As part of its annual work plan, the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will conduct an independent country programme evaluations (ICPE) in Namibia in 2022. Typically conducted in the penultimate year of a country programme cycle, the ICPEs are expected to inform the elaboration of the new country programmes with evaluative evidence of UNDP’s contribution to national development priorities.

The purpose of an ICPE is to:

• Support the development of the next UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD)
• Strengthen accountability of UNDP to national stakeholders
• Strengthen accountability of UNDP to the Executive Board.

The ICPEs are independent evaluations carried out within the overall provisions contained in the UNDP Evaluation Policy.  The responsibility of IEO, which reports directly to the Executive Board, is two-fold: (i) provide the Executive Board with valid and credible information from evaluations for corporate accountability, decision-making and improvement; and (ii) enhance the independence, credibility and utility of the evaluation function and its coherence, harmonization and alignment in support of United Nations reform and national ownership.

This is the second ICPE for Namibia, with the previous one conducted in 2017-2018. The evaluation will be conducted in 2022 towards the end of the current UNDP programme cycle (2019-2023), with a view to contributing to the preparation of UNDP's new programme starting from 2023. The ICPE will be conducted in close collaboration with the Government of Namibia and UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa.

The international consultant will contribute, in his/her thematic area, to background research, data and information collection, data analysis and report writing. The consultant will cover two outcome areas- Outcome 1: Inclusive Development and Poverty reduction; and Outcome 3: Accountable and transparent governance.

General TORs of the ICPEs can be found here. Specific evaluation Terms of Reference can be found here.

For more information on IEO, visit http://web.undp.org/evaluation

The assignment is home-based work (tentatively scheduled for April-December 2022). The level of work is estimated at 50 working days.

Under the overall guidance of the IEO Lead Evaluator (LE), the consultant will contribute to the research, data collection and analysis of the country programme by providing their technical expertise and knowledge in the assigned thematic area including cross-cutting areas like gender, human rights, partnerships and capacity building, and contribute in the analysis of findings, conclusions and recommendations leading to the preparation of the draft and final ICPE report. The consultant will:?

• Conduct preliminary research and desk review on the outcome(s) covered by him/her;
• Prepare pre-mission draft country analysis paper for outcomes 1 and 3 (based on secondary review of literature, advance survey questionnaire and preliminary stakeholder discussions) on emerging findings, data gaps, and prepare field data collection and validation mission plans;
• Participate in data collection activities, both prior and during the in-country mission. These include interviews and meetings with relevant stakeholders (virtual, Skype/telephone, and in person);
• Prepare a debriefing presentation on the main findings, preliminary conclusions and areas for recommendation at the conclusion of the field visit;
• Prepare the final outcome analysis paper, participate and contribute in the analysis of findings, conclusions and recommendations (as per comments received from the IEO, CO, Regional bureau and other stakeholders) leading to the preparation of the final ICPE report

Functional competencies

• Strong analytical skills, including ability to quickly assess a diverse range of information with a discerning sense for quality of data;
• Good mastery of information technology required for organized presentation of information.
• Adhere to the principle of confidentiality and ethical code of conducts during the evaluation;
• Ability to work under pressure, multi-tasking skills;
• Available to travel and conduct required analysis within the agreed timelines; and
• Excellent proven oral and drafting skills in English, with excellent analysis and synthesis skills.

Corporate Competencies

• Knowledge of UNDP work in the country and sub-region
• Knowledge of the country and regional context, development issues and challenges
• Ability to work in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams, acting with professionalism, diplomacy, tact, and courtesy

Education

• A Master’s Degree, preferably a PhD, in a field relevant to the assignment.

Experience

• Substantive knowledge of issues related to inclusive growth and poverty eradication, socio-economic equity and institutional accountability, governance, civic engagement, LNOB, gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• Good understanding of development cooperation/assistance, South-South and triangular cooperation issues;
• Extensive experience in program evaluation and/or mastery of techniques and methods of data collection, interviews and quantitative and qualitative analysis;
• Experience in gender-sensitive programming and/or evaluation is a must;
• Experience in conducting evaluations of UNDP country programmes will be an asset.

Other knowledge and skills:

• Familiarity with UNDP or UN operations in the country/region/ globally;
• Knowledge of the country and regional context, development issues and challenges;
• Availability to travel and focus on the evaluation as required to deliver the outputs within the agreed timeframe;

Excellent proven oral and drafting skills in English, with excellent analysis and synthesis skills

Languages

• Fluency in English is essential. 

Application Instructions

Applicants are invited to upload as one combined document the following documents to the UNDP Jobs site:

• A brief cover letter (250-400 words) specifying (a) the post you are applying for (i.e. national or international consultant); (b) your thematic areas of expertise and previous experience in evaluation and data collection and any experience related to the UNDP areas of work in the country/ region/ globally; and (c) details of any potential conflict of interest in having worked in a programmatic capacity for UNDP over the last 5 years;
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of at least three (3) professional references; and
• A completed Confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Form that indicates your daily rate for this consultancy;

Candidates not sending any of the requested information will be disqualified. Please note that the system can only accept one uploaded document therefore all documents must be combined into a single document for upload.