Team Leader: Iterative evaluation of the UNHCR/UNICEF Fair Deal (Blueprint) for Refugee Children

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Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, evaluate UNHCR and UNICEF have recently embarked on a joint 2-year innovative journey to transform the quality of life for refugee and returnee children and their families. Driven by the urgent need to fully realize refugee and returnee children’s rights, as well as the commitment to achieve improved predictability and efficiency gains from joint work across the humanitarian-development nexus in February 2020 the High Commissioner for Refugees and the UNICEF Executive Director developed and launched a Blueprint for joint action (‘A Fair Deal for Refugee Children’) that will guide UNHCR and UNICEF’s work in nine initial focus countries over the next biennium. The overarching aim of this initiative is to achieve measurable, transformative change for refugee and returnee children and their families, in three key sectors (education, WASH and child protection). Lessons learnt during the 2-year innovative journey will be used to inform a revised global Memorandum of understanding (MoU) between UNHCR and UNICEF, which will set out a more predictable, sustainable and effective partnership.

In this context, the UNHCR and UNICEF Evaluation Offices will be implementing an iterative evaluation to support the Blueprint’s evidence needs, principally framed around the partnership pillar to help assess how successfully UNICEF and UNHCR are in developing a more predictable, effective and sustainable partnership in working towards the inclusion of refugee and returnee children in national WASH, Education and Child Protection Systems.

The Evaluation TOR and annexes are attached in the vacancy advertisement.

How can you make a difference? We are seeking an evaluation Team Leader to support the iterative evaluation. The Team Leader will be responsible for the following tasks and key deliverable:

Inception (Aug – Oct 2020)

Key Activities:

• Initial document review (global and focus country level)
• Light-touch validation of baseline against Results Framework core priority indicators
• Inception interviews (conducted remotely) with key UNICEF and UNHCR stakeholders in Geneva and New York, in Regional Offices and in all focus countries
• EQA review on the draft inception report, and ethical review of evaluation tools if required

Key Deliverables:

• Final inception report (approx. 30 pages) including detailed methodology, final evaluation questions and evaluation matrix, and baseline mapping of UNICEF and UNHCR partnership in each of the focus countries.
• Strategic reflections on and recommendations for Theory of Change and Results Framework (approx. 5 -10 pages)

Round 1 Iterative Data Collection and Analysis (Nov 2020 – Mar 2021)

Key Activities:

• Field visits (conducted remotely) including key stakeholder interviews, FGDs, surveys; in depth document review for each focus country.
• Focus country debriefing (conducted remotely) on key emerging findings and preliminary lessons learnt (including discussion of any significant data gaps with key stakeholders)
• Feedback on key emerging findings and preliminary lessons learnt on each focus country
• Light touch data gathering on examples of UNICEF-UNHCR partnership work beyond focus countries (e.g. survey and limited number of key informant interviews)
• Synthesis on emerging cross-cutting strategic findings and lessons learnt from across all focus countries, drawing on wider evidence base as relevant, to inform high-level discussion and decision-making.
• Feedback on cross-cutting strategic findings and lessons learnt
• Round 1 Joint HQ Debrief /Workshop (facilitated by TL).

Key Deliverables:

• Round 1 focus country PowerPoint presentations (approx. 10 slides on key emerging findings, preliminary lessons learnt and proposed actions– internal to UNICEF and UNHCR only) (November 2020 – March 2021)
• Round 1 Synthesis Report (approx. 20 pages) including main strategic issues and considerations across all focus countries – internal to UNICEF and UNHCR only (March 2021)
• Round 1 Joint HQ Debrief/Workshop PowerPoint Presentation (approx. 10 slides)

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have...

1. A post-graduate or master’s degree in social science, development studies, international relations or economics.
2. Extensive knowledge of refugee and forced displacement issues.
3. Extensive knowledge of humanitarian, development and humanitarian-development nexus programming, debates and ways of working.
4. At least 10 years’ experience in conducting and managing multi-disciplinary evaluations – in particular global, strategic evaluations and joint evaluations – for UNHCR and/or UNICEF, other UN agencies or other international partners.
5. Extensive knowledge of and experience in current evaluation methods and approaches, particularly formative and forward-looking approaches, participatory methods, and supporting accountability to affected populations.
6. Extensive experience with inter-agency cooperation at headquarters and in the field.
7. Familiarity with UNHCR and UNICEF’s programming (including the Core Commitments to Children and the Global Compact on Refugees) preferred.
8. Excellent oral and written communication skills (in English); knowledge of other UN languages a key advantage.
9. Expertise in one of the substantive areas covered by the Blueprint (education, WASH, CP) is highly desirable.
10. Extensive knowledge of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and analytical methods and techniques.
11. Proven experience managing an evaluation team.
12. Experience in generating strategic, useful and action-oriented recommendations to senior management and programming staff.
13. Experience with the ethics of evidence generation; experience collecting data from vulnerable groups; familiarity with ethical safeguards.

For every Child, you demonstrate… UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history.

Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

How to apply: The deadline for applications is 11.59 pm Friday 7 August 2020 (New York time).

Applications can be submitted either by an individual consultant or by individuals proposing to work together as a team (i.e. Team Leader and Senior Consultant). It is important to note individual contracts will be issued to each team member, that payments will be made by deliverable and that Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the evaluation will be contracted separately.

Applications must include:

• Brief approach paper (approx. 5 pages) outlining how they understand the TOR and proposed methodology.
• CV(s), which should include up-to-date contact details of at least three reference persons.
• Each submission (individual or team) should include a cover letter (2-page maximum) with the following information:
• • availability as per indicative timeline, and an outline of how the applicant(s) match the required skills and experience outlined in the terms of reference.
  • Three recent examples of relevant work

• Indicative budgets, which should be prepared in line with the expected deliverables and should include any anticipated overhead costs (e.g. interpretation/translation services) and evaluation-specific in-country data collection costs (see ‘Annex 4: Indicative Budget’ for template in the Evaluation TOR). Travel costs and DSA will be paid separately. National Consultants will be recruited separately based on need.

Any clarification questions on the TOR or application process should also be submitted electronically to Jane Mwangi ([email protected]) no later than midday Tuesday 28 July 2020 (New York time)

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Annex 1 - List of Blueprint Countries.pdf

Annex 2 - Theory of change - Graphic description.pdf

Annex 3 - Joint Action Plan 24 June Final.pdf

Annex 4 - Indicative Budget Template.pdf

Blueprint Evaluation FINAL ToR_14 July 2020.pdf