Historique

UNDP Regional Programme for Arab States (2014-2017) was endorsed by the UNDP Executive Board during the First Regular Session of the Executive Board at the end of January 2014. It represents 4 out of 7 development outcome areas of the UNDP Strategic Plan, namely: Inclusive growth: Growth is inclusive and sustainable, incorporating productive capacities that create employment and livelihoods for the poor and excluded (SP Outcome 1)
Inclusive governance: Citizen expectations for voice, effective development, the rule of law and accountability are met by stronger systems of democratic governance (SP Outcome 2) Gender: Faster progress is achieved in reducing gender inequality and promoting women’s empowerment (SP Outcome 4) Social cohesion and resilience: Early recovery and rapid return to sustainable development pathways are achieved in post-conflict and post-disaster settings (SP Outcome 6)
Project 1. Aid for Trade Initiative for Arab State (AfTIAS)
AfTIAS contributes to outcome 1 of the Regional Programme for the Arab States:
• Growth is inclusive and sustainable, incorporating productive capacities that create employment and livelihoods for the poor and excluded (SP Outcome 1).
The Regional Programme for the Arab States launched the AfTIAS project in 2014 to work towards deepening Arab Economic Integration, through gradual modernization of trade and economic policy-making. It has two lines of work: trade facilitation through cross-border operations and provision of support to the League of Arab States (LAS) to revitalize the Pan-Arab Free Trade Agreement (PAFTA) and to modernize the Arab Customs Union.
The project has the following specific outputs:
- Output 1: Arab connectivity and linkages through promotion of crossing borders operations and integrated management systems strengthened.
- Output 2: Capacity of Economic Sector of the LAS in trade policy reform enhanced and monitoring of implementation progress of GAFTA enhanced in support of implementation of measures under decisions by the 2015 Arab Economic and Social Development Summit.
- Output 3: Skills and abilities of key national partners to mainstream gender equality priorities into cross border trade policies in the AMU sub region strengthened.
Through the implementation phase, AfTIAS supported Egypt and Jordan in the adoption on National Single Windows, a facility that allows parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardized information
and documents with a single entry point to fulfill all import, export, and transit-related regulatory requirements. The project also assisted the Government of Iraq to improve collection of customs revenues and tackle smuggling of goods. On cross-border operations, the project worked on facilitating trade and transport corridors across the Askeit/Qustol border crossing, between Sudan and Egypt. The two countries adopted a Customs Declaration for exchange of data that facilitates cross-border trade operations and these interventions contributed to reduce transportation costs by 50 percent.
Thanks to the support AfTIAS provided to the Arab Economic Integration Department (AEID) of LAS, the negotiations on the PAFTA started again after 12 years of stalemate and concluded with the Beirut negotiations in February 2017, with an agreement reached on the liberalization of trade in services. AFTIAS also supported AEID to develop the capacity of its staff and increase the efficiency of its work, which resulted in the Department being the only ISO-certified department in LAS. Following consultations with LAS and its Arab Custom Union, a proposal for the modernization of customs-related policies was developed. Thanks to the support of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), AFTIAS in 2017 will scale up the work carried out so far and expand its portfolio of activities, including support to the implementation of the Trade and Service agreement. AFTIAS, jointly with Arab Development Portal team, will also implement a project to further explore the linkages between Trade and the SDGs, with the objective to develop trade-related indicators for the Arab Region.
Project 2. Anti-Corruption and Integrity in the Arab Countries (ACIAC)
ACIAC contributes to outcome 2 of the Regional Programme for the Arab States:
• Citizen expectations for voice, effective development, the rule of law and accountability are met by stronger systems of democratic governance (SP Outcome 2).
In response to demand from key stakeholders across the region and the findings of extensive consultations that were held in 2014, the Regional Programme for the Arab States extended the regional project on Anti-Corruption and Integrity in Arab Countries (ACIAC), which was launched in 2011. Having succeeded in producing specialized knowledge and supporting inclusive policy dialogues towards the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) in more than six Arab countries during its first phase (2011-2014), ACIAC seeks to build on the achievements made and the lessons learned to support deeper governance reforms for sustainable development.
The new phase (2015-2018) is focused on enabling institutions and systems to address corruption through awareness, prevention and enforcement across sectors and stakeholders (SP output 2.2) with the aim of contributing to the attainment of additional progress towards stronger systems of governance that meet citizens’ expectations for accountability (SP outcome 2). To reach its goal, ACIAC strives to achieve three key outputs (i) national capacities enhanced to draft, implement and monitor laws that prevent and combat corruption; (ii) specific initiatives supported to design, advocate and integrate measures that strengthen transparency and accountability in key vulnerable sectors; and (iii) participatory platforms fostered to promote, inform and review strategies that link anti-corruption to sustainable development.
A new line of work on youth and integrity is being initiated. Key partners in this project are the Arab Anti-Corruption and Integrity Network (ACINET), national anti-corruption bodies and Siemens Integrity Initiative.
- Under the first output, it enhanced national capacities in Iraq, Egypt and Tunisia to draft, implement and monitor laws, in compliance with the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) related to asset declarations, conflict of interest management, anti-illicit enrichment and whistle-blower protection. It also collaborated with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to train practitioners
from Palestine, Yemen and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council on reviewing the implementation of the UNCAC in preparation for the second cycle of the Review Mechanism.
- Under the second output, ACIAC supported the anchoring of sectoral approaches in national anti-corruption policies and programmes in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. It also made important progress in developing specific tools and specialized training programmes that will help key stakeholders in the region to prevent corruption in the health, customs and justice sectors, while enabling the development of partnerships between Korea and each of Jordan and Tunisia to strengthen transparency and accountability in the construction sector of the first country and the health, customs, police and municipal sectors in the second country.
- Under the third output, ACIAC fostered ten participatory regional and country-specific platforms to promote linkages between anti-corruption and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reaching more than eight hundred persons, including more than two hundred women, in 18 Arab countries, with the biggest outreach achieved in Iraq Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. This was achieved mostly in the framework of the Arab Anti-Corruption and Integrity Network (ACINET), the university youth networks and the new platforms established to promote sectoral work and collective action across region.
In parallel, the ACIAC project enhanced its collaboration with other regional and international organizations and established synergies with related initiatives of the UNDP Regional Hub for the Arab States, while responding to related assistance requests from the UNDP Country Offices in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates as well as the UN Country Team in Libya.
Project 3. Fostering Inclusive Participation and Effective Contribution of Women in the Public Sphere (Mosharaka)
Mosharaka contributes to Outcome 3 of the Regional Programme for the Arab States:
• Faster progress is achieved in reducing gender inequality and promoting women's empowerment (SP Outcome 4).
The Regional Programme for the Arab States launched the Mosharaka project in 2014 and is expected to conclude its first phase and start the second one in 2017. The project was developed to respond to the increasing demand for addressing the deficits in the public participation and citizenship rights of women in the Arab Region, especially in transition, fragile and post conflict societies.
It has been formulated through background research and a consultative process with regional stakeholders. Preliminary research for the project has concluded that while the Arab region is witness to a range of gender biases, the region particularly lags behind in terms of women’s participation in public life. In effect, and realizing that gender inequality is indivisible, the project proposed to focus on women empowerment and fostering their participation in the public sphere as a vehicle towards promoting gender equality in both the public and the private sphere
The project has the following specific outputs that focus on strengthening participation, expanding opportunities and securing women’s rights in the region:
- Output 1: Support regional and national actors and institutions to establish measures to advance gender equality, and women’s political, social and economic participation (Strategic Plan Output #4.1, #4.3, #4.4) (RBAS Regional Program Output 3.1).
- Output 2: Establish women peace and security frameworks to reinforce social cohesion and promote women’s equal access to political and economic opportunities in early recovery and post-crisis settings (Strategic Plan Output #6.4; #4.2 RBAS Output #4.1).
These outputs have been realized through a multi-dimensional integrated approach and project/package of initiatives targeting various sectors and a multiplicity of regional and national stakeholders. These initiatives are primarily focused on knowledge management, capacity development, advocacy, networking, and alliance and coalition building between partners.
The project has been supporting regional and national actors to establish measures to advance gender equality and women’s political, social and economic participation. It works through regional NGOs and women activists/advocates networks to advance efforts in constitution making and legislative reform. One of the key focuses is SDGs and gender equality to ensure effective and gender sensitive implementation at the national level. The project also supports NGOs networks to reinforce social cohesion and promote women’s role in the implementation of peace and security agenda. Mosharaka also includes a Youth Leadership Programme (YLP) to support young women and men’s empowerment. Key partnerships have been forged with UNWOMEN and the Centre of Arab Women for Training & Research (CAWTAR).
During the implementation phase, Mosharaka launched an online platform on legal and human rights and has supported national electoral bodies to integrate gender throughout the electoral cycle. A regional think-tank on SDGs and gender was established with the Arab Women Organization, UNFPA and UNWOMEN. Mosharaka also launched phase II of the YLP which convened a conference in mid-December in Kuwait. In 2017, the project will aim at further strengthening the partnerships with regional networks (Karama, CAWTAR, etc.) to advance gender equality and women’s social/economic participation and to enhance women’s role in peace and security. Also phase 3 of YLP will be implemented.
In line with the Evaluation Plan, an evaluation will be conducted to assess UNDP-RBAS contributions towards the progress made on achievements of selected projects contributing to the first three outcome areas respectively (described in the table below) as a tool to explain.

The evaluation is commissioned by UNDP as an internal requirement. It will be conducted by an independent consultant. It will assess the progress and challenges of the selected projects, taking the linkages to the broader contribution of the projects at the outcome level, with measurement of the output level achievements and gaps and in particular, what changes were achieved as a result of the projects contribution. The purpose of the evaluation is foremost to assess how the projects impacted the progress towards the achievement of these objectives. Moreover, the contribution of the project in enabling a coherent development engagement, and to identify the factors that have affected its implementation will be assessed.
The evaluation will consist of a desk review based research, two missions to meet with the projects teams and key stakeholders, and conduct in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and beneficiaries. It will document results achieved, the challenges faced, and how those challenges were addressed. It is also expected to identify success stories, good practices, challenges, constraints, and lessons learned, and to provide recommendations on substantive and process issues to inform the implementation process for the upcoming phase of the projects.

Devoirs et responsabilités

This assignment will be based on a number of stakeholders’ interviews and desk research, supplemented by meetings with key counterparts.
The Evaluator will be responsible of:
1. Conducting desk review based research;
2. Conducting two field visits to meet with the project teams and stakeholders in the field; and
3. Providing 3 analytical reports, each containing an executive summary (mandatory), be analytical in nature (both quantitative and qualitative), be structured around issues and related findings/lessons learned; and include conclusions and recommendations.
To achieve the above, the Evaluator will work with the project teams in Amman and Beirut under the supervision of the Regional Programme Coordinator, based on the workplan enclosed as Annex 1.
The overall results of the three key projects contributing to the three respective outcomes should be evaluated since the start of each project’s current phase that falls within the present Regional Programme Document’s period (2014-2017).
The below is the timeframe

• AfTIAS (1st of April 2014 till 31st of March of 2017);
• ACIAC (1st of October 2015 till 31st of March 2017);
• Mosharaka (1st of April 2014 till 31st of March of 2017).

The specific objectives for each of the three projects are to:
1. Assess progress towards attaining the project’s objectives;
2. Assess progress towards the achievement of the project’s outcome;
3. Review the clarity of roles and responsibilities of the various agencies and stakeholders and the level of coordination between relevant actors in the project implementation;
4. Assess the likelihood of continuation of the project outcome and benefits;
5. Describe key factors that will require attention in order to improve prospects for sustainability of the project results;
6. Analyze the relevance of the project strategy and approaches;
7. Assess the potential for sustainability of the results and the feasibility of ongoing efforts and commitment to help advance the focus areas of the project;
8. Document key lessons learned, good practices, success stories and challenges to inform future work of various stakeholders in addressing the focus area of the project; and
Document and analyze possible weaknesses in order to improve next steps of project interventions in the focus areas.
For additional information, please refer to ANNEX I – Terms of Reference

Compétences

Functional Competencies:

•  Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required. Knowledge of Arabic and/or French is an asset.

 Corporate

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

 Functional

• Solid experience in facilitation high level meetings;
• Strong background experience including familiarity with UNDP systems, requirements,procedures, and rules & regulations;
• Solid understanding of international standards and experiences in programming on development issues;
• Demonstrated ability to assess complex situations in order to succinctly and clearly distil critical issues;
• Must be a self-starter and can work independently with excellent demonstrated teamwork, coordination and facilitation skills;
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills;
• Strong writing skills including technical reports, general reports, and proposals;
• Flexibility and ability to handle multiple tasks and work under pressure;
• Excellent computer skills especially Word, Excel and Power Point

 Leadership

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to provide credible leadership;
• Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic overview and corporate vision;
• Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis/resolution of complex issues;
• Strong managerial/leadership experience and decision-making skills with proven track record of mature judgments;
• Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience.

 Managing Relationships

• Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational management skills;
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills with strong partnerships in academia, technical organizations and as a recognized expert in the practice area;

Managing Complexity

• Ability to address global development issues;
• Substantive knowledge and understanding of development cooperation with the ability to support the practice architecture of UNDP and inter-disciplinary issues;
• Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives;
• A sound global network of institutional and individual contacts.

 Knowledge Management and Learning

• Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
• Provides constructive coaching and feedback;
• Demonstrates a strong capacity for innovation and creativity in providing strategic policy advice and direction.

 Judgment/Decision-Making

• Mature judgment and initiative;
• Proven ability to provide strategic direction to the project implementation process;
• Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges, uses diplomacy and tact to achieve result.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Academic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in law, social sciences, management or other relevant fields.

Years of experience and professional:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in implementation / evaluation of projects/programmes on advancing development related issues; preferably some experience of these in the Arab countries;
• Proven work experience in use of participatory evaluation methods for identifying measurable target indicators and in particular for identifying outcome / impact – positive change of behavior, policy or law made;
• Experience in cooperation with multilateral agencies would be an asset;
• Experience in leading multi-disciplinary teams to deliver quality products in high stress and short deadline situations;
• Previous experience working for the UN is a plus.

Labuage requirements:

•  Language proficiency in both written and oral English is required. Knowledge of Arabic and/or French is an asset.