Call for Evaluation Consultancy: UNFPA Kosovo 2nd Country Programme Evaluation (2021-2025)

Background:

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Its mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), UNFPA is working towards three transformative results: (i) zero preventable maternal deaths; (ii) zero unmet need for family planning; and (iii) zero gender-based violence and harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriage.

The UNFPA Kosovo Country Office (CO) is currently implementing the 2nd Country Programme (CP) (2021-2025) with the Kosovo government and other partners. The goal of the CP is to achieve universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, and accelerate the implementation of the ICPD Programme of Action, to improve the lives of women, adolescents and youth. In pursuit of this goal, the UNFPA Kosovo CO seeks to achieve results in the following thematic areas of programming under the CP: (i) policy and accountability; (ii) quality of care and services; (iii) gender and social norms; (iv) population change and data; (v) adolescents and youth; and (vi) emergency preparedness.

Purpose, objectives and scope:
In line with the 2024 UNFPA Evaluation Policy, the UNFPA Kosovo CO is planning to conduct an evaluation of its 2nd CP (2021-2025). The purpose of the Country Programme Evaluation (CPE) is to strengthen accountability to stakeholders, support evidence-based decision-making, and improve learning. The overall objective of the CPE is to provide an independent assessment of the performance of the CP and to broaden the evidence base for the design of the next programme cycle.

The evaluation will cover all interventions in the six thematic areas of the CP, which have been implemented across Kosovo during the programme’s period. The thematic areas are described in section 3 of the terms of reference. In addition, the evaluation will also cover cross-cutting issues, such as human rights, gender equality, disability, displacement and migration status, etc., and transversal functions, such as coordination, monitoring and evaluation, innovation, resource mobilization, strategic partnerships, etc.

Evaluation team:
The CPE will be conducted by a multidisciplinary team of consultants. They should collectively have the qualifications and experience to design and implement a methodologically robust evaluation and cover all the above-mentioned thematic areas of the CP. The evaluation team will consist of following team members who will be selected through this call for consultancy:
● One (1) Team Leader: A national consultant with primary responsibility for the design of the evaluation methodology and the coordination of the evaluation team, as described in section 12.1 of the terms of reference. The team leader will also demonstrate the qualifications, experience and skills required to serve as a technical expert for one of the thematic areas.
● Two (2) Thematic Experts: National consultants who should demonstrate the qualifications, experience and skills required to serve as technical expert in at least one of the thematic areas, as described in section 12.1 of the terms of reference.

The evaluation team will conduct the CPE under the supervision of the CPE manager in the UNFPA Kosovo CO from September 2024 to February 2025, as indicated in the timeframe of the evaluation in the ToR: section 10 and Annex I.

In their application, the candidates must clearly indicate the thematic area(s) for which they demonstrate the requested expertise, as well as the role (team leader or team member) that they intend to perform. Based on their qualifications, experience and skills, the candidates may propose to cover more than one thematic area.

Please see the attached terms of reference for more details on the CPE as well as on the required qualifications and experience of the team leader and team members (section 12.2). Section 10 indicates the evaluation timeline and the expected evaluation deliverables are described in section 8.

How to apply:
Interested individuals with the required qualifications and experience should submit their interest through this application.

The application should include:
● A cover letter, indicating the candidate’s motivation for this consultancy as well as relevant expertise and experience. The cover letter should also clearly indicate the role (e.g., team leader; or thematic expert) for which they would like to be considered. They must also indicate the area(s) of thematic expertise of the CP they can cover (e.g., sexual and reproductive health and rights; adolescents and youth; gender equality and women’s empowerment; or population dynamics).
● An updated copy of the curriculum vitae (CV) and a duly completed P11 UN Personal History Form.
● Names and contact information of three references.
● A recent evaluation report or other type of writing sample in the English language(from a similar assignment) drafted by the candidate.
● Availability and expected daily rate for consultancy services.

The closing date for the submission of applications is 25 August 2024 at 23:59 CET (Central European Time).

Only those candidates who meet all qualifications and experience will be contacted for further consideration. Incomplete applications will be automatically disqualified.

Disclaimer:

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing, or another fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you have received a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names, and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web. Should you feel that you have received a fraudulent notice, letter, or offer that makes use of the name or logo of UNFPA, you may submit a report through the UNFPA fraud hotline http://www.unfpa.org/help/hotline.cfm