International Evaluation Expert (SSAs)

Background:

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe (POiD) in the frame of its Evaluation Plan for 2026, which is guided by the OSCE Evaluation Policy (Administrative Instruction 13/2022) and POiD’s Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) for the execution of the OSCE Evaluation Policy, is planning to conduct a decentralized evaluation of the Economic Unit portfolio, covering a five-year timeframe (2021-2025) with a total budget of EUR 1,183,259.46.

This decentralized evaluation will cover the five annual EU projects implemented between 2021 and 2025. These projects were designed to address persistent economic challenges in Tajikistan related to trade facilitation, investment attraction, customs efficiency, transportation, free economic zone development, women and youth empowerment, stakeholder engagement, institutional capacity building, and public service effectiveness. The projects drew on Theories of Change, which generally assumed that targeted legislative, institutional, operational and capacity-building support will contribute to strengthened economic resilience and better alignment with international standards.

A thorough evaluation of the portfolio shall be conducted by examining how effectively the projects responded to economic sector improvement needs and how successful its capacity-building efforts have been for state institutions and other project beneficiaries. The results of the evaluation will provide recommendations to guide future interventions, promote the sustainability of achievements, and strengthen overall impact.

OSCE’s Ministerial Council Decisions and Strategies stipulate the need for improved economic integration, enhanced migration management, transport connectivity and digitalization (reference to OSCE Strategy Document for the Economic and Environmental Dimension, MC.GAL/3/03, Ministerial Council Decision on Migration, MC.DEC/2/05, Ministerial Council Decision on Strengthening Good Governance and Promoting Connectivity, MC.DEC/4/16). In line with its mandate, the OSCE POiD continues to advance initiatives that supports key sectors and strengthen the country’s progress toward economic resilience and sustainable growth.

Objective of Assignment: 
The international consultant will:

Serve as Team Leader and lead the design and implementation of an independent, unbiased and impartial evaluation of the Economic Unit activities covering five consecutive years (2021 to 2025). This is theory-based decentralized evaluation, undertaken in accordance with the OSCE Evaluation Policy.

Duration of Assignment:
The duration of the assignment is 40 calendar days.

Tasks and Responsibilities:
Under the overall supervision of the Head of Economic and Environmental Department, the successful candidate will be tasked with the following duties:

1. Conducting initial consultations with the Evaluation Manager and relevant POiD staff to confirm expectations, clarify the scope and agree on practical arrangements;

2. Reviewing key project documents and secondary sources to deepen understanding of the project logic, implementation context and evaluation needs;

3. Developing and finalizing the Evaluation Matrix / Plan, linking each Key Evaluation Question to indicators, judgement criteria, data sources and data collection tools;

4. Preparing draft interview and focus group guides (if applicable), ensuring alignment with evaluation questions, gender considerations, and ethical standards;

5. Identifying and prioritizing stakeholders for structured bilateral consultations, including government institutions, civil society, international partners;

6. Coordinating logistical arrangements with the Evaluation Manager, including access to documents, scheduling of consultations and planning of field visits;

7. Developing the Inception Report, including the refined methodology, final Evaluation Matrix, detailed data collection plan and updated work schedule;

8. Conducting semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, including government institutions (e.g., MEDT, SCISPM, MOT and MoT), public organization/s (IP), OSCE staff, project consultants, and international development partners;

9. Carrying out key informant interviews with strategically positioned or technically specialized individuals to obtain deeper insights on economic sector, including development and resilience as well as strategic documents (Mid-term Development Programme and other strategic documents);

10. Organizing focus group discussions, where appropriate, with relevant groups such as private sector representatives, civil society representatives, women, youth and other under-represented groups;

11. Undertaking direct observation during visits to institutions or activity sites to complement and contextualize other data sources;

12. Reviewing monitoring data, national statistics, international assessments and relevant legislation, integrating desk findings with field evidence;

13. Ensuring gender-responsive and inclusive data collection, including disaggregation of data where feasible and the use of culturally and ethically appropriate engagement practices;

14. Conducting systematic analysis of qualitative and quantitative data using the mixed-methods approach defined in the Inception Report;

15. Triangulating evidence across data sources for each Key Evaluation Question to ensure reliability and validity;

16. Identifying patterns, constraints, contextual factors, emerging impact and sustainability prospects, and distinguish project contributions from external influences;

17. Assessing project performance against the evaluation criteria and Key Evaluation Questions;

18. Developing evidence-based findings, conclusions and actionable recommendations aligned with OSCE quality standards;

19. Preparing the Draft Evaluation Report, including all required annexes (e.g., Evaluation Matrix, tools, stakeholder list);

20. Presenting preliminary findings to POiD and key stakeholders through structured bilateral consultations;

21. Revising the report based on consolidated comments from the Evaluation Manager;

22. Submitting the Final Evaluation Report in line with OSCE reporting requirements;

23. Delivering a presentation (virtual or in-person) for OSCE POiD, national partners and other stakeholders summarizing key findings, lessons and recommendations.

Deliverables:
For more detailed information on the structure and work of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe, please see: https://dushanbe.osce.org/.

Necessary Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s level or higher) in public administration, political science, international development studies, economics, law, evaluation studies or a related field. Equivalent work experience may be considered in the absence of a (relevant) university degree;
• At least 6 years of experience in evaluation, assessment, monitoring or analytical review of programmes for international organizations (OSCE, UN system, EU/EC, OECD, IFIs, bilateral donors);
• At least 6 years of professional experience in project management, programme design and/or proposal development;
• Demonstrated experience leading or contributing to complex, multi-country or multi-stakeholder programme reviews, assessments or evaluations, ideally in economic sector, trade, investment, demographic sphere, or public sector reform;
• Proven expertise applying evidence-based analytical methods, including mixed qualitative and quantitative approaches, data collection, and triangulation;
• Professional experience in preparing project concepts, programme documents, or donor submissions for international funding opportunities;
• Experience applying gender and/or human rights-responsive approaches in evaluations, assessments, or programme reviews;
• Knowledge of international governance, development, or compliance frameworks (e.g., UNEG/OSCE frameworks);
• Experience working in sensitive political environments, transition contexts, humanitarian settings, or risk-governance environments; experience in Central Asia is a strong asset;
• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills, with proven experience producing high-quality analytical, evaluative or assessment reports aligned with international or organizational standards;
• Strong intercultural communication, co-ordination, and facilitation abilities, including experience in working with diverse stakeholders;
• Ability to maintain independence, impartiality and confidentiality, and to exercise sound professional judgment;
• Professional fluency in English with excellent communication (both oral and written) skills; proficiency in Russian or Tajik considered as an asset;
• Demonstrated gender awareness and sensitivity, and an ability to integrate a gender perspective into tasks and activities;
• Ability and willingness to work as a member of team, with people of different cultural, and religious backgrounds, different gender, and diverse political views, while maintaining impartiality and objectivity;
• Computer literate with practical experience using Microsoft applications; familiarity with online collaboration tools is an asset.

Remuneration Package:

Remuneration will be based on the selected consultant's/expert's qualifications, experience, the tasks and deliverables for this position and in accordance with the OSCE established rates. Candidates shall be encouraged to include in their application their financial proposals for the foreseen services.

If you wish to apply for this position, please use the OSCE's online application link found under https://vacancies.osce.org/.

The OSCE retains the discretion to re-advertise/re-post the vacancy, to cancel the recruitment or to offer an appointment with a modified job description or for a different duration.

Only those candidates who are selected to participate in the subsequent stages of recruitment will be contacted.

The OSCE is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious, ethnic and social backgrounds to apply to become a part of the Organization. 

Candidates should be aware that OSCE officials shall conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the status of an international civil servant. This includes avoiding any action which may adversely reflect on the integrity, independence and impartiality of their position and function as officials of the OSCE. The OSCE is committed to applying the highest ethical standards in carrying out its mandate. For more information on the values set out in OSCE Competency Model, please see https://jobs.osce.org/resources/document/our-competency-model.

Please be aware that the OSCE does not request payment at any stage of the application and review process.