Project Terminal Review Specialist

Consultant Environment Finance & Economy

Contract

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Result of Service

1. The MLTR will provide a Final Review Report containing an Executive Summary that can function as a stand-alone document; detailed analysis of the review findings organised by review criteria and supported with evidence; lessons learned and recommendations and an annotated ratings table. 2. The MLTR of project performance will assess project performance to its final date (in terms of relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency), and determine the likelihood of the project achieving its intended outcomes and supporting their sustainability. The MLTR will analyse whether the project achieved its objectives, what problems or challenges the project encountered. The MLTR will also advise on the best approach to address the Treaties Programme vis-à-vis the project relationship and theory of change.

Work Location

Nairobi, Kenya

Expected duration

5 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background: 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. UNEP Law Division aims to enhance the capacity of countries to develop and enforce laws and strengthen institutions to achieve internationally agreed environmental objectives and goals and comply with related obligations. UNEP has been working on enhancing cooperation and synergies among biodiversity-related conventions fostering coherence in the context of sustainable development. UNEP is implementing a global programme titled Environmental Treaties Programme including a project “Realizing Synergies for Biodiversity”. The programme is designed to support the coherent implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and to contribute to the improvement of environmental governance. It contributes to the implementation of the Environmental Governance sub-programme of UNEP and related objectives of the programme of work. The project supports the implementation of decisions of governing bodies of the MEAs and UNEA related to enhancing cooperation, coordination, and synergies in implementation reporting and monitoring towards the 2030 Agenda and activities for the development and implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted by the Fifteen Meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In its initial phase 2017-2023, the Environmental Treaties Programme was designed through a theory of change to serve as an umbrella programme and to consist of smaller projects including the project ‘Realizing Synergies for Biodiversity’ which is focused on achieving biodiversity global goals. The project consists of five outputs which respond to the UN Environment Assembly resolution 2/17 on Enhancing the work of UNEP in facilitating cooperation, collaboration, and synergies among biodiversity- related conventions, and builds on previous work of UNEP and the biodiversity-related Conventions. Based on this project, UNEP engaged with synergies processes led by the biodiversity-related conventions as an anchor for cooperation and synergies facilitating strategic coordination and providing knowledge tools and technical support for coherent implementation. The project played a critical role in supporting the MEAs in the development of the Post-2020 GBF and aimed at working with the regions and countries to identify and realize synergies for biodiversity to make better and more efficient use of global and regional environmental treaties and synergies’ tools such as the Data Reporting tool for MEAs (DaRT) and other UNEP-WCMC resources such as the Compendia of Guidance and Source Book published in 2015. In line with the UNEP Evaluation Policy and the UNEP Programme Manual, the Management-Led Terminal Review (MLTR) is undertaken at operational completion of the first phase of the project to assess project performance (in terms of relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency), and determine outcomes and impacts (actual and potential) stemming from the project, including their sustainability. The MLTR has two primary purposes: (i) to provide evidence of results to meet accountability requirements, and (ii) to promote operational improvement, learning and knowledge sharing through results and lessons learned among UNEP, UNEP-WCMC and the MEAs including their secretariats and parties. Therefore, the MLTR will identify lessons of operational relevance for future project formulation and implementation, especially for future phases of the project, where applicable. The MLTR will take into consideration the outcomes of Mid-Term Review (2022) which helped build the theory of change of the second phase of the project entitled “Leveraging transformational change through coherent and synergistic implementation of Environmental Treaties (Treaties II” (2023-2026). Responsibilities: The MLTR Consultant will work under the overall responsibility of the UNEP Project Manager [Diane Klaimi], in consultation with the Fund Management Officer [Bernard Koech], the Chief of Branch [Tita Korvenoja] and the Sub-programme Coordinators of the UNEP [Environmental Governance Sub-programme Coordinator, [Yassin Ahmed]. The MLTR consultant will liaise with the UNEP Project Manager on any procedural and methodological matters related to the Review. It is, however, the consultant’s individual responsibility to plan meetings with stakeholders, organize online surveys, obtain documentary evidence and any other logistical matters related to the assignment. The UNEP Project Manager and project team will, where possible, provide logistical support (introductions, meetings etc. and provide documentation as needed) allowing the consultant to conduct the MLTR as efficiently and independently as possible. The MLTR consultant will be responsible, in close consultation with the UNEP Project Manager, for overall quality of the review and timely delivery of its outputs, described in Section 11 Review Deliverables of the Terms of Reference of the MLTR which will be shared at a later stage. The MLTR will ensure that all review criteria and questions are adequately covered. Tasks and responsibilities: 1. Strategic Positioning, Concept and Design The MLTR Consultant will assess the concept and design of the overall scope of the Environmental Treaties Programme- Realizing Synergies for Biodiversity project, including an assessment of the appropriateness of the objectives, planned outputs, activities, and inputs as compared to cost-effective alternatives. Identify niche areas where UNEP can further add advantage and efficiency to the future projects. The strategic positioning and design of the project will also be reviewed against the strategic questions of interest to UNEP and to which the project is believed to be able to make a substantive contribution. The questions (provided in detail in the long ToRs version) are structured to address two levels: a) one level is addressing the Realizing Synergies for Biodiversity project, and the balance between its five components. b) The other level is addressing the question of strengthening the Environmental Treaties Programme and making it genuinely an umbrella programme for activities under UNEP's Environmental Conventions and Policy Branch at the Law Division. The MLTR consultant will also be forward-looking and explore opportunities for UNEP to strengthen cooperation and synergies with the Multilateral Environmental Agreements. 2. Partnership and Coordination The MLTR will assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of the collaborations and partnerships that were established to deliver the project. This includes an assessment of the partnerships with key implementing partners such as UNEP-WCMC, MEAs and donors. 3. Monitoring, Evaluation and Risk Management A further focus of the MLTR will be on the extent to which adequate monitoring has been undertaken throughout the period and the extent to which evaluation systems were adequate to capture significant developments and inform responsive management. The MLTR will assess how lessons learned have been captured and operationalized throughout the period under investigation. It will examine how effectively the management of support to the synergistic implementation of biodiversity-related MEAs incorporated relevant global knowledge on good practices. 4. Gender Mainstreaming The MLTR will assess the extent to which the project sought to strengthen the mainstreaming of gender into project implementation. The MLTR will weigh measures taken to this end and how successful those have been in addressing specific rights- and gender-related aspects. 5. Methodology The methodology involves use of UNEP Evaluation Office Project Review guidelines and templates that will be made available as a package of materials to the consultant, including access to the Project Document files, reports and other relevant materials. Contact details of project stakeholders will also be shared with the consultant to conduct interviews and consultations. The evaluation criteria use a six-point ranking scale grouped in nine categories: (A) Strategic Relevance; (B) Quality of Project Design; (C) Effectiveness, which comprises assessments of the attainment of outputs, achievement of outcomes and likelihood of impact; (D) Financial Management; (E) Efficiency; (F) Monitoring and Reporting; (G) Sustainability; and (H) Factors Affecting Project Performance. Relevant tools and guidance information will be shared. The consultant will also apply quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods as appropriate, to determine project achievements against the expected outputs, outcomes and impacts.

Qualifications/special skills

A master’s degree in environmental sciences, environmental governance, environmental law, ecology and biodiversity policy, international development or other relevant political or social sciences area is required and an advanced degree in the same areas is desirable. A minimum of 10 years’ experience in environmental governance, environmental law, environmental science or management, biodiversity policy, biodiversity-related conventions, and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) synergistic implementation, and linkages between environment, biodiversity, and sustainable development, or related field, is required. Experience in technical / project management and evaluation experience preferably including evaluating large, regional, or global projects/programmes and multi-donor partnerships, using a Theory of Change approach; and a robust/broad understanding of environmental governance, biodiversity-related conventions, and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), synergistic implementation and linkages between environment, biodiversity, and sustainable is desirable.

Languages

Fluency in oral and written English is required.

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.

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Added 6 hours ago - Updated 6 hours ago - Source: careers.un.org