NATIONAL POST: Individual Consultant- 8th Country Programme Mid-Term Review
- Short Posting Period (7d): Only 7 days between posting and deadline. UN vacancies typically allow 2–4 weeks. Very short windows can indicate the hiring decision is already made.
The Position:
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Ghana is implementing its 8th Country Programme (CP) (2023 - 2027), in support of national development priorities and commitments. The programme contributes to UNFPA's mandate of accelerating progress towards the three transformative results: zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal deaths, and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices. It is implemented within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF} 2023-2025, ensuring coherence with the broader UN system's strategic directions.
The UNFPA Ghana CP8 covers selected priority regions and districts and is structured around three interlinked outputs:
• Sexual and Reproductive Health Information and Services
• Gender and Social Norms
• Adolescents and Youth
• Population and Development (incorporated into three outputs)
Ghana has an estimated population of over 33 million and a predominantly youthful age structure. Despite progress, persistent regional and socio-economic disparities remain across sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), gender equality, adolescent and youth outcomes, and population dynamics.
Ghana also faces increasing vulnerability linked to climate-related shocks, public health threats, and localized insecurity risks, including spillover risks from the sub-region. These challenges disproportionately affect women, adolescents and young people, particularly those furthest left behind.
You will report to:
Under the overall supervision of the UNFPA Representative, the consultant(s) for the MTR will be managed by the UNFPA Ghana Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, with technical oversight from the UNFPA Ghana Deputy Representative and UNFPA Regional Office Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Advisor.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is intended, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. The UNFPA Strategic Plan for 2026-2029 articulates the organization’s response to a complex global environment, providing a roadmap for resilience and renewal. It is designed to accelerate the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. This mandate is pursued through a focus on four interconnected outcomes: ending the unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal deaths; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices; and adapting to demographic change through evidence and rights-based policies.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire, and deliver high-impact and sustained results and ensure effective external relations, communications, and partnership-building and resource mobilization in a rapidly changing development and funding landscape. We need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them, and who commit to delivering excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
The primary purpose of the mid-term review is to support evidence-informed learning, adaptive management, and mid-course adjustments during implementation of the Country Programme. The mid-term review is specifically designed as a light-touch, formative exercise, rather than a comprehensive assessment. It is crucial to understand that this process is not a full independent Country Programme Evaluation {CPE), nor will it employ formal methodologies to assign performance ratings to the programme or its components. The primary emphasis and strategic intent of its review are on learning and adaptive management. The review serves as a critical checkpoint intended to facilitate strategic course correction and informed decision-making. By focusing on lessons learned, identifying bottlenecks, and uncovering emerging opportunities, the review aims directly to strengthen programme implementation relevance, coherence, effectiveness, and efficiency for the remainder of the current programme cycle. Its ultimate value lies in its forward-looking sustainability, ensuring the programme can maximize its impact in the time remaining and beyond.
You would be responsible for:
The MTR will combine evaluation reflection with strategic inquiry structured to cover all outputs of the CPS and their contribution to UNFPA's interconnected outcomes:
• SRH Information and Services
• Gender and Social Norms
• Adolescents and Youth
• Population and Development (incorporated into three outputs) Cross-cutting strategic accelerators will also be examined, including:
• gender-transformative programming
• human rights-based approaches
• innovation and digital solutions
• leaving no one behind
• strategic partnerships and resource mobilization
• integrated programming approaches
5.2
Geographic scope
The MTR will cover interventions implemented at the national level and in selected programme priority regions and districts, to be confirmed during the inception phase based on sampling criteria.
5.3 Temporal scope: The MTR will cover the period from January 2023 to December 2025, with consideration of any relevant adjustments or plans for 2026-2027.
6.
Approach and Methodology
The MTR will adopt an inclusive and mixed-methods approach, ensuring triangulation and robustness of findings.
6.1 Review approach The review will apply:
• a theory-based approach, including analysis of the Country Programme Theory of Change;
• a participatory approach, involving duty-bearers, rights-holders and stakeholders; and
• a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative evidence.
6.2 Methodology
Methods will include:
• desk review of programme documentation, national strategies, UNSDCF, and UNFPA corporate frameworks;
• focus group discussions (FGDs) and consultations with various stakeholders;
• secondary data analysis using national surveys {PHC, OHS) and administrative data; and
• limited field visits, where feasible.
Education:
• Advanced university degree in demography, statistics, economics, population studies, public health, development studies, or a related fiel
Knowledge and Experience:
• Minimum 7 years of experience in conducting multi-sectoral reviews and/or evaluations in development and/or humanitarian contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in leading evaluations commissioned by UN organizations, international organizations or development partners.
• Strong knowledge of theory-based approaches and mixed-method evaluation methodologies.
• Ability to ensure ethics, integrity, confidentiality, and adherence to the do-no-harm principle.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate human rights, gender equality and intersectional perspectives across review phases.
• Excellent analytical, synthesis and report-writing skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, including government, civil society and UN agencies.
• Strong familiarity with Ghana's national development context and SRHR/GBV/youth programming landscape.
Languages:
Core Competencies:
Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
UNFPA Work Environment:
UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here [link removed] to learn more.
Disclaimer:
Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.
UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.
Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.
