UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, has announced a consultancy opportunity for an International Evaluation Consultant. This role is home-based, with periodic travel to Afghanistan, and focuses on supporting women-led organizations (WLOs) in complex humanitarian and development settings.
About UN Women and the Afghanistan Context
UN Women operates globally to eliminate discrimination against women, empower women, and achieve gender equality. In Afghanistan, the organization works amid one of the world’s most protracted crises. Afghan women and girls face severe restrictions on rights and participation, compounded by economic and humanitarian challenges.
The UN Women Afghanistan Country Office focuses on five programmatic pillars:
- Integrated Programming and Localization
- Women’s Civil Society
- Policy and Research
- Economic Resilience and Empowerment
- Coordination, Access, and Humanitarian Response
The Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan (STFA), established in October 2021, supports UN joint programming addressing basic human needs. Since 2023, STFA has aligned with the UN Strategic Framework for Afghanistan (2023–2025), with programming extended until 2027.
Women-led and women-focused organizations are pivotal in this context, and strengthening their institutional and technical capacities enhances service delivery, accountability, localization, social cohesion, and gender equality.
Role and Responsibilities
The international evaluation consultant will report to the Programme Management Support Manager and work closely with the Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Specialist. Field presence in Afghanistan’s Eastern and Western regions is required, including site visits to provinces where the 14 WLOs operate.
Key responsibilities include:
- Conducting field visits and key informant interviews with WLO leadership, INGO mentors, UN Women staff, and other stakeholders
- Facilitating focus group discussions with beneficiaries of seed grant-supported activities
- Assessing institutional changes in WLOs and evaluating the application of strengthened capacities
- Leading the design, methodology, and implementation of the evaluation
- Producing timely deliverables, including reports and presentations
The international consultant will be supported by a national consultant who will assist with contextual expertise, translation, and data collection.
Evaluation Phases and Deliverables
The consultancy spans 40 working days over two months and is divided into three phases:
1. Inception Phase (10 days)
- Conduct desk reviews of previous reports, project results frameworks, and baseline studies
- Develop evaluation methodology, data collection tools, and ethical protocols
- Finalize stakeholder analysis and reconstruct the Theory of Change
- Conduct inception workshops and prepare draft inception reports
2. Data Collection and Analysis Phase (20 days)
- Conduct field visits and preliminary data analysis
- Debrief UN Women Afghanistan staff on findings
- Hold validation meetings with stakeholders to discuss preliminary findings and recommendations
3. Reporting Phase (10 days)
- Draft and finalize the evaluation report following UN Women GERAAS quality standards
- Track stakeholder feedback and ensure transparency in revisions
Deliverables include:
- Inception Report and Presentation – methodology, data collection tools, fieldwork plan
- Fieldwork Completion & Debrief – preliminary findings presentation
- Draft Final Evaluation Report and Presentation – comprehensive evaluation report
- Final Evaluation Report – revised report with executive summary, lessons learned, recommendations, and annexes
Consultant Workplace and Travel
This is primarily a home-based consultancy with a maximum of three trips to Kabul, Herat, and Jalalabad for fieldwork.
Required Qualifications and Competencies
Education and Certification:
- Master’s degree in social sciences, gender equality, evaluation, or international affairs
- Alternative: first-level university degree plus two additional years of relevant experience
Experience:
- At least 7 years of experience in leading or conducting evaluations, especially gender-responsive evaluations
- Experience in conflict-affected contexts and Asia-Pacific region preferred
- Knowledge of UN Women’s programming and coordination roles desirable
Skills and Competencies:
- Expertise in gender-responsive, human rights-based evaluation approaches
- Strong evaluation design, mixed-methods, and analytical skills
- Stakeholder engagement and participatory evaluation experience
- Understanding of fragile and conflict-affected contexts, localization, and humanitarian-development nexus
- Adherence to UNEG standards and production of GERAAS-compliant reports
Languages:
- Proficiency in English is required
- Knowledge of Dari/Pashto is an asset
Values and Work Environment
UN Women emphasizes integrity, professionalism, and respect for diversity. The organization is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment and ensures recruitment based solely on qualifications, competence, and organizational need.
Selected candidates will undergo thorough reference and background checks, including verification of academic credentials and employment history.
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