National Evaluation Consultant

Job Posting Organization:
UN Women, established in July 2010, is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. It operates 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. UN Women works in over 14 countries in the Pacific region, including the Solomon Islands, and collaborates with various stakeholders to support inter-governmental bodies in policy formulation, assist member states in implementing gender equality standards, and lead the UN system's work on gender equality.

Job Overview:
The National Evaluation Consultant will play a crucial role in supporting the Final Evaluation of the Markets for Change (M4C) Phase II programme, which aims to advance gender equality and strengthen the economic empowerment of women market vendors across Pacific marketplaces. The consultant will be responsible for conducting extensive document reviews, stakeholder consultations, field-based data collection, and analysis across multiple marketplaces and institutional contexts. This position requires a strong understanding of gender-responsive, human rights-based, and culturally appropriate evaluation approaches, ensuring that the evaluation benefits from contextual knowledge of the countries involved. The consultant will work closely with the International Evaluation Team Leader to provide country-level evaluation support, including stakeholder mapping, field coordination, data collection, preliminary analysis, and inputs to reporting.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct comprehensive document reviews and stakeholder consultations to gather relevant data for the evaluation.
• Facilitate field-based data collection across various marketplaces in the Solomon Islands, ensuring adherence to gender-responsive and culturally appropriate evaluation standards.
• Collaborate with the International Evaluation Team Leader to provide insights and support for stakeholder mapping and field coordination.
• Analyze collected data and contribute to preliminary findings and reporting.
• Ensure effective communication with local stakeholders and facilitate in-country consultations.
• Support the independence and impartiality of the evaluation process by providing credible and contextually grounded findings.
• Document experiences and impact stories from beneficiaries and stakeholders to inform future programming.
• Participate in debriefing sessions and present findings to the Evaluation Reference Group for validation.

Required Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree or equivalent in Gender Studies, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Political Science, Evaluation, International Relations, or related fields is required. A first-level university degree with two additional years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.
• At least five years of relevant working experience in evaluation, review, or assessment assignments with multilateral or bilateral development organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in complex evaluations or reviews in the development sector, particularly in gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
• Solid knowledge of evaluation approaches and methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.
• Familiarity with the Pacific region's development priorities and institutional frameworks relevant to women’s economic empowerment.

Educational Background:
A Master’s degree or equivalent in relevant fields such as Gender Studies, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Political Science, Evaluation, or International Relations is required. Alternatively, a first-level university degree with two additional years of progressively responsible experience may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Experience:
The position requires at least five years of relevant working experience for candidates with a Master’s degree, or seven years for those with a first-level university degree. Experience should include participation in complex evaluations or reviews in the development sector, particularly with international organizations, and a proven track record in gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

Languages:
Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of Pacific Island languages such as Fijian, Hindi, Bislama, or Pidgin is considered an advantage, enhancing communication with local stakeholders and beneficiaries.

Additional Notes:
This is a home-based position with a duration of 25 working days over a 5-month period. The consultant will work remotely but may need to access the UN Women Office for printing or other requirements. Travel costs for specific assignments will be arranged and paid separately in accordance with UN Women policies. Performance will be evaluated based on timeliness, responsibility, initiative, communication, accuracy, and quality of deliverables. Payment will be disbursed monthly upon submission of reports and timesheets.