The joint programme components are based on each agency’s mandate and comparative advantage and are built on a wealth of evidence and programmatic experiences that the two agencies have generated working in adolescent girls’ empowerment programme over the years.
The overall purpose of the final evaluation is:
Accountability: To provide rigorous evidence on the effectiveness of this AGP programme to stakeholders including the donor (vertical accountability) and the beneficiaries (horizontal accountability) in achieving development results with invested resources.
Organizational Learning: Broadened evidence base to facilitate and support decision-making, not only within UNICEF and UNFPA but also among other in-country stakeholders with a vested interest in adolescent girl programming, including Global Affairs Canada. By identifying which of the Project’s envisaged objectives (included in the Results Framework) were not achieved, the evaluation is expected to provide the Programme managers with viable corrective and scalable strategies to overcome such challenges in future.
Targeted Learning: To inform UNFPA and UNICEF Programme Managers for prioritization of future, strategies and activities geared towards the implementation of more child protection, gender-responsive and gender-transformative programming solutions in the future.
The specific objectives of the Final evaluation are:
- To determine whether the programme (2018-2023) has been executed as per the activities outlined in the project proposal and its subsequent updates, if any, and whether the planned results have been achieved.
- To assess the role played by the UNICEF and UNFPA as part of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), in the coordination mechanisms of the UNCT, to enhance the United Nations’ collective contribution to national development results.
- To provide an independent assessment of the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of UNICEF and UNFPA technical and financial support.
- To document good practices, lessons learnt regarding what worked and what did not work and identify potential areas for improvement for better design and implementation of interventions.
- To make specific recommendations on any follow-up activities as well as the lessons learned that can benefit the future of UNFPA and UNICEF adolescent girl programming in Ghana.
Expected Deliverables
The following deliverables will be expected from the Final Evaluation:
- An action plan for the implementation of the main recommendations of the evaluation or "management response": An action plan will be developed in a participatory manner during the validation workshops.
- A validated final Evaluation Report preferably
- A 40-50 pager (excluding) annexes detailing the findings of the evaluation with incorporated comments from UNFPA and UNICEF. This includes a PowerPoint presentation that summarises the findings. The report will include a visual presentation of information using maps, charts, graphs, and other visuals as appropriate or feasible. The report should follow, but not be limited to the following format:
- Executive Summary (usually not more than 3-4 pages)
- Programme description
- Purpose and objectives
- Methodology
- Ethical Principles
- Findings
- Conclusions
- Recommendations
- Annexes (including the list of stakeholders consulted during the evaluation, key documents and websites consulted, terms of reference for the Final Evaluation, aggregate findings, etc.)
Required Qualification and Experience
The selected institution should have a minimum of 10 years of experience in the conduct of baseline surveys, statistical surveys/assessments and programme/project monitoring and evaluation, including gender-focused programming. We encourage Ghanaian institutions to apply. Joint applications are also invited from a consortium led by an international firm but with a Ghanaian institution as a strong partner. We expect a gender-balanced evaluation team at the technical level, but also for data collection given the sensitivity of the topic/s being evaluated. Strong preference will be given to proposals with technology-enabled data collection methods tooptimize and speed up data collection.
The institution would be expected, as a minimum, to field the following key personnel*:
a) Team leader
- Minimum of a university degree in public health, gender, sociology, economics, international development, or social work
- An advanced qualification in an area related to statistics, or project management will be an advantage.
- Over 10 years of experience in the development sector, with demonstrated experience in working in programmatic or evaluation components of gender-focused programming.
- Strong track record in relating and networking and analytical skills
- Ability to operate computer Microsoft Office programs (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access) is essential.
- Fluency in writing, reading, and speaking English.
b) Statistics and Monitoring and Evaluation Specialists
- Minimum of a university degree in statistics, gender, public health, sociology, economics, international development, or social work.
- Advanced qualification in statistics
- Over 7 years’ experience in national-level statistical, socio-economic/public health-related surveys, preferably in the field of gender and health
- Strong track record in relating and networking and analytical skills
- Ability to operate computer Microsoft Office programs (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access), is essential.
- Fluency in writing, reading, and speaking English.
c) Gender Specialist
- Minimum of a university degree in gender, public health, sociology, economics, international development, or social work.
- Strong understanding and over 7 years’ experience in gender-transformative programming, including on sexual and reproductive health issues and/or adolescent girls
- Strong track record in relating and networking and analytical skills
- Ability to operate computer Microsoft Office programs (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access), is essential.
- Fluency in writing, reading, and speaking English.
d) SRHR Specialist
- Master’s degree public health medicine, health economics and financing, epidemiology, biostatistics, social sciences, or a related field.
- 5-7 years of experience in conducting evaluations, reviews, assessments, research studies or M&E work in the field of international development [optional: (only in humanitarian contexts and/or humanitarian assistance].
- Substantive knowledge of SRHR, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, maternal health, obstetric fistula and family planning.
- Ability to ensure ethics and integrity of the evaluation process, including confidentiality and the principle of do no harm.
- Ability to consistently integrate human rights and gender perspectives in all phases of the evaluation process.
- Solid knowledge of evaluation approaches and methodology and demonstrated ability to apply both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Experience working with a multidisciplinary team of experts.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and spoken).
- Work experience in/good knowledge of the national development context of [name of country].
- Familiarity with United Nations organizations’ mandates and activities will be an advantage.
e) Adolescents and youth expert
- Master’s degree in public health, medicine, health economics and financing, epidemiology, biostatistics, social sciences, or a related field.
- 5-7 years of experience in conducting evaluations, reviews, assessments, research studies or M&E work in the field of international development [optional: (only in humanitarian contexts) and/or humanitarian assistance].
- Substantive knowledge of adolescent and youth issues, in particular SRHR of adolescents and youth.
- Ability to ensure ethics and integrity of the evaluation process, including confidentiality and the principle of do no harm.
- Ability to consistently integrate human rights and gender perspectives in all phases of the evaluation process.
- Solid knowledge of evaluation approaches and methodology and demonstrated ability to apply both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Experience working with a multidisciplinary team of experts.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and spoken).
- Work experience in/good knowledge of the national development context of [name of country].
- Familiarity with United Nations organizations’ mandates and activities will be an advantage.
* Knowledge of Reproductive Health Education and/or related areas: Adolescents, HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights, child protection, gender, and human rights, social and behaviour change communication is a strong asset.
f) Young and emerging evaluator
The young and emerging evaluator must be under 35 years of age and her/his competencies, skills and experience should include:
- Bachelor’s degree in public health, demography or population studies, social sciences, statistics, development studies or a related field.
- Certificate in evaluation or equivalent qualification.
- Up to five years of work experience in conducting evaluation or M&E in the field of international development.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work in a team.
- Strong organizational skills, communication skills and writing skills.
- Good command of information and communication technology and data visualization tools.
- Good knowledge of the mandate and activities of United Nations organizations will be an advantage.
Supervision
The evaluation team will report to and receive a briefing from UNFPA/UNICEF who will provide day-to-day guidance and support. UNFPA and UNICEF will provide before or during the assignment relevant
background documents/literature. An Evaluation Reference Group comprised of UNICEF and UNFPA PME colleagues, 1 youth representative from a youth group, colleagues from our Regional Offices, CSO and
Government partners will be established at the inception phase and will be provided review opportunities at critical moments in the evaluation.
Duration of the Study
The evaluation is expected to take place between August – October 2023. This will include desk reviews, data collection, data analysis, validation, and submission of the final report.
Expression of Interest/Application
Interested firms (local/international) are requested to refer to Request for Quotation (RFQ) for submission of technical and financial proposals. We encourage Ghanaian institutions to apply. Applications are also
open for a consortium led by an international firm but with a Ghanaian institution as a strong partner. A brief technical proposal not exceeding 15 pages on the methodology and approach (including sampling
strategy and size) to the assignment including summaries of previous similar assignments:
- Financial proposal/budget in a separate envelope.
- A letter of application addressed to the UNFPA Representative in Ghana
- CVs and scanned copies of the certificates, and all documents related to working experience.
- A list of three references with their complete addresses.
- A copy of a recent evaluation report of which the Team Leader has been a primary author will need to be submitted as part of the application
Incomplete applications and applications that are not like the wanted profile will not be examined.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
