Project Terminal Review Specialist at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Tasks and responsibilities:

• Strategic Positioning, Concept and Design The MLTR Consultant will assess the concept and design of the overall scope of the Environmental Treaties Programme- Realizing Synergies for Biodiversity project, including an assessment of the appropriateness of the objectives, planned outputs, activities, and inputs as compared to cost-effective alternatives.
• Identify niche areas where UNEP can further add advantage and efficiency to the future projects.
• The strategic positioning and design of the project will also be reviewed against the strategic questions of interest to UNEP and to which the project is believed to be able to make a substantive contribution.
• The questions (provided in detail in the long ToRs version) are structured to address two levels: a) one level is addressing the Realizing Synergies for Biodiversity project, and the balance between its five components. b) The other level is addressing the question of strengthening the Environmental Treaties Programme and making it genuinely an umbrella programme for activities under UNEP's Environmental Conventions and Policy Branch at the Law Division. The MLTR consultant will also be forward-looking and explore opportunities for UNEP to strengthen cooperation and synergies with the Multilateral Environmental Agreements.

Partnership and Coordination

• The MLTR will assess the effectiveness and appropriateness of the collaborations and partnerships that were established to deliver the project.
• This includes an assessment of the partnerships with key implementing partners such as UNEP-WCMC, MEAs and donors.
• Monitoring, Evaluation and Risk Management A further focus of the MLTR will be on the extent to which adequate monitoring has been undertaken throughout the period and the extent to which evaluation systems were adequate to capture significant developments and inform responsive management.
• The MLTR will assess how lessons learned have been captured and operationalized throughout the period under investigation.
• It will examine how effectively the management of support to the synergistic implementation of biodiversity-related MEAs incorporated relevant global knowledge on good practices.

Gender Mainstreaming

• The MLTR will assess the extent to which the project sought to strengthen the mainstreaming of gender into project implementation.
• The MLTR will weigh measures taken to this end and how successful those have been in addressing specific rights- and gender-related aspects.

Methodology

• The methodology involves use of UNEP Evaluation Office Project Review guidelines and templates that will be made available as a package of materials to the consultant, including access to the Project Document files, reports and other relevant materials.
• Contact details of project stakeholders will also be shared with the consultant to conduct interviews and consultations.
• The evaluation criteria use a six-point ranking scale grouped in nine categories: (A) Strategic Relevance; (B) Quality of Project Design; (C) Effectiveness, which comprises assessments of the attainment of outputs, achievement of outcomes and likelihood of impact; (D) Financial Management; (E) Efficiency; (F) Monitoring and Reporting; (G) Sustainability; and (H) Factors Affecting Project Performance. Relevant tools and guidance information will be shared.
• The consultant will also apply quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods as appropriate, to determine project achievements against the expected outputs, outcomes and impacts.

Qualifications/special skills

• A master’s degree in environmental sciences, environmental governance, environmental law, ecology and biodiversity policy, international development or other relevant political or social sciences area is required and an advanced degree in the same areas is desirable.
• A minimum of 10 years’ experience in environmental governance, environmental law, environmental science or management, biodiversity policy, biodiversity-related conventions, and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) synergistic implementation, and linkages between environment, biodiversity, and sustainable development, or related field, is required.
• Experience in technical / project management and evaluation experience preferably including evaluating large, regional, or global projects/programmes and multi-donor partnerships, using a Theory of Change approach; and a robust/broad understanding of environmental governance, biodiversity-related conventions, and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), synergistic implementation and linkages between environment, biodiversity, and sustainable is desirable.