.png)
Title: Consultant: United Nations Transition Plan Evaluation Consultant
Type of Contract: Individual Contractor (IC)
Direct Supervisor: Head of the Resident Coordinator’s Office
Duty station: Nairobi, Kenya
Duration: Three months
Date of Issue: 10th December 2010
Closing Date: 24th December 2010
II. Organizational Context
Somalia provides a unique challenge in aid coordination. The country requires the concurrent and continual delivery of a complex mix of relief, recovery, and development interventions in a deeply insecure and unpredictable operating environment. Despite historical instability, the UN and World Bank undertook the Somali Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) as a step towards the achievement of peace, security, recovery and development. The output of the JNA process was the Reconstruction and Development Framework (RDF) which lays out the priorities of Somalis to be achieved between 2008 and 2012.
In response to the RDP, the UN Country Team (UNCT) produced a joint UN Transition Plan for Somalia (UNTP) from 2008-2010 which set out what the UN aimed to achieve. Following on from this a UN Assistance Strategy for 2010-2015 has been developed. The UNCT is anticipating increased harmonization of programming with clearer distribution of labor among agencies in support of this, followed by initiatives of joint programming and cost-shared services, which will further explore synergies and increase efficiency.
Since no single agency has the range of funds, skills, knowledge, and experience to tackle the multi-dimensional causes of poverty; a strong planning and coordination capacity, especially for the strategic analysis and results-based planning needed to integrate the UN’s operational response to transition challenges, is required. An integrated approach will increase the impact of the UN System on poverty reduction and reduce the transaction costs of the national authorities and other key stakeholders (who include: National and local authorities, UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, UN agencies, staff of IASC members at headquarters and in the field, the international financial institutions, representatives of donor countries/organizations, non-governmental organization representatives and other members of the humanitarian community, senior members of the government at national and provincial levels, civil society, church groups, civilian and military authorities, traditional leaders and other key actors, especially in conflict areas, local and international press, visiting political, donor and humanitarian missions); strengthen national capacity for managing development assistance; and increase recognition by national authorities and other partners, of the strength of the UN System when it works as a coherent whole.
Because the period for the application of the UNTP is coming to a close, and the UNSAS will become the new framework guiding the activities of the UNCT in Somalia the UNCT is looking for a consultant to evaluate the UNCT’s effectiveness and efficiency in implementing the UNTP. Such an evaluation would provide information on the UNCT’s progress towards achieving the objectives of the UNTP, the quality of the UNCT’s work, particularly in working together to achieve the UNTP outcomes, highlight challenges impeding the full realization of the UNTP and how similar obstacles can be overcome during implementation of the UNSAS. The evaluator will also examine the quality of the UNCT and RCO’s joint monitoring and evaluation of the UNTP. The evaluation of the UNTP will provide lessons learned for how the UNCT can work together as ‘One UN’ to achieve the outcomes specified within the UNSAS.
An evaluation of the UN’s efforts towards implementing the UNTP will engage national authorities and will improve our accountability to our Somali partners.
III. Summary of Key Functions:
• Carry out an evaluation of the implementation of the UNTP, focusing on the outcomes achieved by the UN as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of the coordination and management processes used for facilitating implementation of the UNTP.
• Draft a final evaluation of the UNTP
IV. Functions / Key Results Expected
Scope of Work
The Consultant will be based in Nairobi for the duration of the contract. Travel to relevant areas of Somalia, including Puntland and Somaliland, may be required. Other travel may be arranged at the discretion of the Resident Coordinator’s Office.
I. Methods and outputs
The consultant will support the RCO and the UNCT more broadly to carry out an evaluation of the implementation of the UNTP.
The final evaluation methodologies to be applied in this evaluation will be developed by the Evaluation Consultant and presented for approval to the Monitoring and Evaluation Group of the UNCT as part of the inception report. The methodology will include desk reviews, interviews and focus groups.
The evaluation questions will focus around the evaluation criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact. The evaluation questions will be further developed and agreed upon once the consultant has been recruited, based on consultations with key stakeholders and/ or the Monitoring and Evaluation Group of the UNCT.
Amongst the questions to be answered by the evaluator are the following:
1. What has been the progress made towards achievement of the expected outcomes and expected results? What are the results achieved?
2. What were the specific results in terms of improvement of human rights and gender equality? E.g. how well did the UNTP succeed in involving women and men, and rights-holders as well as duty-bearers? In how far was there attention to a differential response for rights-holders, duty-bearers, women and men? To what degree were changes in condition (e.g. health, security, income etc.) equally distributed among women and men, and among different relevant population groups (class, age, ethnicity, location etc.)?
3. Did the UNTP have effective monitoring mechanisms in place to measure progress towards results? Was the monitoring data disaggregated according to relevant criteria (gender, age, ethnicity, location, income etc.), and was it used to adjust implementation of the UNTP?
4. Has the organizational structure for implementation of the UNTP, managerial support and coordination mechanisms effectively supported delivery of the transition plan?
5. What is the evidence that the implementation team(s) communicated effectively with the intended audiences, taking into account language, gender, culture, location, etc.?
6. Did the UN effectively deliver as ‘One UN’? If not, what were the obstacles?
7. Was the UNTP supported by Somali institutions? Do these institutions demonstrate leadership commitment and technical capacity to continue to work towards the implementation of such a plan or strategy?
8. To what extent can the changes that have occurred as a result of the programme be identified and measured?
II. Monitoring and Progress controls
The consultant will be supervised by the Head of the Resident Coordinator’s Office and the quality of the consultant’s works will be assessed by the Monitoring and Evaluation Group of the UNCT.
III. Final product/deliverable
1. Inception report including outline of evaluation methodology, a detailed work plan indicating timing of activities and responsibilities
2. Draft evaluation report
3. Final evaluation report which should follow the proposed structure:
- Executive Summary (maximum five pages)
- Programme description
- Evaluation purpose
- Evaluation methodology
- Findings
- Conclusions
- Recommendations and Lessons learnt
- Annexes (including interview list – without identifying names for sake of confidentiality/ anonymity, data collection instruments, key documents consulted, Terms of Reference).
The evaluation will follow the UN Evaluation Group (UNEG) Norms and Standards and UNEG Ethical Guidelines that have been developed as best practice and agreed-upon basic principles for evaluations in the UN system. For details see :http://www.unevaluation.org
V. Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the UN
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism
Functional Competencies:
• Strategic vision and strong technical and analytical capabilities
• Very good political judgment
• Excellent organizational and management skills
• High level of self-management capacity and proactive self-drive under very low supervision
• Ability to handle effectively multiple tasks without compromising quality, team spirit and positive working relationships
• Strong written, interpersonal and oral communication skills
• Excellent command of MS Office applications; ability to use information technology as a tool and as a resource
• Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines
• Maintain balanced and positive attitude even under continued high stress level
• Knowledge of current development policies and activities
• Excellent partnership management skills
• Excellent analytic and written ability
• The ability to work well with others and build good relations internally and externally
• Experience in closely working with colleagues and counterparts of different nationalities and religions in challenging operational and living conditions
• Maintain balanced and positive attitude with all counterparts even under challenging working, living and security situation during phases of continued high stress level
Technical Competencies:
• Excellent understanding of organizational development and change management processes and techniques
• Strong understanding of results-based management (RBM) principles and human rights-based approaches to programming
• Extensive knowledge of, and experience in applying qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods
• Gender equality and human rights knowledge and experience
VI. Recruitment Qualifications
Education: • Masters Degree or higher in Development, International Relations, Political Science, Economics or a related subject
Experience: • A minimum of 7 years progressive, related professional work experience at the national or international level. Experience must primarily relate to senior levels of programme management, change management and the monitoring and evaluation of programmes and reform interventions.
• Extensive knowledge of, and experience in applying qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods
• A strong record in designing and leading evaluations
• Data analysis skills
• Process management skills
• Experience in crisis or post-conflict countries or experience in Islamic societies and/or in Africa and the Arab worlds
• Sound knowledge of the UN system’s procedures and operational activities for development is desirable.
• Familiarity with the UN, particularly the UN Reform Agenda is desirable.
• Solid experience in using MS Office package and web-based management systems.
Language requirements: • Fluency in English, both written and oral communication skills
Applicants are required to fill and sign a P11 Form and submit it together with Curriculum Vitae on the online application.
UNDP will only be able to respond to those applications in which there is further interest.
No comments:
Post a Comment