Mid Term Review Consultant

Result of Service The ultimate result of services is the final Midterm Review reports. Reports should follow the templates and approaches as detailed in UNEP Evaluation Office TORs for Midterm Reviews, which will be shared with the selected candidate.

Work Location Homebased

Expected duration 4 months

Duties and Responsibilities Background: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environment 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. UNEP’s Economy Division addresses environmental issues at global and regional levels, provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. Economy Division also works with many partners, including Member States, to advance the organization’s global goals as well as national efforts to transition to a low-carbon, green economy. Within the Economy Division, the Resources and Markets Branch is focused on resource efficiency, inclusive green economy, and circularity. It leads the UNEP Green Economy Initiative and the Partnership for Action on Green Economy, One Planet Network, International Resource Panel, Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) and many other initiatives. All these aims to shift national economies on to a more sustainable path, in which jobs and output growth are driven by increased investment in green sectors, and by a switch of consumers’ preferences towards environmentally friendly goods and services.

The Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) initiative (lead by UNEP) funded by the German Government is an accelerator of the SDGs, SDG12 and SDG8. The Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) aims to accelerate the progress necessary to meet the 2030 Agenda, especially for SDG 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production) and SDG 8 (Decent Work & Green Economies). The Initiative builds partnerships to connect global initiatives with regional needs and solutions. GO4SDGs uses a vast number and variety of tools developed by its partners and focuses on implementation, action and scaling up, and replications of good practices. GO4SDGs connects the dots and builds synergies with relevant partners to generate a bigger collective impact. In doing so, GO4SDGs focuses on three main action components: i) supporting¿governments¿to strengthen policy coherence,¿ii) working with small and medium-sized enterprises¿(SMEs) to increase capacities and access for financing innovation and circularity, and¿iii) youth empowerment¿to amplify their voices and empower them to embrace sustainable lifestyles. To achieve this, the initiative collaborates with its partners to share best practices, science-based knowledge, tools and capacity development in the high-impact sectors of Food, Textiles, Plastics and Tourism. Mid Term Reviewer The Review Consultant who will work under the overall responsibility of the UNEP Project Manager Global Opportunities For Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) in consultation with the Head of GO4SDGs and Fund Management Officer. The consultant will liaise with the Project Manager on any procedural and methodological matters related to the Review. It is, however, the consultant’s individual responsibility (where applicable) to arrange for their travel, visa, obtain documentary evidence, plan meetings with stakeholders (with assistance from the Partners), organize online surveys, and any other logistical matters related to the assignment. The Project Manager and project team will, where possible, provide logistical support (introductions, meetings etc.) allowing the Review Consultants to conduct the review as efficiently and independently as possible. The Mid-Term Review 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.

The findings of the Review will be based on the following: A desk review of: - Relevant background documentation - Project Document and Appendices - 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; - Project reports such as six-monthly progress and financial reports, progress reports from collaborating partners, meeting minutes, relevant correspondence etc.; - Evaluations/Reviews of similar projects.

(a) Interviews (individual or in group) with: - UNEP Project Manager and régional GO4SDGs coordinations and partners - Representatives of Implementing Agencies and or project beneficiaries. - UNEP Fund Management Officer (FMO);

(a) Field visits: 1 (Nairobi) (b) Other data collection tools: If needed, to be decided by the Review Consultant at the inception phase

Specific Tasks to be carried out by the consultant: 1. Draft Inception Report and submit to Task Manager for review and approval 2. Desk review and analysis of project documentation 3. Telephone interviews and other consultations with stakeholders surveys etc. 4. PowerPoint presentation on preliminary findings and recommendations 5. Draft MTR report submitted to Task Manager following the outline to be provided in the detailed MTR TOR 6. Draft Report shared with the wider group of stakeholders 7. Final Main Review Report 8. Final Main Review Report shared with all respondents

Qualifications/special skills The incumbent should possess the following: - Advanced university degree in environmental sciences, international development or other relevant political or social sciences area is required A minimum of 7 years of technical / evaluation experience is required, preferably including evaluating large, regional or global programmes and using a Theory of Change approach. A good/broad understanding of green economy, sustainable consumption and production, circular economy is desired.

Languages For this terminal evaluation, fluency in oral and written English is required. Proficiency in Spanish/knowledge of French is desirable.

Working knowledge of the UN system and specifically the work of UNEP is an added advantage. The work will be home-based with possible field visits

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.