Background

Care work is fundamental for human wellbeing as well as essential for a vibrant, sustainable economy with a productive labour force. The centrality of care to sustainable development and its relevance for gender equality are now widely recognized by the global community including as a target under Sustainable Development Goal 5. Care work ensures the complex and life-sustaining web on which our very existence depends; without it, individuals, families, societies and economies would not be able to survive and thrive. Yet, around the world women and girls shoulder a disproportionate share of care work that is unpaid, unrecognized and undervalued. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, women already did three times as much unpaid care and domestic work as men with women on average doing around 4.1 hours per day compared to men who on average do around 1.7 hours. For women living in rural areas these figures can vary widely, particularly in areas with limited access to regular basic services such as energy, water and sanitation, as women and girls tend to bear the brunt of the unpaid labour to collect and manage these resources and services for daily household consumption.

Furthermore, illness or other crises in the household can increase the time spent by women and girls on care-giving and domestic work. This has been brought into sharp focus by the COVID-19 pandemic which has exacerbated the care demands on women and girls due to pandemic-related measures and lockdowns. As evidenced from previous epidemics, women and girls tend to be the ones who take on the bulk of the extra care needed when national systems are unable to cope. Addressing unpaid care work is particularly relevant in West, Central and Southern African contexts where access to decent work is limited and women’s employment options are significantly constrained by societal expectations that burden them with disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care and domestic work.

In order to address the inequities in unpaid care, UN Women has developed the ‘Transformative approaches to recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care work in women’s economic empowerment programming’ programme (‘3R Programme’) being implemented in Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.

Description of the Programme

The programme ‘Transformative approaches to recognize, reduce, and redistribute unpaid care work in women’s economic empowerment programming’ (‘3R Programme’) is being implemented by UN Women in Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa from 1st April 2021 to 31st December 2022 with the funding from Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

The overarching goal of the 3R programme is to remove the structural barriers to women’s full and equal participation in the economy by recognizing, reducing, and redistributing unpaid care work. In order to contribute to this overarching goal/impact, the expected outcomes and outputs of the project are:

Outcome 1: National and local governments develop/strengthen laws, policies and services that recognize and address the disproportionate share of unpaid care work by women and girls.

Output 1.1:  National and local governments have greater understanding and knowledge of the 3Rs of unpaid care work and the disproportionate share of unpaid care work by women and girls.

Output 1.2: National and local authorities have increased tools and capacities to develop and implement laws, policies and services that address unpaid care work.

Outcome 2: Women’s cooperatives and other organizations provide transformative care services in rural and/or urban areas to reduce and redistribute unpaid care work.

Output 2.1: Women’s cooperatives and other organizations have increased capacity to provide care services.

Output 2.2: Conduct needs and ecosystem assessment research for digital risk transfer and risk financing solutions to address unpaid care risks for rural women in Senegal.

Output 2.3: Women’s cooperatives and other organizations have access to time-saving, climate resilient infrastructure and/or technologies needed to provide care services

Output 2.4:  Women’s cooperatives and other organizations have strengthened capacity to advocate for recognizing, reducing and redistributing unpaid care work.

Duties and Responsibilities

Evaluation objectives, criteria, and key questions

The objective of this assignment is to conduct an end-term independent evaluation of the programme to assess its effectiveness, build evidence of results, and highlight the strategies that have contributed to, or hindered, their achievement in one of the three implementing countries: Senegal, and specifically in the Saint Louis region. In addition, the evaluation will assess the project’s contribution to increased national capacity, ownership and transparency.

The evaluation will provide highly relevant recommendations and lessons learned for future and ongoing programmes on unpaid care work.

Within the broader and country specific context, the evaluation is expected to:

* Assess effectiveness and a potential measurable impact of the Program intervention on the target group on the recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care work in Senegal.

*   Identify and document lessons learned, best practices, success stories and document and analyze challenges and possible weaknesses to inform future work of UN Women in the area of unpaid care work in Senegal.

* Analyze the relevance of the Program objectives, strategy and approach at the local and national levels in Senegal.

* Analyse and assess the strategies in place and contribute to identify additional strategies for replication and up-scaling of the programme’s best practices in Senegal.

* Identify, assess, and validate innovation in all aspects of the program in Senegal.

Criteria to be used for this evaluation includes OECD/DAC evaluation criteria[1]: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability. Human Rights, Gender Equality and Disability Inclusion will be considered as an additional criterion. In line with the quest to incorporate human rights, gender equality and disability inclusion in all UN work, and acknowledging UN Women’s Evaluation Policy, which promotes the integration of women’s rights and gender equality principles into evaluation, these dimensions will require special attention for this evaluation and will be considered under each evaluation criterion.

A number of key evaluation questions are reported below for each of the criteria.

Relevance and Design

• Do the project expected results address the needs of the target groups and how? 
• Are the activities, outputs and outcomes of the project consistent with the overall global, regional and national gender priorities?
• To what extent to the local population, beneficiaries and external observers perceive the intervention as relevant?
• To what extent has the project been catalytic in addressing some of the root causes of unpaid care work and gender inequalities? To what extend have the proposed approaches been transformative and able to contribute to the shifting of structural inequalities that drive care inequalities?

Effectiveness

• What has been the progress made towards achievement of the two expected outcomes? What specific results were achieved, both positive and negative? To what extent are beneficiaries satisfied with the results?
• What major factors contributed to the achievement or non-achievement of expected programme objectives?
• Have the programme’s organizational structures, managerial support and coordination mechanisms (such as the Steering Committees) effectively supported the delivery of the programme?  What are the recommendations for improvement?
• To what extent are the programme approaches and strategies innovative for recognizing, reducing and redistributing unpaid care work?  What -if any- types of innovative good practices have been introduced in the programme to achieve results in this field?
• What impact has been registered on women from the use of time saving climate resilient technologies/equipment provided by the programme (in terms of wellbeing, women’s economic autonomy and time poverty)? What else women are now doing with their time (i.e. are they doing more paid work, study, community work, rest/leisure, or different tasks), and are men taking on a greater share of the responsibility as a result?

Efficiency

• Have resources (financial, human, technical support, etc.) been allocated strategically to achieve the programme outcomes?
• Are the programme and its components cost-effective? Could the activities and outputs have been delivered with fewer resources or within a reduced timeframe, without reducing their quality and quantity?
• To what extent can the partnership between UN Women and Implementing partners be regarded as efficient?
• Has the programme build synergies with previous and/or ongoing UN Women interventions?

Sustainability

• Is the programme supported by national/local institutions? Do these institutions, including Government and Civil Society, beneficiaries, other implementing partners demonstrate leadership commitment and technical capacity to continue to work with the programme or replicate it to ensure continuity in pursuing the recognition, reduction and redistribution of unpaid care work after the programme ends?
• What capacity of national partners, both technical and operational, has been strengthened?
• Did the intervention design include an appropriate sustainability strategy (including promoting national/ local ownership, use of local capacity, etc.) to support positive changes in Gender Equality and Human Rights after the end of the intervention?
• Is there evidence of sustainable transformations at the local and national level that can be associated with the intervention?

Stakeholder engagement

In line with UN Women evaluation standards, this exercise will be gender sensitive, consultative, inclusive and participatory and will ensure the participation of women and CSOs representing various groups of women in the target municipalities of Senegal. Special attention will be given to representativeness of all target groups of women including rural women, women and girls with disabilities, single parents, illiterate women, ethnic minority women and women with other identities, as applicable. A diverse group of women who have participated in the programme, and other community members who were direct and indirect programme beneficiaries, will benefit from this evaluation findings and should be included as the key actors in the design of the main recommendations.

Similarly, direct implementing partners will be involved in the evaluation process as key informants and sources of information.

Scope of Evaluation

The evaluation will be conducted by an evaluation team composed by a Senior International Evaluation Consultant who will lead the evaluation process and collect data and information in Rwanda and South Africa, and a National Consultant who will collect data and information in Senegal and share the findings with the Senior Evaluator.

The evaluation will cover the whole duration of the project, between 1st April 2021 and 31st December 2022. The geographic scope of this evaluation is represented by the three implementing countries (Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa). The National Consultant is expected to conduct the evaluation in the target municipalities in the Saint Louis Region in Senegal.

 Evaluation process and methodology                                                             

The external end-term evaluation will be conducted in accordance with United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) standards, and more specifically, UN Women's GERAAS (see Annex 1) will be used to assess and ensure the quality of evaluation products. All deliverables will be reviewed against the GERAAS criteria by the Evaluation Management Group for approval.

This includes subjecting the Evaluation Report to UN System-wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN SWAP) quality scoring, requiring that evidence of gender integration is demonstrated throughout the evaluation process and in the report. The evaluation methodology should clearly focus on highlighting gender issues in the implementation of the programme, in line with the following criteria:

-          GEWE is integrated in the evaluation scope of analysis and evaluation indicators are designed in a way that ensures GEWE related data will be collected.

-          GEWE is integrated in evaluation criteria and evaluation questions are included that specifically address how GEWE has been integrated into the design, planning, implementation of the intervention and the results achieved;

-          A gender-responsive methodology, methods and tools, and data analysis techniques are selected.

-          Evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations reflect a gender analysis.

The design should promote inclusion and participation by employing gender equality and human rights responsive methodological approaches such as those with a focus on utilization,  empowerment  or feminist approaches.

Materials that the evaluator will be expected to consult are: programme documents and tools at global and country level, country offices’ records (meetings, monitoring visits), documents related to the Steering Committees, etc. Data sources that the evaluator will be expected to consult are: UN Women teams, beneficiaries, partner organizations, implementing partners, governmental partners, etc.

The evaluator will have to detail a data management plan on how confidentiality will be guaranteed, that the nature of informed consent must be included in the inception report, that the evaluator develops a sampling frame and to take measure to ensure data quality, reliability and validity of data.

The evaluation process is divided in six phases:

1. Inception phase
2. Remote data collection phase
3. Data analyses and syntheses phase
4. Validation
5. Dissemination and Management Response

A full methodology will be developed by the consultant during the inception phase and included in the inception report. This will include the identification of a variety of key informants to consult, and specifically outline the instruments and tools (interviews, observations, focus groups, literary journal, survey, site visits, etc.) that will be used to collect relevant information and data. The list of sources of information collected will be then attached to the evaluation report

Under the coordination and supervision of UN Women, in close collaboration with the Evaluation Reference Group, the Junior Consultant will conduct the evaluation of the part of the 3R Programme implemented in Senegal under the supervision of a Senior Consultant who will lead the final evaluation process.

The Junior Consultant is expected to perform the following activities as part of conducting the independent evaluation:

Review relevant documents related to Senegal and consult with the Senegal coordinator.
Support senior consultant with inception report drafting.
Carry out field visits and interviews in Senegal based on an interview protocol reviewed by the programme teams (individual and focus groups, as relevant) with key stakeholders, beneficiaries, implementing partners and members of the programme management teams.
Conduct a comprehensive analysis of data collected in Senegal and share with the senior consultant.
Support senior consultant with online debriefing session.
Support senior consultant with report drafting.
Support report finalization.

 Deliverables

The following deliverables[2] are expected:

An inception report to be provided. The inception report should capture relevant information such as proposed methods; proposed sources of data; data collection procedures and tools, including an interview protocol, which will be reviewed and approved by the programme team. The inception report should also include an evaluation matrix, proposed schedule of tasks, activities and deliverables and should also contain background information. (payment 40%)
A PPT presentation with interim findings.
An interim evaluation report
A final evaluation report. The final report should address comments from the Evaluation Reference Group. The final version, accepted as such following final approval by the Evaluation Management Group, will be delivered latest on the 12th week of the assignment (payment 60%).

Both the interim and the final report will be structured as follows:

I. Table of Contents
II. List of abbreviations and acronyms
III. Executive summary
IV. Background and context
V. Evaluation purpose
VI. Evaluation objectives and scope
VII. Evaluation methodology and limitations
VIII. Evaluation findings

      a. Relevance and Design
      b. Efficiency
      c. Effectiveness
      d. Sustainability
      e. Gender, Equity and Human Rights

XI. Conclusions
X. Recommendations
XI. Lessons learned
XII. Annexes

     a. Terms of Reference
     b. Documents consulted
     c. List of institutions interviewed, and sites visited
     d. Evaluation tools (questionnaires, interview guides, etc.)
     e. Summary matrix of findings, evidence, and recommendations
     f. Evaluation brief

N.B.: All payments are subject to the submission of deliverables and following the Evaluation Management Group’s approval of satisfactory performance. Satisfactory performance will be assessed based on GERAAS quality assessment standards (see annex 1 for more

information)Suggested agenda (subject to possible evolutions):

Evaluation Management, reporting and supervision

The Evaluation Management Group:

The Management Group, under UN Women’s leadership, is in charge of the management of the evaluation. With this regard, it organises the consultant recruitment process, and shares the necessary information with the Evaluator. It will support the Evaluator with the needed technical assistance to ensure an in-depth understanding of the project under evaluation. It quality assures the different deliverables and takes key decisions concerning the evaluation, including approving deliverables.  

The Evaluation Reference Group :

The Reference group, which comprises a selection of project stakeholders, strengthens the independent character of the evaluation and bring technical contributions at all stages of the evaluation, from its planning, to the submission of the final report. It contributes to identify any factual errors or errors of omission or interpretation at key stages of the evaluation process.

 Duration of the assignment

The assignment must be conducted during 20 working days within the span of maximum three months.

[1] OECD/DAC Evaluation criteria available at: http://www.oecd.org/dac/evaluation/revised-evaluation-criteria-dec-2019.pdf

[2] All deliverables, including the final evaluation report, are considered as ‘final’ following approval by the Evaluation Management Group. 

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity
• Integrity
• Professionalis

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
• Accountability
• Creative Problem Solving
• Effective Communication
• Inclusive Collaboration
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leading by Example

Functional Competencies?

• Proven evaluation experience with gender-responsive evaluations methodologies.
• Strong analytical, and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products.
• Professional and/or academic experience in gender, women’s economic empowerment, unpaid care work, rural development, Sub-Saharan context, and/or management.
• Ability to produce high quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating the evolving client needs.
• Experience working in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Ability to focus on impact and results for the client, promoting and demonstrating an ethic of client service.
• Ability to work independently, produce high quality outputs.
• Strong ability to write clearly and convincingly.
• Excellent writing, research, analysis and presentation skills.
• Excellent knowledge and experience in gender equality and women’s economic empowerment programming and implementation.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in development studies, gender, law, economics, business administration, political science, statistics, human rights, and/or other relevant social sciences.

Experience:

• Proven at least 3 years of experience in managing or/and evaluating development, women economic empowerment programs/projects (some specific experience in leading evaluations is required).
• Knowledge and demonstrable experience of women’s economic empowerment programming is a strong asset.
• Strong knowledge of Senegal context.
• A strong record in participating in gender-responsive evaluation processes.
• A gender sensitive evaluation certification is a strong asset.
• A detailed knowledge and familiarity of the UN, its programming processes and coordination mechanisms.
• Experience in gender analysis and human rights (e.g. expertise in women’s economic empowerment; women political participation and leadership, rural agricultural development will be considered an asset).

Language:

• Proficiency in both French and English is mandatory.

Ethical Code of Conduct

The United Nations Evaluations Group (UNEG) Ethical Guidelines and Code of Conduct for Evaluation in the UN system are available at: http://www.uneval.org/document/detail/100; Norms for evaluation in the UN system: http://unevaluation.org/document/detail/21 and UNEG Standards for evaluation (updated 2016): http://unevaluation.org/document/detail/1914.

We expect in the inception report a clear plan for how information will be used, reported on and who will benefit from this information needs to be spelled out in the ToR. The plan should elaborate how informed consent will be obtained.

GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION:

Interested candidates should apply online following relevant instructions and deadline.

ANNEXES

Annex 1 UN Women GERAAS evaluation quality assessment checklist

https://genderevaluation.unwomen.org/-/media/files/un%20women/gender%20evaluation/handbook/tool%2014%20-%20geraas%20evaluation%20report%20quality%20assessment%20checklist.docx?la=en

Annex 2 UN Women Evaluation Consultants Agreement Form: https://gate.unwomen.org/resources/docs/SiteDocuments/UNWomen%20-%20CodeofConductforEvaluationForm-Consultants.pdf

Annex 3 UNEG Norms and Standards for evaluation? http://www.unevaluation.org/document/detail/1914

Annex 4 UN Women Evaluation Handbook https://genderevaluation.unwomen.org/en/evaluation-handbook

Annex 5 Resources for data on gender equality and human rights

•  UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – Universal Human Rights Index: http://uhri.ohchr. org/en
•  UN Statistics – Gender Statistics: http://genderstats.org/
•  UNDP Human Development Report – Gender Inequality Index: http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/gender-inequality-index-gii
•  World Bank – Gender Equality Data and Statistics: http://datatopics.worldbank.org/gender/
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Social Institutions and Gender Index: http://genderindex.org/
• World Economic Forum – Global Gender Gap Report: https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-gender-gap-report-2017

UN Women Personal History Form (P11) must be completed and attached as part of the online application - https://www.unwomen.org/-/media/headquarters/attachments/sections/about%20us/employment/un-women-p11-personal-history-form.doc?la=en&vs=558

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need. 

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check).