Team Member: “Strengthening UNECA’s Capacity in Public Finance

Result of ServiceAdvanced university degree in Development Studies, Demography, Economics, Statistics or related Social Science field is required. A first-level university degree with a relevant combination of 2 years of additional qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. i) Demonstrated expertise in evaluation/research methodologies (including quantitative, qualitative, and participatory) and data analysis is required. ii) Knowledge of theory-based evaluations of development interventions is a distinct asset. iii) Sound knowledge of institutional capacity building, and Results-Based Management is desirable. iv) Knowledge of finance, especially public finance and broader aspects of global financial architecture, financial markets, macroeconomic analysis especially within an African context is an added advantage. v) Experience supporting evaluations of UN programmes and projects is an asset. Work Location2 Months Expected durationThe data collection consultants will undertake the work as outlined in the ToR in close coordination with the Evaluator and deliver, to the satisfaction of the Evaluator, detailed interview notes and a data synthesis report in the prescribed reporting format. Duties and ResponsibilitiesRemote Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is launching a final independent evaluation of the project, “Strengthening UNECA’s capacity in public finance”. In line with ECA Evaluation Policy, projects with a budget of over US $1 million are subject to at least one independent evaluation. This summative evaluation will review the project performance and enhance learning within ECA, stakeholders and other development partners. The MTR will be conducted as an independent review where, it is managed by an ECA official and conducted by an external Evaluator selected through a competitive process in consultation with the Project Management Team (PMT). ECA is seeking consultants to support the data collection process in Centra Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sao Tome and Principe, to support the summative evaluation with demonstrable evaluation experience in various development contexts, and exposure to various data collection methodologies and approaches. For reasons related to independence of the evaluation, candidates should not have been involved in the formulation, implementation, or backstopping of work related to this project. Candidates are advised to consult the detailed terms of reference which will form the basis of the contract by requesting via email eca-evaluation@un.org with the subject: “Evaluation of the Strengthening UNECA's capacity in Public Finance Project”. Project Background and Technical Focus: Africa’s public finance challenges are complex and multifaceted, deeply rooted in structural, economic, and institutional factors, such as debt, limited fiscal space and dependence on external financing. These challenges impact the ability of many African countries to generate revenue, manage debt sustainably and to finance development needs. In 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic devasted economies around the world, with Africa recording its first recession in 25 years, causing an estimated US $115 billion in output losses. The pandemic underscored Africa’s vulnerability to global shocks, especially given limited resources and high debt levels. International Financial Institutions (IFIs) were pivotal in mobilizing financing solutions to help countries manage the impact of and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the design of a range of financing solutions such as the Debt Service and Suspension Initiative (DSSI) and its subsequent implementation revealed limitations when applied to the African context and its diverse economies, as it was largely seen to be inadequate if debt sustainability was not addressed. The COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up for African countries, Africa’s voice became essential in advocating for debt relief, concessional financing, and access to the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) for immediate fiscal support. Without the African voice, the financing solutions risked being one-sized-fits-all responses, not suited to the continent’s unique economic and social context. The African voice was needed to advocate for responses tailored to their needs such as more concessional loans, interest rates reductions, flexible repayment schedules among others. It heightened public finance issues, triggering a new urgency for Africa to assert a stronger voice on the global public finance stage. It highlighted the need for Africa to have a stronger presence in global financial discourse to advocate for fairer access to financing and ensure that global responses were aligned with the continent’s unique needs and priorities. The project, “Strengthening UNECA’s capacity in Public Finance” was designed to strengthen the capacity and global voice of ECA on international finance. It sought to improve financial outcomes for African countries, by supporting the leadership and convening power of ECA, which had emerged as an important voice for the continent on influencing the financing of the COVID-19 pandemic impact and recovery. Project Intervention Logic: The project sought to strategically reinforce ECA’s influence and advocacy capacity, building on the successful work undertaken in 2020 advocating for a stronger African presence and voice in the global discourse on public finance. The overall objective of the project was to help African countries address their debt problems and increase their fiscal space to implement, in a more transparent and efficient manner, their COVID-19 response measures for a resilient recovery. The project expected to achieve the following outcomes: (i) The project expects to achieve the following outcomes; (ii) Stronger African financial/capital markets and improved investors’ sentiments and appetite; and (iii) Increased ECA’s visibility and credibility with African Members States and international partners Objective and Scope of the Review: This final evaluation aims to assess as objectively and systematically as possible, whether the project achieved its intended outcomes, broader effects, and likelihood of long-term impact. Specifically, the evaluation will: (i) Give an independent and objective assessment of the project performance, assessing performance at outcome and output level as per the targets and indicators of achievement, strategies and implementation modalities chosen, partnership arrangements, constraints, and opportunities; (ii) Assess the likelihood of sustainability of project results over time and highlight areas for future consideration in strengthening sustainability strategies of future projects; and (iii) Provide strategic and operational actionable recommendations as well as highlight lessons and emerging good practices to improve the design, performance and delivery of future projects. The evaluation will cover the full duration of the project implementation period from October 2021 to December 2024, the full geographical coverage and will look at both outcome and output level results as key indicators of overall project performance. It will pay particular emphasis on coherence and synergies across the three streams of support. Tasks and Responsibilities: The Data collection consultants will support the Evaluator during the primary data collection phase in three countries, Centra Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sao Tome and Principe. They will undertake the work as outlined in this ToR in close coordination with the Evaluator, and under the overall supervision of the Evaluation Manager, including and not limited to the following specific responsibilities: i. Translate the data collection instruments as developed by the Evaluator. ii. Organise stakeholder and beneficiary interviews (remote and in-person) at the country level in coordination with the Project Coordination Team and the Evaluator. iii. Collect data using various tools and methodologies as provided by the Evaluator. iv. Provide detailed interview notes, in English, together with observations and insights in a template to be provided by the Evaluator. v. Prepare a data synthesis report using the reporting template provided by the Evaluator. Qualifications/special skillsEnglish and French are the official languages of the United Nations. For this assignment, fluency in the working language of the target country (French and Portuguese) and working knowledge of English is required. 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.