Result of Service

The evaluation will assess performance since the projects inception; firstly, to evaluate the quality and relevance of the results that have been achieved so far, and secondly to draw lessons to inform future capacity-building activity.

Work Location

Home based

Expected duration

3 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The complex and evolving threat of terrorism demands that the United Nations adopt an efficient, coherent, and coordinated response. Since its establishment on 15 June 2017 through the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution 71/291, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) has been strengthening its capacities to meet its policy leadership, inter-agency coordination and coherence, capacity-building, and resource mobilization mandates entrusted to it by the General Assembly. This includes providing strategic leadership to the members of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, which was created to enhance the coordination and collaboration of all UN counter-terrorism activities by the UN Secretary-General. In partnership with the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities, Member States and their accredited national, regional, and international Counter-Terrorism partners, a National Investigator Training Programme for Counter-Terrorism was developed and delivered via existing national or regional training centres, and is currently being delivered via UNOCT’s Programme Office in Rabat for Counter Terrorism and Training in Africa (Rabat Training Centre). This 2-year project supported by the United Nations Peace and Development Fund (UNPDF) has allowed the Rabat Training Centre based in Rabat, Morocco to fulfil an increasingly meaningful leadership and capacity-building role in support of countries across Western, Northern, and Eastern Africa. The project has completed and delivered an extensive training curriculum in counter-terrorism investigations that several African Member States – the beneficiary countries – are now interested in mainstreaming into their approach to counter-terrorism investigation management countrywide. This has allowed the Rabat Training Center to position itself at the forefront of UNOCT capacity-building efforts in Africa’s terrorism-prone regions, serving as a vital platform for countries to enhance their abilities in countering terrorism. The Project is implemented under the umbrella of UNOCTs Global Counter-Terrorism Investigations Programme jointly with the Rabat Training Centre, with substantive partner support from the General Directorate of Security Nationale (DGSN) of the Kingdom of Morocco, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The Project team and the evaluation expert will liaise with these entities over the course of the evaluation. The evaluation will assess performance since the projects inception; firstly, to evaluate the quality and relevance of the results that have been achieved so far, and secondly to draw lessons to inform future capacity-building activity. The purpose of this assignment is to lead and conduct an independent evaluation of this UNPDF funded project fully complying with the UNOCT evaluation requirements, as well as the UN Evaluation Group norms and standards. The overall objective of the evaluation is to assess the status and performance of the project by examining it’s relevance, effectiveness, coherence, and efficiency. The evaluation will assess the quality, relevance, and utility of the outputs produced and identify progress made towards the achievement of intended results. It will seek to establish progress in the attainment of the Programme’s goals – to strengthen the capacity of Member States in providing support and expertise to develop counter-terrorism training centres, and the delivery of specialist capacity-building training. Indications of outcomes related to changes in the capability of target groups in undertaking required investigations, if any, will also be assessed. The evaluation will formulate appropriate recommendations, if any, for effective implementation of future UNOCT/UNPDF programming. Responsibilities: Under the guidance and supervision of the Project Manager, and the direct supervision of the Associate Programme Manager responsible for a comprehensive mid-term evaluation related to the Project, the key responsibilities of the Evaluation Expert include: • Leading and guiding the independent evaluation team, ensuring high-quality deliverables that fully meet UNOCT and UNEG evaluation norms and standards. • Participating in the kick-off meeting, convened by the Evaluation and Compliance Unit (ECU), with members of the Evaluation Reference Group. • Developing the evaluation design with detailed method, tools and techniques that are human rights-based, gender-sensitive, generating information from and about all genders, marginalized individuals and/or groups, people with disabilities (including through collecting and analyzing data through gender and intersectional lens, such as age, ethnicity, race, religion, socio-economic status or other). • Conducting a robust data collection phase based on the approach, tools and methods stated in the approved Inception Report. • Conducting robust data analysis, including by using relevant tools and software (e.g., NVivo), and ensure that the Evaluation Manager has access to all raw data at any given point in time. • Ensuring adherence to UNOCT evaluation guidance including all guidelines and templates and the full evaluation Terms of Reference (ToR). • Ensuring all deliverables identified in these terms of reference are submitted in a timely and satisfactory manner, and in line with the quality criteria checklist. • Effectively coordinating and interacting, throughout the entire evaluation process, with the Substantive Expert(s)/programme team. • Request drafted inputs (and revisions of such) from the Substantive Expert(s)/programme team for all deliverables.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political or social sciences, evaluation, project management or related field is required. A first level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in a similar field in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. A minimum of 10 (ten) years professional technical experience in the field of evaluation or related field, including a track record of conducting various types of evaluation at the international level, preferably with experience in conducting evaluations for the United Nations is required. Experience in presenting and communicating complex evaluation or research results in a structured manner (in reports, briefs, presentations, etc.) is required Knowledge of quantitative and qualitative methods is required. Experience in presenting and communicating complex evaluation or research results in a structured manner (in reports, briefs, presentations, etc.) is required. Subject matter expertise and/or experience in evaluating interventions related to the counter-terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism is desirable. Experience in leading a team is required. Experience in producing well-designed reports that meet UNEG evaluation standards is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.

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.