Consultancy for evaluation of completed projects of the Specific International Programme

Result of Service

Five terminal evaluation reports, one for each of five completed SIP projects, namely, the projects in Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ghana, Moldova and Nigeria.

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

10 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Article 13 of the Minamata Convention on Mercury defines a mechanism for the provision of adequate, predictable and timely financial resources to support developing-country Parties and Parties with economies in transition in implementing their obligations under the Convention. The mechanism is comprised of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) trust fund and the Specific International Programme (SIP) to support capacity-building and technical assistance. The SIP is administered by UNEP through the Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury under the oversight of the SIP Governing Board which implements its guidance, including decision-making on projects and project management. In decision MC-1/6, the Conference of the Parties established guidance on the operations of and duration of the SIP and establishment of its Terms of Reference and Governing Board. Its Rules of Procedure were adopted by the Governing Board at its first meeting in 2018 and completed at its third meeting. The SIP is mandated to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication with other existing arrangements to provide capacity-building and technical support, in particular GEF and the Special Programme to support institutional strengthening at the national level for implementation of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions, the Minamata Convention, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management and the Global Framework on Chemicals, as well as other existing assistance frameworks, and be consistent with the integrated approach to financing the sound management of chemicals and waste. The purpose of this consultancy is to undertake terminal evaluations of five SIP projects. Project logical frameworks and reporting provide key information from which to assess the effectiveness and impacts of individual projects and provide important information for reviewing the results of the overall programme in light of the SIP Results Framework. In line with the UN Environment Evaluation Policy and the SIP Application Guidelines, all projects with funding from the SIP of over USD 150,000 are required to undergo a terminal evaluation. The UN has Evaluation Norms and Standards to which contracted evaluators are bound. UNEP evaluations and reviews consider nine specific evaluation criteria: strategic relevance; quality of project design; nature of external context; effectiveness, which comprises assessments of the provision of outputs, achievement of outcomes and likelihood of impact; financial management; efficiency; monitoring and reporting; sustainability; and factors and processes affecting project performance and cross-cutting issues. One project from the First Round of applications and four projects from the Second Round of applications to the SIP have completed their activities and will be evaluated. They are: a. Antigua and Barbuda: Facilitating capacity-building with technical assistance and technology transfer for managing mercury in the Caribbean Budget: USD 210,000 Duration: 13 October 2020 – 12 October 2023 b. Benin: Improvement of management framework for mercury-containing products and wastes Budget: USD 249,113 Duration: 20 May 2019 – 19 November 2022 c. Ghana: Strengthening Ghana’s Health Sector for the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury Budget: USD 250,000 Duration: 4 December 2020 – 3 December 2023 d. Moldova: Support to post-ratification of the Minamata Convention to the Republic of Moldova by building phase down capacities and reducing risks associated with mercury Budget: USD 219,765 Duration: 3 September 2020 – 2 September 2023 e. Nigeria: Capacity strengthening for the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Nigeria Budget: USD 250,000 Duration: 6 April 2021 – 5 July 2023 Terminal Evaluations Arrangements, Approach and Methods: Each of the terminal evaluations should assess the quality of the project and its implementation against the UNEP evaluation criteria and specific questions as outlined below, and provide recommendations for addressing any programming challenges, scaling up, and for ensuring sustainability of achieved results or any other recommendations within the context of the Minamata Convention’s capacity building and technical assistance support towards implementing the mandates of the Convention. The terminal evaluations will use a participatory evaluation approach to consult key stakeholders and keep them informed throughout the evaluation process. Both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods will be used, as appropriate, to determine achievements against the expected outputs, outcomes and impacts. The consultant will maintain close communication with the Minamata Convention Secretariat and promote information exchange with key stakeholders throughout the evaluations to increase their (and other stakeholder) ownership of the findings. The findings of the evaluations will be based on the following: (a) A desk review of: • Relevant background documentation, including legal agreements, amendments or changes thereto, and application guidelines and forms, amongst others; • Appraisal documentation and SIP Governing Board comments on applications, if any; • Project interim progress and financial reports; • Project final reports; • Project equipment inventories and audit reports; • Supplemental materials provided by project partner to the Secretariat and/or the consultant; • SIP Results Framework, as contained in the report of the mid-term evaluation of the SIP developed in 2023. (b) Interviews (individual or in groups, undertaken virtually) with: • Project focal points, project correspondence focal points and Minamata Convention national focal points of each country; • Secretariat staff; • Relevant resource persons. (c) If the consultant considers surveys of relevant partners and/or stakeholders of each country to be useful and within the resources available for the evaluations, the consultant will submit draft survey instruments to the Secretariat for review, comment, and, if needed, revision.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree in environmental sciences, international development or other relevant political or social sciences area. A minimum of 10 years of technical / evaluation experience, including of evaluating large, regional or global programmes and using a Theory of Change approach; a broad understanding of issues relating to international chemicals management. Knowledge of the UN system, specifically of the work of UN Environment Programme, is an advantage.

Languages

Proficiency in English and French, along with excellent writing skills in English. Consultant may sub-contract with someone proficient in French for the work involving the single French-speaking project country in lieu of meeting the French proficiency requirement.

Additional Information

The consultant certifies that he/she has not been associated with the design and implementation of the SIP in any way which may jeopardize their independence and impartiality towards achievements and performance. In addition, he/she will not have any future interests (within six months after completion of the contract) with the work of the SIP. The consultant agrees not to disclose information from non-public applications and reports to third parties beyond information required for, and included in, the evaluations and review.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

Read Full Description