NATIONAL CONSULTANT- Adolescent and Youth Sexual Reproductive Health and Right, Mongolia Country Office

Purpose of Consultanancy:

The consultant on Adolescent and Youth SRHR will take role as a member of an evaluation team who will undertake the “Evaluation of the UNFPA`s 6th Country Programme of Assistance to the Government of Mongolia 2017-2021” (CPE) under the guidance of Team leader (International consultant).   

Duration:  The consultant’s work will start in the first week of April, 2020, and continues for 50 working days

The overall objectives of the CPE are to:

1. enhancing the accountability of UNFPA for the relevance and performance of its CP and
2. broadening the evidence base for the design of forthcoming cycle.

The specific objectives are to:

• Provide an independent assessment of the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of UNFPA support and progress towards the expected outputs and outcomes set forth in the results framework of the CP, 
• Provide an assessment of the role played by the UNFPA CO in the coordination mechanisms of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), development and national partners, with a view to enhancing the United Nations collective contribution to national development results as well as its ability to respond to national priority needs, while adding value to the country needs, and
• Draw key lessons from past and current cooperation and provide a set of clear and forward-looking options leading to strategic and actionable recommendations in light of SDG 2030 agenda for the   next programming cycle.  

Background:

UNFPA Mongolia is currently implementing its 6^th country programme 2017-2021 (CP6) as per the UNDAF 2017-2021. The programme is in alignment with Mongolia’s Sustainable Development Vision (SDV) 2016-2030, and contributes to the two outcomes of the UNFPA Strategic Plans (SP) 2014-2017 and 2018-2021, utilizing the business model of policy and advocacy for a pink country based on evidence and international knowledge. CP6 aims at achieving the following results:

• SP Outcome 2: Increased priority on adolescents, especially on very young adolescent girls in national development policies and programmes, particularly increased availability of comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health.

• CPD Output 1: Enabling policy and regulatory environment is enhanced for adolescents and youth to benefit from quality sexual and reproductive health services.

• CPD Output 2: Policy environment is improved for the design and implementation of life skills education and comprehensive sexuality education programmes based on human rights and gender equality.
• CPD Output 3: National platforms for youth participation are strengthened and expanded to ensure the voice of adolescents and youth, especially girls, in national laws, policies and programmes.

• SP Outcome 3: Advanced gender equality, women’s and girls’ empowerment, and reproductive rights, including for the most vulnerable and marginalized women, adolescents and youth.

• CPD Output 4: National protection systems are strengthened to address violence against women and girls realizing their sexual and reproductive health and rights, including humanitarian settings.
• CPD Output 5: Multisectoral coordination and response are enhanced to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.

Scope of work:

The evaluation will cover the following two programmatic areas: Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Gender Equality with specific focus on Gender based violence (GBV). Moreover, the evaluation will cover all programmatic interventions planned and implemented during the period from January 2017 to April 2020. Cross-cutting areas such as partnership, resource mobilization and CP communication and advocacy interventions will be covered. The CPD6 has been implemented at the national level, however, individual projects have had specific geographic focus. For example: Telemedicine project on Maternal and Child Health covered all 21 provinces while Integrated Support Programme had specific focus in Umnugobi province. Gender based project has been implemented in 7 provinces and 2 districts of Ulaanbaatar city.  The evaluation will cover the national and sub-national levels (provincial and districts). Therefore, at least 2 provinces and one district of Ulaanbaatar will be selected to measure the extent of implementation of the CPD6 at the sub-national level. Sites will be selected based on the discussion with Evaluation team members.

The evaluation will unfold in phases that are outlined below:

1. Design phase
   
   • Conduct desk review of all relevant documents available at UNFPA headquarters, regional office and country office levels regarding the country programme for the period under assessment: 2017-2020
   • Develop a stakeholder map – The evaluation team will prepare a map of stakeholders relevant to the evaluation and strength of relationship to programme. The mapping exercise will include state, civil-society stakeholders and other development actors including, sister UN agencies and bilateral donors;
   • Review the programme Theory of Change (TOC) – revisit the existing TOC that links planned activities to the intended results of the programme;
   • Develop the evaluation matrix – finalize the evaluation questions, identify related assumptions and indicators to be assessed, and data sources (see CPE Handbook);
   • Develop a data collection and analysis strategy including all data collection tools and protocols as well as a concrete work plan for the field phase, including division of labor;
   • Specify limitations and challenges expected to conduct the evaluation and any mitigation efforts to be taken to overcome these.
   • Share with ERG for discussion and finalization of the design report addressing all comments received.
   • Clearance of the design report by the Regional M&E Advisor and CO Approval of the design report.

At this stage, the evaluators gain an in-depth understanding of both the UNFPA CP and the country context. Evaluation questions are selected and adapted and the most appropriate method of data collection and analysis are proposed. From a sampling framework of comprehensive stakeholder’s map, the evaluators select a sample of stakeholders to interview during the field phase. The methodological approach to sampling will also be described.  

At the end of the design phase, the evaluation team will produce a design report, that will outline the detailed evaluation methodology, criteria, timeframes and the structure of the final report. The design report must include the evaluation matrix, stakeholders map, final evaluation questions and indicators, evaluation methods to be used, information sources, approach to and tools for data collection and analysis, calendar work plan, including selection of field sites to be visited – prepared in accordance with the UNFPA Evaluation Handbook “How to Design and Conduct a Country Programme Evaluation”. The design report should also present the programme intervention cause-and-effect logic linking actual needs, inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes of the programme. The design report needs to be reviewed by the evaluation manager and approved by the Regional M&E advisor before the evaluation field phase commences. With the assistance of the evaluation manager, the evaluators perform these tasks in close cooperation with the UNFPA CO personnel, particularly with a view to: (i) refining the evaluation questions; (ii) consolidating the stakeholders mapping; and (iii) identifying additional documentation.

1. Field phase 

After the design phase, the evaluation team will undertake a three-week collection and analysis of the data required in order to answer the evaluation questions final list consolidated at the design phase. The Country Evaluation Team will collect primary data through individual interviews, group discussions and focus group discussions, and by way of consulting additional documentation. Team will also collect secondary data during the field phase. Towards the end of the field phase, the evaluators analyze and triangulate the collected data and produce a set of preliminary findings, complimented by tentative conclusions and emerging, preliminary recommendations. These provisional evaluation results are presented to the Evaluation Reference Group and the CO staff during a debriefing meeting to be scheduled at the end of the field phase

1. Reporting phase 

During this phase, the Evaluation Team will continue the analytical work initiated during the field phase, taking into account comments made by the CO staff, partners and Evaluation Reference Group under the leadership of  the Evaluation Team Leader.

The evaluators submit a draft final evaluation report to the evaluation manager. The evaluation manager reviews and quality assures draft report; the criteria outlined in the “Evaluation Quality Assessment Grid” will be used to quality assure the report. Upon evaluation manager’s consideration of the draft evaluation report being of adequate quality, the report is shared with the ERG for comments while respecting the independence of the evaluation team in expressing its judgement. Based on the evaluation manager and the reference group’s comments, including comments from the regional M&E adviser, the evaluators proceed with the production of the final evaluation report.

The final report will be cleared by the CO and submitted to the Regional M&E Advisor for approval. The quality of the report will be assessed based on the criteria set out in the Evaluation Quality Assessment grid of the Evaluation Handbook (Annex 6) by the Regional M&E Advisor. Once accepted, the Regional M&E Advisor will submit the final report to EO to conduct the external quality assessment of the evaluation report.

The consultant will work closely with the UNFPA Assistant Representative. The reporting requirements, formats and deadlines will be confirmed during the first briefing session. The overall supervision for the consultant will be provided by UNFPA Assistant Representative.

Expected travel: 

Travel within the city will be required to meet with key stakeholders, such as government, ministries, hospitals, outpatient clinics, academic institutions, accreditation authorities and other relevant organizations. At least two project sites at provincial level are expected to be visited, and travel may happen during weekend.

The selected consultant will be responsible for:

• Covering the Adolescent and Youth SRHR, component of the CPE, 
• Developing the Adolescent and Youth SRHR part of the design report including the evaluation matrix;
• Collecting information, conducting desk reviews of relevant documents and interviews with key stakeholders in the respective area;
• Draft the Adolescent and Youth SRHR part of the 1st and 2nd drafts and the final evaluation report that meets all of UNFPA’s evaluation quality standards;

Qualifications and requirements

Master’s Degree in health sciences, including public health;

At least 10 years of previous experience in conducting evaluations, especially in the field of development aid for UN agencies and/or other international organizations evaluations;

Specialization and significant experience in the area of sexual reproductive health and rights;

Familiarity with UN and/or UNFPA mandate and activities;

Excellent management skills and ability to work with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams;

Excellent analytical, communication and writing skills;

Fluency in English is required.

The application should include:

Completed and signed UN personal history form-P11 which is available above (Supplemented with CV, scanned copy of Diplomas and Certificates, and National ID).

Brief description of the approach to work

Price offer using the Price quotation form which available above (the price offer is subject to negotiation by UNFPA should it exceed allowed threshold)

The post is advertised for Mongolian nationals only.

Contact person: B.Tsetsenbaatar, E-mail: batsuuri@unfpa.org
UNFPA Mongolia Country Office
Floor 4, UN House, UN Street 14, Sukhbaatar District, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 14201
Tel: 976-11-353503, extension 3355