Principal Evaluator

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the designated entity within the United Nations system for addressing environmental issues at both global and regional levels. Established to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus, UNEP plays a crucial role in keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. The organization operates in numerous countries worldwide, focusing on various environmental challenges and promoting sustainable practices. UNEP's mission is to encourage sustainable development through sound environmental practices, and it works with a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, civil society, and the private sector, to achieve its goals.

Job Overview:
The Principal Evaluator will be responsible for conducting a Terminal Evaluation of a project aimed at increasing resilience to climate change in rural communities of Tanzania. This position requires a comprehensive understanding of the project’s objectives, which include addressing vulnerabilities in rural communities and key economic sectors due to climate change. The evaluator will assess project performance in terms of relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency, and will determine the outcomes and impacts of the project, including sustainability. The evaluation process will involve close collaboration with the Evaluation Manager and other stakeholders, ensuring that the evaluation is thorough, independent, and participatory. The evaluator will be expected to deliver a concise evaluation report within a specified timeframe, including an inception report, draft report, and final evaluation report, all while adhering to UNEP's Evaluation Policy and guidelines.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The Principal Evaluator will undertake several key responsibilities throughout the evaluation process. These include:

• Inception Phase: Conducting a preliminary desk review and introductory interviews with project staff, drafting the reconstructed Theory of Change for the project, preparing the evaluation framework, developing desk review and interview protocols, drafting survey protocols if necessary, planning the evaluation schedule, and preparing the Inception Report for approval.
• Data Collection and Analysis Phase: Conducting further desk reviews and in-depth interviews with project implementing and executing agencies, project partners, and stakeholders. This may involve conducting evaluation missions to selected project sites, ensuring independence and confidentiality during interviews, and regularly reporting progress to the Evaluation Manager.
• Reporting Phase: Drafting the Main Evaluation Report, ensuring coherence and consistency with guidelines, finalizing the report based on feedback, and preparing a Response to Comments annex.
• Managing Relations: Maintaining positive relationships with evaluation stakeholders, ensuring a participatory evaluation process while preserving independence, and communicating any issues requiring attention to the Evaluation Manager.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in environmental sciences, international development, or other relevant political or social sciences areas. Alternatively, a first-level university degree (Bachelor's degree or equivalent) in these fields, combined with two additional years of qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. Additionally, a minimum of seven years of technical evaluation experience is required, preferably including evaluations of large, regional, or global programs using a Theory of Change approach. A broad understanding of sustainable land management and landscape restoration is desirable, as is knowledge of the UN system and UNEP's work.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes an advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in relevant fields such as environmental sciences, international development, or social sciences. In cases where candidates hold a first-level university degree (Bachelor's degree or equivalent), they must also have two additional years of qualifying experience to meet the educational requirements. This educational foundation is essential for understanding the complexities of environmental issues and the evaluation processes involved in assessing project performance.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of seven years of relevant experience in technical evaluation, with a preference for candidates who have evaluated large-scale regional or global programs. Experience using a Theory of Change approach is particularly valuable, as it aligns with the evaluation's objectives of assessing project performance and outcomes. Candidates should also have a good understanding of sustainable land management and landscape restoration, as well as familiarity with the UN system and UNEP's operations.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required for this consultancy, as it is one of the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Knowledge of French is also beneficial, as it is another working language. Additionally, knowledge of Kiswahili is desirable, given the project's focus on Tanzania and the local context in which the evaluation will be conducted.

Additional Notes:
The evaluation assignment is home-based with field visits and has an expected duration of 8 months. The actual duration of the assignment is 44 days, spread over this period. The evaluation team will submit a concise evaluation report, which includes an Inception Report, Draft Report, and Final Evaluation Report. It is important to note that the United Nations does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process, ensuring that applicants are not required to provide any financial information or bank account details.