Principal Evaluator for Interim Evaluation of the UNEP Project “Saudi Arabia Environment Sustai[...] in Street

ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations systems designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. This consultancy is located at Headquarters in the Evaluation Office which reports directly to the Executive Director. The consultant reports to the Director of the Evaluation Office and the Evaluation Officer managing the evaluation.

THE PROJECT

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in West Asia with vast natural resources, diverse and vulnerable ecosystems and biodiversity. It is facing a number of challenges to its environment, many of which remain unaddressed. Rapid population increase since the 1950s has exacerbated the strain on natural resources and the environment. This pressure is compounded by the increase in economic activity in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the energy and transportation sectors. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. However, there is a weak understanding of the impacts of climate change in the Kingdom and climate change adaptation is not consistently mainstreamed into national strategies. These shortfalls may have negative impacts on health, water resources, desertification, wildlife and agriculture. In 2016, the Saudi Government launched an ambitious transformational plan, called Vision 2030 which expresses the Kingdom's long‑term goals and expectations and reflects the country’s strengths and capabilities. It includes a set of programmes and reforms to be implemented by 2030. It is built around three themes: a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. Environment, sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals are embodied across the three themes. Following the endorsement of the National Environment Strategy in 2018, environmental governance has undergone a profound reform with the ultimate aim to safeguard the environment and natural resources of the Kingdom and contribute to the achievement of economic prosperity and SDGs. To support such a transformation, the Government of Saudi Arabia requested UNEP to provide the required technical assistance to support the implementation of the environment strategy aimed at addressing weak environmental compliance, limited environmental awareness and increased degradation of the environment.

THE EVALUATION

In line with the UNEP Evaluation Policy and the UNEP Programme and Project Management Manual, the Terminal Evaluation is undertaken at operational completion of the project to assess project performance (in terms of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency), and determine outcomes and impacts (actual and potential) stemming from the project, including their sustainability. The Evaluation has two primary purposes: (i) to provide evidence of results to meet accountability requirements, and (ii) to promote operational improvement, learning and knowledge sharing through results and lessons learned among UNEP and the main project partners. Therefore, the Evaluation will identify lessons of operational relevance for future project formulation and implementation, especially where a second phase of the project is being considered. Recommendations relevant to the whole house may also be identified during the evaluation process.

THE EVALUATION TEAM

For this Evaluation, the Evaluation Team will consist of a Principal Evaluator and an Evaluation Specialist who will work under the overall responsibility of the Evaluation Office represented by an Evaluation Manager, in consultation with the UNEP Task Manager, Fund Management Officer and the Subprogramme Coordinator.

Specific Responsibilities For The Principal Evaluator

• Inception phase of the Evaluation, including:

• preliminary desk review and introductory interviews with project staff;
• draft the reconstructed Theory of Change of the project;
• prepare the evaluation framework;
• develop the desk review and interview protocols;
• draft the survey protocols (if relevant);
• develop and present criteria for country and/or site selection for the evaluation mission;
• plan the evaluation schedule;
• prepare the Inception Report, incorporating comments until approved by the Evaluation Manager.

• Data collection and analysis phase of the Evaluation, including:

• conduct further desk review and in‑depth interviews with project implementing and executing agencies, project partners, and project stakeholders;
• (where appropriate and agreed) conduct an evaluation mission(s) to visit the project locations, interview project partners and stakeholders, including a good representation of local communities. Ensure independence of the Evaluation and confidentiality of evaluation interviews;
• regularly report back to the Evaluation Manager on progress and inform of any possible problems or issues encountered;
• keep the Project/Task Manager informed of the evaluation progress.

• Reporting phase, including:

• draft the Main Evaluation Report, ensuring that the evaluation report is complete, coherent and consistent with the Evaluation Manager guidelines both in substance and style;
• liaise with the Evaluation Manager on comments received and finalize the Main Evaluation Report, ensuring that comments are taken into account until approved by the Evaluation Manager;
• prepare a Response to Comments annex for the main report, listing those comments not accepted by the Evaluation Consultant and indicating the reason for the rejection;
• (where agreed with the Evaluation Manager) prepare an Evaluation Brief (2‑page summary of the evaluand and the key evaluation findings and lessons).

• Managing relations, including:

• maintain a positive relationship with evaluation stakeholders, ensuring that the evaluation process is as participatory as possible but at the same time maintains its independence;
• communicate in a timely manner with the Evaluation Manager on any issues requiring attention and intervention.

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in environmental sciences, international development or other relevant political or social sciences area is required. A first level university degree (Bachelor's degree or equivalent) in the same areas in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of technical / evaluation experience preferably including evaluating large, regional or global programmes and using a Theory of Change approach is required.
• A good/broad understanding of integrated environmental management and policy development is desirable.
• Knowledge of the UN system and specifically the work of UNEP is desirable.

LANGUAGES

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS

The Evaluation Consultant will be selected and recruited by the UNEP Evaluation Office through an individual consultancy contract. The Evaluation Team will submit a concise evaluation report. Actual duration of the assignment is spread over a period of 8 months to be delivered as follows: Inception Report (30%) Draft report (40%) Final Evaluation Report (30%). The Evaluation Consultant shall have had no prior involvement in the formulation or implementation of the project and will be independent from the participating institutions. The consultant will sign the Evaluation Consultant Code of Conduct Agreement Form. Comprehensive terms of reference will be shared with consultant separately. Apply through the UN Careers website. The application deadline is 20 March 2026.