National Evaluation Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women is an organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, established to eliminate discrimination against women and girls. It operates globally, focusing on various aspects of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security. UN Women aims to enhance organizational accountability and provide evidence-based information for decision-making, contributing to learning on gender equality and women's empowerment. The organization evaluates its work through the Independent Evaluation Service (IES), which conducts evaluations to inform programming and strategic decision-making. The EmPower Programme, a joint initiative with UNEP, addresses gender inequality and climate change in the Asia and Pacific region, funded by several governments with a budget of USD 25 million. The program aims to promote gender-responsive climate action and strengthen regional collaboration, particularly in countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Job Overview:
The National Evaluation Consultant will work closely with the evaluation team leader to conduct an interim evaluation of the EmPower Programme. This role involves collaboration with various stakeholders, including the Regional Evaluation Specialist and the Monitoring and Evaluation Analyst of the Country Office. The consultant will be responsible for reviewing relevant documents, developing an inclusive evaluation methodology, and ensuring cultural sensitivity in data collection tools. The consultant will also lead interviews and focus group discussions, analyze evaluation data, and contribute to the final synthesis report. The position requires home-based work with domestic travel within Bangladesh, and the consultant must connect with the team during Asia and Pacific working hours via online platforms. The evaluation aims to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of the EmPower Programme's multi-country model and provide evidence-based recommendations for future programming.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant's duties include reviewing strategic notes, project documents, and monitoring reports to identify relevant evaluation efforts. They will contribute to developing an inclusive evaluation methodology tailored to the program area and translate data collection tools into local languages. During the data collection stage, the consultant will support and lead interviews, focus group discussions, and consultations, ensuring adherence to ethical guidelines. They will capture results, challenges, and learning pertinent to the evaluation topic and provide translation support as necessary. In the reporting stage, the consultant will provide substantive inputs to the final synthesis report and support case studies. Additional tasks may be assigned by the supervisor as needed. The consultant will also ensure proper storage of data and maintain confidentiality throughout the evaluation process.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master's degree or equivalent in Gender, Development Studies, International Affairs, or similar fields. Alternatively, a first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. The consultant should have at least five years of progressively responsible work experience in evaluation, research, or assessment related to gender equality and women's empowerment (GEWE), specifically in Bangladesh. A strong understanding of GEWE issues in Bangladesh, including gender-responsive governance and women's economic empowerment, is essential. The consultant should demonstrate analytical skills, a strong drive for results, and the ability to work independently. Excellent English communication and writing skills are required, and working knowledge of Bengali (Bangla) is an added advantage.

Educational Background:
A Master's degree or equivalent in Gender, Development Studies, International Affairs, or similar fields is required for this position. Candidates with a first-level university degree and additional qualifying experience may also be considered. This educational background is crucial for understanding the complexities of gender issues and the development sector, which are central to the role of the National Evaluation Consultant.

Experience:
The position requires at least five years of progressively responsible work experience in evaluation, research, or assessment related to gender equality and women's empowerment, particularly in the context of Bangladesh. Candidates should have a proven track record of working on gender equality and women's rights issues, demonstrating strong knowledge and understanding of the challenges and opportunities in this field. Experience in facilitating communication and collaboration with diverse stakeholders is also essential, as is familiarity with UN programming principles and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory for this position, as the consultant will be required to communicate effectively in both written and spoken forms. Additionally, proficiency in Bengali (Bangla) is highly desirable, as it will facilitate communication with local stakeholders and enhance the consultant's ability to conduct interviews and focus group discussions in the local context.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy is home-based, with domestic travel required within Bangladesh. The consultant will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures, including ethical guidelines for data collection and confidentiality. The evaluation process will follow the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) Guidelines, ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness. The consultant's performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of services delivered. No daily subsistence allowance (DSA) will be paid at the duty station, which is considered Dhaka. If unforeseen travel outside the duty station is required, UN Women will cover the expenses, and the consultant will receive a per-diem not exceeding the United Nations daily subsistence allowance rate.