The Global Environment Facility (GEF) provides support to address global environmental concerns related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants. Since its inception in 1991, the GEF has provided developing countries and countries with economies in transition US $20 billion in grants. These grants are implemented on ground through a network of 18 accredited agencies. The GEF receives its funds through a four-year replenishment.
The GEF Independent Evaluation Office (GEF IEO) has a central role in ensuring the independent evaluation function within the GEF. The GEF IEO is based in Washington DC. It is administered by the World Bank but is independent of its management as well as the management of the GEF. Its Director reports directly to the GEF Council, the GEF governing body. All contracts with the IEO are World Bank contracts..
The IEO is conducting an evaluation of the GEF’s interventions in water security, seeking to both assess GEF projects that address water security and those which do not but may have impacted water security in their project areas. This evaluation will seek to provide evidence against the following initial evaluation questions:
- To what extent have GEF interventions with a significant focus on water security responded to beneficiaries’ (communities, resource users, governments, etc.) needs, policies and priorities relating to freshwater?
- In what ways and using what frameworks and strategies has GEF addressed water security and its four dimensions (sufficient and clean water for human consumption and well-being, livelihoods, ecosystems and protecting against water-related natural disasters)?
- How does GEF’s approach and activities related to water security interact with similar activities and initiatives at the country level?
- How does GEF’s approach and activities related to water security compare to best practices among peer organizations and the larger international water community of practice?
- To what extent have GEF interventions been effective in improving water security within the GEB framework and as co-benefits (or inadvertently decreased water security) and sensitized policy makers to the challenges and opportunities associated with water security?
- How has GEF addressed key cross-cutting themes related to water security, especially stakeholder inclusion and fragility?
- To what extent are GEF outcomes related to water security sustained or continued beyond the end of the implementation period?
The junior consultant will become part of the Water Security Evaluation Team.
Responsibilities and Accountabilities
The consultant will perform following tasks:
- Portfolio review of GEF projects
- Assist in the design of a portfolio review protocol of GEF projects addressing water security.
- Carry out the portfolio review using the refined protocol.
- Synthesize and communicate results and findings of the review.
- Water security literature review
- Search for and collate relevant technical reports, academic articles and other key water security literature along with literature, news articles and reports related to GEF projects and former project sites.
- Review gathered literature to gather water security best practices and evidence of GEF project results (intended and unintended), sustainability and causal tracing.
- GEF case study project document review
- Retrieve GEF project document data for selected case study projects or other projects of interest from the GEF Portal and organize as discussed with evaluation team.
- Perform in-depth review of case study project documents, including terminal evaluations, to collect key data as discussed with evaluation team.
- Synthesize information gathered and present in written form.
- Assist with other data collection tasks as necessary.
- Assist with summary and report writing tasks as necessary.
Qualifications
The candidate should have following qualifications:
- A completed master’s level degree, with an educational background and/or work experience in environmental issues and related social impacts. Background in water resources management, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and/or disaster risk management is preferred.
- Minimum three years’ experience in conducting desk study based and web-based research and reviews. Skilled at preparing reports and other analytical outputs.
- Experience in project evaluation, especially in environmental and natural resource management preferred.
- Knowledge of and/or direct experience with the GEF and its Agencies preferred.
- Excellent software skills in Excel, experience in the use of NVivo and or any web-based text analytics software, and SurveyMonkey preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to work in multidisciplinary teams.
- Excellent presentation and communication skills; spoken and written English.
Compensation, payments and other arrangements
The duration of the consultancy will be for a maximum of 30 days from January to November 2022. Most work will take place from February to September 2022.
The consultancy will take place at the consultant’s own place of work or the GEF IEO office in Washington, D.C. Travel is not anticipated.
Submission requirements
Interested consultants are hereby invited to submit a CV and a cover letter expressing how their work experience fits the qualifications above in English, to [email protected] with “Water Security Evaluation-Junior STC” in the subject line. The application deadline is January 24, 2022.
The GEF IEO is proud to be an equal opportunity and inclusive employer with a dedicated and committed workforce and does not discriminate based on gender, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability.
