Consultant for Country Programme Evaluation

Job Posting Organization:
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is a United Nations agency that envisions a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person can realize their full potential. Established to promote reproductive health and rights, UNFPA works to increase opportunities for women and youth to lead healthy sexual and reproductive lives. The agency aims to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health, guarantee reproductive rights, and reduce maternal mortality. UNFPA operates in numerous countries worldwide, focusing on improving the lives of women, adolescents, and youth while respecting human rights and promoting gender equality. The organization has set transformative results to be achieved by 2030, including the elimination of preventable maternal deaths, unmet needs for family planning, and gender-based violence, as well as harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage. The Togo country office is currently executing its 8th cooperation program with the Togolese government for the period 2024-2027, aiming to enhance access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, reduce maternal mortality, and improve the lives of women and youth. The UNFPA evaluation policy for 2024 encourages country offices to conduct evaluations of their country programs at each program cycle, with a minimum of one evaluation every two cycles. UNFPA Togo has opted to evaluate its 8th country program to provide an independent assessment of its performance and analyze factors affecting program implementation and expected results. The evaluation will also provide conclusions and concrete recommendations for the next program cycle.

Job Overview:
The position of Consultant for Country Programme Evaluation at UNFPA Togo involves supporting the evaluation of the 8th country program for the period 2024-202

• The consultant will work alongside a team of experts to provide an independent assessment of the program's relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. The evaluation aims to gather factual data to inform the design of the next program cycle and assess the role of UNFPA Togo in coordinating with the UN Country Team (UNCT) and humanitarian response mechanisms. The consultant will be responsible for ensuring that the evaluation process adheres to ethical standards, integrates human rights and gender issues, and maintains confidentiality. The position requires strong analytical skills, the ability to work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team, and excellent communication skills to convey findings and recommendations effectively.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The consultant's duties and responsibilities include:

• Conducting an independent evaluation of the UNFPA Togo 8th country program, assessing its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability.
• Analyzing the role of UNFPA Togo in the coordination mechanisms of the UNCT to enhance collective contributions to development outcomes.
• Evaluating the humanitarian response mechanisms and the contributions to long-term recovery from security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security or humanitarian crises.
• Providing a comprehensive report with clear, strategic, and actionable recommendations for the next program cycle.
• Collaborating with national stakeholders, rights holders, and UNFPA regional and headquarters offices to ensure a participatory evaluation process.
• Ensuring adherence to ethical standards throughout the evaluation process, including confidentiality and the principle of 'do no harm.'
• Integrating human rights and gender considerations into all phases of the evaluation.
• Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to gather comprehensive insights.
• Presenting findings and recommendations to stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.

Required Qualifications:
The required qualifications for the consultant position include:

• A postgraduate degree in public health, medicine, health financing and economics, epidemiology, demography, statistics, biostatistics, social sciences, gender studies, human rights, development studies, or a related field.
• A minimum of 8 to 10 years of experience in conducting evaluations, reviews, analyses, research studies, or working in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) within international development and/or humanitarian assistance contexts.
• In-depth knowledge of at least one of UNFPA's program areas (Reproductive Health, Gender-Based Violence, Population Dynamics).
• Strong understanding of issues related to adolescents and youth, particularly their sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• Familiarity with humanitarian strategies, policies, frameworks, international law" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">humanitarian law, and the international humanitarian architecture.
• Proven ability to ensure the ethical integrity of the evaluation process and to maintain confidentiality.
• Capacity to integrate human rights and gender issues throughout the evaluation process.
• Excellent analytical skills and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience working with multidisciplinary teams of experts. 1
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral. 1
• Experience or good knowledge of the national development context in Togo. 1
• Familiarity with UNFPA mandates and activities or those of other UN organizations is an advantage. 1
• Proficiency in written and spoken French and another national language is required.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a postgraduate degree in relevant fields such as public health, medicine, health financing and economics, epidemiology, demography, statistics, biostatistics, social sciences, gender studies, human rights, development studies, or other related areas. This advanced educational background is essential to ensure that the consultant has the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to conduct a thorough evaluation of the UNFPA Togo country program.

Experience:
The position requires a significant level of experience, specifically 8 to 10 years in conducting evaluations, reviews, analyses, research studies, or working in monitoring and evaluation within the context of international development and humanitarian assistance. This level of experience is crucial for the consultant to effectively assess the program's performance and provide actionable recommendations based on their findings.

Languages:
Fluency in French is mandatory for this position, as it is the primary language of communication within the UNFPA Togo office. Additionally, knowledge of other official UN languages is desirable, as it may enhance communication with diverse stakeholders and facilitate collaboration with international teams.

Additional Notes:
The consultancy is expected to last for 40 working days, with specific deliverables outlined throughout the evaluation process. The consultants will be required to submit a start-up report, a provisional evaluation report, and a final evaluation report, each with designated timelines for completion. UNFPA promotes a work environment that values gender equality, diversity, integrity, and a healthy work-life balance. The organization encourages applications from women, individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups. Reasonable accommodations may be provided for applicants with disabilities to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA is committed to equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation, and selection for all candidates, regardless of personal characteristics or dimensions of diversity.