Expressions of interest sought for Local to Global 2.0 Evaluation Consultant

13 January 2025

Download Evaluation Consultant Brief

A consultant is needed to put in place and carry out an evaluation of the UK National Commission for UNESCO’s (UKNC’s) National Lottery Heritage Fund (Heritage Fund) project: Local to Global 2.0. 

They will ensure that the project is meeting its objectives, outputs, and outcomes for the UKNC, UNESCO designated Site Co-ordinators, as well as for the Heritage Fund. It is expected that feedback loops should be developed and sustained to ensure that UKNC staff benefit from the knowledge gained over the course of the project. This will contribute to their professional development as well as strengthening the resilience of the UK National Commission for UNESCO overall.

The consultant is expected to:

  • Set up the evaluation framework at the start of the project. This includes reviewing the grant agreement with the Heritage Fund and liaising with partner organisations and key stakeholders.
  • Establish relevant data management processes and evaluation tools for use by the UKNC team.
  • Analyse project data at the midpoint and endpoint of the project (November 2025, September 2026).
  • Develop clear conclusions and recommendations to help UKNC, Site Co-ordinators and other stakeholders identify and apply lessons learned and present them in good time.
  • Be fully conversant and up-to-date with the Heritage Fund’s requirements for evaluating grants of up to £250,000.

Outputs

  • Data Management process: Create a clear evaluation framework (likely in the form of a logic model) for the project that aligns with the Heritage Fund and UKNC’s overall objectives, data inputs, and identify, set up and support the delivery of the correct research and data collection methods (web survey, stakeholder interviews, community workshops with Site Co-ordinators).
  • Interim reports: Oversee the preparation by the project team of two interim evaluation progress reports at agreed milestones.
  • Final Evaluation report: Produce a final evaluation report drawing on data and analysis provided by the project team, and in-depth interviews undertaken by the consultant with six UNESCO Site coordinators and six staff members, containing clear conclusions and recommendations.

 

About UKNC:

The United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) is the focal point for all UNESCO-related matters in the UK and manages programmes in the UK that cover UNESCO’s core themes of education, science (natural and human), culture, and communication & information.

The UKNC has three Core Functions:

  1. Support the UK government in achieving its objectives through UNESCO
  2. Support UK society and communities to maximise the benefits of UNESCO’s mission and programmes
  3. Support UNESCO to be a competent and relevant UN agency able to deliver its mission and fulfil its objectives

Whilst the UKNC is a constitutional part of the UK Government’s membership of UNESCO, the UKNC is an independent organisation from UNESCO.

 

About Local to Global 2.0:

In 2025, a new phase of the landmark Local to Global programme will consolidate the UK National Commission for UNESCO’s organisational development and realise new opportunities for the UK’s network of 60 UNESCO Sites. Through new research, capacity building and community grants, Local to Global 2.0 will strengthen and implement the learning gathered from previous Heritage Fund support and move the UKNC beyond resilience toward a great capacity for adaptation.

The most recent iteration of Local to Global will begin on 13 January 2025 and continue until September 2026. It will build on the successful first phase of Local to Global. Over the course of the next 20 months, UNESCO Sites can expect:

  1. A brand new research partnership that will explore the role of UNESCO Sites as cultural anchorpoints that generate local value by supporting creative subsectors.
  2. Annual in-person gatherings of six regional and national groups of UNESCO Sites, the first of which will be this Spring 2025 and delivered in collaboration with the Climate Change and UNESCO Heritage team.
  3. Six £10,000 ‘community grants’ will be available for different national and regional groups of UNESCO Sites in the UK to test and trial collaborative solutions to shared challenges.
  4. A programme of network building, entrepreneurship and fundraising will support legacy activities beyond this phase of the project.

 

Timetable of activities:

  • 15 January 2025 – Application launch
  • 5 February 2025 – Application deadline
  • 13 February 2025 – Interviews
  • 17 February 2025 – Onboarding
  • 7 March 2025 – Set up the evaluation framework at the start of the project
  • 28 March 2025 – Establish relevant data management processes and evaluation tools for use by the UKNC team
  • Estimated November 2025 – Analyse project data for midpoint report
  • June – August 2026 – Collect additional data through interviews and surveys
  • September 2026 – Produce endpoint report and close of contract

 

Contract management

We expect the commissioned evaluation consultant to begin mid-February 2025 and complete final reporting by mid-September 2026. Key dates will be confirmed with UKNC once in post.

The budget is up to £10,000 (including all expenses and VAT). The payment schedule will be structured in the following instalments:

  • 50% February 2025 on recruitment and signing of contract
  • 25% November 2025 upon successful completion of interim report
  • 25% September 2026 upon successful completion of the final report
  • The evaluation consultant will be managed by UKNC’s Programme Lead.

 

Award criteria

We will accept proposals from individual freelancers or organisations. Expressions of interest should include:

  • Your methodology for undertaking this work
  • Understanding of The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s outcomes and frameworks
  • An outline of internal responsibilities and liaisons
  • Details of staff allocated to the project and your collective experience in carrying out similar projects
  • Allocation of days across members of your team and your daily charging rates
  • A timescale for carrying out this work
  • Overall cost

Proposals will be assessed by UKNC against the following questions:

  • To what extent does the proposal demonstrate understanding of the issues and social values related to the project brief?
  • To what extent is the methodology appropriate to the requirements set out in the brief?
  • What level of relevant experience does the bidder demonstrate in order to successfully complete the work?

 

Application Process

Please submit your expressions of interest through a CV (maximum two pages) and cover letter (maximum 1,500 words) sent to the UKNC Project Coordinator, Nushin Hussain: [email protected].

Applications should be received no later than: 5pm on Monday 5 February 2025

Interviews expected to be online on: Thursday 13 February 2025

The successful applicant will be expected to commence work on Monday 17 February 2025