Vacancy Announcement Details

Organizational Setting

The Office of Evaluation (OED) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations will conduct a terminal evaluation of the project “Enhancing climate change resilience in the Benguela Current Fisheries System” between September 2022 and January 2023. The data-collection missions in Angola, South Africa and Namibia are expected to take place in October 2022.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall responsibility of the Director of OED and under the technical and methodological direction of the Evaluation Manager, the Team Leader will coordinate the work of other team member(s), each contributing to the evaluation in his or her area(s) of specialization.

Technical Focus

This Global Environment Facility (GEF) project aims to build resilience and reduce the vulnerability to climate change of the marine fisheries and mariculture sectors within the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem through the implementation of adaptation strategies in order to ensure food and livelihood security in Angola, Namibia and South Africa. The project has 4 outcomes:

• Stakeholder understanding of climate risks and vulnerabilities is increased and their capacity to mainstream / execute climate change adaptation in fisheries is enhanced (e.g. development of policy briefs on mainstreaming climate change adaptation in fisheries, emanating from vulnerability assessments as well as recommendations to update existing strategies and policies)
• Vulnerability to climate change is reduced (e.g. Local government and other institutions provide support in community-based adaptation management plans and communities are implementing the adaptation options).
• Stakeholders promote a proactive and forward-looking approach to climate change risks (e.g. support to forums for exchange and training tools)
• Project management (e.g. implementation of the project, monitoring & evaluation, and dissemination of progress and lessons learned)

The project has an operational partnership implementation modality (OPIM), in which FAO’s subregional office for Southern Africa in Harare is responsible for supervision & technical guidance, and the Benguela Current Commission (BCC) is the executing partner. 

Profile  of the evaluation team 

OED is currently looking for 1 evaluation team leader and 1-2 qualified regional or local independent consultant(s), to evaluate the project efforts in South Africa, Namibia and Angola. 

The evaluation team leader should have demonstrated experience in leading evaluations, supervising evaluation teams, have expertise in small-scale fisheries development and climate change adaptation, and have working experience in South Africa and/or Namibia and/or Angola in the aforementioned fields of work. The evaluation team leader is expected to conduct a mission to at least one of the three project countries and to remotely supervise the team member(s) covering the other project country/countries. 

The evaluation team member(s) should have demonstrated experience in conducting evaluations, have expertise in small-scale fisheries development and climate change adaptation, and have working experience in South Africa, and/or Namibia and/or Angola in the aforementioned fields of work. The coverage of multiple countries per consultant may be considered based on profile, experience and availability of the candidates. 

Applicants must clearly indicate in their application for which position they are applying.

To minimize the risks associated with international travel in the current period marked by the COVID epidemic, applications from experts based in Africa (preferably in South Africa, Angola or Namibia) will be considered as priority.

The candidates must be independent, meaning no previous direct involvement in the formulation, implementation or backstopping of this project in Angola, Namibia or South Africa. All will be required to sign a declaration of conflict of interest.

Tasks and responsibilities for the evaluation team leader:

• Review relevant background documentation made available by OED and the project team.
• Prepare the inception report, which includes (1) a further elaborated project background; (2) refined methodological approach; (3) an evaluation matrix; (4) a stakeholder and project site analysis; (5) a description of limitations and risks; (6) and a detailed work plan including the evaluation timeline and deliverables.
• Lead the preparation of data-collection tools and the planning of interviews and fieldwork agenda/itinerary.
• Conduct/supervise field missions in Angola, and/or South Africa and/or Namibia to selected project sites to interview local project stakeholders, partners and beneficiaries and collect (secondary) data.
• Prepare a mission report with findings and conclusions after the mission, in English, in a structured format agreed with OED.
• Coordinate the participation and contribution of the team member in all deliverables as required and ensure the quality control of their outputs. Supervise him/her during the data-collection and analysis through regular meetings and updates.
• Lead the final analysis and discussion of findings to reach preliminary findings and conclusions that answer all evaluation issues and questions, and preliminary recommendations in line with the findings and conclusions. Ensure that all the findings are sufficiently triangulated and validated. Present the preliminary evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations to key stakeholders post data-collection.
• Prepare the draft and final evaluation report and appendices/annexes, in English.

Tasks and responsibilities for the evaluation team member(s):

• Review relevant background documentation and contribute to the stakeholder and project site analysis.
• Contribute to the preparation of data-collection tools and the planning of interviews and fieldwork agenda/itinerary.
• Conduct field missions in Angola, and/or South Africa and/or Namibia to selected project sites to interview local project stakeholders, partners and beneficiaries and collect (secondary) data.
• Prepare a mission report with findings and conclusions after the mission, in English, in a structured format agreed with OED.
• Contribute to all evaluation products and deliverables outlined in the evaluation Terms of Reference, including contributing to and commenting on the evaluation report.
• Participate and contribute to the evaluation team’s meetings, including the overall analysis and presentation of preliminary evaluation findings to key project stakeholders.

Full details on the FAO website. Application deadline 31st August.