Job title: CONSULTANCY TEAM TO UNDERTAKE A MID-TERM EVALUATION
Closing date:
August 29, 2012 - 5pm
Additional Category Environment and Energy
Type of Contract : Individual Contract
Post Level : National Consultant
Languages Required :
English
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 05-Sep-2012
Duration of Initial Contract : 20 working days
Expected Duration of Assignment : 5th September- 6th October 2012
The project outputs include:
a platform for climate change planning and programming;
capacity built to integrate climate change issues into regional development plans and actions;
an Integrated Territorial Climate Plan (ITCP) for the Mbale region;
a climate change policy and investment package formulated; and (v) synthesized and disseminated (within and beyond Uganda) of lessons learned and best practices.
The project will help to enable the Mbale region realize low carbon and climate change resilient development. Towards this objective, the project will assist the region to develop their Integrated Territorial Climate Plan (ITCP), which will integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies into regional development planning. This will include developing a policy and investment plan that will identify appropriate regulatory and financial instruments for the implementation of the actions that have been selected by the ITCP and assist the region to access, combine and sequence a variety of financial resources needed to implement the ITCP.
Objective and scope
The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) policy at the project level in UNDP has four key objectives namely:
to monitor and evaluate results and impacts;
to provide a basis for decision making on necessary amendments and improvements;
to promote accountability for resource use; and
to document, provide feedback on, and disseminate lessons learned. A mix of tools is used to ensure effective project M&E. These might be applied continuously throughout the lifetime of the project – e.g. periodic monitoring of indicators, or as specific time-bound exercises such as mid-term reviews, audit reports and independent evaluations.
Mid-Term evaluations are beneficial for project implementation as they provide an independent in-depth review of implementation progress, thus is responsive to the need for transparency and better access of information during implementation.
The Mid Term Evaluation is going to cover the project period up to date and will be conducted according to the guidance, rules and procedures established by UNDP in the UNDP Evaluation Guidance.
Mid-Term Evaluations are intended to identify potential project design problems, assess progress towards the achievement of objectives, identify and document lessons learned (including lessons that might improve design and implementation of other UNDP projects), and to make recommendations regarding specific actions that might be taken to improve the project. It is expected to serve as a means of validating or filling the gaps in the initial assessment of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency obtained from monitoring. The mid-term evaluation provides the opportunity to assess early signs of project success or failure and prompt necessary adjustments.
The specific objectives of the MTE are to:
identify potential project design problems;assess progress towards the achievement of objectives;
identify and document lessons learned (including lessons that might improve design and implementation of other UNDP projects);
make recommendations regarding the remainder of the project;
analyze the project performance up to now in the context of the institutional framework and events in Uganda.
Evaluation approach and method
An overall approach and method for conducting project Mid Term Evaluations of UNDP supported projects has developed over time. The evaluator is expected to frame the evaluation effort using the criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact, as defined and explained in the UNDP Guidance for Conducting Terminal Evaluations of UNDP-supported, projects.
A set of questions covering each of these criteria have been drafted and are included with this TOR (See Annex C) The evaluator is expected to amend, complete and submit this matrix as part of an evaluation inception report, and shall include it as an annex to the final report.
The evaluation must provide evidence-based information that is credible, reliable and useful.
The evaluator is expected to follow a participatory and consultative approach ensuring close engagement with government counterparts, in particular the UNDP Country Office, project team, UNDP Regional Technical Adviser based in the region and key stakeholders including DFID and Danish Embassy who partly fund the TACC project.
The evaluator is expected to conduct a field mission to Mbale Region including the following project sites in Mbale, Manafwa and Bududa Districts.
Interviews will be held with the following organizations and individuals at a minimum: TACC Small Grants Beneficiaries, Representatives of the Integrated Territorial Climate Steering Committee and, Representatives of the Regional Climate Change Forum.
The evaluator will review all relevant sources of information, such as the project document, project reports – including Annual project reports, project budget revisions, progress reports, project files, national strategic and legal documents, and any other materials that the evaluator considers useful for this evidence-based assessment. A list of documents that the project team will provide to the evaluator for review is included in Annex B of this Terms of Reference.
The evaluation team should present a detailed statement of evaluation
Evaluation criteria & ratings
An assessment of project performance will be carried out, based against expectations set out in the Project Logical Framework/Results Framework (See Annex A), which provides performance and impact indicators for project implementation along with their corresponding means of verification. The evaluation will at a minimum cover the criteria of: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact. Ratings must be provided on the following performance criteria. The completed table must be included in the evaluation executive summary. The obligatory rating scales are included in Annex D.
Methodology
Interviews (in person / telephone / by Skype) with:
UNDP (Project Manager, Technical Advisor, relevant Country Office and Regional staff) / and Global TACC staff who have project responsibilities;
Members of the Project Board
Project Focal Points at DANIDA and DFID;
Implementing partners (e.g. ECOTRUST);
Project stakeholders, particularly local partners and project beneficiaries for example Communities benefiting from the TACC Small Grants Scheme;
Relevant staff in participating government departments.
Field visits: Will be arranged with project beneficiaries
Impact
The evaluators will assess the extent to which the project is achieving impacts or progressing towards the achievement of impacts. The evaluation report must include a chapter providing a set of conclusions, recommendations and lessons learned
Duties and responsibilities of the National Consultant:
The National Consultant will support the Lead Consultant and work with stakeholders to deliver the agreed product.
In addition to the above the National Consultant is responsible for the following:
Review of documentation to be provided by the project (implementation/evaluation reports)
Conducting fieldwork together with the Lead consultant and interview of stakeholders, national and local Government officials, and communities (especially private forest owners) to generate authentic information and opinions.
Writing and compilation of the information and reports as needed.
Responsibility for presentation of key findings highlighting achievements and constraints, and making practical recommendations to decision makers and stakeholders.
Required Skills and Experience for the National Consultant:
Familiarity with Climate change related projects in Uganda and particularly the Mountain Elgon Region, either through managing or evaluating donor-funded projects.
Substantive knowledge of participatory M&E processes is essential, and experience with CBOs/community development processes, experience in landscape management and the design of ecological corridors, and country experience in Uganda are advantages.
Experience in the evaluation of technical assistance projects, if possible with UNDP or other UN development agencies and major donors, is required. A demonstrated understanding of UNDP principles and expected impacts in terms of global benefits is essential.
Excellent English writing and communication skills. Demonstrated ability to assess complex situations in order to analyse critical issues succinctly and clearly and draw forward-looking conclusions.
Experience in leading small multi-disciplinary, multi-national teams to deliver quality products in high stress, short deadline situations.
Payment modalities and timelines (Milestone):
Upon submission of acceptable inception report- 20%
Following submission and approval of the 1st draft Mid-Term evaluation report- 40%
Following submission and approval (UNDP-CO and UNDP RTA) of the final Mid-Term evaluation report -40%
Time-frame
The expected duration of this work is 20 working days from signing of contract.:
Advertisement for the Consultancies - 5 days
Selection of Consultant - 4 days
Consultants sign Contract -1 day
Desk review of documents and preparation of inception Report (home-based)- 3 days
Travel for international consultant -1 day
Presentation of Inception Report -1 day
Fieldwork- 5 days
Power point presentation of field work findings to Key stakeholders including UNDP, Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development and Ministry of Water and Environment and Mbale District Local Government- 1 day
Prepare and submit Draft Report to UNDP for review by Regional Technical Advisor, Project Coordination Unit, GEF Operational Focal Points -2 days
Draft report presentation to stakeholders workshop to validate draft report findings (in Mbale) -1 day
Travel for international consultant -1 day
Final Report (home-based)- 4 days
Submission of Final report by Lead Consultant to UNDP - 5 days
Deliverables:
An Inception Report (within 3 working days of signing the contract), this should provide details of the methodological approach to be used by the consultants to undertake the study.
A Mid-Term Evaluation Report of approximately 40 pages, excluding annexes, according to the attached detailed breakdown. The report will be in English and will be prepared and submitted in MS Word, with tables in Excel where necessary.
A PowerPoint presentation (10 – 15 slides) covering the key points of the MTE with the main findings and recommendations will also be provided.
A draft of the Mid-Term Evaluation Report and the PowerPoint presentation should be submitted within one week of the end of data collection and meetings. The final copy will be submitted within a week of receiving written comments on the drafts from UNDP and partners.
If there are any significant discrepancies between the impressions and findings of the evaluation team and stakeholders these should be explained in an Annex attached to the final report.
Implementation arrangements
The principal responsibility for managing this evaluation resides with the UNDP Country Office in Uganda. The UNDP CO will contract the evaluators and ensure the timely provision of travel (including per diems) arrangements within the country for the evaluation team. The Project Implementing partner will be responsible for liaising with the Evaluation team to set up stakeholder interviews, arrange field visits and coordinate with Government. The planning and the administrative arrangements for the MTE will be done in collaboration with the UNDP Head Quarters
Logistical Support:
UNDP will provide a vehicle for field visits and appointments with key interviewees.
UNDP Kampala and the Project Office will coordinate the study and keep abreast of the mission’s activities during the consultants stay.
Reporting Arrangements
The consultants will report to the UNDP Resident Representative in Kampala, Uganda on all technical and contractual obligations.
Evaluators' ethics
Evaluation consultants will be held to the highest ethical standards and are required to sign a Code of Conduct (Annex E) upon acceptance of the assignment. UNDP evaluations are conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the UNEG 'Ethical Guidelines for Evaluations'.
Competencies
Fluency in written and spoken English.
Ability to communicate effectively in English order to convey complex technical information to general audiences.
Ability to deliver on time.
Skills in negotiating effectively in sensitive situations.
Skills in achieving results through persuading, influencing and working with others.
Skill in facilitating meetings effectively and efficiently, including the ability to resolve conflicts as they arise.
Required Skills and Experience
Required skills and experience of the Ugandan National Consultant:
At least a MSc degree and at least 10 years experience in natural resources/forest management, protected area management, socio-economic development or related fields.
How to apply:
Applicants are required to submit the following:
A Job Proposal: Letter of Interest, stating why you consider yourself suitable for the assignment.
Brief methodology on the approach and implementation of the assignment.
Personal CV highlighting past experience in similar projects.
Work references - contact details (e-mail addresses) of referees.
Financial proposal indicating consultancy fee (lump sum fee) and a breakdown of expenses (unit price together with any other expenses) related to the assignment.
Eligible consultants are required to submit application and a detailed CV/Resume online at http://jobs.undp.org.
Please note that:
The system will only allow you to upload one document, therefore all the technical and financial proposals are to be attached to the CVs and uploaded together at once/as a single document.
You can access more details and the complete job description at the following link:http://jobs-admin.undp.org/view_job_doc.cfm?job_doc_id=61947&job_id=...
Deadline: 29th Aug 2012
