UNDP Jobs - 1369- Consultant: Evaluation Expert for Sub-regional Gen

Consultant: Evaluation Expert for Sub-regional Gender Equality Project

Location :

Sarajevo, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

22-Mar-07 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The international community, which plays a major role with 5 billion US dollars on development since the Dayton, has not made sufficient commitment to gender issues. In 2003, UNDP commenced the Gender Equality Project to facilitate collaborations amongst BiH Governments, UN Agencies and Civil Society to address gender inequality geared toward more gender sensitive development process.

The Project aimed at the timely implementation of the Gender Law, which was passed in March 2003, through collaboration and coordination with government counterparts – namely the two Gender Centres and MHRR. Furthermore, the UN Gender Group collaboration has set an exemplary case of inter-agency collaboration under UNDAF/CCA in BiH. The overall development objective of this Project was to enhance the partnership between BiH Governments and Civil Society with a view to effectual protection and promotion of gender equality, which in turn, benefit rights-based (equitable and effectual) development process through participatory governance.

On the basis of good practice of the Gender Equality Law implementation Project, CIDA provided funding of $1.2 million to the UNDP for implementation of Sub-regional Gender Equality Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. In line with the Balkans Program Development Framework, and the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategies in BiH, Serbia and Montenegro, the project aimed to: 1) contribute to the creation of a critical mass of gender competent professionals in targeted civil society organizations and selected government ministries in the areas of rule of law, health and education that are gender-sensitised and able to effectively integrate gender equality into their policies/strategies/program implementation plans, 2) build the capacity of new established gender equality institutions, and 3) raise public awareness on gender equality to strengthen the dialogue with governments/relevant organizations to implement existing or new gender equality legislation.

The Sub-regional Gender Equality Project is in final phase of implementation. The final evaluation will be carried out within this context in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro.

Duties and Responsibilities

Evaluation expert/consultant with special technical expertise in gender and development is encouraged to form an Evaluation team (i.e. engage assistants), if need be, to enable parallel work in each Project location and in close coordination for each segment of the evaluation process.

As part of the evaluation process, selected Evaluation expert/consultant will explore in details the following issues in each Project location:

Relevance

Does the intervention (made by the Project) make sense in the context of its environment (from post-conflict to EU accession country)?
Has it addressed the needs and aspirations of the partners (and direct and indirect beneficiaries)?
Have changes in the project environment affected its relevance?
How was the intervention related to other aspects of discrimination?

Impacts

What has happened (or is likely to happen) as a consequence of the intervention?
What are the positive and/or negative, intended or unintended impacts of the intervention on the partners/beneficiaries and on the institutional level?
What are the impacts of external factors?
Whether gender-disaggregated statistics which can be used to analyse how the situation has changed are available?
What are the impacts of the intervention to the creation of a critical mass of gender competent professionals in targeted civil society organizations and selected government institutions?
What are the impacts of the intervention on establishment and development of Gender institutional mechanisms in BiH, Serbia and Montenegro?
What are the impacts of the intervention on development of partnership between the Gender institutional mechanisms and civil society organizations in BiH, Serbia and Montenegro?
What are the impacts of the intervention on public awareness on gender equality and strengthening the dialogue with governments/relevant organizations to implement existing or new gender equality legislation?

Effectiveness

To what extent has the purpose of the intervention been achieved?
To what extent is the achievement a result of the interventions?
What is the progress from the beginning towards the agreed project overall objective and purpose?
What still need to be done?

Efficiency

Does the quantity and quality of the results justify the quantity and quality of the means used for achieving them?
How cost-effectively have the means been converted into results?
Use of local and international technical assistance
Use of joint funding projects and co-funding by other institutions (Government, other UNDP programmes, OSCE, UNIFEM…)
Did the intervention fully utilize the specific competence and experience of women as well as men?

Sustainability

What has happened or is likely happen to the positive effects of the intervention after the external assistance (UNDP) will come to an end?
Sustainability of the established institutions in BiH, Serbia and Montenegro and their capacity to undertake tasks according to their mandate: capacity and financial resources
Government commitment to promotion of gender equality
Linkages with the other government strategies and policies (MDGs and other key policies and strategies)
Interest of other donors to continue to support gender activates in all three countries

Management arrangements:

Clarity of roles and responsibilities (Management Team, Project Board, UNDP);
Role of the donor governments – Canada CIDA;
Co-ordination with other UNDP –supported projects;
Co-ordination with other donor-supported projects;
NGO as the partner and provider of technical support services;
Role of the project bodies.
Coordination with other UN agencies

Compatibility and sustainability of the project with CIDA principles

Poverty reduction

How are the poor people’s rights and capabilities promoted in the project?

Human rights, equality and democracy

How are equality, human rights and democracy promoted in the project?
How has the transparency of the administration been promoted and has it increased?

Sustainability

How have the factors ensuring sustainability been taken into account in the planning and implementation?
How have they affected the intervention?
What have been the effects and impacts of the intervention on the sustainability issues?

Policy environment

Is the project in line with the partner country’s policy environment, and is this in turn conducive to the project’s objectives?
Economic and financial feasibility?
Are the resources employed used efficiently and effectively?
Are (and how) the benefits sustained once external support has been withdrawn?

Institutional capacity

Does the institutional capacity of the partner country enable her to manage the project efficiently?
Is the institutional capacity strengthened to promote the sustainability of results?

Socio-cultural aspects

Are socio-cultural aspects taken into account to mobilise and bind people in the project?
How does the project affect socio-cultural values?
Participation and ownership?
Who has power and control over the project?
Who participates in the decision-making?

Gender

Are the needs and roles of both women and men fully recognised in the planning and implementation?
How does the project affect the relations between women and men?

Reporting

The evaluation report should follow the format and table of content for evaluation reports as described in the UNDP Guidelines. The summary evaluation report will present a compilation of analyses and results of the evaluation conducted in each Project location. In addition to conclusions and recommendations, the report should include a separate chapter on lessons learned.
The draft evaluation report should be submitted for comments to the Project Management Team members and the Project personnel. The final report will be submitted to the UNDP within two weeks of the receipt of the comments.

Competencies

S/he is expected to be knowledgeable of international, European and gender related documents, governmental, as well as civil society counterparts in the sub-region (BiH, Serbia and Montenegro).
S/he is expected to have strong knowledge on the regional Governmental structures, Governmental Gender Mechanisms and strong knowledge of the gender related legislative (Law on Gender Equality, National Action Plan, etc) and its implementation in BiH, Serbia and Montenegro.

Although the consultant is entitled to discuss with authorities and the relevant bodies concerning all the matters pertinent to the assignment, the consultant is not authorised to make any commitments on behalf of the Gender Institutional mechanisms and UNDP of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro or any other body;

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Sense for initiative
Ability to work in time in a tight schedule
Ability to cope with multi-tasks
Respect team works
Knowledgeable of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel applications
Openness for new knowledge and challenges.

Required Skills and Experience

Minimum of Masters degree in social sciences or equivalent experiences (Relevant Trainings on Monitoring and Evaluation would be an asset)
5 years of proven theoretical and practical experience in gender and development issues.
Practical experience in promotion of gender issues in a project/programme environment.
Prior experience in co-operation Government officials in BiH, Serbia and Montenegro.
Substantive knowledge in current development issues particularly those pertinent to UNDP’s practice areas.
Excellent conceptual and analytical abilities.
Substantive knowledge and understanding of project evaluation and development evaluation in particular, preferably as a team leader.
Excellent technical skills in measurement and evaluation, including grasp of methodological and operational dimensions and the ability to link corporate and country level issues.
Communication and interpersonal skills including strategic leadership and ability to nurture and build partnerships, knowledge of multilateral development organizations, team building and team work, people management skills, cultural sensitivity and ability to work in multinational and multicultural settings.
Strong analytical and drafting skills.
Ability to work with a team in a multi-cultural environment.