Midterm Review Consultant

Contract

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Result of Service

Midterm Review of 9684 MedProgramme Child Project 1.1 project completed as per the requirements of UNEP and GEF

Work Location

Home-based

Expected duration

5.5 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational Setting: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental 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. The overall objective of the UNEP's Economy Division is to encourage decision-makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices and technologies that promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure safe management of chemicals and contribute to making trade and environment policies mutually supportive. It promotes the development, use and transfer of policies, technologies, economic instruments, managerial practices and other tools that assist in environmentally sound decision making and the building of corresponding activities. The GEF Chemicals and Waste Unit of the Chemicals and Health Branch is responsible for the development and management of all GEF projects implemented by UNEP in the Chemicals and Wastes focal area. The Programme Management Officer is primarily responsible for the supervision of and support to the GEF Unit Task Manager (GEF implementation) team based in Geneva and Nairobi and home based for consultant. The team is responsible for the identification, development and implementation of projects funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by UNEP.

UNEP is the implementing agency (IA) for GEF projects and is tasked to carry out Midterm Reviews (MTR) of eligible projects as per the GEF and UNEP evaluation rules. To carry out such reviews of project, UNEP requires the services of specialized consultants to measure progress made towards the achievement of outcomes and to provide necessary recommendations.

To this end, project entitled “Reducing Pollution from Harmful Chemicals and Wastes in Mediterranean Hot Spots and Measuring Progress to Impacts” (GEF ID 9684) requires carrying out a MTR. It is a Child Project under the GEF/UN Environment “Mediterranean Sea Programme (MedProgramme): Enhancing Environmental Security”, a GEF programmatic multi-focal area initiative in ten beneficiary countries sharing the Mediterranean basin: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Montenegro, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey.

This MTR will analyse whether the child project is on-track, what problems or challenges the project is encountering, and what corrective actions are required. The MTR will assess project performance to date (in terms of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency), and determine the likelihood of the project achieving its intended outcomes and supporting their sustainability.

Reporting Lines: Under the overall supervision of the GEF C&W Unit portfolio manager, the consultant shall report directly to the relevant Task Manager on day-to-day basis. Final deliverables shall also be approved by the C&W Portfolio Manager.

Specific duties and responsibilities: All the activities related to the MTR are to be carried out as per UNEP Evaluation Policy and the UNEP Programme Manual. 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. It is highly recommended that the Review Consultant maintains close communication with the project team and promotes information exchange throughout the review implementation phase in order to increase their (and other stakeholder) ownership of the review findings.

The Review Consultant should provide a geo-referenced map that demarcates the area covered by the project and provide geo-reference photographs of key intervention sites (e.g. sites of habitat rehabilitation and protection, pollution treatment infrastructure, etc.)

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

• Interviews (individual or in group) with: o UNEP Task Manager (TM) and team members; o Representatives of Executing Agencies and national governments; o UNEP Fund Management Officer (FMO); o Representatives from civil society and specialist groups (such as women’s, farmers and trade associations etc).

• Field visits: A minimum of two country visits, one to a South Mediterranean and one to an Eastern Mediterranean country, to be proposed by the Reviewer in their Inception Report; plus visits to the Executing Agency in Athens and MedWaves in Barcelona.

• Other data collection tools: to be determined by the Review Consultant at the inception phase

Qualifications/special skills

A university degree in environmental sciences/engineering, marine or ecosystem science, international development or other relevant area is required. An advanced degree in the same areas is desirable. A minimum of 7 years of technical / evaluation experience in projects and programmatic approaches is required. Experience evaluating large, regional or global programmes and using a Theory of Change approach is desirable. Good/broad understanding of POPs, mercury and hazardous waste is desirable. Working knowledge of the UN system and specifically the work of UNEP is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in English and knowledge of French languages is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Additional Information

Not available.

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.