Consultant — Mid-term Evaluation of Project: Enhancing LGBTIQ+ inclusive learning spaces in Asia

Parent Sector : Education Sector (ED)

Duty Station: Bangkok

Classification of duty station: [[filter12]]

Standard Duration of Assignement : [[filter13]]

Job Family: Education

Type of contract : Non Staff

Duration of contract : From 1 to 6 months

Recruitment open to : External candidates

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 25-JUL-2024

UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

BACKGROUND:

Working in partnership with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer  (LGBTIQ+) youth networks in 4 Asian countries,  UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok) is supporting the design and implementation of innovative approaches to enhancing inclusion in education, while simultaneously advancing solutions to combating discrimination and violence in learning spaces  based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression (SOGIE). The 5-year project, which is being implemented over the period 2021-2026 and is valued at USD 360,000, aims to achieve results in 2 outcome areas:

1.    Outcome 1: Youth members of LGBTIQ+ networks have strengthened technical and advocacy skills to promote the creation of LGBTIQ+ inclusive learning spaces (approx. 60% project budget); and
2.    Outcome 3 Learning spaces become more LGBTIQ+ inclusive, through implementation of tools and approaches by LGBTIQ+ youth leaders working in partnership with the education sector (approx. 40% project budget).

To deliver on these project outcomes, UNESCO Bangkok is collaborating with at least 1 youth network in each of the 4 project countries: Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines and Japan, to reach the following targets:

–     at least fifty youth per country context, as direct beneficiaries of skill-building activities;
–     at least 1 education institution (eg university), engaging at least 800 student peers, and 100 university faculty/management staff through advocacy and outreach approaches.

Key activities being implemented by country-level youth networks with UNESCO Bangkok’s technical and financial support include:
(i) co-creating with students, an advocacy approach and activities for LGBTIQ+ learner inclusion that responds to evidence of LGBTIQ+ learners’ needs and priorities in their respective education setting(s);
(ii) carrying out a rapid mapping of the skills and other capacity-needs to be strengthened among LGBTIQ+ and ally students for them to implement their advocacy approach and activities;
(iii) design and delivery of relevant skills/capacity-building workshop(s) for advocacy on LGBTIQ+ learner inclusion, that respond to the needs identified in the rapid mapping;
(iv) providing relevant technical and/or financial support (e.g. through small grants) for students to implement their advocacy approaches, activities and products and supporting the reach of their advocacy through diverse (digital and non-digital) channels as appropriate; and,
(v) tracking and documenting the progress of implementation by students of their advocacy approaches, activities and products through routine monitoring reports, stories or other means, capturing project reach and results in digital and non-digital formats

11Long Description

UNESCO is seeking an evaluation consultant to conduct a mid-term project evaluation for the implementation period from October 2021 to October 2024. The overall purpose of the mid-term evaluation is to inform and improve the ongoing project by assessing its completed and ongoing activities. Considering the Results Framework (see Annex A) of this project, this mid-term evaluation will be done through 1) assessing implementation of the project to-date; 2) assessing project outputs and immediate outcomes achieved to-date; and 3) identifying lessons and recommendations to inform implementation over the remaining project period – including corrective measures where needed.  

In addition to overall guidance by UNESCO Bangkok, throughout the processing of carrying out the mid-term evaluation the consultant will receive additional technical inputs, review and feedback on draft consultancy outputs  from a Project Reference Group that comprises ten regional/country organizations serving constituencies of diverse stakeholders working on LGBTIQ+ youth inclusion. The Project Reference Group has been convened by UNESCO Bangkok to provide overall guidance to and quality assurance of project implementation, communication, monitoring and reporting, and offer expert inputs and technical review of all the project’s activities and outputs.

The key stakeholders (users) of this evaluation are:
•    Internal to UNESCO: Education for Health and Well-being Team, Unit for Transformative Education, Education Section, UNESCO Bangkok and additional UNESCO field offices/HQs 
•    External: Donor to this project 
•    Secondary external stakeholders: Civil society organizations, young people, and individuals who are involved in the project.
 

WORK ASSIGNMENT:

Under the overall authority of the Regional Director, UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok), the overall guidance of the Chief of the Section for Education, and the direct supervision of the Regional Advisor on Education for Health and Well-being, the consultant is expected to undertake a comprehensive mid-term evaluation of the project on enhancing LGBTIQ+ inclusive learning spaces in Asia.
Specifically, the consultant shall carry out the following tasks:

1.    Draft, in close consultation with UNESCO and the Project Reference Group, an evaluation inception report, which contains updated methods for data collection and analysis and a timeline with deliverables for the evaluation. This includes: 
–    participating in an inception meeting with UNESCO and the Project Reference Group to review and confirm the consultancy’s scope, objectives, and expectations; 
–    conducting a comprehensive desk review of project documents, including the project proposal, Result Framework (RF), work plans, progress reports, and other relevant literature; 
–    mapping key stakeholders, including the UNESCO project team, implementing partners, beneficiaries (learners, teachers, supporting staff, and communities), and relevant parties; and, 
–    preparing the narrative inception report that documents the overall methodology for the mid-term evaluation, proposes the key areas of investigation and associated data types, data collection approaches and tools. 

2.    Make any revisions, on the basis of feedback provided, to the overall methodology and data collection tools (eg as questionnaires, interview guides, and focus group discussion (FGD) guide, as appropriate) 

Long Description

3.    Plan and carry out data collection and analysis according to the agreed methodology of the mid-term project evaluation. This potentially includes: 
–    communicating with the interviewees and key informants to schedule the data collection period;  
–    collecting primary data- where relevant – through online key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys, ensuring the inclusion of diverse and marginalized voices, particularly from LGBTIQ+ youth; and
–    compiling, cleaning, and analyzing the collected data using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods to identify strengths, weaknesses, trends, and areas for improvement.

4.    Develop and submit to UNESCO Bangkok a full, final mid-term evaluation report and summary presentation of the key findings from the report. This includes:
–    preparing a draft mid-term evaluation narrative report against the project Result Framework (RF), including an executive summary, methodology, findings with case studies of youth-led projects highlighted, conclusions, and recommendations;
–    developing a presentation (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint or Canva) summarizing the key findings, conclusions, and recommendations from the mid-term evaluation; and
–    submitting to UNESCO Bangkok the final mid-term evaluation report (maximum 25, A4 pages, plus annexes) incorporating feedback from stakeholder validation discussions at the learning exchange meeting, with specific recommendations to UNESCO on actions needed for enhancing implementation of the second-half of the 5-year project, along with the presentation and other relevant documents. 

5.    Deliver the summary presentation and co-facilitate with UNESCO, discussions at an in-person learning exchange meeting to react to, and validate the evaluation findings and recommendations. The learning exchange meeting will be organized by UNESCO in the first week of December 2024 (tentatively) in Bangkok, Thailand. The consultant will co-create with UNESCO the meeting’s discussion methodology and gather participants’ feedback to incorporate into the final mid-term evaluation narrative report.

UNESCO Bangkok will provide technical inputs to the development of all aspects of the mid-term evaluation process and will be responsible for the learning exchange meeting’s logistical preparations (i.e. arrangements and costs associated with venue, meals, accommodation, travel, per diem, document translation, simultaneous interpretation etc. as appropriate). Any travel costs by the consultant to participate in this learning exchange will be covered separately by UNESCO Bangkok. 

3 LONG

Anticipated number of days level of effort

 
 Task
 
1 
Draft an evaluation inception report and make relevant revisions as to  the overall methodology and tools based on feedback provided. 
  8
2
 Perform data collection and analysis, and prepare a narrative executive summary of the evaluation findings and summary presentation
 22
3
Prepare a narrative summary of the mid-term evaluation findings, deliver the summary presentation and co-facilitate discussions at an in-person learning exchange to validate the evaluation findings and recommendations
 15
4
Finalize the mid-term evaluation full narrative report and revised summary presentation
 10
 
Total
 55

TIMETABLE AND DELIVERABLES:

The consultant will be required to work during the period from August 2024 to January 2025 (tentatively).
The deliverables for this consultancy shall be the following (submission dates provisional):

No. 
 Deliverables
Timeline     
Proportional Payment
1.
Updated evaluation inception report with methodology; revised desk review findings; first draft data collection tools      
1 September 2024
20 %
2.
Draft narrative executive summary of the mid-term evaluation findings; draft presentation summarizing the key findings from the report; and draft facilitation guide/approach for validation discussions at an in-person learning exchange meeting    
20 November 2024    
40 %
3.
Draft mid-term evaluation narrative report incorporating feedback from validation discussions, with specific recommendations to UNESCO on actions needed    
10 January 2025    
30 %
4.
Final consultancy close-out report; including the revised final mid-term evaluation narrative report; revised presentation; and summary of consultancy’s contribution to the learning exchange
31 January 2025  
10%

LOCATION AND TRAVEL:

The consultant will be home based in any location, working remotely. The consultant should be available to meet with the UNESCO team (online) during office hours of Bangkok, Thailand. Costs related to any duty travel (eg in-person participation by the consultant at in-country consultation workshop(s)/meeting(s) outside of their normal place of residence) will be separately covered by UNESCO. The consultant is expected to have IT infrastructure, software and devices to support remote meetings, communication and online/digital data collection, as appropriate.
 

The consultant may be required to travel on missions directly related to projects and implementation during the assignment. The consultant should travel economy class and receive DSA at the standard rate (and which should be reduced, as necessary, when the number of days of DSA exceeds the limits stipulated in the table of rates published by ICSC). DSA is only payable to individuals carrying out assignments away from their usual place of residence or work. The consultant is expected to make her/his own travel arrangements and should be provided with a lump sum to cover travel-related expenses in accordance with UNESCO rules and regulations.  Travel-related expenses (e.g. the cost of tickets, terminal fares and DSA) must be fixed and agreed between the parties.

SUPERVISORY ARRANGEMENTS:

The consultant will be directly supervised by, and report to the Regional Advisor on Education for Health and Well-being, UNESCO Bangkok. In addition to the submission of contract deliverables, the contractor will routinely engage with the Regional Advisor and members of the Education for Health and Well-being team through emails and virtual meetings. Upon commencing the consultancy, the consultant will participate in an initial online meeting with UNESCO Bangkok to reconfirm the parameters of the consultancy and to update, as needed, the consultancy approach to work and timeline, to define required sub-tasks and interim outputs to be carried out as consultant and the supportive inputs required from UNESCO and collaborating partners on the respective activities.   

COMPETENCIES (Core / Managerial)
Accountability (C)
Communication (C)
Innovation (C)
Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement (C)
Planning and organizing (C)
Results focus (C)
Teamwork (C)
Professionalism (C)
–
For detailed information, please consult the UNESCO Competency Framework.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education
•    An advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in fields such as: monitoring and evaluation, educational assessment and evaluation, formal education, gender equality, inclusion in education, human rights advocacy, social justice, social science or other relevant fields.

Work Experience
•    A minimum of five (5) years of post-certification practical involvement and professional field experience in any of the pertinent technical domains mentioned above. Submission of a minimum two (2) references from projects in the field showcasing proficiency in these subject areas is mandatory.
•    A minimum of three (3) years of professional expertise in designing and conducting/leading evaluations of development projects
•    Experience in applying quality and quantitative evaluation methods in social sciences research. Submission of a minimum two (2) references from projects in the field showcasing this experience is mandatory.

Skills/Competencies
•    Excellent analytical, oral and written communication skills, including the production of written content for both specialist and generalist audiences
•    Experience in participatory workshop design, facilitation and evaluation (in-person and remote modalities) 
•    IT infrastructure, software and devices to support remote meetings, communication and online/digital data collection, as appropriate.
•    Familiarity with common data analysis software (i.e. Microsoft Excel and relevant statistical tools) and data collection applications (i.e. Google Surveys). 

Languages
•    Fluency in spoken and written English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Work Experience
•    Strong understanding of UNESCO’s mandate in education and its strategy on education for health and wellbeing
•    Experience working in the Asia-Pacific context and demonstrated understanding of the experiences of project evaluation and monitoring, LGBTIQ+ inclusion and advocacy, and educational assessment.
•    Prior experience of working with young people and supporting their meaningful engagement leadership.
•    Previous experience working with the UN and/or other multilateral, bilateral and civil society development partners.
•    Previous exposure to diverse linguistic and cultural contexts across multiple countries concurrently, involving coordination with partners in this operational setting.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Eligibility
The consultancy is open to suitably qualified individuals. A consortium of individuals is also permitted to apply. Young LGBTIQ+ candidates who satisfy the required qualifications and experience are encouraged to apply.

Submission of Application 
Interested individuals are invited to submit the application and requirements through the UNESCO Careers website at https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/2/joblist.ftl
 
Interested candidates should click on “Apply Now” and download and complete the Employment History form (Word document) in ‘Employment History Form / My Documents’. Before uploading the document, at the end of the Word document, please insert the extra pages with the following required information:

•    An updated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience make you suitable for the assignment.

•    Short Approach to work (maximum 3, A4 pages) identifying the specific components of these TORs and how the intended objectives/outputs/delivery shall be addressed, and including specific references to relevant examples of successfully undertaking equivalent or comparable assignments.

•    Consultancy fee, quoted in US dollars, as a lump sum with breakdown according to level of effort/ time-on-task or per output.

UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the Terms of Reference, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the Terms of Reference, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organization the best value for money.  

The complete application shall be submitted on or before 24 July 2024 (Midnight Paris time). Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.

Queries of a technical nature about these TORS may be directed to: [email protected] 
 

SELECTION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the UNESCO careers website. No modifications can be made to the application submitted.

The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. 

UNESCO uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates.

Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided.

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