Result of Service

Completed terminal review of GEF project:
• “Zero Carbon Buildings for All: from Energy Efficiency to Decarbonization”, GEFID: 10321

Work Location

Home-Based

Expected duration

8 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority. It sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. This consultancy is in UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division, Energy and Climate Branch, Climate Change Mitigation Unit and will be home based.

UNEP’s Industry and Economy Division works with a portfolio of global Global Environment Facility (GEF) medium-size and full-size climate change mitigation projects. The projects, which are in different stages of development (concept, design, implementation, closure), are executed by different partners (NGOs, international organizations, think tanks, etc.). The Industry and Economy Division, Energy and Climate Branch, Climate Change Mitigation Unit, in its role as implementing agency, provides oversight and ensures adherence to GEF guidelines.

The project GEFID 10321 “Zero Carbon Buildings for All: from Energy Efficiency to Decarbonization” has technically completed on 30 September 2023 and requires a consultant to undertake a Terminal Review of the project.
To address the complex human and institutional nature of the key barriers in the building sector in order to contribute to its rapid decarbonization by 2050, this project seeks to scale the impact of its work by deepening ambition through national and local stakeholders working on policy and through private markets. Its objective is to link local policy action and capacity building with national policies and programs, all supported and informed by private sector market implementation experience. It does so by supporting the rapid increase in ambition for zero carbon new and existing buildings, working with national governments to create policy and program roadmaps to support and enable this ambition, working with cities and sub-national jurisdictions in their pursuit of building improvements, and connecting national and sub-national governments to increase the alignment, ambition, and impact of actions to decarbonize buildings.

The consultant will be responsible for overall management of the Terminal Review, in close consultation with the Task Manager for the Global Portfolio of the GEF Climate Change Mitigation Unit, as well as timely delivery of its outputs as described in the overall Terms of Reference of the review. They will lead the Terminal Review design, data collection and analysis, and report-writing. The consultant and will report to the Task Manager of the Climate Change Mitigation Unit. The consultancy will be home-based.

More specifically, the consultant will:

A) Undertake the inception phase of the review, including:

1. Prepare the Terminal Review workplan with timeline
2. Prepare the Terminal Review structure with key elements
3. Develop the desk review, interview and survey protocols
4. Conduct project desk review and collate information from the project teams
5. Draft the reconstructed Theory of Change of the project
6. Prepare the Inception Report for review to be approved by the Climate Change Mitigation Unit

B) Coordinate the data collection and analysis phase of the Terminal Review, including:

1. Conduct further desk review and in-depth interviews with project implementing and executing agencies, project partners and stakeholders of the project
2. Information collection, surveys, data analysis
3. Regularly report back to the Climate Change Mitigation Unit on progress.

C) Coordinate the reporting phase, including:

1. Prepare a Preliminary Findings Note in form of a PowerPoint presentation
2. Prepare a Draft Review Report ensuring it is consistent with guidelines provided both in substance and style for review by the Climate Change Mitigation Unit
3. Liaise with the Climate Change Mitigation Unit to address the comments received on the Draft Review Report
4. Prepare the Final Review Report taking into consideration comments received from the Climate Change Mitigation Unit for approval
5. Prepare an annex with Responses to Comments to be attached to the Final Review Report, listing comments not accepted and indicating the reason for their rejection.

D) Manage internal and external relations of the review team, including:

1. Maintain a positive relationship with stakeholders, ensuring that the project review process is as participatory as possible but at the same time maintains its independence
2. Communicate in a timely manner with the Climate Change Mitigation Unit on any issues requiring its attention and intervention.

The evaluation consultant will be selected and recruited by the Climate Change Mitigation Unit through an individual Special Service Agreement (SSA) consultancy contract.

Qualifications/special skills

• University degree (i.e. master’s degree or higher) in environmental sciences, international development or other relevant political or social sciences area, an advanced degree in the same areas is desirable;
• A first level degree with additional two years of qualifying experience maybe accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree;
• Minimum of 10 years of technical / evaluation experience is required, preferably including evaluating large, regional, or global programmes and using a Theory of Change approach.
• A good understanding of the buildings and construction sector is required.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency (both oral and written) in English is required; knowledge of Spanish and/or Turkish is desirable.

No Fee

THE 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.