Duties and Responsibilities
Organizational Setting: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The overall objective of the UNEP’s Economy Division is to encourage decision-makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities. The GEF Chemicals and Waste Unit of the Chemicals and Health Branch is responsible for the development and management of all GEF projects implemented by UNEP in the Chemicals and Wastes focal area. UNEP is the implementing agency (IA) for GEF projects and is tasked to carry out Midterm Reviews (MTR) of eligible projects as per the UNEP Evaluation Policy and the UNEP Programme Manual. To carry out such reviews of project, UNEP requires the services of specialized consultants to measure progress made towards the achievement of outcomes and to provide necessary recommendations. To this end, the full-sized project entitled “Reducing uses and releases of chemicals of concern, including Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), in the textiles sector” (GEF ID 10523) requires carrying out an MTR. It is a project in four beneficiary countries across the Asia Pacific region: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Viet Nam. This MTR will analyse whether the project is on-track, what problems or challenges the project is encountering, and what corrective actions are required. The MTR will assess the project performance to date (in terms of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency), and determine the likelihood of the project achieving its intended outcomes and supporting their sustainability. Reporting lines: The consultant shall report directly to the UNEP GEF C&W Senior Task Manager and Task Manager on day-to-day basis. Final deliverables shall also be approved by the GEF C&W Portfolio Manager. Specific duties and responsibilities: All the activities related to the MTR are to be carried out as per UNEP Evaluation Policy and the UNEP Programme Manual. The MTR will use a participatory approach whereby key stakeholders are kept informed and consulted throughout the review process. Both quantitative and qualitative review methods will be used as appropriate to determine project achievements against the expected outputs, outcomes and impacts. It is highly recommended that the MTR Consultant maintains close communication with the project team and promotes information exchange throughout the review implementation phase in order to increase their (and other stakeholder) ownership of the review findings. The Review Consultant should provide a geo-referenced map that demarcates the area covered by the project and provide geo-reference photographs of key intervention sites (e.g. sites of habitat rehabilitation and protection, pollution treatment infrastructure, etc.) The findings of the Review will be based on the following: 1. A desk review of following relevant project documentation and determine key data to collect from stakeholders and prepare key instruments (questionnaires, logic models) to collect these data through interviews and/or surveys: a) Project Document and Appendices; b) Project design documents (including minutes of the project design review meeting at approval); Annual Work Plans and Budgets or equivalent, revisions to the project (Project Document Supplement), the logical framework and its budget; c) Project reports such as quarterly progress and financial reports, progress reports from collaborating partners, meeting minutes, relevant correspondence and including the Project Implementation Reviews and Tracking Tool, etc.; d) Evaluations/Reviews of similar projects. 2. Conduct online interviews (individual or in group) with: a) UNEP Task Manager and team members; b) Representatives of Implementing Agency (UNEP) and respective executive agencies (BSCRC-SEA, NRDC, ILO, UNEP-RMB); c) UNEP Fund Management Officer (FMO). 3. Draft and finalise the MTR report as per UNEP evaluation office requirements following due procedure of stakeholder consultation. 4. Revise the draft MTR report based on comments from UNEP Task Manager and any relevant stakeholder and edit the language and form of the final version. 5. Submit the final MTR report and a brief presentation to the Task Manager. 6. Liaise with the UNEP GEF CW Unit teams in Nairobi and Geneva to provide regular updates on progress on each of the above work streams. The consultant will also arrange the interpretation/translation services, as needed during the process of conducting MTR.
Qualifications/special skills
A bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences/engineering, social sciences, international development or other relevant area is required. An advanced degree in the same areas is desirable. A minimum of 7 years of technical/evaluation experience in projects and programmatic approaches is required. Experience evaluating UNEP and/or GEF projects is desirable. Good/broad understanding of POPs, textiles sector pollutants management is desirable. Working knowledge of the UN system and specifically the work of UNEP is desirable.
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.