Sobre UNICEF: Empleo
Partnerships Evaluation Expert(s): Independent Review of the UNICEF Save the Children Alliance (StCA) Cluster Co-Leadership Arrangement, Evaluation Office, New York Headquarters (Consultancy)
Background and Objectives
The cluster approach, envisioned as a means of enhancing coordination and accountability in humanitarian response and recovery, constitutes a key pillar of humanitarian reform. Among the sector clusters established in the momentum of reform, the Education Cluster is the most recently created. It is also marked by unique institutional arrangements: whereas most other clusters are led by a single agency, the Education Cluster is co-led by UNICEF and Save the Children Alliance (StCA) at both the global and country levels. Owing to these distinct institutional arrangements, and the additional challenges they might entail beyond those of single-agency cluster coordination, the 2007 memorandum of understanding between the two co-lead agencies stipulates that a review of the co-leadership arrangement take place within two years of the cluster's creation. (A full-scale evaluation of the Global Education Cluster itself is slated for 2010.)
In December 2009, the Steering Group of the Global Education Cluster approached UNICEF's Evaluation Office to seek its guidance in developing the parameters of the review of the co-leadership arrangement. The GEC Steering Group is currently entertaining three potential options posed by the Evaluation Office for the present review.
These are as follows:
Option 1: A Stand-Alone Evaluability Study. The main objective of this exercise would be to determine how feasible it is to evaluate the co-leadership arrangement at its present stage of development, and if it were to be evaluated, what specific indicators might be used to measure the arrangement's performance to date. The primary method used would likely be a documentary desk review, supplemented by one-on-one interviews with select stakeholders and, if feasible, direct observation of relevant meetings.
Option 2: A Stand-Alone Management Review Study. The main objective of this exercise would be to uncover aspects of the cluster co-leadership arrangement that are working well and those that are working less well, in order to enable the cluster co-lead agencies to take corrective action and to inform relevant aspects of the later Education Cluster evaluation. The exercise would take a mixed-method approach, likely relying with roughly equal weight on a desk review, interviews and focus groups with a wider range of stakeholders, and observations of relevant meetings. In addition, in order to obtain a sense of the overall relevance and value-added of the co-leadership arrangement, this study would likely deploy a survey of stakeholders in countries where the Education Cluster is co-led versus those where it is not.
Option 3: A Combined Evaluability and Management Review Study. This exercise would combine the objectives, scope and methods, and overall recommendations areas of Options 1 and 2, albeit with a larger budget in order to account for the additional resources required to attain broader scope within the same limited timeframe.
The twofold purpose of each of these options would also essentially be the same: (1) to suggest what if any changes should be made to the co-leadership arrangement in order to enhance its relevance, effectiveness and efficiency; and (2) to serve as one input to inform the timing and parameters of the up-coming evaluation of the Global Education Cluster itself. However, with respect to the first purpose, the Evaluability Study would offer recommendations on changes to the co-leadership arrangement's overall architecture (as stipulated in its guiding documents), whereas the Review Study would offer recommendations on changes to this level as well as to the co-leadership arrangement's overall functioning (as borne out in other data sources).
Toward this end, the Evaluation Office is seeking to recruit an evaluation consultant (or, in the case of Option 3, two consultants) to complete this independent review, from study design and instrument development to data collection and analysis and report drafting.
Consultant Duties and Profile
The Evaluation Office envisages one or two consultants for this project (i.e., one consultant if Option 1 or 2 is chosen, two consultants if Option 3 is chosen). Whether one or two consultants are selected, the chief responsibilities will be the same. Consultant responsibilities will be to:
. Develop the specific methodology and work plan for the review, in consultation with the UNICEF and StCA evaluation offices;
. Write the inception report and incorporate comments to it from the UNICEF and StCA evaluation offices, as well as GEC Steering Group members;
. Develop all data collection instruments and incorporate comments to these from the UNICEF and StCA evaluation offices;
. Conduct a team kick-off meeting to provide team members with relevant background information and agree on a data collection and analysis plan;
. Conduct all data collection, including desk review, interviews, observations, and surveys, as necessary;
. Conduct a data analysis session with the team members and ensure that all relevant data are taken into account in the data analysis; and
. Draft the review report and incorporate comments to it from the Evaluation Office, the GEC Steering Group, and others.
In addition, should Option 3 be chosen, it will be necessary to task one of the consultants with the evaluability component and the other with the management review component - and for one of the two consultants to serve as Team Leader for the exercise overall. In this scenario, the designated consultant will lead the review team, ensuring that it meets the requirements set forth in the project Terms of Reference (ToR). S/He will have ultimate responsibility for the successful completion of the review. As such, his or her management responsibilities will be to:
. Undertake the overall planning of the review in consultation with the UNICEF and StCA evaluation offices;
. Ensure that activities and outputs described in the ToR (e.g., inception report, data collection instruments, draft report, and so on) are completed in a timely fashion;
. Ensure that the review is conducted in line with the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) Norms and Standards;
. Review the other consultant's contributions, including his or her contributions to the draft report, providing supervision and guidance as necessary to ensure that his or her outputs are in line with the ToR and his or her contract;
. Edit the other consultant's contributions to the draft report into a unified, consolidated report draft; and
. Ensure good communications within the team and between the team and the UNICEF and StCA evaluation offices.
Relevant qualifications for the consultant(s) are as follows:
. Doctoral or master's degree in education, policy, organizational management, organizational psychology, evaluation, or one of the social sciences, with at least 5 years of professional experience conducting evaluations, evaluability studies and/or other evaluative exercises (e.g., reviews, assessments);
. Direct experience conducting evaluative exercises (e.g., evaluations, reviews, assessments) of partnerships or other collaborative relationships;
. First-hand knowledge of the cluster approach and humanitarian reform;
. First-hand knowledge of and experience with the UN system and the NGO community;
. Proficiency in both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analytical methods, including the development of indicators;
. Fluency in English;
. Excellent communication skills, particularly the ability to clearly and succinctly convey data analysis concepts, methods, and results to audiences with varying levels of prior background in evaluation;
. Demonstrated track record for completing evaluative exercises on time and on budget;
. Demonstrated track record for fostering a positive and results-oriented team environment; and
. Demonstrated ability to work independently, while at the same time receiving feedback from others.
Furthermore, should Option 3 be selected, the candidate selected for the Team Leader position will additionally be expected to possess demonstrated ability to effectively lead a team.
Duration and Management of the Consultancies
The duration of the consultancy, regardless of which of the three options is selected, will be from 25 January to 31 March 2010, and will entail a total of 60 work days on the part of each consultant during this period. The key output associated with the review, the draft report, will be due in mid-March 2010, with the consultant(s) to address GEC Steering Group comments thereafter. Candidates unable to commit to this time frame and meet the mid-March deadline should not apply.
The consultant(s) will report to and be jointly managed by two evaluation managers representing, respectively, the evaluation offices of UNICEF and the Save the Children Alliance. No reference group is envisaged for the review at present, but feedback will be provided by the co-leadership's principals at key junctures of the project (i.e., in reviewing the inception report and draft report).
Payment
The consultant(s) will be paid in two instalments, one midway through the assignment and the remainder upon completion of the assignment. Travel will be required to New York and/or London for a limited period, and will be paid separately and directly by UNICEF or Save the Children Alliance.
To Apply
Interested applicants should email a CV to evalrecruit@unicef.org with the subject heading: Education Cluster Evaluation, or fax to (212) 824-6492, as soon as possible. Only applicants whose qualifications meet the immediate needs of the project will be contacted. All other qualified candidates not shortlisted for this project will be considered for future projects.
Closing date: Thursday, 14 January 2010
