Mid-term Review Consultant (Retainer)

Water, Enviorment and Energy Portfolio: 

The Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) is  under Global Portfolio Group and has built strong partnerships and has effectively been managing a portfolio of 490 million USD over the last 15 years to support key initiatives with fund management, project implementation and administrative support. 

WEC effectively operationalizes partners' agendas with global approaches, as well as regional and country specific activities focused on climate action, protection and conservation of the environment. Partners profit from WEC’s ability to operationalize and/or scale up their important substantive agendas, including in support of key multilateral environmental and climate agreements,  such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Green Climate Fund project:

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has requested UNOPS to provide grant management services to support its Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme and Project Preparation Facility (GCF – RPSP/PPF), which aims to maximize the Fund’s effectiveness through empowering developing countries in the following activities:

1. Engaging across governments at various levels, and with civil society and private sector stakeholders
2. Developing strategic frameworks for engagement with the Fund
3. Support for accreditation and accreditation direct access entities
4. Formulation of national adaptation plans and/or other adaptation planning processes

GCF has selected UNOPS to provide grants management support on their behalf, to Delivery Partners globally that wish to obtain support from the RPSP/PPF programme. The Grant Management Services that UNOPS is providing are captured in the first Project Agreement, signed by GCF and UNOPS in 2018. A new Project Agreement was signed in December 2021.

The Project Agreement outlines a clear division of responsibilities between the GCF and UNOPS concerning the management of Grant Management Services for the RPSP/PPF projects. Whereas GCF defines and approves the scope of each grant including the budget, assesses the Delivery Partners’ substantive and financial management capacity, UNOPS is responsible for providing Grant Management Services to the Delivery Partners throughout the implementation of the projects. In addition, UNOPS is responsible for ensuring that the Project Agreement and the individual projects are implemented in full compliance with agreed GCF and UNOPS rules and regulations. Finally, UNOPS has a financial and programmatic reporting responsibility defined in the Project Agreement as well as reporting to the GCF-UNOPS Project Board. 

As of January 2024, UNOPS is providing Grant Management Services to approximately 250 Readiness and PPF projects globally.

The Purpose of this Consultancy is to conduct the Mid-term Review of the second GCF project agreement, and more specifically to assess progress of implementation of the project and provide guidance on how to improve implementation of the project and measure success of the activities. The mid-term review will include recommendations for future implementation and lessons learnt. 

The Consultant will review the quality of services provided by UNOPS and the results achieved from December 2021 to December 2023, based on the deliverables of the project agreement. It will include a review of key project documents and progress reports as well as structured interviews with key stakeholders including GCF and UNOPS staff involved in the implementation of the project. Selected recipients of the grants (NDAs, AEs and DPs) and other entities involved in the management of GCF grants will also be interviewed. 

The Consultant will work in collaboration with UNOPS and GCF on developing the Mid-Term Review report, covering the period December 2021 to December 2023 under the scope below:

(1) Assessment of UNOPS Grant Management Services to determine whether its support to the GCF is achieving the results laid out in the deliverables of the agreement: 

Effectiveness of the GCF-UNOPS project: 

• Review how well the expected Grant Management Services (GMS) and results have been delivered by the project and whether services can be delivered more effectively in future?
• Review how effective the current monitoring tools are and if they provide the necessary information to review progress and inform timely decision-making? 
• Review how well the Project Team fulfills its reporting requirements and if the quality of reporting is satisfactory, in terms of adequately presenting results in a professional manner that enables GCF to monitor and document progress? 
• REview how effectively UNOPS communicates with NDAs, AEs and DPs?

Relevance of the GCF-UNOPS project

• Review if the project has demonstrated adaptability and responsiveness to stakeholders, including GCF, NDAs, AEs and DPs?

Efficiency of the GCF-UNOPS project

• Review to what extent UNOPS's financial management controls, project management mechanisms, etc have benefited GCF and support to the NDA, DP or AE, and led to improved decision-making, controls, and cost efficiencies?

Identification of potential changes and modifications to services specified under the GCF-UNOPS Project Agreement 

• Review options and present concrete proposal(s) as to how the quality of the Grant Management Services services provided by UNOPS can be improved. 

Effectiveness of the Financial Management Capacity Assessment Portfolio

• Review the efficiency of the management and coordination of the FMCA portfolio that UNOPS is providing to GCF.
• Review options and present concrete proposal(s) as to how the quality of the FMCA portfolio services provided by UNOPS can be improved.

• A Master's degree in Business administration, International relations, Project Management, Public Administration, Management, Developments Studies, Social Sciences or related field; preferably with an international organization or the public sector;
• A Bachelor's Degree with additional two (2) years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree;       

• Minimum of 7 years relevant experience in design, development and/or implementation of monitoring and evaluation systems in projects/programmes is required;
• Experience in fund management/oversight/support of various implementing partners in donor funded programmes is required;
• Experience working with organizations to develop organizational strategy and M&E frameworks to support their measurement is required;
• Experience evaluating complex, global interventions with multiple stakeholders, is an advantage;
• Experience in international consulting and extensive Review experience, including of large, regional or global programmes is an advantage;
• Experience in financial management and capacity assessment of implementing partners is an advantage;
• Knowledge of the UN system, UNOPS and GCF on its strategic priorities portfolio and operational modalities  is  an advantag

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required

1. Contract type: ICA Contract 
2. Contract level: Depending on personal status and residency, UNOPS will issue this contract (LICA or IICA) in accordance to its rules and regulation. 
3. Contract duration: The assignment is forseen to be a 40 working day duration 

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.