Evaluation of the Africa Programme of Gender Statistics (APGS III- 2022-2026) and Development of APGS IV (2027-2031) Consultant

Background:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

Recognizing the critical role of gender statistics in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment, African countries and regional stakeholders have increasingly invested in strengthening the production, coordination, and use of gender data. The African Group on Gender Statistics (AGGES), established by the Statistical Commission for Africa (STATCOM-Africa) in 2008 and hosted by UNECA, provides coordination and technical guidance on gender statistics across the continent. To address persistent challenges including fragmentation, duplication of efforts, and weak coordination—UNECA, in collaboration with AGGES and partners, developed the Africa Programme on Gender Statistics (APGS) in 2012 as a continental umbrella programme. The APGS aligns with the Strategy for the Harmonization of Statistics in Africa (SHaSA) and global frameworks such as the SDGs.

• Phase I: 2012–2016
• Phase II: 2017–2021 (aligned with SDG data requirements)

As the current programme cycle (Phase III 2022-2026) ends, AGGES, AUC, UNECA, UN Women, and AfDB seek to undertake a final, summative evaluation of the APGS, to:

• Assess its overall performance and contribution to strengthening gender statistics systems in Africa;
• Generate evidence on achievements, challenges, and lessons learned;
• Inform the design of a future strategic framework for gender statistics in Africa (post-2026).

The consultant will be reporting to the Regional Statistics Specialist Gender. 

Description of Responsibilities/ Scope of Work

Overall Purpose

To assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, and sustainability of the APGS and its contribution to the development and use of gender statistics in Africa, and to inform future continental programming.

Specific Objectives:

1. Assess the results and impact of APGS across regional and national levels;
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of coordination mechanisms, including AGGES and partner collaboration;
3. Examine the extent to which APGS strengthened national statistical systems and data use for policymaking;
4. Identify lessons learned, good practices, and bottlenecks;
5. Provide actionable recommendations for a future programme or strategy beyond 2026.

Scope of Work

A. Final Evaluation of APGS

The consultant will:

Evaluation Design and Planning

• Develop an evaluation framework aligned with UN Women evaluation standards;
• Map key stakeholders across the APGS ecosystem (UN agencies, RECs, NSOs, development partners).

Data Collection and Analysis

• Conduct a comprehensive document review (programme documents, reports, strategies, evaluations);
• Undertake key informant interviews with stakeholders, including: 
  • National Statistical Offices (NSOs)
  • Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and AUC
  • UN agencies and partners
• Where feasible, include country-level insights or case examples.

Assessment Areas

The evaluation will focus on:

• Relevance: Alignment with continental frameworks (SHaSA, SDGs, Agenda 2063) and country needs;
• Effectiveness: Achievement of outputs/outcomes and contribution to improved gender data production and use;
• Efficiency: Use of resources, coordination, and implementation modalities;
• Coherence: Complementarity with partner initiatives and avoidance of duplication;
• Sustainability: Institutionalization of gains and national ownership;
• Human rights and gender equality: Integration in programme design and implementation.

Institutional and Coordination Review

• Assess the functioning and value-added of: 
  • AGGES and its working groups
  • Inter-agency coordination mechanisms
  • Partnerships (UNECA, UN Women, AfDB, others)

Deliver a Final Evaluation Report Including: Achievements and results, Key challenges and gaps, Lessons learned and best practices and strategic recommendations.

B. Development of APGS IV (2027-2031)

Building on evaluation findings, the consultant will develop a successor framework (not retroactive Phase III), covering the period post‑2026.

This will include:

• Vision and strategic priorities for gender statistics in Africa;
• Updated situation and stakeholder analysis;
• Lessons learned from APGS implementation;
• Strategic pillars and priority interventions;
• Results framework (aligned with SDGs and Agenda 2063);
• Partnerships and coordination arrangements;
• Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting framework.

Evaluation Questions (Refined)

Relevance

• To what extent was APGS aligned with regional and national priorities for gender statistics?
• Did the programme address key gaps in gender data systems?

Effectiveness

• To what extent were intended outputs and outcomes achieved?
• How has APGS contributed to: 
  • Improved production of gender statistics
  • Use of gender data in policies and decision-making
• What were the key enabling and hindering factors?

Efficiency

• How effective were coordination mechanisms and resource use?
• To what extent did APGS facilitate synergies among stakeholders?

Coherence

• How well did APGS align and complement other initiatives in gender statistics?
• Was duplication minimized?

Sustainability

• To what extent are results institutionalized at regional and national levels?
• Is there evidence of ownership and continued investment?

Governance and Management

The evaluation will be conducted under a participatory approach involving key stakeholders.

• Evaluation Manager: StatAfric;
• Evaluation Management Group (EMG):  AGGES, AUC StatAfric, AfDB, UNECA, UN Women (ESARO/WCARO);
• Evaluation Reference Group (ERG): Broader stakeholders (NSOs, RECs, partners, UN agencies).

The evaluation will adhere to:

• AUC and UN Women Evaluation Policy;
• UNEG Norms and Standards;
• Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation.

Deliverables and Timeline

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy. 

Competencies:

Core Values:

• Integrity;
• Professionalism;
• Respect for Diversity.

Core Competencies:

• Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues;
• Accountability;
• Creative Problem Solving;
• Effective Communication;
• Inclusive Collaboration;
• Stakeholder Engagement;
• Leading by Example.

Please visit this link for more information on UN Women’s Values and Competencies Framework: 

Functional Competencies:

• Evaluation and Results-Based Management;
• Gender Statistics and Data Systems Expertise;
• Strategic Planning and Programme Development;
• Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Management;
• Research, Analysis, and Knowledge Management.

Required Qualifications

Education and Certification:

• • Master’s degree in statistics, economics, development studies, gender studies, or related field;
• • A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of progressively responsible work experience in programme evaluation;
• Strong expertise in gender statistics and African statistical systems;
• Experience with UN/regional programmes and multi-stakeholder coordination;
• Excellent analytical and report-writing skills.

Languages:

• Fluency in English is required;
• Knowledge of French or Spanish or any other UN official language is an asset.

Statements:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Diversity and inclusion:

At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.

If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application.

UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Women’s policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.)

Note: Applicants must ensure that all sections of the application form, including the sections on education and employment history, are completed. If all sections are not completed the application may be disqualified from the recruitment and selection process.