Result of Service

Final Terminal Review Report for each GEF-funded CCCD project implemented in Mauritania and Iraq.

Work Location

home-based

Expected duration

6 months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background and Organizational Settings 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. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. This consultancy is managed by UNEP’s Climate Early Warning and Capacity Building Unit in the Early Warning and Assessment Division. The Early Warning and Assessment Division is responsible for analyzing the state of the global environment, providing early warning information, and assessing global and regional environmental trends to catalyze and promote international cooperation and action on the environment. The consultant (International Consultant) will work to provide a Management-Led Terminal Review (MLTR) for 2 (two) projects under the UNEP GEF-funded Cross-Cutting Capacity Development Portfolio, with the following title and GEF ID: 1) Building core capacity for the implementation, monitoring and reporting of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Mauritania (GEF ID: 9747). 2) Establishing a Functional Environmental Information System for the Synergistic Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) for Iraq (GEF ID: 9744). This MLTR will provide an assessment of the projects’ performance and will provide judgments on actual and potential results, their sustainability, the operational efficiency of implementation, and factors that affected performance. To achieve this, the MLTR will specifically focus on the ‘theory of change’ or ‘impact pathways’ used by the projects and review evidence of actual or potential achievements. In addition, it will identify lessons of operational relevance for future UNEP project design and implementation. The MLTR will be conducted in accordance with the GEF and UNEP requirements. The MLTR must provide evidence-based information that is credible, reliable and useful. The consultant will review all relevant sources of information including documents prepared during the project preparation phase, legal agreements, technical reports, mid-term evaluation reviews, and others as relevant. The consultant is expected to follow a collaborative and participatory approach ensuring close engagement with relevant Executing Agencies, National Government focal points, UNEP, members of the project steering committee, and other key stakeholders. Stakeholder involvement should include interviews with stakeholders who have project responsibilities. Additionally, the consultant is expected to conduct field missions to be decided in consultation with UNEP. The MLTR report should describe the full MLTR approach taken and the rationale for the approach, making explicit the underlying assumptions, challenges, strengths and weaknesses about the methods and approach of the review. The MLTR should be conducted in line with the “UNEP Evaluation Policy, October 2022”, “UNEP Evaluation Manual”, and other relevant policies and procedures. Project Information: GEF-funded Cross-Cutting Capacity Development (CCCD) projects have been designed to create an enabling environment and enhance the implementation, monitoring, and reporting of MEAs and all SDGs with an environmental dimension. UNEP serves as the Implementing Agency for the projects. In the context of these projects, the aim was to synergize with existing national baseline projects to enhance, increase, or strengthen the capacity of national institutions for the implementation and monitoring of international conventions and environmental management. This was intended to be done by institutionalizing identified tools and practices for environmental information and knowledge management and to use information and knowledge for both policy development and planning as well as for monitoring and evaluating environmental impacts and trends. The individual project information is described as follows: 1) Building core capacity for the implementation, monitoring and reporting of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Mauritania The project was approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in 2018 and completed on 31st December 2023, with a total implementation duration of 67 months and a budget of around USD 1.3 million. The activities are executed by the Executing Agencies, which is the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Mauritania. The project aimed to strengthen national capacity for environmental information and knowledge management for the implementation, monitoring and reporting of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Mauritania. Component 1: Development of a coordinated environmental knowledge and information management system, with an outcome of enhanced management of environmental information and knowledge for use in decision-making, planning and reporting. Component 2: Enhancement of institutional and technical capacities to mainstream, develop, and utilize policies, plans and programmes for effective implementation of the Rio Conventions, other MEAs and relevant SDG, with an outcome of enhanced capacities to develop and implement policies, plans and programmes integrating MEAs and related SDGs. 2) Establishing a Functional Environmental Information System for the Synergistic Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) for Iraq The project was approved by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in 2018 and completed on 30th June 2024, with a total implementation duration of 69 months and a budget of around USD 1.7 million. The activities are executed by the Ministry of Health and Environment of Iraq and UNEP Regional Office for West Asia. The overall objective of the project was to establish a functional environmental information system to enhance the capacities of Iraq for monitoring and reporting on Multilateral Environmental Agreements through a well-integrated and functional environment information system. Component 1: Development of a coordinated environmental knowledge and information management system, with the following outcomes: 1. Streamlined and integrated data and information system at the national level that takes into consideration the decentralized governance system in Iraq for use in decision-making, planning, and reporting. 2. Improved regular environmental monitoring by directorates of environment in the governorates and other relevant agencies to integrate MEAs and relevant SDGs into the data collection and reporting procedures and system. Component 2: Enhancement of institutional coordination and technical capacities to mainstream, develop, and utilize policies for the effective implementation of MEAs and relevant SDGs, with the following outcomes: 1. Enhanced capacities to develop and implement results-based and impact-oriented policies, plans and programme integrating MEAs and related SDGs. 2. Regulatory and collaborative institutional set-up for sustainable and transparent sharing of environmental information. Specific tasks and responsibilities Under the general supervision of the Portfolio and Task Manager, Climate Early Warning and Capacity Building Unit, in the Early Warnings and Assessment Division, the consultant will: • Review and fully understand UNEP policies and procedures for Management-Led Terminal Evaluations. • Desk review of:  Relevant background documentation;  Project design documents (including minutes of the project design review meeting at approval); Annual Work Plans and Budgets or equivalent, revisions to the project (Project Document Supplement), the logical framework and its budget;  Project reports such as six-monthly progress and financial reports, progress reports from collaborating partners, meeting minutes, relevant correspondence and any other monitoring materials etc.;  Project deliverables (e.g. publications, assessments etc);  Mid-Term Review or Mid-Term Evaluation of the project;  Evaluations/Reviews of similar projects. • Interviews (individual or in group):  UNEP Task/Portfolio Manager (TM team);  Project management team;  UNEP Fund Management Officer (FMO);  Portfolio Manager or Sub-Programme Coordinator;  Executing Agency;  National Government focal points; Relevant resource persons;  Representatives from civil society and specialist groups • Inception report; • Preliminary findings note; • Draft and Final review report; • Deliver virtual presentations to relevant stakeholders throughout the consultancy; • Incorporate comments received from project beneficiaries, stakeholders, Executing Agency, Regional Technical Partners, and UNEP, when finalizing all documents mentioned above.

Qualifications/special skills

Advanced university degree in environmental studies, environmental management, environmental protection, international development, environment, or related area is required. At least 8 years of experience in environmental-related programmes/ projects development, monitoring and evaluation, environmental data management, or related areas is required. Experience in evaluating complex national, regional or global programs, with demonstrated proficiency in the Theory of Change approach is desired. A broad understanding of countries in the least developed and developing countries is highly desirable. Experience evaluating projects in UN settings, Global Environment Facility (GEF) projects, or similar international organizations is desired.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the consultancy, fluency in both oral and written English is required, while knowledge of French 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.