Evaluation Specialist for the Evaluation of the UNEP Sub-Programme on Chemicals and Pollution Action (2015-2023)

Result of Service

The Evaluation Team will submit a concise evaluation report.

Work Location

Home-Based with field visits

Expected duration

12 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

ORGANIZATIONAL 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 Director of the Evaluation Office and the Evaluation Officer managing the evaluation. THE UNEP SUB-PROGRAMME ON CHEMICALS AND POLLUTION ACTION (2015 - 2023). Chemicals and waste are integral to our everyday life, but they also have major impacts on the environment and human health. As the world’s population approaches 8 billion, the sound management of chemicals and waste intensifies, aligning closely with UNEP's mission to safeguard the environment and human well-being. Hence, since 2015 UNEP’s strategy has focused on collaborating with partners and countries to manage chemicals, waste, and pollution in an integrated manner through assessments, monitoring, and guidance on best use, management, and disposal to catalyze transformative change, through the Sub-Programme on Chemicals and Pollution Action (SP-CPA) previous known as Chemicals and Waste Sub-Programme. 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, buy reviewing UNEP work related to Chemicals and Pollution Action from 1 January 2015 up to 31 December 2023 Programme of Work (PoW) (PoW 2014/2015, 2016/17, 2018/19, 2020/2021 and 2022/2023) against standard evaluation criteria (relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability, and impact). THE EVALUATION TEAM. The Evaluation will be managed by the Evaluation Office of UNEP. The Evaluation Manager will provide guidance on the overall evaluation approach and quality assure the evaluation deliverables. (S)he will ensure coordination and liaison with all concerned units and other key agencies and stakeholders. The Evaluation Office will be ultimately responsible for the final evaluation report and for its formal presentation to the UNEP audience. The core Evaluation Team will consist of two external Evaluation Consultants (Principal Evaluator and Evaluation Specialist, respectively) supported by two Evaluation Office staff members, (one of whom will be the 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 the Evaluation Specialist: The Evaluation Specialist will carry out the Systematic Review of existing project evaluations from the sub-programme and contribute to the overall preparation of the evaluation report. A more detailed allocation of responsibilities between the Principal Evaluator and the Evaluation Specialist will be specified in the inception report. More Specifically the Evaluation Team will: • Inception phase of the evaluation, including: o Map out the projects in the SP-CPA portfolio and assess how they contribute to the PoW (2014/2015, 2016/17, 2018/19, 2020/2021 and 2022/2023) results and indicators. Identify the projects that have the greatest impact on each subprogramme's indicators; o Get the list of project preliminary desk review and introductory interviews with project staff; o draft the reconstructed Theory of Change of the SP-Chemicals and Pollution Action; o prepare the evaluation framework; o develop the desk review and interview protocols; o draft the survey protocols (if relevant); o develop and present criteria for selection of Chemicals and Pollution Action initiatives for in-depth study; o plan the evaluation schedule; o prepare the Inception Report, incorporating comments until approved by the Evaluation Manager. • Data collection and analysis phase of the evaluation, including: o conduct further desk review and in-depth interviews with project implementing and executing agencies, project partners, and project stakeholders; o regularly report back to the Evaluation Manager on progress and inform of any possible problems or issues encountered and; o keep the Evaluation Manager informed of the evaluation progress and engage the Sub-Programme Coordinator of Chemicals and Pollution Action in discussions on emerging findings throughout the evaluation process. • Reporting phase, including: o 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; o 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; o 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. • Managing relations, including: o 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; o communicate in a timely manner with the Evaluation Manager on any issues requiring its attention and intervention. The Evaluation Specialist shall have had no prior involvement in the formulation or implementation of the Sub-Programme during the period being reviewed from 2015 to 2023 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 the Evaluation Specialist separately.

Qualifications/special skills

A 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. 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; Advanced knowledge and experience in the following fields desirable: • Chemicals, waste, and air quality; • Chemicals and pollution related Multilateral Environmental Agreements, regional and national policy processes; • Change management; • UN policy work and country support; • The UN system, in particular UNEP and partner agencies of the SP-CPA; • Programme and project management; • Partnerships development, including with the private sector, and knowledge management.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English is a requirement.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.