Team Leader/ International Consultant for UNSDCF evaluation

The Team Leader/International Consultant will lead the evaluation of the Kyrgyzstan United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023–2027, ensuring strategic oversight, methodological rigor, coordination of the evaluation process, and delivery of high-quality evaluation products in line with UNEG norms and standards. The consultant will manage and coordinate a small evaluation team composed of three members, including national and/or thematic consultants, and will ensure effective collaboration with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), government counterparts, civil society organizations, development partners, and other key stakeholders throughout the assignment. The consultancy will include the design and implementation of the evaluation methodology, data collection tools, stakeholder consultations, field visits, analysis, validation workshops, and preparation of evaluation deliverables, including inception, draft, and final reports. Field missions to selected regions of Kyrgyzstan are expected in order to conduct consultations with local authorities, UN implementing partners, beneficiaries, and communities, and to assess results achieved at the decentralized level. The Team Leader will specifically focus on the evaluation of the UNSDCF 2023–2027, while the evaluation component related to the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) Portfolio 2021–2026 will be conducted in parallel by a separate evaluation team. Close coordination and alignment between both evaluation streams will nevertheless be required to ensure coherence of findings, methodologies, and recommendations. The evaluation is expected to generate evidence-based findings, lessons learned, and actionable recommendations to support accountability, organizational learning, and the development of the next Cooperation Framework cycle, including strategic positioning of the United Nations in Kyrgyzstan in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Evaluation Approach and Methodology The evaluation will use a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods and adopt participatory approach in which discussions with key stakeholders provide/verify the substance of findings This includes document reviews, analysis of quantitative secondary data, UNINFO (Joint Work Plan) data, individual interviews with key informants and focus groups, existing evaluations and the synthesis of evaluative evidence e.g. project evaluations, agency-specific evaluations, or other types of discussion to collect data. The Independent Evaluation Consultants shall be guided by UNSDCF Guidelines to develop the evaluation methodology (standard methodology section). They shall also develop the necessary tools to collect data and information to answer the overall evaluation questions. All the approaches and methodologies need to be discussed between the Evaluation Consultant and the Evaluation Manager. The methodology should enhance the national ownership of evaluation results; it should ensure involvement of key stakeholders throughout the evaluation process through e.g. interview, focus groups, possibly a stakeholder workshop, debriefing of evaluation users, etc.). Data from different sources need – to the extent possible – to be disaggregated by groups. Triangulation should be adopted where possible. Availability and logistical constraints need to be factored in evaluation planning. Data collection, analysis and presentation of findings should be responsive to and include issues relating to children, gender equality and empowerment of women, diversity inclusion and non-discrimination, human rights and environmental sustainability The evaluation should adhere to and be guided by the UNEG Norms and Standards (2016) and the UNEG Ethical Guidelines (2020) at every stage of the evaluation process including but not limited to informed consent of participants, privacy, and confidentiality considerations. The relevant ethical standards will be identified and the mechanisms and measures to ensure that standards will be maintained during the evaluation process should be provided in the inception report. Each Evaluation Team member will also be provided with and signed off on the UNEG Code of Conduct for Evaluators, which provides ethical guidelines for the conduct of evaluations.

Home-based with travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as required for stakeholder consultations, data collection, workshops, and presentation of findings. Missions may include meetings with United Nations agencies, government counterparts, civil society organizations, development partners, and beneficiaries.

Under the overall supervision of the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in Kyrgyzstan and in close coordination with the Evaluation Management Group, the Team Leader/International Consultant will: • Lead and coordinate the overall evaluation process for the UNSDCF 2023–2027 and PBF Portfolio 2021–2026. • Design and finalize the evaluation methodology, workplan, and inception report in accordance with UNEG norms and standards. • Ensure the evaluation applies a human rights-based, gender-responsive, disability-inclusive, and conflict-sensitive approach. • Supervise and guide national consultants and other evaluation team members. • Conduct desk reviews of relevant strategic, programmatic, financial, and policy documents. • Lead stakeholder consultations, interviews, focus group discussions, and validation workshops with UN entities, government institutions, civil society, donors, academia, and beneficiaries. • Assess the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact of the Cooperation Framework and PBF portfolio interventions. • Analyze the contribution of the United Nations Country Team to national development priorities and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). • Identify lessons learned, good practices, gaps, risks, and opportunities to inform the next UNSDCF cycle. • Prepare high-quality deliverables, including: o Inception report o Data collection tools o Preliminary findings presentation o Draft evaluation report o Final evaluation report o Executive summary and presentation materials • Ensure all deliverables meet UN editorial and communication standards and are written in clear, concise, and inclusive language. • Present findings and recommendations to stakeholders and facilitate validation discussions. • Incorporate comments from the Evaluation Management Group and quality assurance reviewers into final products. Management Arrangements The RC and UNCT in Kyrgyzstan and PBPSO hold the overall responsibility of commissioning the joint UNSDCF and PBF evaluations and any follow- up actions. The Resident Coordinator/ Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) and PBPSO are responsible for initiating the CF evaluation, support the Evaluation Steering Committee during the various stages of evaluation. The structure proposed below by the UNCT Kyrgyzstan ensures an independent process. All those involved are accountable for their specific input to the process and clarity of actions. Key actors of the evaluation include: • The Evaluation Manager – the function is performed by the Data/M&E group Co-Chair – RCO Data Management Officer, DMEL team in PBPSO and the individual is responsible for the coordination and day-to-day management of the process. • The Independent Evaluation Team (Two International Consultants & Two National Consultants) – The Evaluation team consists of two independent external international consultants and two national consultants. One Team Leader/international consultant and one national consultant will form a team and focus on CF evaluation, while the other team (one international consultant and one national consultant) will focus on the PBF Portfolio Review. The two teams will closely work together and will be responsible for producing the joint inception report, data collection, analysis, the joint draft and final evaluation reports. The International Consultants work in full independence from the RCO and UNCT in Kyrgyzstan and PBPSO. • The Evaluation Steering Committee (ESC) - The Committee is composed of UN Head of Agencies, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor in PBPSO and Government representatives and serves as the main oversight and validation body supporting the evaluation process. The ESC will provide endorsement of the process and validate the final deliverables of the evaluation. The ESC will also endorse the management response to the evaluation. • Evaluation Technical Management Team, comprising UN Data/M&E group representatives and Monitoring Evaluation Officer in PBPSO offer routine technical support to the Evaluation Manager throughout the evaluation. • DCO - DCO Evaluation Advisor supports the evaluation manager, the RC and the UNCT in quality assurance of all key products and liaise with UNEG. DCO and PBPSO are responsible for ensuring the quality of all evaluation products including the TOR, inception report, final report and other associated products. • UNEG (UN Evaluation Group) – Provide technical advice on request and may be engaged in exceptional circumstances. Work Location Home-based with travel to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as required for stakeholder consultations, data collection, workshops, and presentation of findings. Missions may include meetings with United Nations agencies, government counterparts, civil society organizations, development partners, and beneficiaries.

Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in international development, public policy, political science, economics, evaluation, social sciences, peace and conflict studies, or a related field. • Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience in strategic planning, leading the formulation of strategic country documents and conducting evaluations in the international development or humanitarian sector is required. • Experience in evaluation in complex settings will be an asset. • Proven experience leading United Nations system-wide evaluations, including UNSDCF/UNDAF evaluations is required. • Demonstrated expertise in results-based management (RBM), strategic planning, and evaluation methodologies is highly desirable. • Strong knowledge of SDGs, UN reform, peacebuilding, governance, and sustainable development processes. • Experience working in Central Asia or comparable contexts is highly desirable. • Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams. • Strong analytical, facilitation, drafting, and presentation skills. • Familiarity with UNEG norms and standards and ethical evaluation practices is required. • Experience integrating gender equality, human rights, disability inclusion, and Leave No One Behind principles into evaluations is an asset.

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Russian and/or Kyrgyz is an advantage.

Not available.