Consultant for Country Portfolio Evaluation

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women was established in July 2010 as part of the UN reform agenda to enhance gender equality and women's empowerment. It merges the work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, focusing on gender equality and women's empowerment. UN Women operates globally, with a mission to eliminate discrimination against women and girls, empower women, and achieve equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action, and peace and security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security. The organization has a significant presence in multiple countries, including Kenya, where it implements various programs aligned with national development frameworks and international agreements.

Job Overview:
The Consultant for Country Portfolio Evaluation (CPE) will assess the UN Women Kenya Country Office Strategic Note for the period 2022–202

• This evaluation aims to validate the contributions made by the Country Office's portfolio of interventions to development results concerning Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. The consultant will analyze the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and integration of human rights and gender equality principles within the Strategic Note. The evaluation will also document lessons learned and provide actionable recommendations for future programming, particularly as a new Strategic Note is set to be developed starting January 202
• The consultant will work closely with the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, who will provide technical support in data analysis and interpretation.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant will be responsible for reviewing and assessing all activities outlined in the Strategic Note, including normative, coordination, and operational work across all thematic areas. They will evaluate regional and global program activities implemented at the country level, including joint programs and programming initiatives. The consultant will analyze joint programs by assessing both UN Women’s specific contributions and the added value, benefits, and costs associated with joint implementation modalities. They will pay particular attention to projects not previously evaluated and will draw on comparative insights from other UN agencies operating in Kenya or similar lower middle-income country contexts. The consultant will define and refine the evaluation scope and sampling approach during the inception phase, establishing clear evaluation boundaries and identifying stakeholders and initiatives for inclusion or exclusion based on the evaluability assessment and data availability.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in gender/women studies, sociology, international development, or a related area. A first-level university degree combined with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. A project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) is considered an added advantage. Candidates should have strong knowledge of program formulation and implementation, results-based management, monitoring and evaluation, evaluation design, data collection and analysis, and reporting.

Educational Background:
The educational background required for this position includes a Master’s degree in gender/women studies, sociology, international development, or a related field. Alternatively, a first-level university degree with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted. A project/programme management certification is desirable but not mandatory.

Experience:
Candidates should have at least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in designing and conducting gender-responsive evaluations of development strategies, policies, and programs, particularly within the Kenyan context. Experience in applying qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods is essential. Proficiency in using computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is required, along with experience in handling web-based management systems, preferably Oracle Cloud.

Languages:
Fluency in English and Kiswahili is required for this position. Proficiency in additional languages may be considered an asset but is not mandatory.

Additional Notes:
This consultancy is home-based with field travel to project implementation locations. The evaluation is expected to face limitations, including a lower budget than recommended, which may affect in-person field visits. Remote data collection methods will be utilized to complement in-person data collection. The evaluation will adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures, including a zero-tolerance policy on conduct incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women. Selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.