Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the global environmental authority. It 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. This consultancy is in UNEP’s Climate Change Division, GEF Climate Mitigation Unit, Mitigation Branch, Europe and Central Asia team, and will be home-based. UNEP’s Climate Change Division works with a portfolio of Global Environment Facility (GEF) medium-size and full-size climate change mitigation projects in Europe and Central Asia. The projects, which are in different stages of development (concept, design, implementation, closure), are executed by different partners (Ministries, NGOs, etc.). The Climate Change Division, in its role as an implementing agency, provides oversight and ensures adherence to GEF guidelines. The Electric Mobility project in Armenia requires a consultant to conduct the Terminal Review. The consultant will report to the GEF Climate Mitigation Unit, UNEP. The consultant will be responsible for the Terminal Review and will report to the Task Manager, Katarina Barunica for the Global, Europe, and Central Asia portfolio at the GEF Climate Mitigation Unit, ensuring the timely delivery of outputs as outlined in the overall Terms of Reference for the review. The consultant will undertake the design of the Terminal Review, data collection and analysis, and report writing.

Responsibilities or duties

Specific tasks and responsibilities

• Author and lead the terminal review for the aforementioned projects per GEF and UNEP policies.
• Overall responsibility for undertaking the review and preparing the final report in English
• Evaluation of all project elements per UNEP evaluation office guidance documents.
• Deliverables to be prepared following UNEP evaluation office template

More specifically: The consultant will develop terminal reviews findings and recommendations based on sound evidence and analysis and clearly document these in the final reports. Information will be triangulated (i.e. verified from different sources) as far as possible, and when verification is not possible, the single source will be mentioned (whilst anonymity is still protected). Analysis leading to evaluative judgments should always be clearly spelled out. The consultant shall base the findings of the terminal reviews on the following:

a) A desk review of:

• Relevant background documentation, inter alia:
  • Project document and appendices. This includes, among others, relevant work plans, budget and supervision plans, and any revisions introduced after approval.
  • Theory of change, problem tree, and logical framework.
  • Project reports, including half-year progress reports, project implementation reports (PIRs), expenditure reports, financial statements, audits, inventory reports, progress reports from collaborating partners, meeting minutes, relevant correspondence, and Tracking Tools;
  • Evaluations/Reviews of similar projects.
• Interviews (individual or in group) with, including but not limited to:
  • UNEP Task Manager (TM) and team members;
  • Executing Agency Project Managers (PMs) and team members;
  • UNEP Administrative Officer (AO);
  • Project steering committee members;
  • Identified stakeholders, including governmental agencies and officials, representatives from technology and educational institutions, distribution utilities, banks, associations, and NGOs.
  • Other project beneficiaries deemed appropriate for the review.

Performance indicators:

• - Submission of the three (3) deliverables per deadlines
• - Reports are considered high-quality, as determined by UNEP compared to other terminal review reports approved by the GEF

Qualifications or requirements

Academic:

• An advanced university degree in economics, environmental sciences, management, regional studies or a related discipline is required;
• A first-level degree with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree;

Experience needed

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in evaluating projects in the field of climate change, environment or development.
• Experience in drafting project proposals and assessing project documents, including concepts, progress reports, work plans, and financial documents (budgets and expenditure reports) is required;
• Experience working with UN projects is desirable;
• Experience in working for multilateral or bilateral funding entities in the field of climate change, renewable energy environment or development is desirable;

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency (both oral and written) in English and Russian is required

• Author and lead the terminal review for the aforementioned projects per GEF and UNEP policies.
• Overall responsibility for undertaking the review and preparing the final report in English
• Evaluation of all project elements per UNEP evaluation office guidance documents.
• Deliverables to be prepared following UNEP evaluation office template
• The consultant will develop terminal reviews findings and recommendations based on sound evidence and analysis and clearly document these in the final reports. Information will be triangulated (i.e. verified from different sources) as far as possible, and when verification is not possible, the single source will be mentioned (whilst anonymity is still protected). Analysis leading to evaluative judgments should always be clearly spelled out.
• The consultant shall base the findings of the terminal reviews on the following:
  • A desk review of: Relevant background documentation, inter alia: Project document and appendices. This includes, among others, relevant work plans, budget and supervision plans, and any revisions introduced after approval. Theory of change, problem tree, and logical framework. Project reports, including half-year progress reports, project implementation reports (PIRs), expenditure reports, financial statements, audits, inventory reports, progress reports from collaborating partners, meeting minutes, relevant correspondence, and Tracking Tools; Evaluations/Reviews of similar projects.
  • Interviews (individual or in group) with, including but not limited to: UNEP Task Manager (TM) and team members; Executing Agency Project Managers (PMs) and team members; UNEP Administrative Officer (AO); Project steering committee members; Identified stakeholders, including governmental agencies and officials, representatives from technology and educational institutions, distribution utilities, banks, associations, and NGOs. Other project beneficiaries deemed appropriate for the review.

• Experience in drafting project proposals and assessing project documents, including concepts, progress reports, work plans, and financial documents (budgets and expenditure reports) is required
• Fluency (both oral and written) in English and Russian is required

• An advanced university degree in economics, environmental sciences, management, regional studies or a related discipline is required;
• A first-level degree with an additional two years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree;
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in evaluating projects in the field of climate change, environment or development.
• Experience working with UN projects is desirable;
• Experience in working for multilateral or bilateral funding entities in the field of climate change, renewable energy environment or development is desirable;