International Consultancy: Lead Evaluation Consultant

Purpose of consultancy:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2022-2025), focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices.
Literature reviews on the Arab region indicate a growing demand for sexuality education among young people. However, various challenges hinder their ability to reach their full potential, realize their sexual and reproductive health and rights, and access accurate information and services. These obstacles can heighten their vulnerability and increase engagement in risky behaviors.
Across the Arab States region, countries are making progress in implementing Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) programs, a commitment reaffirmed during the ICPD+30 conference. Most UNFPA Country Programme Documents in the Arab region include CSE, and several Ministries of Education are developing school curricula and materials. Additionally, some countries are involved in Global out-of-school CSE projects funded by Norway, Canada, and Spain, while others integrate CSE into existing initiatives, such as girls' safe spaces, peer education programs, and youth responsive health services.
Despite advancements, many sexuality education curricula lack comprehensive coverage of essential topics, or alignment with the International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education. Although efforts have been made to enhance teacher training, many educators still feel ill-equipped to deliver CSE effectively. Students often report receiving information too late, underscoring the need for earlier implementation. While opposition to CSE—often driven by misinformation—persists, numerous countries have cultivated supportive environments by engaging parents, school officials, religious leaders, and young people.
CSE remains a key component of youth programming in Arab States Country Offices, yet the scope and implementation of these programs vary widely, ranging from comprehensive curricula to more limited initiatives. Some countries have adopted full, partial, or limited CSE programs, while others lack CSE programming altogether. A notable trend is the prevalence of out-of-school and digital CSE initiatives.
In recent years, the UNFPA Arab States Regional Office (ASRO) has conducted a desk review of CSE in the region, identifying challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned. ASRO has also developed a research paper on CSE integration in the Arab region. Other initiatives, such as the Regional CSE Operational Guide: Towards scaling up comprehensive sexuality education in the Arab Region: an operational guide for UNFPA staff and partners working on CSE implementation (2022), and the Regional CSE Situation Analysis - published in 2020. UNFPA ASRO also conducted internal mapping for country programs and CSE initiatives that provide valuable insights and frameworks.
Building on these efforts, UNFPA ASRO plans to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of CSE programs in the Arab region to further strengthen and inform future programming.

The consultant will be working  directly with the Youth team and under the supervision of the Youth Advisor and in cooperation with the Monitoring and Evaluation unit and in coordination with gender and RH units . 

The consultancy shall be conducted remotely. 

Purpose of the Evaluation:

This evaluation will strategically assess the performance of UNFPA ASRO's CSE programming (in-school, out-of-school, and digital) over the past four years (2021-2024). Beyond assessing relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability, the evaluation will adopt a forward-looking lens. It will analyze the lessons learned and contextual realities to generate actionable findings on how to most effectively reach the next generation of adolescents and youth with quality CSE in the Arab States region.
Crucially, this evaluation will critically examine the underlying assumptions and success of the UNFPA ASRO CSE theory of change. It will identify what aspects of the current approach have proven successful and hold promise for the future, and what needs to be adapted or discontinued to optimize CSE access and impact for the next generation.
The evaluation will also identify/document lessons learned and make recommendations that CSE programmes might take into account to improve the design and implementation of other related projects and programs.
The evaluation will cover the period of 2021-2024. This evaluation will comprise an overview of CSE in the 14 countries in the Arab region in addition to in-depth analysis of 5 countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Syria,  & Palestine).
The evaluation seeks to answer the following key questions:

(i) Relevance for next generation: 
How well do  current CSE country programming align with evolving national priorities, cultural contexts, and the specific needs of adolescents and youth  in the Arab region?
To what extent does the CSE program  align with developmental stages and respond to the evolving needs and expectations of different beneficiary groups (e.g., adolescents, marginalized groups, out-of-school youth)?To what extent are CSE programs aligned with the needs, expectations, and profiles of the target population?
How relevant are the CSE delivery methods (in-school, out-of-school, digital) to adolescents and youth? in the context of rapidly changing technological landscapes and youth engagement patterns? How can these modalities be optimized for future reach and impact?
How well do current programs integrate forward-looking cross-cutting themes such as evolving gender norms, increasing digital literacy, and emerging human rights considerations relevant to the next generation?

(ii) Coherence: 
To what extent does the CSE program complement and align with other national and regional strategies on sexual and reproductive health, education, and gender equality?
How coherent is the program with broader UNFPA strategies and global frameworks (e.g., ICPD, SDGs, UN Inter-agency CSE Technical Guidance, and UN interagency technical and Programmatic Guidance on CSE out of school)?
How can UNFPA ASRO foster stronger coherence and synergies with other development partners, anticipating future collaborations and avoiding potential duplications in reaching the next generation?

(iii) Efficiency for scalability for future reach : 
How efficient has the program been in using available resources (human, financial, and technical including M&E activities to inform decision making) to achieve its intended outcomes? Were the program’s delivery methods (including digital and out-of-school approaches) cost-effective in reaching diverse beneficiary groups?
What lessons can inform more cost-effective and scalable approaches for reaching a larger number of young people in the future, considering diverse delivery methods?

(iv) Effectiveness  in Preparing the Next Generation:
To what extent has the CSE program achieved its intended outcomes, including improved knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among young people? What adaptations are needed to ensure future CSE effectively prepares the next generation for the challenges and opportunities they will face?
What are the factors that influenced positively and/or negatively the progress towards achieving the intended outcomes?  How can these factors be leveraged or mitigated to enhance the effectiveness of future CSE programming for the next generation?
To what extent has the program addressed barriers (e.g., cultural resistance, misinformation) that hinder CSE delivery and uptake? ? What new or evolving barriers might hinder CSE delivery and uptake for the next generation, and how can future programs proactively address them?

(v) Sustainability:  
To what extent has the program influenced (through capacities development, established ownership, empowerment and resource mobilization mechanisms,..etc) policy shifts, public perceptions, and community engagement around sexuality education? How can these gains be strengthened and expanded to ensure the long-term sustainability of CSE for future generations?

This evaluation has the following principal tasks:

(vi) Provide recommendations to key programme stakeholders; and develop potential future scenarios for CSE access and delivery in the region to inform more robust recommendations.

Scope of work: The consultant shall conduct the evaluation of CSE in the Arab region as detailed above.                 
More specifically, the consultant should: 

Approach and Methodology: the entire consultation will be done remotely this covers the desk review and  the evaluation process and will include:

You would be responsible for:

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  Post graduate degree in the field of relevance for the assignment: medical sciences, public health, education sciences or any social sciences degrees.  

Knowledge and Experience:
Minimum 7 years of relevant professional expertise in medical, social sciences, education sciences or related fields
Previous experience in conducting evaluations of projects and/or programmes
Previous experience working with UN or INGO on SRH, ASRH or youth will be an asset.   
Previous experience with focus on CSE aspects is considered as an asset
Excellent analytical and writing skills, 
Familiarity with the mandate of UNFPA 

Languages: Very good command in English and Arabic, both oral and written.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.