Evaluation Consultant

Result of Service The evaluation of the two projects will provide the agency, its governing bodies and donors with an independent and forward-looking appraisal of the agency’s operational experience, achievements, opportunities and challenges. Findings and recommendations from the evaluation are expected to play an instrumental role in shaping the focus of UN-Habitat in planning and programming future projects, in influencing strategies, adjusting and correcting as appropriate, exploiting opportunities, replicating and up scaling the implementation approach used, and generating credible value for targeted beneficiaries and addressing national priorities. Evaluation results will also contribute to UN-Habitat’s planning, reporting and accountability.

Key objectives of the final evaluation per the two projects are: a) Assess achievement of results made at the outcome and outputs level of the project implemented in Lebanon, focusing on the UN-Habitat portfolio 2021-2023 enabling the Country Programme to define results to be achieved, effectively delivering projects, and reporting on the performance of UN-Habitat.

b) Assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of the selected project in promoting local and national urban sustainable development by focusing on early recovery and sustainable reconstruction, beyond emergency relief interventions, this will entail analysis of delivery of actual outcomes against expected outcomes, in terms of delivery of outputs, achievement of outcomes and long-term effects toward beneficiaries.

c) Assess the extent to which UN-Habitat has incorporated cross-cutting issues of gender, climate change, youth, disability, human rights in the design, planning and implementation, reporting and monitoring within its projects. This should include an analysis of participation, social transformation, inclusive and empowerment toward gender equality.

d) Assess the extent to which partnerships have added value to the Country Programme and bring forward programming opportunities that indicate potential for long-term partnership between UN-Habitat and other organizations working in Lebanon.

e) Make recommendations on what needs to be done to effectively implement future projects.

Work Location Lebanon

Expected duration 3 Months

Duties and Responsibilities Organizational Setting The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all. For nearly forty years, UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements worldwide, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes.

Background After the 2006 July War, UN-Habitat initiated its Country Programme in Lebanon, responding to emerging issues through housing reconstruction, shelter provision and upgrading basic services, while laying the foundation for long-term sustainable solutions by means of urban profiling, data collection and urban policy analyses, and much more.

UN-Habitat Lebanon has been working effectively with partners and urban planning actors at the community, national and international levels for the past 17 years to develop and implement programmes and interventions that contribute to the achievement of the urban dimensions of the 2015-2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in line with the country needs and humanitarian frameworks.

UN-Habitat Lebanon continuously adapts to the country’s situation by fostering inclusive and sustainable urban development, improving planning systems and frameworks as well as effective urban crises response - especially the Syrian refugee crisis and more recently the protracted and ever deepening socio-economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut Port explosion.

According to UN-Habitat Lebanon’s 2021-2023 Habitat Country Programme Document (under review to align with the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2025), UN-Habitat Lebanon’s current interlinked focus areas are as follows: 1. Inclusive and sustainable urban development. 2. Improved planning systems and frameworks. 3. Effective urban crisis response.

Reporting Line The consultant will work from the beginning of the assignment, during data collection, and at the end of the evaluation under the supervision of: ¿ Programme Planning and Coordination, Deputy Head of Country Programme ¿ Head of Urban Development and Governance Unit ¿ Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Officer

Duties and responsibilities The evaluation, which will be conducted during the months of July-October 2023, is expected to assess achievements, challenges and opportunities of two projects entitled:

(1) “Multi-sectoral Response to the humanitarian crisis in the North of Lebanon through the human security approach” implemented by UN-Habitat, UN Women, and UNICEF during the period 1 March 2022 – 30 September 2023, and

(2) “Support to Local Communities in Lebanon: Improving local socio-economic development planning through strengthened local planning capacities at the unions/clusters of municipalities level” implemented by UN-Habitat during the period 26 February 2019 – 30 June 2023.

The assignment involves a thorough review of the two projects and an in-depth assessment and analysis. The evaluation analysis will be based on the Theory of Change of the United Nation Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) of Lebanon.

The consultancy shall be independent, evidence-based and be carried out following the evaluation norms and standards of the United Nations System. A variety of methodologies will be applied to collect information during evaluation. These methodologies include the following elements:

a) Review of documents relevant to the two projects being evaluated. Documents to be provided by the UN-Habitat Lebanon staff specified in the above reporting line section, and documentation available with the partner organizations.

Documentation to be reviewed will include: ¿ Reference documents and frameworks: o The United Nations Strategic Framework (UNSF) o UN-Habitat Global Strategic Plan 2020-2023 which is extended until 2025 o New Urban Agenda and relevant SDGs o United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) of Lebanon 2023-2025 o UN-Habitat Climate Change Strategy for the Arab Region (2022-2025)

¿ Documents related specifically to the two projects: o Original project documents and implementation plans o Annual work plan o Monitoring reports o Desk reviews o Donor reports o Communication and visibility reports

a) Key informant interviews and consultations, including focus group discussions will be conducted with key stakeholders related to each of the two projects. The principles for selection of stakeholders to be interviewed as well as evaluation of their performance shall be coordinated with UN-Habitat staff and clarified in the inception report at the beginning of the evaluation. The key informant interviews will be conducted to obtain qualitative information on the evaluation issues, allowing to assess project’s relevance, efficiency and effectiveness and impact on targeted beneficiaries.

b) Field visits to assess activities of the two projects in-depth. The evaluator will describe Theory of Change, interpretation of evaluation questions, expected data analysis and instruments that will be applied and utilized during the field visits to project areas in Lebanon mainly in the areas related to the project being evaluated. During the site visits, the evaluator is expected to meet with the direct beneficiaries of the 2 projects as well as key local actors associated with the Projects. The field visits time schedule should be included in the inception report.

d) Produce draft and final evaluation reports for each of the assessed projects. Presentation of the evaluation findings should follow the standard format of UN-Habitat Evaluation Reports and the UN Editorial Manual. The final report should be submitted after incorporating feedback and comments provided by UN-Habitat.

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualification Master’s degree in political science, international relations or social sciences, or field in urban development, housing, infrastructure, local governance or similar relevant fields is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience ¿ 7 years of experience in results-based management, professional project management and monitoring and evaluation is required. ¿ Country specific knowledge and understanding of UN-Habitat’s mandate and the organizational context of the Lebanon Programme is desirable. ¿ Experience in working with projects/programmes in the field of urban development, local governance, housing or infrastructure is required. ¿ Familiarity with post-conflict environment is preferred.

Languages Fluency in both oral and written English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is an advantage.

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.