a good/broad understanding of Global Partnerships and Climate Change related issues is desired.
• Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English is a requirement.