Consultant

(Evaluation Expert for Capacity Building- P4 Equivalent), (Kosovo (Prishtina/Pristina) and home office ), Deadline:23 January 2011

ORGANIZATIONAL LOCATION:
UN-HABITAT

DUTY STATION:

Kosovo (Prishtina/Pristina) and home office

FUNCTIONAL TITLE:

Consultant (Evaluation Expert for Capacity Building- P4 Equivalent)

DURATION:

23 Working days within the period February through April 2011

TENTATIVE STARTING DATE

14 February 2011

CLOSING DATE:

23 January 2011

Background

UN-HABITAT has been actively assisting Kosovo institutions in the field of governance, spatial planning and municipal administration since 1999. In 2005, the “Municipal Spatial Planning Support Programme” MuSPP) was launched with financial support of the Swedish Government. This programme focussed on the municipalities of six secondary cities and the delivery of technical support for spatial planning i.e. the preparation of Municipal Development Plans and Urban Development Plans (MDPs/UDPs). The Programme is currently in its second phase - MuSPP2. The MuSPP2 teams have been reorganised into four regional teams that are providing technical assistance and advisory services to 8 municipalities on a range of planning issues and projects. These include: the development of Municipal and Urban development plans and Urban Regulatory Plans; transport and mobility policy and projects; public space planning and design; capital investment projects in central city public spaces; inter-municipal and cross border cooperation. This Programme also includes the newer and smaller municipalities that can be served by the regional offices.

Purpose of the assignment

The purpose of the independent review is to assess the achievement of results attributable to the interventions of the MuSPP 2 with the focus on the sustainability of capacity building and to provide UN-HABITAT and its partners with lessons learned and forward looking recommendations for the next phase of the Programme.

In performing the task, the consultant will report directly to the Chief Technical Advisor.

The specific objectives of the evaluation are to:

Explore views and opinions of counterparts, partner municipalities and the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, on the impact of MuSPP 2 in relation to individual and institutional capacity building;
Identify key lessons from the Programme implementation with reference to capacity building and the sustainability of its results;
Provide forward looking recommendations for continuation of the Programme activities and monitoring of its progress with specific focus on individual and institutional capacity building.
The consultant shall propose the methodology for conducting the independent review.

Deliverables
The Consultant will deliver the following outputs in accordance with the contractual requirements:

Outline of proposed methodology and work-plan for collecting and analysing the information for the preparation of the final report.
Draft report
Final report
For the timing of all components reference is made to the Implementation schedule. All deliverables will be in a hard copy and electronic version.

Management of the Review Process
An independent Consultant will be responsible for conducting the independent review and for producing the required deliverables. MuSPP 2 management will provide comments to the draft report to be addresses in the final version.

MuSPP/UN-HABITAT will be responsible for:

Providing all required documentation and briefings to the consultant,
Facilitating access to key reviewers/informants,
Providing logistical support,
Reading the draft report and giving comments,
Sharing the results with partners, donors and stakeholders.
The Consultant will be responsible for:

Conducting and delivering results of the review as outlined above;
Demonstrating professional and ethical standards in conducting the task;
Performing his/her task in line with the allocated time-frame;
Informing MuSPP 2 management about progress of the independent review;
Delivering high quality final report of the review.
Qualification and skills of evaluation consultant
The consultant will be selected based on demonstrated competencies in conducting programme evaluation focused on sustainability of results of individual and institutional capacity building.
The recommended profile of the Consultant includes:

Masters degree in development studies, local governance, urban planning or other relevant discipline. The candidate should preferably be specialized in the field of capacity building and/or human resources development;
Demonstrated ability to evaluate development assistance projects in the municipal and urban development sector with the focus on capacity building;
Ability to write and structure reports clearly and concisely in English
Experience in working in post conflict and developing economy environment,
Strong inter-personal and presentation skills.
Competencies
Professionalism: Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Good research, analytical and problem-solving skills. Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results. Communication: Excellent and effective written and oral skills; ability to persuade people with varying points of view and to present information in a concise and accurate manner, ability to clearly communicate links between the organizations. Planning and Organizing: Proven ability to plan, coordinate and monitor own work and that of others. Ability to work under pressure and uses time efficiently. Identifies priority activities and assignments, adjust priorities as required. Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by valuing others ideas and expertise and is willing to learn from others;

Implementation Schedule
The tentative start of the consultancy is scheduled for 14 February 2011 and the final report from the independent review to be delivered by 13th April 2011. The Consultant shall conduct preparatory work at the home office and undertake a visit to Kosovo to conduct the review. The final report writing shall take place at the home office.

Activity / Location / Duration (days)

Tentative Dates / (tbc)

Review of MuSPP 2 documents (Programme document and Progress Reports) / Home based / 4
Third week of February 2011

Consultations in Kosovo and field visits, meetings with counterparts and stakeholders, debriefing MuSPP 2 management/staff on the findings, presenting key points of the review / Kosovo / 10

First/second week of March, 2010

Draft report writing and submission / Home based / 6

By end of March 2010

Finalisation of the Report after comments from MuSPP 2 management / Home based / 3

By 13th April / 2011

Total working days / 23

Language

For the post advertised, excellent proficiency in spoken and written English is required.

Suggested Schedule
The consultancy work is expected to be for a period of 23 working days within a period of 2 months. Tentative starting date is 14th February 2011.

Remuneration
Payments will be based on deliverables over the consultancy period. There are set remuneration rates for consultancies. The rate is determined by functions performed and experience of the consultant. The fees will be paid on a monthly basis in line with the approved work plan upon completion and acceptance of the outputs as specified in section Outputs/Deliverables above.

Please note that applications received after the closing date stated above, will not be given consideration. Only short-listed candidates whose applications respond to the above criteria will be contacted for interview.

Important Note
Please be advised that since April 15th 2010, applicants for consultancy must be part of the UN-HABITAT Consultants database (e-roster) in order for their application to be considered. You can reach the Consultant Web site through the following link: http://e-roster.unhabitat.org/

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