Background

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund), managed by UN Women on behalf of the UN system, is the only global grant-making mechanism dedicated to eradicating all forms of violence against women and girls (VAW/G). Since its establishment in 1996 by UN General Assembly Resolution 50/166, the UN Trust Fund has awarded USD 198 million to 609 initiatives in 140 countries and territories. Focusing on preventing violence, implementing laws and policies, and improving access to vital services for survivors, the UN Trust Fund invests in life-changing initiatives for millions of women and girls around the world. To help achieve this vision, the UN Trust Fund’s mission over the next five years will be to enable CSOs, especially WROs and those representing the most marginalized groups, to play a central role in delivering survivor-centered and demand-driven initiatives and to support their programmes to achieve sustainable impact on ending VAW/G.

One pillar of the UN Trust Fund’s Strategic Plan 2021-2025 is to support collaborative and inclusive knowledge exchange, production, and learning. The UN Trust Fund aims to support CSOs funded to invest in their own monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and to produce knowledge based on the synthesized lessons learned from across grantees, with a focus on practice-based knowledge. 

In order to meet its accountability in this regard, the UN Trust Fund is seeking an experience evaluator to support evaluation and knowledge management processes in line with the organization’s mandate and to support the implementation of the UN Trust Fund Strategic Plan 2021-2025. The evaluator is required to produce a number of documents, including but not limited to meta-analyses, project summaries and to provide support in evaluation processes and conduct assessments as needed, using participatory and inclusive processes.  

Objective of the Assignment: 

Reporting to the Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Manager of the UN Trust Fund to EVAW, the international consultant – evaluator will assume the responsibility to provide ad-hoc support in evaluation procedure and processes, research, conduct assessments and analyses, write and edit a range of high-quality content technical documents in close collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation, and Knowledge Management team at the UN Trust Fund.  

The UN Trust Fund has an active portfolio of approximately 140+ projects, in various stages of their cycles and as projects are coming to an end, the evaluator will take the responsibility to provide ad-hoc support in evaluability assessments, and Meta-Analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data and evidence gathered from UNTF grantee results reports and project evaluations to produce results reports, communications stories and knowledge products on lessons from our work. In addition, the evaluator is expected to provide ad-hoc support in evaluation procedures and processes and capacity building as needed.  

The consultant will be offered a retainer contract, i.e., one issued for two years during which the services of the consultant will be required based on an agreed plan with the Country Office and to respond to unexpected needs and opportunities. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct guidance and supervision of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Knowledge Manager of the UN Trust Fund to EVAW, the international consultant will work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Knowledge Management team at the UN Trust Fund to undertake the following tasks:   

1. Provide quality assurance and capacity building in evaluation procedures and processes as needed to produce high quality, timely, evaluation reports aligned with UN Trust Fund’s evaluation guidelines.  
2. Conduct research, assessments, and analyses, and write and edit a range of high-quality content technical documents and knowledge products. 
3. Meta-Analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data and evidence gathered from UNTF grantee results reports and project evaluations to produce results reports, communications stories and knowledge products on lessons from our work. 
4. Support the conceptualization, design, management and dissemination of best practices and several lessons learned assessments.  
5. Produce summaries and briefs of reports and knowledge products for further dissemination among different audiences. 

Competencies

Core Values:

• Respect for Diversity

• Integrity

• Professionalism

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues

• Accountability

• Creative Problem Solving

• Effective Communication

• Inclusive Collaboration 

• Stakeholder Engagement 

• Leading by Example

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Core Values and Competencies:  https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-values-and-competencies-framework-en.pdf

Functional Competencies  

• Excellent facilitation and coordination skills;  

• In-depth knowledge of gender equality and women’s rights issues;  

• Ability to communicate sensitively across different focal points;  

• Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills;  

• Knowledge and understanding of the UN system and familiarity with inter-governmental processes.  

Required Skills and Experience

Education and certification:

• Master’s degree in International Development, International Relations, Social Sciences, Research, Knowledge Management, or related area required.

Experience 

• At least 10 years of experience in conducting evaluations, research and / or meta-analyses 
• Expertise in working with survivors of violence, gender and human rights-based approaches to research and / or evaluation is essential 
• Experience in analyzing and synthesizing large volumes of qualitative data and drafting high quality knowledge products is essential 
• Experience in working with CSO/WROs and particularly small organizations, including gathering feedback via focus group discussions and interviews is highly desirable 
• Experience co-creating knowledge with partners is highly desirable 
• Proven track record of previous work experience with UN System and the UN Trust Fund to end violence against women in similar assignments is highly desirable  
• Experience providing training and /or capacity development on evaluation management highly desirable. 

Language requirements

• Fluency in English (oral and written) and another official UN language is required.

Evaluation Criteria  

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology: Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for the financial evaluation.  

Criteria Weight  

Technical: 70% (70 points)  

• Criteria 1: At least 10 years of experience in conducting evaluations, research and / or meta-analyses(10 Points)  
• Criteria 2: Expertise in working with survivors of violence, gender and human rights-based approaches to research and / or evaluation is essential(10 Points)  
• Criteria 3: Experience in analyzing and synthesizing large volumes of qualitative data and drafting high quality knowledge products is essential(10 Points)   
• Criteria 4: Experience in working with CSO/WROs and particularly small organizations, including co-creating knowledge with partners and gathering feedback via focus group discussions and interviews is highly desirable. (10 Points)  
• Criteria 5: Proven track record of previous work experience with UN System and the UN Trust Fund to end violence against women in similar assignments is highly desirable. (10 Points)  
• Criteria 6: Experience providing training and /or capacity development on evaluation management highly desirable. (10 Points) 
• Criteria 7: Excellent written and oral skills in English and another official UN language is required.(10 Points) 

Financial: Lowest Financial Proposal: 30% (30 points)  

The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula:  

• Contract will be awarded to the technically qualified consultant who obtains the highest combined score (financial and technical);  
• The points for the Financial Proposal will be allocated as per the following formula: (Lowest Bid Offered*)/ (Bid of the Consultant) x 30;  
• 'Lowest Bid Offered' refers to the lowest price offered by Offerors scoring at least 49 points in the technical evaluation.

Application Process

If interested in applying, please provide the following documents: 

1. A cover letter with a brief presentation of your consultancy explaining your suitability for the work 
2. UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://www.unwomen.org/about-us/employment;  
3. Personal CV;  
4. Financial proposal, inclusive daily rate.  
5. A writing samples of previous evaluation reports with UN Women. 

The above-mentioned documents should be merged into a standalone file including all of them, since the online application submission does only permit to upload one file per application. Incomplete submission can be a ground for disqualification.