Consultant for the mid-term evaluation of the "Youth Empowerment through TVET in The Gambia" project

Consultant

Overview

Conduct mid-term evaluation for Youth Empowerment through TVET project in The Gambia.

You have:

• Advanced university degree in social science, education, economy or related fields.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in an international organization on TVET issues.
• Excellent communication, analytical and writing skills.
• Understanding of relevant enabling policy frameworks related to TVET.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating projects for at least 5 years.

Contract

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Secteur de tutelle : Secteur de l'éducation (ED) Lieu d'affectation: Gambia (the) Catégorie d'emplois: Éducation Type de contrat : Personnel non permanent Durée du contrat : De 1 à 6 mois Recrutement ouvert à : Candidats externes Clôture des candidatures (minuit heure de Paris) : 30-APR-2021 Valeurs fondamentales de l’UNESCO : Engagement envers l’Organisation, intégrité, respect de la diversité, professionnalisme **1. Background and context of the project** -------------------------------------------- The Gambia Labour Force Survey (GLFS 2018) indicates that The Gambia has a very high youth unemployment rate estimated at 56% (of the total youth population of 377,326) . The main reason for this situation is the lack of readiness of youth to be adequately employed in the world of work due to their lack of demanded skills. As a result, skills mismatch and gap between the graduates and the labour market hinder youth from effectively participating in the evolving labour market. Moreover, the inadequate visibility and poor perception of Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) is another factor driving low youth participation in this sector. Being aware that the provision of quality and relevant TVET is one of the most effective ways for poverty alleviation and economic development, the Government of The Gambia now prioritizes the expansion of the TVET sector through the implementation of diverse strategies. In full alignment with SDG 4 to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”, UNESCO has developed and launched a new strategy for TVET for the period 2016-2021 which aims to support the Member States to enhance the relevance of their TVET systems and to equip all youth and adults with the skills required for employment, decent work, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning, and to contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Aligned with the national priorities, the Government of The Gambia and UNESCO are collaborating through the project **Youth Empowerment through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in The Gambia**, financed by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The project schedule is spread over 4 years during which 8 activities are carried out: - Activity 1 – Development and approval of a TVET Policy - Activity 2 – Development and review of TVET curricula - Activity 3 - Providing modern, industry-standard equipment for training (GTTI) - Activity 4 - Upgrading teacher training institutions and teacher training - Activity 5 – Strengthening the Management Information System - Activity 6 – Creation of an incubator system - Activity 7 – Organization of a National Skills Competition (NSC) and participation in International Skills Competition - Activity 8 – Guidance and communication to change perceptions of TVET **2. Purpose and Scope** ------------------------ **2.1. Objectives and Use** Halfway through the implementation of the project represents an opportunity for the monitoring team and all stakeholders to reflect on its current strategy, in particular its relevance and impact in an area with increasing importance and number of actors. Thus, UNESCO is hiring a consultant to carry out the mid-term review of the overall performance of the project implementation in relation to the project goals, as well as expected and unexpected results. The main purpose of the evaluation is to generate findings, lessons learned and recommendations that permit the project to reorient as needed, ensuring targeted support for the strategic positioning of the Youth Empowerment through TVET in The Gambia project within the system of national and international actors in the TVET education landscape. The evaluation will be forward-looking, adopting a transparent and consultative approach to gather evidence regarding the relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of the project’s current work and potential future strategic direction . In addition to an assessment of the project’s comparative strengths, the evaluation will identify results achieved and lessons learned in the areas defined in the project’s High-Level Objectives and its contributions to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all; SDG 5 achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls; and SDG 8: promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. The evaluation will cover all work carried out by the stakeholders since 2019 through its functions and will also focus on the project’s strategic position and its comparative advantage in the ecosystem of TVET actors. It also aims to support the management team, stakeholders and national beneficiaries to better target, focus and coordinate their work and to support strategic decision-making. The evaluation will inform on the development of the new Medium-Term Strategy (2021-2022) for the project. The final mid-term evaluation report will be submitted to the monitoring team. The evaluation consultant will present the evaluation findings during a physical or online presentation, depending on the health situation related to COVID 19 at that time ll -- **2.2. Evaluation objectives and questions** The evaluation team will aim to achieve the following objectives: 1. Assess the appropriateness of the project strategy and design in relation to outcomes and progress made; 2. Assess the strategic positioning of the project within the UN system and the broader landscape of TVET-related actors and programmes, taking into account relevant enabling policy frameworks to which the work of the project responds; 3. Assess how the project aligns with The Gambia’s needs, as well as SDG targets, relevant international policies and norms, and UNESCO strategic objectives and Global Priorities; 4. Assess contributions towards gender transformative change; 5. Assess managerial arrangements and work planning; finance and co-finance, risks to sustainability (financial, socio-economic, institutional framework and governance, environmental, etc.); 6. Evaluate the current exit strategy and likelihood of sustainability of activities and preliminary project gains; and 7. List obstacles the project confronted, and lessons learned moving forward. **3. Methodology** ------------------ The evaluation will conduct a mix of primary and secondary data collection and analysis to answer the main lines of enquiry for the evaluation. The methodology will be detailed by the consultant. The methodology must ensure that gender equality, anti-discrimination and respect for human rights are mainstreamed throughout the data collection and analysis processes. A mix of primary and secondary data sources should be privileged, including big data sources when possible. The evaluator may consider developing a survey targeting specific stakeholders to harvest additional data to inform their work. The consultant will carry out scoping interviews and desk research with the review of the project orientations and related documentations to prepare the mission and the development of detailed work plan. It will then be followed by the development of a preliminary Theory of Change during a digital working session with concerned stakeholders and programme officers who can inform and discuss it. The evaluation team will then proceed to carry out the rest of the data collection process followed by consulting beneficiaries, project staff, UNESCO administration in Dakar and in The Gambia. Key informant interviews, desk review, and a survey of programme and management personnel are envisioned. The data collection and analysis process may be modified or enhanced over the course of the evaluation. Review of strategies, white papers, policies, academic resources, and project documents will be required, in addition to a strategic analysis of the ecosystem of actors in the field of TVET. If possible, travel to selected areas will be planned, if sanitary conditions permit, to carry out in person key informant interviews. If this is not possible, the semi-structured interviews will be carried out remotely, with enhanced support from the project’s personnel to identify relevant internal and external partners. The draft interim report will be presented and subject to change. Analysis workshops will be planned at several points during the evaluation. The evaluation will follow the UNEG norms and standards throughout the evaluation process. **4. Roles, Responsibilities and Qualifications of External ExpertsDescription longue** --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Each external expert is expected to work between 25-35 days on the specific part of the assignment. The exact distribution of roles and responsibilities of the team members will be further specified in the Inception Note once the external consultants have been selected. The evaluation team will be composed of one member of the UNESCO Office and two or three external experts. Given the specific and technical nature of the evaluation, **expertise is being sought in the area of TVET, data systems and evaluation**. Therefore, expressions of interest will be attained from teams or individuals with the following qualifications: **Expert in TVET:** - Advanced university degree in social science, education, economy or other closely related fields - Senior expertise, strong understanding and knowledge of TVET policy, management, UN System, sustainability agenda (demonstrated with examples of previous evaluation, research, publication, etc. on the subject area) - Minimum 10 years’ experience in an international organization on TVET issues. - An experience in The Gambia would be considered as an advantage. **Expert in evaluation and data systems:** - Advanced university degree in sociology or statistics or data science, along with professional experience in evaluation - Understanding of the areas of the project: TVET policy, the Gambian context, education domain (demonstrated with examples of previous evaluation, research, publication, etc. on the subject area) would be considered as an advantage. - Recent experience with result-based management evaluation methodologies. - Experience applying SMART targets and reconstructing or validating baseline scenarios; - Experience in monitoring and evaluating projects for at least 5 years; - Excellent communication, analytical and writing skills; **Furthermore, both experts are required to have:** - No previous involvement in the design and/or implementation of UNESCO activities under review (occasional attendance of events or meetings may be accepted); - Excellent language skills in English (both oral communication and report writing) (as demonstrated in the expression of interest for this evaluation and in examples of previous publications submitted). Knowledge of French is desirable - Project evaluation/review experiences within the United Nations system will be considered as an asset. - Demonstrated understanding of The Gambian context, its regulatory framework, challenges and opportunities; **It is desirable that the external experts(s) possess the following qualifications:** - Knowledge of the UN System and its regulations and functioning; - Understanding and application of UN mandates in Human Rights and Gender Equality (for example through certification, training, examples of assignments); - Experience with assignments for the UN; Verification of these qualifications will be based on the provided curriculum vitae. Candidates are also encouraged to submit other references such as portfolios, research papers and articles that demonstrate their capacity and familiarity with the concerned field. **5. Deliverables and Schedule** -------------------------------- The evaluation will be conducted from April to July 2021 **Deliverables** **Inception report:** An inception report containing the Theory of Change of the project (based on the desk study and preliminary interviews), an evaluation plan with a detailed timeline, detailed methodology including an evaluation matrix (with a full list of evaluation questions and subsequent methods for data collection), a stakeholder analysis (that includes a gender equality consideration) and a list of documents. **Research and communication deliverables by external experts:** standalone data analysis reports/case studies, to be determined during the first evaluation phase, communications products. Draft evaluation report: The draft evaluation report should be written in English, be comprised of no more than 30 pages. **Final evaluation report:** The final evaluation report should incorporate comments provided by the Evaluation Reference Group without exceeding 30 pages (excluding Annexes). In addition, it should also include an Executive Summary and Annexes. The final report must comply with the UNEG Evaluation Norms and Standards and will be assessed against the UNEG Quality Checklist for Evaluation Reports. The evaluation will refer to the UNEG Guidance on Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality in Evaluation. **Schedule** **Activity / Deliverable** **Date** Finalization of Terms of Reference April 2021 Call for Proposals and Selection of Consultant(s) April 2021 Launch of Evaluation May 2021 Inception Note with Methodology and Responsibilities June 2021 Data Collection and Analysis June 2021 Draft Evaluation Report + Comms products June 2021 Final Evaluation Report July 2021 Presentation of the report to the statutory/governing bodies July 2021 **6. How to apply** ------------------- Candidates for the evaluation team are invited to submit: \- A Curriculum Vitae (CV) \- A Cover letter that specifies the motivation and why the applicant is best qualified to conduct the proposed review in 1-2 pages \- Financial and methodological proposal; Given the current COVID-19 health pandemic, candidates are invited to submit two proposals: the one in case the travel is possible and involves physical field work; and the other for the event where travel is not possible/advisable. No evaluation team member will be expected to travel unless travel is a safe option and fully authorized. Applications must be submitted on **April 30th** by email to: **Ndeban Joof-Ndong**: [email protected] **Valentine Defosse**: [email protected] **Jinsun Yu**: [email protected] **Olivier Pieume**: [email protected]. **7. Annex: Responsibilities of evaluation team and its members** ----------------------------------------------------------------- General responsibilities of the evaluation team members include: Under the overall guidance of the UNESCO, focal Point for Evaluation, Maduekwe, Anthony ([email protected]) the consultants will undertake the assessment of the project strategic positioning and contributions to results for the Gambia. The consultants shall contribute to data collection and analysis as well as make strategic level conclusions and recommendations. The evaluation team will consist of one expert evaluator and one TVET expert. Specifically, each consultant will: - Review all relevant documentation, especially documents provided by UNESCO, including project documents, results frameworks, project progress and final reports and other relevant literature; - Contribute to the overall design of the evaluation and the preparation of evaluation tools, including theory of change, questionnaires, digital data collection and analysis methods, interview protocol, and focus group guides as appropriate; - Participate and contribute to teamwork and analysis as appropriate, including team discussions to share findings and frame analysis; - Participate in the collection of primary data through, inter alia, interviews and meetings (face-to-face or virtual), with concerned officers and stakeholders including UNESCO staff, coordination and implementation partners, programme participants and non-participants as appropriate; - Ensure that all the primary and secondary data collected are recorded and shared with UNESCO during the evaluation process (submitting written notes/summaries of meetings, interviews and focus groups), and organized in a structured format following the key evaluation questions, based on which triangulation of all the findings are ensured; - Participate in ET working sessions and contribute to the analysis of the data to produce evaluation findings and recommendations. Ensure that all the findings are sufficiently validated, to reach preliminary conclusions that answer all evaluation issues and questions, and provide preliminary recommendations in line with findings and conclusions; - Contribute to the development of strategic communication products for the evaluation; - Contribute and participate in the presentation of evaluation findings to key stakeholders during all planned debriefing sessions, as required; - Support preparing the draft and final report as may be required, including providing written contributions (specific reports) and in integrating comments on the draft report received from stakeholders; - Other tasks, as required (to be agreed during the inception phase). UNESCO has a zero tolerance policy towards any form of harassment. UNESCO is committed to achieving and maintaining gender parity among its staff in all categories and at all levels. In addition, UNESCO is committed to creating staff diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Persons from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities, as well as nationals from non- or under-represented Member States (please click here for the latest update) are also encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the utmost confidentiality. International mobility is required for staff members appointed to international posts. UNESCO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

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Added 5 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: careers.unesco.org