Consultancy: Team Leader: Evaluation of UNICEF’s Response to the L3 Humanitarian Crisis, Evaluation Office, NYHQ (7 months, 100 days) REQ 539446 - Remote

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, evaluate:

The conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, now entering its tenth year, has inflicting untold suffering and hardship on civilian populations. Today more than 11.1 million people inside Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance, 4.9 million of which are children. UNICEF has been delivering life-saving services to children and families and apply a targeted, multi-sector systems strengthening approach through partners and field offices.

UNICEF’s Evaluation Office is commissioning an evaluation of UNICEF’s response. The evaluation will provide a comprehensive assessment of UNICEF’s overall response to the crisis within Syria, including cross border programming, generating key lessons and recommendations to improve the response.

How can you make a difference?

The planned evaluation is intended to serve both accountability and learning functions. The primary purpose is to strengthen UNICEF’s performance in protecting children’s rights and well-being in the country, and in responding to large-scale emergencies.

The specific objectives are to:

• provide a comprehensive assessment of UNICEF’s overall response to the crisis within Syria (including cross-border programming)against its own mandate and standards, its stated objectives, and standard evaluation criteria;
• based on collation and analysis of relevant data and information, generate evidence, conclusions and key lessons and make recommendations on UNICEF’s future humanitarian responses.

The primary expected result is an evaluation report that answers the evaluation questions using a variety of methods, both qualitative and quantitative. The evaluation questions will correspond to the following themes:

• Relevance and appropriateness of UNICEF’s strategies and programme designs to context and needs,
• Cross-cutting principles (humanitarian principles, do no harm, gender, human rights, accountability etc.),
• Programme performance,
• Coordination and collaboration with Government, local authorities and partners in the UN system and NGOs,
• Quality of supporting functions: supply, HR, PME (including data quality, needs analysis, programme and end-user monitoring, reporting)
• Effectiveness of UNICEF management structures and arrangements,
• Risk identification, management, and mitigation.

The evaluation will focus on programming inside Syria, including cross-border operations, from 2018 – present.

Deliverables:

The team leader will be responsible for managing the evaluation team (made up of both international and national consultants) and for the quality of the evaluation process and outputs, as described below.

Phase 1: Scoping phase/Inception Phase (April/May 2021) The scoping phase will involve consultations with key internal and external stakeholders in the SCO, sub-region and at Headquarters level concerning the purpose and essential elements of the evaluation, together with a preliminary desk review of the availability of relevant data and documentary evidence.

This phase will enable the evaluation team and UNICEF to reach a common understanding as to the nature of the task, the questions to be addressed, the sources and methods to be used, and the outputs to be delivered. It will also enable the evaluation team to undertake initial consultations with key informants, and also to review the available data and documentary material, including material generated in the scoping phase.

The primary output from this phase will be an inception report, a draft of which will be circulated for comment internally, and this will form the mutually agreed basis for conducting the evaluation. It should include a contextual analysis, an evaluation matrix, detailing the questions to be asked together with related indicators and likely sources of verification.

Phase 2: Field mission/data gathering/analysis/preliminary briefings (Jun-Jul 2021) This is the main data-gathering phase. The timing, schedule and itinerary will be agreed with the RO and CO(s). Given COVID-19 travel restrictions, the situation will be assessed to determine if it will be possible to undertake any travel (either within Syria, to Amman or Gaziantep). It is envisaged that the field component should commence in the first week of June, and last for approximately three weeks. Based primarily on key informant interviews, focus-group discussions and direct observation and documentary review, the team should by the end of this phase have produced a preliminary briefing report for discussion with UNICEF staff. The purpose of this is two-fold: (i) to feed into relevant strategic planning and policy review processes; and (ii) to provide an initial basis for validation of findings.

Prior to the writing of the preliminary briefing report, a presentation on the initial findings should be given, and it is envisaged that a discussion of these initial findings with UNICEF staff in the sub-region should help inform the writing of the preliminary briefing report.

The main output from this phase will be: (i) a presentation on the preliminary briefing from the field mission; and (ii) a preliminary briefing report.

Phase 3: Validation of findings and production of first draft report (Aug-Sept 2021) This phase is intended to allow time for more detailed follow up on key areas of the evaluation, cross-checking and validation of the provisional analysis from Phase 2, and filling of gaps in documentation, key informant interviews and other consultations, including with HQ staff. This phase should also allow time for conducting and analyzing the results of a survey (or multiple surveys) on relevant aspects of the UNICEF response. If agreed upon, other surveys, e.g. beneficiary surveys can be undertaken, and results analyzed.

The main output from this phase will be a first full draft of the evaluation report as a basis for consultation.

Phase 4: Consultation on draft report, revision and production of final report (Oct-Nov 2021) This phase allows for full consultation with internal stakeholders on the draft report. Two main rounds of consultation and revision are envisaged (second draft, third draft) plus a more limited consultation on the final draft.

The main output from this phase is the production of a final evaluation report that takes due account of feedback given during the consultation phase. The consultants will be responsible for compiling feedback in the form of a comment matrix for each round of consultation.

Phase 5: Dissemination (Nov onwards) It is envisaged that a final visit will be scheduled to communicate the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the evaluation, to facilitate strategic reflection on the response and to discuss the uptake of lessons learned and recommendations. One or more facilitated, participatory workshops will be conducted with staff from the regional offices, country office and cross border hubs, potentially also including UNICEF’s key partners. This is subject to further discussion with the regional offices and country offices at the inception phase and later stages of the evaluation.

The outputs for this phase are a summary PowerPoint presentation and the delivery of the workshops.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

• Graduate degree preferred
• Fifteen years’ experience in emergency response, preferably with a UN agency
• Ten years’ experience evaluating humanitarian action, evaluating L3 emergencies preferred, team leadership positions preferred
• Knowledge of latest methods and approaches in humanitarian evaluation, especially participatory methods and accountability to affected populations
• Demonstrated familiarity with UNICEF’s emergency response, including the Core Commitments to Children preferred
• Excellent English oral and written communication skills
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative methods
• Experience working in MENA preferred
• Experience managing a team
• Experience with the ethics of evidence generation
• Knowledge of humanitarian law and principles

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles 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.

How to apply:

The deadline for applications is midnight April 23 2021 (New York time).

Applications can be submitted either by an individual consultant or by individuals proposing to work together as a team. If applying as a group please identify the other individuals in your group in your application cover letter. It is important to note separate contracts will be issued to each team member.

Applications must include:

• CV, which should include up-to-date contact details of at least three reference persons.
• Cover letter (2-page maximum) with the following information:
  • availability as per indicative timeline, and an outline of how the applicant(s) match the required skills and experience outlined in the terms of reference.
  • Daily rate in USD
• Sample of past evaluative work

Any clarification questions on the TOR or application process should also be submitted electronically to Laura Olsen (lolsen@unicef.org) no later than midnight April 21, 2021 (New York time).

Remarks:

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.