Terms of Reference – Armenia Country Analysis
Position:
Consultant for UNDAF Country Analysis
Contracting:
UN Resident Coordinator’s Office
Duty Station:
Yerevan, Armenia
Duration:
10 working days
Type of Contract:
Individual Contract
Background
The UNDAF is a strategic, medium-term results framework that describes the collective vision and
response of the UN system to national development priorities and results on the basis of the
normative programming principles. As such, the UNDAF defines how the UN Country Team will
contribute to the achievement of development results, based on an analysis of Armenia’s needs and
UN comparative advantages.
The UNDAF will ensure that the resources of the United Nations development system, including the
knowledge base and expertise of all resident and non-resident agencies, are systematically made
available for access by the Government of Armenia.
Objectives and Description of the Assignment
The key objective of the country analysis is to inform the UNDAF strategic planning process, thus
contributing to the articulation of high-quality development objectives and priorities within the
UNDAF. Building on existing analytical work by the government and by the United Nations, the
country analysis:

Identifies development priorities in the context of the UN’s comparative advantages;

Identifies areas where the country has not been able to reach internationally-agreed
development goals and commitments to international norms and standards;

Identifies gaps in the existing analytical processes and products where UNCT support can
bring added depth and quality of analysis, taking into account, in particular, the situation of
excluded and vulnerable groups, as well as human rights treaties and instruments.

Identifies ways to enhance progress in the above three areas.
Under the overall supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator and in close consultation with the
UNCT in Armenia and its UNDAF task force, the consultant will conduct a desk review of existing
analytical products and inputs by the agencies of the UN Country Team.
Each agency of the UN Country Team will be requested to provide 1-3 pages of analytic inputs on the
following questions:

What is the present development situation in Armenia in your agencies’ thematic areas

What will be the situation in the coming 5-7 years?

How can the UN best enhance progress in the country?
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The country analysis will be aligned with national development priorities and strategies and guided
by the five UN programming principles of human rights-based approach, gender equality,
environmental sustainability, results-based management and capacity development.
The country analysis will be shared with national partners and with the UNDAF Peer Support Group
for review.
The final report will consist of a maximum of 15 pages, including tables on key statistics such as the
MDGs and references to sources of data.
The country analysis will aim to comply with the following quality criteria:
1. Assess the situation of the country with respect to the standards in the MD/MDGs and other
internationally agreed development goals and treaty obligations.
a. Do analytical processes or products (existing or planned) provide reliable, recent
data related to the MDGs and do they adequately describe issues, trends and gaps?
b. Have important comments by Treaties Bodies and supervisory bodies in the UN
system (i.e. responding to national reports) been considered?
2. Identify patterns of discrimination and inequality, and describe the situation of groups
excluded and made vulnerable due to the denial of their rights.
a. Are data sufficiently disaggregated (e.g. by gender, ethnicity, region, religion and
language, as well as disability, HIV/AIDS and other status) to identify excluded
groups?
b. Are there evident priorities among the problems and challenges identified?
c. Are the root causes of these problems and challenges identified?
d. Does the analysis describe patterns of discrimination and the different ways that
females and males experience these problems?
3. Identify key environmental issues and how they contribute to major development problems,
such as poverty and disease.
a. How well have environmental targets been addressed, with reference to national
and international environmental obligations?
4. Assess capacity assets and gaps at different levels.
a. Does the assessment acknowledge the interdependence of capacity at three levels:
enabling environment, organizational and individual?
b. Does the assessment identify capacity assets and needs of key actors (duty-bearers
and rights-holders) to address the problems and challenges (at national, subnational, community and family level)?
5. Does the Analysis make use of data and reports produced by non-state actors (inc. alternate
reports to Treaty bodies).
6. Assess the risks of conflict and natural disasters, as well as the readiness of countries to
respond.
a. Have risks of humanitarian crises and natural disasters been assessed, and are the
groups most likely to be affected identified?
b. Have the analytical processes and products considered the readiness of government,
civil society and communities to respond to crises and natural disasters?
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Timeframe

Expected Starting Date: 5 May

Expected ending Date: 20 May

Duration: up to 10 working days
Background documents
The consultant will study, inter alia, the following documents:

MDG Reports

UNDAF 2010-2015

Global and National Human Development Reports

Post-2015 Consultations Report

Inputs from the agencies of the UN Country Team
Required qualifications and experience

Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in Social science, economics, transition
studies, or related field;

5 years of relevant professional experience, previous experience with evaluations and/or
reviews is an asset;

Good knowledge of the UN system and UN common country programming processes,
UNDAF;

Specialized experience and/or methodological/technical knowledge, including data
collection and analytical skills, particularly in one of the following areas: human rights-based
approaches to programming; gender considerations; Results Based Management (RBM)
principles; logic modeling/logical framework analysis; quantitative and qualitative data
collection and analysis; participatory approaches; Sector Wide Approaches (SWA) is an asset

Knowledge of development challenges in Armenia;

Excellent written and spoken English;

Excellent report writing skills as well as communication skills;

An understanding of and ability to abide by the values of the United Nations;

Awareness and sensitivity in working with people of various cultural and social backgrounds.
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