UNDP Jobs - 49178- International Consultant for Mid-term Evaluation o

International Consultant for Mid-term Evaluation of the Project on Operationalization of the Constitutional Chamber of the Kyrgyz Republic

Location :

Bishkek city, KYRGYZSTAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Oct-2014

Application Deadline :

03-Sep-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

15 working days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic has been implementing the project “Support to operationalization of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic” funded by the European Union since November 2013. The main goal was to help the Constitutional Chamber (CC) of the Kyrgyz Republic in the difficult period of its history to smoothly operationalize and to develop high quality performance procedures thereby creating a trusted organization that accomplishes its mission as the final authority and guarantor of the Constitution with the Law. Besides the CC, the assistance also embraced other selected institutions, such as Parliament, the Presidential Office, civil society organizations, courts, legal professionals, and the media. These are logical partners and may play an important role in the set-up of the new CC and ensuring favorable conditions. The project contributes to improved interaction and understanding of stakeholders and civil society of the roles and functions of the CC, help guarantee necessary consensus, and align CC factual operations with its legal framework. Additionally, the project aids the CC and other agencies in achieving the objectives they are tasked with under the Constitution, using the European “best practices”, as well as the experiences of countries across the world. It is expected that by complementing and reinforcing each other’s functions, these institutions will ultimately contribute to the stable progress of the society and appropriate setup of the constitutional justice.

Overall , the project is aimed at achieving the following specific objectives such as:

Create an enabling environment for smooth operationalization of the CC and effective constitutional justice;
Assist with establishing effective communication process to highlight improved CC performance and improve public perception;
Assist with institutional and individual capacity-building measures which help the CC accomplishing its mission.

The project complements another European Union initiative to be implemented by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe in its efforts to support the Kyrgyz authorities in improving the quality and efficiency of the national justice system. The project focuses on enhancing efficiency, independence, and capacity of judges by proving knowledge and strategic advice.

Duties and Responsibilities

An overall approach and method for conducting project evaluation of UNDP supported projects have been developed over time. The Consultant 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 Final 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 B). The Consultant is expected to amend, complete and submit this matrix as part of an evaluation report, and shall include it as an annex to the final report. The evaluation report should include assessment on gender responsiveness of key project results.

The evaluation must provide evidence-based information that is credible, reliable and useful. The Consultant is expected to follow a participatory and consultative approach ensuring close engagement with counterparts, UNDP Country Office, project team and key stakeholders. Interviews will be held with the following organizations and individuals at a minimum:

Project team;
UNDP Country Office;
European Union;
Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of the KR;
Presidential Office;
Parliament;
Legal professionals;
Government and its ministries;
Civil society organizations.

The Consultant will review all relevant sources of information, such as the project document, project reports – including AWP, progress reports, project files, national strategic, government and legal documents, and any other materials that the Consultant considers useful for this evidence-based assessment. A list of documents that the project team will provide to the Consultant for review is included in Annex A of this Terms of Reference.

The Consultant should make an analysis on Project’s achievements:

Analyse the Project’s results against the planned ones;
Identify achievements undertaken by the Project and review their sustainability;
Assess impact made by the Project in building national capacity;
Identify areas for improvement and lessons learnt;
Review and assess partnership with the government bodies, civil society and international organizations in Project’s implementation.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Fully acquainted with results-based management evaluation and practices;
Sstrong knowledge of UNDP policies and procedures;
Good professional knowledge of the CIS and CA region.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in law, political or social sciences, public administration.

Expetience:

At least 5 years of professional experience in implementation of development projects, strategic planning, M&E, public administration;
Experience in conducting independent evaluations of development projects (at least 3 evaluations);
Experience in development of different manuals, publications or any other materials (3 publications are preferable).

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of Russian is an asset.

Note

All respective forms, including P-11 and Financial Proposal Form can be downloaded at www.kg.undp.org