International Consultancy for the evaluation of the UNICEF Afghanistan’s SBC community structures and interventions
Organizational Context
UNICEF operates in over 190 countries, dedicated to saving children's lives, protecting their rights, and helping them reach their full potential. We are committed to our mission, offering diverse professional and personal development opportunities in a passionate and inclusive culture. Join us to make a difference for children worldwide.
Job Purpose
The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of UNICEF Afghanistan’s Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) community structures and interventions. This evaluation will serve as a crucial learning and accountability mechanism, generating robust evidence on the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and coherence of the implemented SBC strategies and community engagement approaches. The findings will identify key lessons learned, highlight best practices, pinpoint challenges encountered, and propose actionable opportunities for programmatic improvement. This will directly inform the design and implementation of future UNICEF Afghanistan programming, ensuring that interventions are evidence-based, responsive to the evolving context, and maximally impactful in achieving positive outcomes for children and communities, particularly in the challenging Afghan context.
Responsibilities
The consultant will be responsible for developing a detailed evaluation methodology, including research questions, data collection tools, and sampling strategies, ensuring alignment with UNICEF evaluation standards. This includes conducting a thorough desk review of existing documentation, program reports, and relevant literature. The consultant will lead and manage the data collection process, which may involve qualitative and quantitative methods, engaging with key stakeholders such as UNICEF staff, government counterparts, community leaders, beneficiaries, and implementing partners. Analysis of collected data will be critical to assess the performance of SBC interventions and community structures against defined criteria. The consultant will be responsible for synthesizing findings, drawing conclusions, and formulating concrete recommendations for future programming and policy. This includes drafting an inception report, a draft evaluation report for review, and a final evaluation report incorporating feedback. The consultant will also be expected to present the findings and recommendations to UNICEF Afghanistan and other relevant stakeholders, ensuring effective dissemination and utilization of the evaluation results to enhance program effectiveness and accountability.
Work Experience
A minimum of 7 years of progressive professional experience in designing and conducting complex evaluations, particularly in the areas of public health, social and behaviour change communication, or community development. Experience working in fragile or post-conflict settings is highly desirable.
Skills
Evaluation design and methodology, Qualitative and quantitative data analysis, Stakeholder engagement and management, Report writing and presentation, SBC programming, Child rights and development, UNICEF evaluation principles, Contextual analysis, Research ethics, Project management, Communication skills, Problem-solving