Result of Service

The evaluator is expected to submit a Final Evaluation Report as per the detailed tasks listed in the TOR.

Work Location

Remotely

Expected duration

5 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The Youth Forum of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations has systematically called for the greater engagement of young people as agents for change to help build a better, more inclusive world. Furthermore, the Secretary-General of the United Nations has stated that “if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be achieved, Governments, civil society and international partners must scale up their investment in young people, ensuring they are educated, empowered and employed.” The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Youth has called for efforts to be scaled up with a sense of urgency to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and for young women and girls in particular to move to the front to have equal opportunities. In support of the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations’s calls for greater youth engagement to achieve sustainable development, ESCWA launched the ESCWA Stories project in 2021 to make the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs more accessible to young people, using a comic book that narrates the stories of six young Arabs, united by their endeavours for a sustainable future. These stories are centered around the concepts of human rights, gender equality and leaving no one behind and the way they play out at the community level. They illustrate the ventures of the characters to protect the environment, combat poverty and achieve social justice and prosperity. The project has thus utilized storytelling as a medium for education, awareness-raising and engagement with the key concepts of the SDGs in practical terms. As of 2024, four volumes of the comic book have been published, and the project has been implemented in 18 schools in Lebanon, five schools in Jordan and three schools in Kuwait, targeting more than 12,000 students aged 8-16 years. Inception Report: The evaluator will submit a draft Inception Report totalling not more than 10 pages, in addition to associated annexes. The Inception Report will summarize the desk review and propose the evaluation methodology and sampling strategy/ies to be used in the evaluation, along with a detailed workplan, draft evaluation matrix, stakeholder matrix, and quality assurance mechanism. Any revisions to the Inception Report will be implemented no later than one week following receipt of comments. The Inception Report shall, where relevant, address the integration of human rights, disability inclusion, gender equality, and environmental issues. The Inception Report should contain ideas for further exploration to support organisational learning, to be done either as part of this evaluation or separately by ESCWA itself. Debriefing Meeting: Following the completion of the data collection and field mission phase, and prior to the delivery of the draft evaluation report, the evaluator should hold a debriefing meeting for the presentation of the preliminary findings to the project team. Draft Final Evaluation Report: Following data collection and the analysis of findings, the evaluator will submit a Draft Evaluation Report. The Draft Evaluation Report will be user-friendly, well-structured and evidence-based, totalling not more than 40 pages, in addition to a 2-page Executive Summary and associated annexes. The Draft Final Evaluation Report will summarize the agreed-upon methodology listed in the Inception Report, describe the evaluation’s data collection and analytical approach, and present findings. In addition, the evaluator should develop clear action-oriented recommendations, which are forward-looking and will enable ESCWA to leverage and capitalize on innovative practices. The Draft Final Evaluation Report will be reviewed by ESCWA’s SPARK Section, and the project team, before being discussed with the evaluator. Final Evaluation Report: The Final Evaluation Report that should incorporate the comments and feedback from the Evaluation Manager and the project team, is expected by the closing date of the consultancy. The Final Evaluation Report shall, where relevant, address the integration of human rights, disability inclusion, gender equality, and environmental issues. The Final Evaluation Report shall contain information (data, findings, expert views) that may allow ESCWA to identify lessons for wider organisational learning or for potential changes to relevant organisational policies, irrespective of the extent to which the evaluation recommendations make reference to such information. The three deliverables should be submitted in English.

Qualifications/special skills

An advanced-level University degree in management, evaluation, or related area is required. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Minimum of 10 years of experience conducting assessments, reviews or evaluations of projects, programs or policies in the UN or international context is required. A high level of knowledge in the distilling, communication and reporting of findings, forward-looking recommendations, best practices, and lessons learned is required. Experience with process tracing analyses is desirable. Work experience in the UN environment is desirable A high level of expertise in the distilling, communication and reporting of findings, recommendations, best practices, and lessons learned is desirable. Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to effectively convey complex information in a clear and concise manner to both governmental and UN audiences is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; and Arabic is a working language of ESCWA. Fluency in English and Arabic is required. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas.

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.