The UNESCO Evaluation Office is inviting applications from experienced evaluation professionals for a consultancy to lead the Evaluation of UNESCO’s Global Priority Gender Equality (GPGE). The opportunity is aimed at a Senior Evaluator who can assess UNESCO’s corporate performance on gender mainstreaming and provide evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the organisation’s future work on gender equality.
The consultancy is particularly relevant to senior evaluation specialists with experience in gender equality, organisational performance, UN evaluation frameworks and institutional learning.
The application deadline is 19 October 2026 at 23:59 CEST (midnight Paris time).
The evaluation will examine UNESCO’s implementation of its Global Priority Gender Equality and assess the organisation’s corporate performance on gender mainstreaming.
According to the call, the evaluation for 2026–2027 is being undertaken in line with the requirements of the UN-SWAP framework.
The assignment is intended to provide a comprehensive assessment of how UNESCO has implemented its gender equality priority, while identifying lessons and practical recommendations that can strengthen both strategic and operational implementation.
The evaluation will look beyond simply measuring achievements. It will consider what has been achieved, what has worked, under what conditions, and what challenges or bottlenecks have affected the integration of gender equality across UNESCO’s work.
Role of the Senior Evaluator
The selected Senior Evaluator will lead the evaluation of UNESCO’s Global Priority Gender Equality.
The assignment has both a summative and formative purpose. This means the evaluation will assess performance and results while also generating lessons that can support organisational learning and future decision-making.
The work is expected to generate findings, lessons learned and forward-looking recommendations that can help UNESCO strengthen its approach to gender equality.
The evaluation will therefore contribute to understanding how effectively gender mainstreaming has been integrated throughout UNESCO and where improvements may be needed.
Key Areas the Evaluation Will Examine
The evaluation will assess UNESCO’s corporate approach to gender mainstreaming and the implementation of its Global Priority Gender Equality.
Among the central questions highlighted in the call are:
- What has UNESCO achieved in advancing gender equality?
- What approaches have worked?
- Under what conditions have successful approaches worked?
- What challenges have affected implementation?
- What bottlenecks have limited the integration of gender equality?
- What lessons can be drawn from implementation?
- What recommendations can strengthen future strategic and operational implementation?
The evaluation is consequently expected to provide both an assessment of past and current performance and practical guidance for the organisation’s future direction.
Why the Consultancy Matters
Gender equality is one of UNESCO’s global priorities, and the evaluation is intended to examine how effectively this priority has been mainstreamed across the organisation’s work.
Rather than focusing only on individual programmes, the assignment will examine corporate performance, making it relevant to professionals experienced in institutional evaluation, organisational change, policy assessment and gender mainstreaming.
The resulting findings are expected to support organisational learning and help inform UNESCO’s future strategic direction on gender equality.
For an experienced evaluator, the assignment therefore provides an opportunity to contribute to a high-level evaluation with implications for how gender equality is integrated into the work of a major United Nations specialised agency.
Who Should Consider Applying?
The vacancy specifically seeks a Senior Evaluator, making this an opportunity for experienced evaluation professionals rather than early-career applicants.
Candidates should review the full Expression of Interest and Terms of Reference attached to the vacancy for the detailed technical requirements, expected deliverables, methodology, qualifications and other consultancy conditions.
The vacancy announcement itself does not provide the complete eligibility criteria or financial terms. Applicants should therefore consult the attached Terms of Reference before deciding whether their professional background meets the requirements.
Professionals with relevant experience in areas such as gender equality evaluation, gender mainstreaming, UN evaluation, organisational performance assessment, international development and strategic evaluation may find the consultancy particularly relevant.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is:
19 October 2026 at 23:59 CEST (midnight Paris time).
Interested individuals must follow the application instructions contained in the Expression of Interest and Terms of Reference.
Applications should be submitted to:
- Ms. Ina Salas: [email protected]
- Copy: Ms. Mireia Arumi Francitorra — [email protected]
Applicants are instructed to use the subject line:
“Expression of interest – Evaluation of Global Priority Gender Equality (2022-2026)”
Candidates should ensure that their submission follows the requirements specified in the official Expression of Interest.
Is This a Fully Remote UNESCO Consultancy?
The vacancy information supplied for this opportunity does not explicitly state that the consultancy is fully remote. Although the opportunity may potentially be suitable for consultants working remotely, the location and working arrangements should be confirmed from the attached Terms of Reference before applicants rely on a remote-work arrangement.
Similarly, the vacancy page does not state a consultancy fee or total contract value. Applicants should consult the official Expression of Interest for those details.
How to Apply
Interested senior evaluation professionals should first download and carefully review the Call for Expressions of Interest and Terms of Reference.
The application should then be prepared according to the instructions provided and submitted to the designated UNESCO contacts before the deadline.
Key Opportunity Details
- Organisation: UNESCO Evaluation Office
- Consultancy: Evaluation of the Global Priority Gender Equality
- Position: Senior Evaluator
- Evaluation period: 2026–2027
- Focus: UNESCO’s corporate performance on gender mainstreaming
- Framework: UN-SWAP
- Purpose: Summative and formative evaluation
- Application deadline: 19 October 2026
- Deadline time: 23:59 CEST / midnight Paris time
- Fee: Not stated in the vacancy announcement
- Work arrangement: Not explicitly stated as fully remote in the supplied vacancy
The official vacancy was posted by the United Nations Evaluation Group on 2 October 2026, with the attached Expression of Interest containing the detailed Terms of Reference.
Applicants can review the official UNESCO Global Priority Gender Equality Evaluation vacancy and download the Expression of Interest and Terms of Reference before submitting an application.
