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The project was designed to: Combat land degradation using integrated cross-sectoral approaches which enable Namibia to reach its MDG #7: “environmental sustainability” and assure the integrity of dryland ecosystems and ecosystem services”. The Programme has two objectives mainly to: build and sustain capacity at systemic, institutional and individual level, ensuring cross-sectoral and demand driven coordination and implementation of integrated sustainable land management (ISLM) activities and; identify cost effective, innovative and appropriate ISLM methods which integrate environmental and economic objectives.

Namibia is classed as the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa. It has a highly variable and unpredictable climate which is subject to great temporal and spatial perturbations in rainfall patterns. Land degradation is an increasing problem, manifest amongst other things in soil erosion, bush encroachment in rangelands, and deforestation. As approximately 70% of ’s population is directly dependent on subsistence agriculture and livestock husbandry, land degradation poses an acute challenge to livelihoods. It is also undermining ecosystem integrity and the global environmental benefits derived from ecological goods and services. The Government of Namibia has identified land degradation as a serious problem which demands remedial intervention, and has recognized that integrated ecosystem management strategies are needed to effectively address the underlying causes. Existing efforts on-the-ground are obstructed by a series of barriers, which undermine their efficacy. Although the Government has been, and remains, fully committed to combating land degradation, insufficient capacity at systemic, institutional and individual levels, and inadequate knowledge and technology dissemination constrain the effectiveness of interventions.

Nine Ministries have agreed, in conjunction with the GEF and its Implementing Agencies, the European Union, GTZ and the NGO community, to overcome these barriers by spearheading a Country Pilot Partnership for Integrated Sustainable Land Management (CPP). The goal of the CPP is to “Combat land degradation using integrated cross-sectoral approaches which enable to reach its MDG #7: “environmental sustainability” and assure the integrity of dryland ecosystems and ecosystem services”. The objectives are i) to build and sustain capacity at systemic, institutional and individual level, ensuring cross-sectoral and demand driven coordination and implementation of sustainable land management (SLM) activities; and, ii) to identify cost effective, innovative and appropriate SLM methods which integrate environmental and economic objectives.

The CPP was envisaged to be implemented in two phases at both national and local levels. During the first phase (2006-2010), GEF activities were envisaged to be carefully applied to build Namibia’s capacity to absorb investments in combating land degradation. At national level, GEF resources were to be dedicated towards building capacity at the systemic, institutional and individual scales to plan, execute and monitor SLM activities. At a local level resource users were to be empowered to assess sustainable land use management options and draw down extension services and support from service providers according to their particular land management needs. Local level activities will identify investment opportunities for SLM that uncover win-win solutions for SLM by testing new adaptation approaches that reduce pressure on land resources and attach an economic value to the conservation and sustainable management of drylands. The second phase (2010 – 2015) will focus on leveraging investments to consolidate progress made in phase 1, scale up best practices which have been identified during the first phase and advance state of the art measures to adapt SLM approaches to anticipated long-term climatic changes. These interventions will ensure that land is not just conserved but also productively used, thus ensuring the social and economic sustainability of SLM beyond the satisfaction of national and global environmental objectives.

The CPP programme has three sub-projects:

• Sustainable Land Management and Adaptive Management (SLM-SAM) is responsible for identifying cost effective, innovative and appropriate SLM methods which integrate environmental and economic objectives. It covers the whole country lead by the Namibia Nature Foundation with service providers, civil society and CBO’s through the development of pilot sites and Integrated Workplans at local level.
• Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) based in the Omusati Region, geared towards enhancing the adaptive capacities of farmers, pastoralists and natural resource managers to climate change in agricultural and pastoral systems in north-central Namibia. Its objective is to develop and pilot a range of effective coping mechanisms that assist subsistence farmers in Namibia’s North-Central regions to better manage and cope with climate change, including variability such as droughts and floods. This sub-project ended in 2011 and a Final Evaluation has been undertaken.
• Enhancing Institutional and Human Resource Capacity through Local Level Coordination of integrated Rangeland Management and Support (CALLC) sub-project contributes towards the second objective of the CPP through its goal of improving natural resources based livelihoods, ecosystem stability, functions and services the Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto Regions. This is where selected local communities, cooperating with a variety of national to local level stakeholders, in the four regions are supported to use and manage their land in a pro-active and sustainable manner, thus contributing to ecosystem stability, functions and services. This sub-project ended in 2011 and a Final Evaluation has been undertaken.

An overall approach and method for conducting project terminal evaluations of UNDP supported GEF financed projects have 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, GEF-financed Projects.    A  set of questions covering each of these criteria have been drafted and are included with this TOR (Annex C) (see ToR attached). 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 GEF operational focal point, UNDP Country Office, project team, UNDP GEF Technical Adviser based in the region and key stakeholders. The evaluator is expected to conduct a field mission to (North Eastern regions, North Central regions, Omaheke, Hardap, Karas, Otjozondjupa, Kunene regions.  The CPP ISLM SAM Innovative Grant Making supports 23 communities with sustainable land management projects. Information on the CCA and CALLC sub-projects will be found in the terminal evaluations concluded in December 2011.

The evaluator will review all relevant sources of information, such as the project document, project reports – including Annual APR/PIR, project budget revisions, midterm review, progress reports, GEF focal area tracking tools, 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 (see ToR attached) of this Terms of Reference.

The consultants shall have prior experience in evaluating similar projects.  Experience with GEF financed projects is an advantage. The evaluators selected should not have participated in the project preparation and/or implementation and should not have conflict of interest with project related activities.

• Knowledge of UNDP and GEF
• Minimum of 5 years previous experience with results-based monitoring and evaluation methodologies;
• Technical knowledge in the targeted focal area(s)
• Experience with working with various stakeholders and leading and managing an evaluation team
• Demonstrated ability and excellent communication skills to facilitate and coordinate interviews and focus group discussions
• Evident data analysis exposure and report writing, as well as excellent English communication skills

• A Masters Degree in natural resources management, social science, development studies, or a relevant field.

• Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience