United Nations Development Account Evaluation Review Consultant

United Nations Development Account Evaluation Review Consultant

Application deadline: 22 July 2018
Duration of contract: September – December 2018
Location: Home based with a mission to New York

Background
The Development Account (https://www.un.org/development/desa/da/) is a fund for financing capacity development projects implemented by the economic and social entities of the United Nations Secretariat: Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Projects financed from the Development Account support capacity development in developing countries and seek to ensure effective follow-up to the United Nations inter-governmental processes, most recently the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Since the launch of the Development Account twenty years ago, more than 400 projects have been approved out of which approximately 100 projects are currently ongoing. Projects are implemented over a period of 4 years. They serve as an operational extension to the normative and analytical work of the implementing entities and are an important operational vehicle for testing new and innovative development approaches.

External evaluations, conducted at the end of project implementation, are mandatory for all projects. Evaluation has, in the context of the Development Account, primarily been utilized as an accountability tool and less as a tool for learning and reporting. To date, end of project evaluations have been conducted for approximately 200 Development Account projects. There is, thus, a growing body of project evaluation reports available whose findings can be translated into recommendations for improvements in the design, delivery and reporting on achievements of Development Account projects.

Objective of the consultancy
The objective of the consultancy is to review the current Development Account evaluation process based on a meta evaluation and provide recommendations for strengthening the role of evaluation in facilitating learning to improve the design and delivery of the Development Account programme and projects as well as reporting on their achievements.

Duties and responsibilities
Review and analysis of evaluation reports: Review and analyse a sample of Development Account project evaluation reports from a pool of the 100 most recent evaluations. Synthesize the findings, trends, strengths and weaknesses, conclusions and good practices emerging from this meta evaluation to develop constructive lessons learned and recommendations for strengthening the evaluation function and to facilitate drawing lessons learnt from completed projects and reporting on their successes, achievements and results.

Evaluation framework: Based on the review and analysis of evaluation reports propose an evaluation structure to strengthen the usefulness of evaluation beyond an accountability tool, to also be used for feeding lessons learned into future programming cycles and reporting on achievements. The expected output will be a report with a framework for the evaluation function that includes guidelines for project, cluster and programme evaluations. The evaluation framework report should take into consideration all parameters relevant to the Development Account such as the project design, programme architecture, budget, as well as technical and human capacity.

The evaluation review will be conducted through a desk study of relevant reports and documents. The evaluation review will include consultations with Development Account Focal Points, and evaluators in the ten Development Account implementing entities, as well as staff in the Capacity Development Office of DESA. The purpose of these consultations will be on the one hand to understand how Development Account evaluations are conducted and used in the implementing entities and for what purpose, and on the other hand to facilitate inputs from stakeholders on ways to strengthen the evaluation function as a means for organizational learning to improve programming and performance of future projects and reporting on successes, achievements, and results.

Deliverables
It is expected that the duration of this contract will be four full time work months.

Deliverable 1: The evaluation review consultant is expected to submit an Inception report within two weeks after the start of the contract. The draft inception report should include a workplan and methodology for the Review and analysis of evaluation reports as well as a workplan and outline for the Development Account evaluation framework.

Deliverable 2: A draft report from the Review and analysis of evaluation reports is expected to be submitted six weeks after the submission of deliverable 1.

Deliverable 3: A draft Development Account evaluation framework report is expected to be submitted eight weeks after the submission of deliverable 2. This framework will be finalized by the evaluation review consultant based on consultations with the main Development Account stakeholders as elaborated above.

All deliverables will be reviewed by the Development Account Programme Management Team (DA-PMT) in New York and key stakeholders in the implementing entities and should be refined by the evaluation review consultant following possible comments and suggestion.

Payment of the consultancy fee
The evaluation review consultant’s fee will be paid in line with the following schedule and upon acceptance by DA-PMT of the deliverables:

• Upon acceptance of the inception report: 20%
• Upon acceptance of the report from the Review and analysis of evaluation reports: 40%
• Upon acceptance of the Evaluation framework report: 40%.

Required qualifications
Experience: Excellent and proven knowledge of evaluation systems, methodologies and approaches.Proven experience with managing evaluations and analysis of evaluation reports, preferably within UN system. Experience and background in capacity development analysis and socioeconomic project evaluations. Proven practical professional experience in designing and conducting major evaluations. Excellent analytical skills and ability to clearly synthesize and present findings, draw practical conclusions and prepare well-written reports in English is required. Experience in programme/project management highly desirable. Familiarity with the evaluation standards of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) is an asset.

Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent degree) in social sciences, public administration, programme evaluation, or a related field, preferably with emphasis in international affairs and/or development.

Conditions of Service
The evaluator will serve under a consultancy contract as detailed in the applicable United Nations rules and regulations. The evaluator will not be considered as staff member or official of the United Nations, but shall abide by the relevant standards of conduct. The United Nations is entitled to all intellectual property and other proprietary rights deriving from this exercise.

Applying for the consultancy

Paramount consideration will be given to recruiting a consultant with the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard will also be paid to recruiting a consultant from as a wide geographical basis as possible. No restrictions are placed on the eligibility of men and women to apply for this consultancy. Female candidates are encouraged to apply. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their qualifications. The screening and evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted and may for qualified candidates be followed by an interview. Candidates under serious consideration for selection may be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

Applicants are required to submit an expression of interest to undertake the consultancy that include the following:

• Cover letter stating why you are suited for this work, your available start date and work experience (especially evaluation-related);
• Detailed CV;
• Expectations regarding remuneration; and
• A copy of two recent relevant evaluation reports that you have worked on.

Applications with the above details should be sent to cdo@un.org, indicating United Nations Development Account Evaluation Review Consultant in the subject of the email.

The deadline for submitting the applications is at midnight New York time on 22 July 2018.