Call for evaluator to carry out external evaluation of the UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize (2017-2023)
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is seeking an evaluator to carry out the “External Evaluation of the UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes (2017-2023)” to be carried out from January to February 2024.
The UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes was created in June 1995 by the Executive Board at its 146th session to reward outstanding examples of action to safeguard and enhance the world’s major cultural landscapes, a category of heritage sites defined in the Operational Guidelines for the implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. The Prize is awarded to individuals, institutions, other entities, communities or non-governmental organizations.
In 2017, following an external evaluation, the Prize was renewed by the Executive Board at its 202nd session for a period of six years (2017-2023) representing three consecutive editions. Under the UNESCO Culture Sector, it has been managed and administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
The biennial Prize consists of a monetary award of US$30,000. It is funded by generous contributions from Greece, which proposed the creation of the Prize to UNESCO and its naming in honour of Melina Mercouri, former Minister of Culture of Greece and a proponent of integrated conservation and sustainable development.
The Prize was renewed by 202 EX/16 Decision Part II for an additional period of six years, from 2017 to 2023. Article 8 paragraph 1 of the Prize Statutes stipulates that “After a period of six years, an external evaluation of all aspects of the Prize, to be fully covered by the donor, shall be undertaken to decide about the continuation or termination of the Prize. The Director-General will inform the Executive Board of UNESCO about the results of this review”. Hence, the results of the 2023 evaluation of the Prize will be presented by the UNESCO Director-General to the 219th session of the Executive Board (spring 2024) through a report presenting key findings of the evaluation with recommendations for the future of the Prize.
It is in this context that the evaluator will conduct the evaluation of the UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize for the Safeguarding and Management of Cultural Landscapes from its last three editions between 2017 and 2023.
Interested candidates should send a written proposal with the following elements:
1) Technical Proposal consisting of:
- Description of the evaluator’s profile and relevant experience.
- Up-to-date curricula vitae of the member(s) of the team responsible for this evaluation;
- A proposed evaluation approach and methodology (1-2 pages) including a draft workplan;
2) A financial proposal to be quoted in either US$ or €;
3) Copies or weblinks to two recently completed evaluation reports.
Download Terms of Reference (ToRs)
UNESCO places great emphasis on ensuring that the objectives of the work assignment, as described in the ToRs, are met. Accordingly, in evaluating the proposals for the assignment, attention will focus first and foremost on the technical elements. From those proposals deemed suitable in terms of the criteria in the ToRs, UNESCO shall select the proposal that offers the Organisation best value for money.
Your proposal (and any possible question) should be submitted by e-mail to melinamercouriprize@unesco.org no later than 8 December 2023, 5.00 pm (UTC+2). E-mail proposals should not exceed 5MB. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered.
