Evaluation Consultant

Evaluation of the regional project implemented by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict titled ‘Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) in Africa – Protecting Conflict-Affected Children through Strengthened Regional Partnerships and Capacities’.

The consultant is expected to work remotely and expected to be available for consultations with OSRSG-CAAC during its working hours, namely Monday to Friday, 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., New York, USA, time, as required.

Eleven (11) days during one month.

Background The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG CAAC) serves as the leading United Nations (UN) advocate for the protection and well-being of children affected by armed conflict. The mandate of the SRSG CAAC was created by General Assembly Resolution A/RES/51/77 following the publication, in 1996, of the report by Graça Machel on the impact of armed conflict on children. Since 1999, the systematic engagement of the UN Security Council has placed the protection of children affected by armed conflict at the heart of its international peace and security agenda. In 2005, the Security Council adopted resolution 1612 which established the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) on Grave Violations against Children in Situations of Armed Conflict. The six grave violations monitored and reported on under this mechanism are: 1. recruitment and use of children 2. killing or maiming of children 3. rape and other forms of sexual violence against children 4. attacks on schools and/or hospitals 5. abduction of children 6. denial of humanitarian access for children. The SRSG CAAC regularly reports to the UN bodies (Security Council, General Assembly, and Human Rights Council) on the situation of children in armed conflict, and further engages in a variety of activities to foster the protection of conflict-affected children, including engagement with parties to conflict in situations covered by her mandate, engagement with a global network of partners, promotion of lessons learned and best practices, and the fostering of regional partnerships. Further information on the CAAC mandate and the Office of the SRSG CAAC can be found here: https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org. Project Description and Objective Enhancing partnerships with regional and subregional organizations provides enormous opportunities for the protection of conflict-affected children and is a priority area for the SRSG CAAC. This commitment is in line with the Security Council's call, including in resolutions 1379 (2001) and 2427 (2018), for strengthened regional and subregional efforts on children and armed conflict. Against this background and based on close consultation with regional partners in Africa, the OSRSG CAAC, since September 2025 and until August 2026, has been implementing a special regional project under the title ’Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) in Africa – Protecting Conflict Affected Children through Strengthened Regional Partnerships and Capacities’ focused on early warning and prevention, funded by the Peace and Security Sub-Fund of the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund. As per the requirements for projects funded under the Peace and Security Sub-Fund, an external evaluation of the project needs to be conducted to ensure transparency and accountability of the implementing entity and to strengthen accountability in the interest of the project beneficiaries and the donor. Responsibilities Under the supervision of the Political Affairs Officer, Monitoring, Reporting and Regional Partnerships Unit, the Consultant will conduct an evaluation of the project considering the following: • The logical framework of the project and how it relates to the desired impact. • The measured indicators of the project and how they compare to the baseline. • A stakeholder analysis, in particular how identified stakeholders have benefited from the project deliverables. • Identified risks and challenges and their mitigation. • The sustainability of the project deliverables. • Potential negative impacts of the project. • Gender sensitivity and inclusiveness of the project. • Contribution of the project to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals and other relevant frameworks, mandates, and agendas, including regional partnership frameworks, the children and armed conflict mandate and the youth, peace and security agenda. The evaluation methodology should be participatory and comprehensive. The evaluation will adhere to the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) Norms and Standards and UNEG's Ethical Principles for Evaluators and will be conducted in line with the applicable United Nations rules and regulations. The data collection plan and analysis must include both qualitative and quantitative methods. Expected Outcome/Performance Indicators Subject to satisfactory review, the Consultant will: • In close collaboration with the OSRSG CAAC, develop an evaluation approach to be agreed with OSRSG CAAC. • Conduct a review of the project's logical framework, implementation process, and deliverables through data collection and analysis to be incorporated into the evaluation report. • Draft an evaluation report. • Finalize the evaluation report incorporating final feedback from OSRSG CAAC.

Education • Advanced degree (Master's or equivalent) in law, political science, international relations, or other related disciplines. • A first level university degree in similar fields in combination with five additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Experience • A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience working on issues of peace and security, political affairs, human rights, protection, and/or data analysis is required. • A background in monitoring and evaluation and experience in the evaluation of projects implemented by United Nations entities are required. • Experience of working with the UN, other international or regional/subregional organizations is desirable. • Experience working in Africa is desirable.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, • Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. • Knowledge of French is desirable.

Functional Competencies • Solid expertise in monitoring and evaluation methodologies. • Solid expertise in process and project management. • Knowledge of peace and security issues in Africa. • Familiarity with the UN system and with regional organizations in Africa. • Knowledge of issues pertaining to human rights and protection issues, and of the protection of conflict-affected children and the children and armed mandate.