National Consultant to Conduct Evaluation of Sida Programme Support

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women Sudan Country Office (CO) has a long-standing commitment to promoting women’s rights and gender equality, working closely with Sudan’s diverse women’s movement. The momentum generated by the 2018–2019 revolution created an enabling environment for Sudanese women—particularly young women who were at the forefront of demonstrations—to engage in civic action and advocate for reforms. These included demands for peace, equal representation in governance at national and state levels, legal reforms such as the overhaul of family laws, gender mainstreaming in national policies, and the removal of restrictions on women’s mobility. The women’s movement also lobbied for the establishment of a Commission on Women and Gender Equality (CWGE) as part of the transitional constitutional framework.

During the transitional period, UN Women supported women’s participation in peace processes, including the Juba Peace Talks (2019–2021), by providing technical assistance and facilitating safe spaces for women to consolidate and advocate for their priorities. UN Women also contributed to strengthening gender mainstreaming within government institutions through the deployment of gender experts in key ministries.

Following the October 2021 military coup and subsequent political processes supported by UNITAMS, IGAD, and the African Union, women continued to play a critical role in peace and governance processes. They contributed to engendering the Political Framework Agreement, drafting gender-sensitive constitutional provisions, and advocating for inclusive governance arrangements.

Since the outbreak of conflict on 15 April 2023, Sudanese women’s groups and organizations have mobilized in unprecedented ways, calling for an end to the war, accountability for conflict-related sexual violence, and leading humanitarian responses under extremely constrained conditions. Despite displacement and insecurity, women’s networks have remained active through virtual and cross-border coordination.

In response to the evolving context, UN Women Sudan CO has adapted its programming to sustain support for women’s leadership, protection, participation, and economic recovery. Sida has been a key funding partner in enabling this work, contributing to strengthening engagement with the women’s movement, government counterparts, and the UN system, and advancing women’s political participation and gender equality outcomes.

1. Description of the programme

UN Women Sudan, with support from Sida, has implemented the following interventions:

1. Strengthening the Gender Architecture in Sudan (2019-2022). 

This project was a pivotal initiative aimed at establishing effective gender machinery and strengthening the capacity of state institutions during the transitional period. With a total budget of $1,476,360, the initiative forged strategic partnerships with seven ministries, academic institutions—including the University of Khartoum—and women’s movements. Its interventions reached multiple regions, including Eastern, Western, and Blue Nile states, alongside significant engagement in Khartoum, ensuring both national and subnational impact.

Outcome: More women of all ages fully engage with political and economic institutions and in leadership.

Outputs:

1. Enhanced capacities of the key targeted governmental bodies to develop gender responsive legal and admin frameworks.
2. Strengthened gender coordination mechanisms and processes at Federal level: 
3. Women movement strengthened to hold decision makers accountable to constitutional milestones related to gender equality and empowerment of women. 

1. Women influencing the Course of Peace in Sudan: A Leadership and Economic Empowerment Nexus  (2023-2024, prolonged several times, extended until 28 Feb 2026). 

This initiative, with a budget of $1,632,960, aims to empower Sudanese women across different intersectionalities to effectively influence the direction of ending the war and peacebuilding in Sudan.

The project has two interrelated objectives:

1. Strengthening the Women-Led Peace Movement: By enhancing coordination and communication between women in civic and political organizations and those who are displaced, including those in the diaspora and women in hosting communities.
2. Enhancing Livelihood Opportunities: For host communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs) to improve women's well-being, strengthen their economic leadership, and support peace initiatives.

Outcome: A more inclusive, coordinated, and sustainable women movement grounded in nexus of feminism, peace and humanitarianism influences regional and International political and peace processes.

Outputs:

1. Enhanced institutional capacity of women’s organizations (civic and political) and a feminist agenda on peace is developed to effectively advocate for sustainable peace and participate in regional and International political and peace processes. 
2. New forms and modalities of coordination and communication are adopted by women’s groups and their coordinated peace efforts are systematically reflected in media forums (at local, regional and international level).
3. Access to livelihood for women from hosting communities and displaced women is enhanced, income is generated and their participation in peace initiatives is strengthened. 
4.  Empowerment through Nexus: Women leading Peace and GBV Prevention and Response in Sudan. (2025-2026). 

Building on the “Women Influencing the Course of Peace in Sudan: A Leadership and Economic Empowerment Nexus” project (2023–2024), the new initiative retains the core outcome of fostering a more inclusive, coordinated, and sustainable women’s movement—grounded in the nexus of feminism, peace, and humanitarianism—that influences regional and international political and peace processes. This ensures continuity in advancing women’s leadership and strengthening their mediation and negotiation capacities.

In addition, UN Women Sudan has introduced a dedicated component on gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response. With a total budget of $2,993,587, the project aims to further empower Sudanese women to actively participate in peace processes while addressing GBV, thereby contributing to more inclusive and sustainable peace outcomes.

Outcome 1: A more inclusive, coordinated, and sustainable women movement grounded in nexus of feminism, peace and humanitarianism influences regional and International political and peace processes.

Outputs:

1. Enhanced institutional capacity of women’s organizations (civic and political) to strengthen women’s leadership, skills, capacity, and knowledge on peace related issues at local, regional, and national levels.
2. Established platforms for women mediators, negotiators, providing opportunities/resources for their meaningful participation in peace talks and mediation efforts.
3. Increased inclusive dialogues, forums and engagement that amplify women’s voices at national, regional, and international levels, facilitating their participation in peace process.

Outcome 2: Strengthened Community Response to GBV in Gedaref and White Nile states that will be better equipped with knowledge and resources to effectively prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV), fostering safer environments and promoting resilience and peace, leading to decreased instances of GBV.

 Outputs:

1. Create a conducive environment for GBV survivors to come forward for support, thereby also increasing the use of GBV referral systems made available by UNFPA.
2. Women and girls are better informed on what constitutes GBV and options they have for protecting their rights and where to seek various forms of support.
3. Local communities, young males, male community leaders and aid field workers better sensitized on the issues around GBV, focusing on human rights, the criminal aspects of GBV and potential judicial consequences.

Programme Coverage and Stakeholder Engagement

1. Purpose of the Evaluation

The primary purpose of this evaluation is to assess the overall performance and results of the Sida-supported programme implemented by UN Women Sudan Country Office (CO) from 2019 to date, including its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, impact, and sustainability. The evaluation will generate evidence-based findings on programme achievements and its contribution to advancing gender equality, women’s empowerment, and peacebuilding in Sudan.

The evaluation will support accountability, learning, and decision-making by identifying strengths, gaps, lessons learned, and good practices, and by providing actionable recommendations to strengthen programme implementation and strategic positioning. The findings will also inform future programming, potential multi-year support plans, and broader strategic engagement between Sida and UN Women Sudan CO.

A participatory and inclusive approach will be adopted, involving consultations with key stakeholders and rights holders, including implementing partners (CSOs, women’s movements, academic institutions, and consultants), beneficiaries from selected programme activities, government institutions, regional bodies such as the AU and IGAD, Sida, and relevant UN agencies.

The primary intended users of the evaluation are the programme management team of UN Women Sudan Country Office (CO), UN Women Regional Office (Nairobi), and Headquarters (New York), as well as Sida’s Sudan Team, Sida’s Network for Gender Equality, and Sida’s focal point for UN Women.

In line with UN Women Evaluation Policy, the final evaluation report together with the UN Women management response will be disclosed publicly on the UNW ‘Global Accountability and Tracking of Evaluation Use (GATE) System’ at http://gate.unwomen.org.

1. Evaluation Objectives, Criteria and Key Questions.

4.1 Evaluation objectives

The main objective of this evaluation is to assess the performance and results of the Sida-supported programme implemented by UN Women Sudan Country Office from 2019 to 2026, and to generate evidence-based findings to inform accountability, learning, and future programming with Sida.

The specific objectives of the evaluation are to:

• Assess the relevance of the programme to national priorities and the needs and priorities of women’s organizations and the women’s movement in Sudan, and its responsiveness to the evolving socio-political context.
• Assess the effectiveness of the programme in achieving its intended results, and the sustainability of those results.
• Assess the efficiency of programme implementation, including resource use and delivery modalities.
• Assess the coherence of the programme with other relevant interventions and actors. 
• Assess, where feasible, the programme’s contribution to gender equality, women’s empowerment, and human rights outcomes.
• Generate lessons learned and provide actionable recommendations to inform future programming and potential multi-year support with Sida.

4.2 Evaluation criteria and Key Questions

The evaluation will apply the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria of relevance, coherence, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability as well as the additional criterion of human rights and gender equality by addressing the key evaluation questions identified. At inception stage, the evaluator(s) are expected to develop an evaluation matrix summarizing key questions, indicators, sources of information and methodology to guide the analysis and triangulation.

The evaluation will also, in relevant parts, consider the conclusions and recommendations made during the Portfolio evaluation of UN Women’s work in Sudan, conducted in 2022. 

The indicative evaluation questions of the evaluation are identified below: 

1. Relevance

• How strategic have the programmes been in positioning UN Women within Sudan and the UN system, and how were design and priorities determined? 
• To what extent have key stakeholders been engaged in programme design and implementation? 
• How responsive and adaptable have the programmes been to the evolving context and emerging priorities?

1. Coherence

• How well do the programmes align with and complement national, regional, and partner initiatives on gender equality, in line with UN Women’s comparative advantage?

1. Effectiveness 

• To what extent were planned results achieved, and how effectively did implementing partners deliver the programme, including their relevance, capacity, mandate, and added value? 
• What progress has been made towards the achievement of expected outcomes, and to what extent has the programme contributed to gender equality and women’s empowerment? 
• What broader changes have occurred, and to what extent can these be attributed to the programme? 
• What internal and external factors influenced the achievement or non-achievement of results (what worked and what did not)? 
• Were there any unintended effects of the intervention?

1. Efficiency

• To what extent have programme funds and activities been delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner, and how well do UN Women’s systems, capacities, and processes support efficient implementation?
• How efficiently have programme resources and risks been managed to ensure results, including adaptation to changing contexts, shifts in donor funding, and the use of synergies across programmes?

1. Sustainability

What is the likelihood that the benefits from the Sida programme in Sudan will be maintained and sustained? What, or whose, capacity has been developed to ensure sustainability of efforts and benefits? 

• What is the likelihood that the benefits and results of the programme will be sustained beyond the funding period, including through national ownership, systems, and accountability mechanisms for rights holders?
• To what extent has capacity been developed among relevant stakeholders to sustain results and benefits?

1. Gender Equality and Human Rights

• To what extent have gender and human rights considerations been integrated into the programme design and implementation? 

1. Scope of the evaluation

This evaluation covers the Sida-supported programme implemented by UN Women Sudan Country Office from 2019 to 2026. It assesses all programme components, activities, and results over the full implementation period. Programme interventions across relevant geographical areas in Sudan are included, taking into account access and contextual conditions.

Key stakeholder groups such as programme beneficiaries, women’s organizations, government counterparts, civil society partners, and relevant UN agencies, with engagement depending on access, security, and contextual feasibility.

The assessment focuses on programme performance, results, and contributions to gender equality, women’s empowerment, and peacebuilding, with attention to relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, and sustainability.

During the inception phase, the evaluation team will thoroughly assess the feasibility of the overall evaluation approach, including the scope, methodology, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring that the evaluation is both comprehensive and contextually appropriate.

1. Evaluation methodology

The evaluation will apply the OECD-DAC criteria of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability, as well as human rights and gender equality considerations.

The evaluation will adopt a formative, gender-responsive mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis to ensure a comprehensive assessment of programme performance in a complex and evolving context.

The National Consultant will work under the overall technical leadership of the International Consultant and in close coordination with UN Women Sudan Country Office (CO).

The National Consultant will primarily support contextual analysis, stakeholder engagement, field data collection, and validation of findings.

Responsibilities of the National Consultant:

Inception Phase

• Support desk review of relevant programme documents, evaluation reports, and contextual materials.
• Contribute to the development of the inception report, particularly on contextual analysis, stakeholder mapping, and fieldwork feasibility.
• Provide inputs on access constraints, security considerations, and operational feasibility across different states.

Data Collection Phase

• Support adaptation and contextualization of data collection tools (KIIs, FGDs, surveys).
• Lead data collection at national and sub-national levels, including key informant interviews (KIIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and stakeholder consultations.
• Facilitate access to stakeholders and support field coordination and logistics.
• Ensure ethical data collection practices, including informed consent, confidentiality, and safeguarding, particularly when engaging women, girls, and vulnerable groups, including GBV-affected populations.
• Support remote data collection approaches where field access is constrained.

Data Analysis Phase

• Support organization, transcription (where required), and preliminary analysis of qualitative and quantitative data.
• Contributes to triangulation of findings across multiple data sources.
• Provide contextual interpretation of findings, including social, political, and cultural dynamics relevant to Sudan.

Reporting Phase

• Contribute to draft and final evaluation reports through contextual inputs and field-based evidence.
• Support preparation and facilitation of validation workshops and stakeholder feedback sessions.
• Document key discussions, validation inputs, and emerging findings.
• Contribute to summary products including presentations and briefs (English and Arabic where required).

The International Consultant will lead overall methodology, analytical framework, and report writing, while the National Consultant will ensure contextual grounding, field access, data collection, and stakeholder engagement.

1.  Evaluation Ethics

The evaluation is to be conducted in line with UNEG Norms and Standards for Evaluation, the UNEG Code of Conduct for Evaluations in the UN System, UN Women evaluation guidelines including Evaluation Policy and Evaluation Handbook, GERAAS evaluation report quality checklist, and the UN Women “How To Manage Gender-Responsive Evaluation” handbook. The evaluation will also apply the UNCT SWAP Evaluation Performance Indicator. In line with the UNEG Norms and Standards a management response will be prepared for this evaluation as practical means to enhance the use of evaluation findings and follow-up to the evaluation recommendations. The management response will identify who is responsible, what are the action points and deadlines. The finalized report will be quality-assured through the Global Evaluation Reports Assessment and Analysis System (GERAAS).

1. Evaluation phases and timelines

8.1 Evaluation phases

The evaluation process is divided into five phases: 

1. Preparation: Structuring the evaluation approach, preparing the Terms of Reference, compiling programme documentation, and selecting the consultants.
2. Inception: Stakeholder analysis, reconstruction of the theory of change, inception meetings, and finalization of the evaluation methodology.
3. Data Collection and Analysis: Desk review, preparation and implementation of fieldwork, and stakeholder consultations. A debriefing session with UN Women will be conducted to share initial observations and identify data gaps.
4. Data Analysis and Synthesis: Interpretation of findings and drafting of the evaluation report.
5. Dissemination and Follow-up: Presentation of findings and contribution to the development of a Management Response by UN Women.

The evaluation will be conducted by a team comprising an International Consultant (team lead) and a National Consultant. The National Consultant will contribute to all phases of the evaluation, with primary responsibility for fieldwork, stakeholder engagement, contextual analysis, and validation of findings. Please refer to UN Women Evaluation Handbook.

Inception phase: The National Consultant will support the desk review process, contribute to stakeholder mapping, and provide inputs on contextual, logistical, and access considerations. The consultant will also support the refinement of data collection tools and methodologies to ensure they are contextually appropriate.

Data collection phase: The National Consultant will play a lead role in facilitating and conducting data collection at national and sub-national levels, including interviews, focus group discussions, and stakeholder consultations. The consultant will support access to key stakeholders and ensure inclusive engagement of target groups across programme locations.

Data analysis and synthesis phase: The National Consultant will contribute to the analysis and interpretation of findings by providing contextual insights and supporting data triangulation. The consultant will also contribute inputs to the drafting of the evaluation report.

Dissemination Phase:

The National Consultant will support the organization and facilitation of validation and dissemination workshops, including documentation of feedback and stakeholder inputs.

The International Consultant will lead the overall evaluation design, methodology, and reporting process, including the evaluability assessment and finalization of deliverables. The National Consultant will support this process by ensuring that contextual realities, including access constraints, cultural sensitivities, and language considerations, are adequately reflected.

Where constraints such as limited access to certain locations arise, the National Consultant will support the identification of alternative data collection approaches, including remote methods, while ensuring the credibility and reliability of findings.

1. Evaluation Timeframe

The National Consultant is expected to contribute to the evaluation over 30 working days within a four-month period, aligned with the overall evaluation timeline led by the International Consultant. The assignment will commence upon contract signature and will follow the phases of the evaluation process.

The National Consultant will support key activities across all phases as follows:

Inception Phase

• Participation in Inception Meeting (Week 1)
• Contribution to Draft Inception Report (Week 2)

Support to finalization of Inception Report (Week 3)

Data Collection Phase

• Support and conduct fieldwork, stakeholder consultations, and interviews (Weeks 4–7)
• Participation in debriefing session with UN Women

Reporting Phase

• Contribution to Post Data Collection Workshop (Weeks 8–9)
• Inputs to Draft Evaluation Report (Week 10)
• Support to Recommendation Workshop (Week 11)
• Contribution to Final Report (Week 12)
• Support to Final Validation Presentation (Week 12)

1. Evaluation Governance and Management

The evaluation will be a consultative, inclusive, and participatory process and will be guided by a two-tier management structure consisting of an Evaluation Management Group (EMG) and an Evaluation Task Manager (ETM).

UN Women will establish an Evaluation Management Group (EMG), supported by the Evaluation Task Manager (ETM), the M&E Officer, who will lead the day-to-day coordination of the evaluation process. The EMG will oversee evaluation management, make key decisions, and ensure quality assurance of all deliverables. The EMG will comprise the National Programme Specialist, the M&E Officer, and the Regional Evaluation Specialist.

The EMG is the key accountable body that will endorse the evaluation report and lead the development of the Management Response (MR) to address evaluation recommendations. Its responsibilities include:

• Reviewing and endorsing key evaluation deliverables, including the inception report and final evaluation report
• Leading the development of the Management Response in coordination with relevant staff
• Endorsing the Management Response, which will be made publicly available in the UN Women Global Accountability and Tracking of Evaluation (GATE) system

To ensure inclusiveness and comprehensive stakeholder engagement, UN Women will also establish an Evaluation Reference Group comprising UN Women staff, duty bearers, right holders, development partners/donors, UN Country Team representatives, and civil society organizations. Members will be selected based on a stakeholder analysis.

The National Consultant will not be a member of the governance structures (EMG or Reference Group) but will work under the overall guidance of the EMG and the technical leadership of the International Consultant. The National Consultant will provide technical input and contextual support to inform the evaluation process, as required.

1. Expected deliverables

DeliverablesDelivery datePayment schedule

The evaluation will be conducted by an international and national evaluation team, ensuring an appropriate mix of evaluation expertise, contextual knowledge, and thematic expertise in gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Competencies :

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Strong facilitation and communication skills, including experience in conducting interviews, focus group discussions, and field-level data collection
• Experience supporting evaluations or research assignments using qualitative and quantitative methods
• Good understanding of gender equality, women’s empowerment, and human rights issues in Sudan
• Strong contextual knowledge of Sudan’s political, social, and cultural environment
• Experience working with civil society organizations, women’s groups, and local stakeholders
• Strong reporting and documentation skills (field notes, transcripts, summaries)
• Ability to work effectively in a team under the guidance of an international consultant
• Ability to support timely delivery of high-quality evaluation inputs.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in gender/women studies, sociology, international development, or related area, with additional two years’ experience 
• At least 5 years of relevant work experience preferably in the area of monitoring, evaluation or research on gender equality, women’s empowerment and human rights in Sudan
• Process management skills, including facilitation and communication skills with stakeholders 
• Knowledge of the role of UN Women or the UN system and its programming, coordination, and normative roles at country level is an asset. 
• Fluent in English, and Arabic both written and spoken is mandatory . 

Statements :

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.