Title: National evaluation consultant

​Requisition ID: 6683
Grade: ISA-NOC
Country: Liberia
Duty Station: LIR - Other cities
Category: National Consultant
Type of Job Posting: Internal and External
Employment Type: NonStaff-When Act. Employed
Contract Duration: 24 days
Application deadline: 01-Dec-2025 , 11:59 PM (Vienna, Austria time)

Vacancy Announcement
TEMPORARY APPOINTMENT OF PROJECT PERSONNEL
Only nationals or permanent residents of the country of the duty station are considered eligible.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013 as well as the Abu Dhabi Declaration adopted at the eighteenth session of UNIDO General Conference in 2019, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies to a greater or lesser extent to all SDGs.

The medium-term programme framework (MTPF) is UNIDO’s core strategic document. As the Organization moves from the 2022–2025 cycle to the 2026–2029 MTPF, it sets a renewed vision to support Member States shape their industries for development. The new priorities include renewable and clean energy, sustainable access and climate action, ending hunger through innovation and local value addition, and fair and sustainable global and regional supply chains. Cross-cutting priorities focus on industrial and economic policy advice, skills development, fostering digitalization and artificial intelligence, gender equality and the empowerment of women, supporting youth, promoting cleaner production and circular economy, and leveraging private sector investment and development finance.

Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Divisions/Offices in its Headquarters, Sub-regional Offices and Country Offices.

DIRECTORATE OF SDG INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION (IET)

Under the overall direction of the Director General, and in close collaboration with all organizational entities within UNIDO, in particular the Office of Change Management (ODG/CHM), the Office of Legal Affairs and Compliance (ODG/LEG), the Strategic Planning and UN Engagement Division (ODG/SPU), and the Office of Evaluation and Internal Oversight (EIO), the Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), headed by a Managing Director, is responsible for the development of innovative UNIDO services in the areas of agro-industry and agribusiness, sustainability standards and fair production, and climate-relevant or climate-improving technologies. It is also, in collaboration with ODG, responsible for developing innovative technical cooperation concepts, identifying new sources and means of finance and entering into new partnerships with a broad range of relevant stakeholders. The Directorate houses the Divisions of Coordination and Integration Support (IET/CIS), Quality, Impact and Accountability (IET/QUA), Agribusiness and Infrastructure Development (IET/AGR), Innovative Finance and International Financial Institutions (IET/IFI), Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST), Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), and Climate and Technology Partnerships (CTP). The Directorate also ensures close coordination and collaboration among the Divisions and relevant entities in the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations (GLO) and the Directorate of Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Industrial Development (TCS).

Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST)

Under the overall guidance of the Director General, the direct supervision of the Managing Director, Directorate of SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation (IET), and in close coordination with other organizational entities within UNIDO, the Division of Fair Production, Sustainability Standards and Trade (IET/PST) develops and implements an innovative service package in response to UNIDO's mandate for fair and responsible local industrial production and trade with a particular focus on building the required skills and capacities and foster a conducive business operating environment to ensure that such production and trade are as inclusive as possible, promoting – among others – the development of human capital through vocational training and industrial skills development. In collaboration with IET/IFI, IET/PPP, TCS/SME, TCS/CPA, and GLO/MSR, the Division will conceptualize and negotiate such services and raise funds from Member States, development partners, IFIs, and the private sector to coordinate their effective implementation and devise ways in which their implementation can be brought to scale. This will include cross-cutting and sector-specific initiatives for sustainable supply/value chain and skills development in industrial sectors where UNIDO has, over the years, accumulated expertise, such as agro-industries, fisheries, textiles, leather, light manufacturing, health, mining, automotive and pharma and others. It will do so through close engagement with Member States, private sector associations, industrial enterprises, international quality, standards and trade-related governing bodies, other UN Agencies (e.g. ILO), development partners, NGOs and consumer associations, as appropriate, ensuring solid and operational partnerships.

PROJECT CONTEXT (UNIDO Project ID: 160082)

EU Support to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) for young people in Liberia

Liberia’s youths constitute nearly half of the Liberian labour force but is exposed to high unemployment, underemployment, and vulnerable employment rates. The global commodity prices crisis, combined with the effects of the Ebola crisis, have devastated the Liberian economy and worsened youth’s fragility problems. A socially and economically marginalized young population can pose serious risks to national security, social cohesion, and stability. Liberian youth generally lack employable skills and are ill-equipped to access new economic opportunities. Efforts to improve their employability are constrained by a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) TVET sector characterized by serious shortcomings in terms of quality and relevance, access and equity, funding, and governance. The Government of Liberia (GoL) recognizes that the transition towards inclusive growth will not happen unless human capabilities are enhanced and the quality of education and vocational training are improved to match the demands of the labour market.

The present intervention seeks to strengthen the Liberian TVET sector in its capacity to deliver equitable and gender-balanced access to high-quality and demand-driven TVET. This is done by supporting capacity development at the central and TVET provider level, and by strengthening links with the private sector. The intervention addresses equity issues with an emphasis on remote Southeast rural areas and vulnerable youth, including people with disabilities.

The national evaluation consultant will evaluate the project according to the evaluation related terms of reference (TOR) under the leadership of the team leader (international evaluation consultant). S/he will perform the following tasks:

MAIN DUTIES

Concrete/measurable outputs to be achieved

Expected duration

Location

Desk review & data analysis:

Review project documentation and relevant country background information (national/regional policies and strategies, UN strategies and general economic data).

Define technical issues and questions to be addressed from a national point of view and advise the team leader.

Determine key data to collect in the field and adjust the key data collection instrument, if needed.

In coordination with the evaluation team leader, the programme manager and her/his assistant, discuss and share responsibilities for online and in-person meetings and agree on a meeting schedule, and list of stakeholders to be interviewed and sites to be visited.

2 days

Home-based

Inception phase:

Based on consultations with the project management team and funding partner representatives, provide inputs to team leader on key evaluation questions.

Based on guidance from team leader prepare initial draft of output analysis.

Interviews, surveys and literature review:

Conduct interviews online and in person, where feasible.

Provide support, where needed, with the interview schedule.

Support team leader where translation is required.

20 days

Home-based, local travel

Data analysis & report writing:

Follow up with stakeholders regarding additional information promised during interviews.

Together with the team leader, present overall findings, conclusions and recommendations to the stakeholders at UNIDO HQ in a debriefing meeting.

2 days

Home-based

MINIMUM ORGANIZATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Education: Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in economics, engineering, sciences, agro-industries, environment, business administration, development studies or other relevant discipline with specialization in skills training, institutional strengthening and programming targeting youth and women, is