Organization: UN Children's Fund
Country: Panama
Closing date: 16 Oct 2017
Specifically, the Regional Office is outsourcing the following services to Country Offices:
Real-time professional review and feedback of draft Evaluation ToR and Reports
Regional Evaluation HelpDesk to ensure real-time trouble-shooting and ad-hoc technical assistance
The Regional Evaluation QA System is managed by the Regional M&E Specialist.
After two years of using this outsourced service (since mid-2015), UNICEF LAC regional office is in the processes of assessing the service provided and the possibility of including additional quality assurance services for other knowledge products. While this assessment is taking place, UNICEF LAC regional office will use the service of a consultant for the period October 2017 to February 2018 to make sure that country offices continuously receive the support of quality assurance needed. It is expected that during that period, the Regional Office will receive approximately 10 country office draft evaluation reports, and 5 draft ToRs for review. Topics of these evaluations cover child related topics related to health, child protection (violence), early childhood development, and cross cutting issues such as emergencies and innovations.
Scope of Work and Deliverables
Under the supervision of the Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, the consultant will undertake the following outputs:
Draft Evaluation ToRs and draft Evaluation reports reviewed, rated and executive feedback sent.
UNICEF Country Offices send the draft ToR and reports to Regional Office for real-time quality review and practical comments on how to improve them. The consultant will carry out such review in maximum three (3) working days for the draft ToR and five (5) working days for the draft reports. The consultant will provide professional and practical feedback according to pre-agreed templates.
Regional Evaluation Help Desk. The objective is to ensure real-time trouble-shooting and ad-hoc technical assistance to UNICEF country offices when requested, for instance by providing a second review of ToR, specific technical notes, etc.
A final report with identified overall strengthens and weaknesses of the reviewed evaluations.
These outputs should be based on the UNICEF’s Evaluation Policy (https://www.unicef.org/about/execboard/files/2013-14-Revised_Evaluation_…) , and will be conducted in accordance with the guidelines, norms and standards defined by the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) (http://www.uneval.org/document/guidance-documents). The Consultant must commit with the ethical Code of Conduct for Evaluators in the United Nations System (https://www.unicef.org/evaluation/files/Evaluation_Principles_UNEG_Code_…).
Monitoring and Approval of Products
The Regional M&E Specialist will review products delivered by the consultant and will monitor the services provided to Country Offices. The consultant will inform the M&E Specialist of any remarks on the product, within two (2) working days after the product has been delivered. The consultant will carry out such review in maximum three (3) working days for the draft ToR, and five (5) working days for the draft reports. The consultant will provide professional and practical feedback according to pre-agreed templates.
All feedback will be addressed to the Regional M&E, including those related to Help Desk.
Payment
Fee payments are subject to supervisor’s written approval and acceptance of the products and of the Certification of Payment Form submitted by the M&E Specialist. The Contract with the consultant does not entail advance fees payment.
The services unit rates will be paid for the follow specific services, according to the economic proposal of the consultant:
Review of Draft evaluation TORs
Review of Draft evaluation reports
Help Desk (hourly rate and daily rate)
There is not extra payment for the final report with identified overall strengthens and weaknesses of the reviewed evaluations. This cost should be included.
Second (or additional) reviews of any TOR or draft evaluation report should be invoiced using the Help Desk hour rate and cannot exceed the rate for the first TOR and first draft report review.
Payments will be made based on the actual and timely delivery of the outputs.
Qualifications
The required consultant will be a qualified professional with the following characteristics:
Excellent and proved knowledge of Evaluation methods and approaches
Previous experience with QA systems and Help-desks
At least 10 years of proven professional experience in designing and conducting major evaluations
Post-graduate University degree in policy analysis, international relations, public affairs, public policies, or other subject related matters
Working knowledge in the LAC region
Familiarity with UNICEF programmes
Excellent analytical and writing skills in Spanish and English. Fluent in both languages.
Knowledge of French and Portuguese is an asset
Duration of contract and payment installments:
The contract will be from23 October, 2017 to 28 February 2018.
UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if outputs are incomplete, not delivered of for failure to meet deadlines (fees reduced due to late submission:
For Draft ToRs: 5 working days -10%: 7 working days -20%; 10 working days -30%; more days, payment withhold.
For Draft evaluation reports: 7 working days -20%; 10 working days -30%; 12 working days -30%; more days, payment withhold.
Note: late submissions will be evaluated by UNICEF also taking into account the amount of requests submitted at the same point in time.
All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.
To Apply
The proposal should include the following documentation: P11 and CV
The proposal should include a fix fee for the following services:
Closing date: October 15, 2017
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.
How to apply:
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=507429
