Consultant on UNSF Rapid Assessment

Result of ServiceThe consultant is expected to produce the following products: • Inception report • Draft Rapid Assessment Report • Final Rapid Assessment Report • Summary of key findings for dissemination • Presentation of the results and recommendations. Work LocationRemotely Expected duration5 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground: The Strategic Framework for Cooperation between the Government of Syria and the United Nations 2022-2025, hereafter referred to as the United Nations Strategic Framework (UNSF), was collaboratively developed by the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in consultation with the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and key stakeholders. At its core, the framework is designed to support the people of Syria in building resilience and enhancing their lives, particularly focusing on the most vulnerable, in support of the Sustainable Development Goals and the commitment to \"Leave No One Behind.\" Throughout the UNSF’s period (2022-2025), Syria has kept facing the recurring humanitarian crisis. Although relative stability has returned to large parts of Syria in 2018, with the Government regaining control of the majority of the country, localised conflicts continue to affect certain areas. The conflict remains complex with the country remaining de facto divided into several parts and a multitude of actors engaged in hostilities with little progress towards a political solution. Years of economic decline caused by several shocks, such as the financial crisis in Lebanon, COVID-19 pandemic, currency devaluation, sanctions, and the February 2023 earthquakes, have severely curtailed the country’s ability to invest in its own development, or even to mitigate the precipitous reversal of development gains achieved over the decades prior to 2011. Moreover, the lack of progress towards a political resolution to the crisis means that only limited international assistance is available for reconstruction and development, with aid being overwhelmingly humanitarian in nature. The Rapid Assessment of the UNSF will be completed in the third quarter of 2024, in order to inform the drafting of a Common Country Analysis and the next Framework’s planning process. It will be conducted in accordance with UNEG norms and standards for evaluation. Policy and strategic coherence, organisational efficiency and development effectiveness are major focus areas for the Rapid Assessment. In addition, the UNSF Rapid Assessment will address the mainstreaming of the six core programming principles (accountability, Leave no one behind LNOB, Human Rights-Based Approach, gender equality, resilience and sustainability). The Rapid Assessment will also explore whether and how the UNSF served as a coherent and adequate UN response to build resilience and address vulnerability, particularly with respect to the target groups cited on the UNSF document. The Rapid Assessment will be carried out in consultation with the Government, the UNCT including non-resident agencies, the PMT, the OMT and its thematic working groups, UN implementing partners including NGOs and civil society, and other stakeholders. The UNSF Rapid Assessment will build on the previous UNSF annual reviews undertaken by the UNCT. It will also seek to capitalize on and complement other evaluations and programme reviews, which were carried out within a year or an agreed upon acceptable time frame. Human rights and gender equality assessments will be mainstreamed throughout all aspects of the UNSF Rapid Assessment. Duties and Responsibilities: Under the supervision of the Head of RCO and the overall guidance of the Resident Coordinator, the consultant will undertake the following tasks. • Organize a repository of relevant Rapid Assessment documents. • Conduct research and analysis based on secondary and primary data sources. • Develop Rapid Assessment criteria and formulate and refine associated questions. • Review relevant documents, analyze secondary data, and collect information through engagement with stakeholders. • Assist RCO in conceptualizing, organizing, and delivering the Rapid Assessment consultation meetings with the results groups. • Draft the Rapid Assessment report in consultation with the results groups, thematic working groups, PMT and UNCT. • Deliver the final Rapid Assessment report incorporating comments and feedback received. • Deliver key findings of the Rapid Assessment report for dissemination with relevant stakeholders. • Prepare a presentation on the results and recommendations. Qualifications/special skillsMaster’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Gender Studies, Economics, International Relations, or related field is required. PHD is desirable. All candidates must submit a copy of the required educational degree. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience, with a strong record in designing and conducting independent evaluations of complex programmes of international organizations, preferably with proven experience in conducting independent evaluations of other United Nations cooperation/partnership/development assistance frameworks is required. Experience in gender equality/gender analysis and gender responsive evaluations is required. Good understanding of the SDGs, other relevant regional or global frameworks and their implications for development cooperation is required. Demonstrated analytical capacity, including on political economy and financing for development is required. No conflict of interest such as recent or expected employment by UNCT members or implementing partners, private relationships with any UNCT members of staff or government counterparts or implementing partners; participation in the design, implementation or advising CF being evaluated, among others) is required. Sound knowledge of the country context and an in-depth understanding of at least one area of work of UNCT members is desirable. LanguagesFluency in English is required and knowledge of Arabic is desirable. Note: “Fluency” equals a rating of ‘fluent’ in all four areas (speak, read, write, and understand) and “Knowledge of” equals a rating of ‘confident’ in two of the four areas. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.