Consultancy: Evaluation Team Leader Iraq United Nations Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2020-2024 (International consultancy)

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Purpose of Activity/Assignment: The Iraq United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for the period 2020-2024 was established to address the developmental challenges identified within the country. This framework serves as the basis for collaboration and partnership between the Government of Iraq and the United Nations Country Team (UNCT). United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Iraq consists of 23 UN agencies, funds, and programs led by the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, who is the designated representative of the UN Secretary-General for development operations in Iraq. All these entities joined efforts and bring their varied comparative advantages to deliver the UNSDCF as One UN and in the last 3 years (2020-2022) have expended USD 1,199,266,960 to implement the UNSDCF out of the proposed USD 2,742,507,096 resources required which amount to 43.7 % of the resources. The 2020-2024 UNSDCF, which was signed in 2021, is a comprehensive document produced by the United Nations System in Iraq. It is characterized by various elements, including the application of the Standard Operating Procedure for UN coherence, a strong focus on partnerships, the alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as its fundamental basis, and the participatory approach taken during its formulation, involving the Iraqi Government and key stakeholders. The UNSDCF is structured around five Strategic Priorities (SPs) and eleven outcomes each accompanied by a total of thirty corresponding outputs. Annex A Iraq UNSDCF Final Evaluation detailed information Annex A Iraq UNSDCF Final Evaluation detailed information v2.pdf

Team composition: For context, the below deliverables will be expected to be delivered by an evaluation team. These Terms of Reference are for the lead consultant, who will be supported by two team members (nationals of Iraq). Each Team member should sign and comply with the UNEG Code of Conduct for Evaluators, which provides ethical guidelines for the conduct of evaluations. The Evaluation Team and each team member is required to submit the certificate of the Ethics in evidence generation training of UNICEF (see here).

The Evaluation Team Leader leads the entire evaluation process, working closely with all team members. S/he will conduct the evaluation process in a timely manner and communicate with the Evaluation Manager on a regular basis and highlight progress made/challenges encountered. The Evaluation Team Leader will be responsible for producing the inception report and the draft and final evaluation reports.

Team members contribute to the evaluation process substantively through data collection and analysis. They will share responsibilities for conducting desk review and interviews and conduct field visits identified and collect data. They will provide substantive inputs to the inception report, the presentation of preliminary findings as well as to the draft and final reports.

Scope of Work: Purpose and Objectives of the Final Evaluation The CF evaluation has two primary purposes: 1. Promote greater learning and programmatic improvement. The evaluation will provide important information for decision-making towards strengthening programming and results at the country level. Specifically, it will capture lessons learned and make recommendations that will inform the development of the next CF program cycle. The UNCT, host government, and other CF stakeholders will also learn from the evaluation. 2. Support greater accountability of the UNCT to CF stakeholders. By objectively providing evidence of results achieved within the framework of the CF and assessing the effectiveness of the strategies and interventions used, the evaluation will enable the various stakeholders in the CF process, including national counterparts and donors, to hold the UNCT and other parties accountable for fulfilling their roles and commitments.

The objectives of the evaluation are to: 1. Assess the contribution of the CF to national development results through evidence-based assessment using evaluation criteria. 2. Identify and explain operational factors and bottlenecks that could have affected the CF’s contribution, and why the performance is as it is. 3. Provide actionable recommendations for improving the CF's contribution, especially for incorporation into the new CF programming cycle. These recommendations should be logically linked to the conclusions and findings of the evaluation and should draw upon lessons learned identified through the evaluation.

Use of Evaluation Findings The evaluation findings will be used by a broad range of stakeholders, including the Government of Iraq, members of the UNCT, partners from civil society, academia, donors, and other development partners from the international and national community to (1) improve implementation of the UNSDCF, (2) prepare the next (2025-2029) United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), and contribute to learning and accountability within and beyond the United Nations.

Scope The evaluation will cover UNSDCF implementation from January 2020 through December 2022 with some analysis through the first half of 2023, depending on data availability. It will also examine the UNSDCF cross-cutting issues and UN programming principles including human rights, gender equality, equity and women’s empowerment, youth engagement, disability inclusion, sustainability and resilience, and accountability.

The UNSDCF evaluation will not evaluate any individual program or activities of a specific UN agency. However, the evaluation will be conducted at the strategic level looking at the UNSDCF as a portfolio of different interventions. Nevertheless, the evaluation may build on the available findings from program and project evaluations conducted by each agency.

The geographic scope of this evaluation will be national (Federal Iraq and Kurdistan Region) with focus on the two governorates of Baghdad and Erbil. Detailed information on the geographic scope of the various interventions under the UNSDCF will be provided to the evaluation team at the inception phase.

The consultancy is for a duration of 105 working days ending on 30 April 2024 with 45 Days in Baghdad.

Work Assignment Overview Output 1: Inception report describing the evaluation team’s understanding of the assignment and which includes their detailed plan to execute it (5-10-page document). The report should also further refine the overall evaluation scope, approach, design, and timeframe, and provide a detailed outline of the evaluation methodology and is to be delivered 10 days after the start of the assignment and desk review. Progress report/briefing to the Evaluation Manager/ESC/PMT/RCO (the briefing periodicity to be determined in the Inception Report). Timeframe 25 days, percentage of fee: 25%

Output 2: Draft CF evaluation report and presentation of preliminary findings. Timeframe: 55 days, percentage of fee: 50 %

Output 3: Comprehensive Final Evaluation Report (40-60 pages content including not more that 5-page Executive Summary and excluding annexes)

A final Power Point presentation containing the main findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the evaluation for dissemination and debriefing purposes. Timeframe: 25 days, percentage of fee: 25%

The submission of the inception report, progress reports and final evaluation report should be in electronic copy. The Reports should be of high quality in terms of presentation, relevance, and utility, and have the following attributes: - Concision: The reports should cover the required material without being irrelevant and unwieldy. - Readability: The report should be written in English, jargon-free language and should be simple, clear and reader friendly

Minimum Qualifications required: - Advanced university degree, preferably PhD, in fields relevant to one or more UNCF areas of work and preferably including political economy and development financing, International relations, political science, communications, international development/ development studies, climate change, or another relevant technical field. - At least 10 years of experience in designing and implementing evaluations of complex programmes. Experienced evaluation team leader with strong skills and expertise in evaluation theory and conceptual frameworks, and strong qualifications in qualitative and quantitative data collection tools, and in data analysis methods. Sound understanding of the UNEG norms and standards for evaluation combined. - At least 5 years of experience as an evaluation team leader and through submission of at least 3 evaluation reports developed over the past 6 years by the evaluation team leader. - Strong understanding of at least 2 goal areas of work of the UNCF and of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, combined with a strong understanding of the institutional requirements and coordination needed to implement the 2030 Agenda and achieve the SDGs in a humanitarian-development nexus context; demonstrated in the CV through at least 3 strategic assignments (evaluation, policy or strategy development, or other strategic level assignments) over the past 6 years. - Sound understanding of multilateralism and of the role of the UN system, combined with a good understanding of the UN reform and its implementation and implication at the country level. Demonstrated through at least 2 relevant strategic assignments with the UN over the past 6 years. - Previous experience in conducting country programme evaluations or research or other strategic evaluations/analysis efforts preferably in Iraq and MENA; at least 1 assignment in the past 5 years in the MENA region and preferably in Iraq. - Excellent level of English (oral communication, reading documents, writing complex reports); excellent facilitation skills; proficiency in Arabic is desired.

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

Remarks:

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. Candidates must submit an all-inclusive fee for the assignment. UNICEF will provide travel for the assignment and in-country travel if required.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.