Jobs - 55496- International Consultant to Assist United Nations

International Consultant to Assist United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Turkmenistan to Develop a Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy and M&E Plan for the 2016-2020 Turkmenistan-UN Partnership Framework for Development (UNPFD) Document

Location :

Ashgabat, TURKMENISTAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

21-Apr-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

25 working days over 10 weeks month starting from 1 May 2015 to 1th July 2015

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

25 working days over 10 weeks month starting from 1 May 2015 to 1th July 2015

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

Throughout 2014, the United Nations system in Turkmenistan worked with the Government of Turkmenistan to develop the 2016-2020 Turkmenistan - United Nations Partnership Framework for Development (PFD) document to succeed the current 2010-2015 UNDAF. To this end, the 2016-2020 PFD document has been finalized and approved by the Government of Turkmenistan with the Results and Resources Framework (RRF) annexed to it. In addition, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF have developed their Country Programme Documents based on the 2016-2020 PFD and submitted them to their Executive Boards.

During the 2010-2015 UNDAF cycle, carrying out effective monitoring and evaluation was one of the main implementation challenges. Despite the UNDAF was signed by the Government, there was no real ownership for the implementation of the framework. The UNDAF implementation was limited to outputs level and it was mainly driven by the UN agencies. Four UNDAF Outcome Groups primarily reported on the implemented activities within four outcomes of the Framework communicated to the Government during regular annual reviews. The challenges voiced during these meetings, including difficulties of monitoring and evaluation, have never found support or interest from the side of Government partners. Absence of data to establish baselines and measure targets and proper monitoring and evaluation structure to track progress was one of the reasons of inefficient M&E process. As the final evaluation of the UNDAF pointed out “the Government of Turkmenistan did not agree to the UNDAF Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework that had been developed, which had profound effects on all aspects of UNDAF implementation1.” Since the Government did not own the 2010-2015 UNDAF, the genuine collaboration was absent, working groups lost their rationale for meetings; M&E of the progress became problematic, therefore measuring impact was impossible.

This, along with other important recommendations, has been incorporated into the new 2016-2020 PFD. The new agreed PFD now reflects:

A clear set of partnership principles;
Deeper engagement and stronger lead role of national partners in the implementation of the PFD targets;
A clear set of cross cutting strategies for the implementation of the five priority areas;
A clear focus on access and provision of quality data and research to support evidence based policy making;
More specific and strategic outcomes with an agreed set of indicators, baselines, and measurable results reflected in the Results and Resources Matrix;
A formal high level steering and coordination structure jointly owned by the GoT and the UN to facilitate progress monitoring, decision-making, and managing for the achievement of outcomes;
The introduction of Results Groups to facilitate work planning, monitoring, and reporting with technical partners (see section 5);
More concerted and sustained effort to communicate the expected results and activities under the PFD to public at large.

The PFD stresses that the outlined results can only be achieved if there is a mutual commitment by the GoT and the UN agencies. The high level steering and coordination arrangements are expected to ensure that ministries effectively collaborate with the UN and that the UN support for the achievement of the outcomes is delivered in a coherent way.

In view of the above, the UNCT, with the assistance from an international consultant, intends to develop the Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy, the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan including Calendar with anticipated costs of each activity in the Plan and Calendar for the Turkmenistan-UN Partnership Framework for Development 2016-2020 (PFD). This strategy and concrete plan will become a reference document both for the Government and the UN Country Team throughout the period of the joint implementation, measuring and evaluation of the progress achieved against the stated PFD results.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work:

Develop a Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy and Plan for the TKM-UN PFD 2016-2020.

The overarching goal of the M&E Strategy and plan is to stipulate the process of establishing a robust and sustainable M&E system(s) both within the Government agencies and UNCT that will enhance the generation of good quality national data for the monitoring and evaluation purposes of the PFD. This will also strengthen the cooperation and enhance greater joint accountability of the Government and UN toward implementation of the PFD.

The Strategy will attempt to describe how the partners including UN agencies will undertake monitoring and evaluation of PDF outcomes and indicators.

Under the overall supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator, the international consultant shall:

Review the lessons learned in monitoring the current Turkmenistan UNDAF 2010-2015 document;
Read in–depth the TKM-UN Partnership Framework for Development (PFD) 2016-2020 including the Results and Resources Framework (RRF) of the PFD particularly the indicators under each of the 8 outcomes, Section 5 Coordination and Implementation and Section 6: Monitoring, Reporting, and Evaluation in the Narrative of PFD:
Read the monitoring and evaluation plans prepared by UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA for their next 5 year country plans that are expected to be aligned to the PFD;
Meet with Heads of UN agencies (HoA) to understand the extent to which they can help their respective ministry they support to strengthen their ministries’ monitoring system to accommodate relevant PFD indicators;
Conduct a presentation on the best practices and KEY aspects that should be considered in developing an M&E strategy and Plan for PFD/UNDAF that will be jointly monitored by the government and the UN agencies. Include a clear section on possible risks. Reference can be made to UNDAF guidelines and the UNDG RBM Handbook;
Provide feedback (based on discussion with HoA) on your understanding if the system for collecting data/monitoring should be done by relevant ministries within their existing monitoring system or a new system should be developed specifically for PFD and the implications if a new system needs to be established;
Provide options (having completed all activities set out above) for a monitoring system within the structure proposed in Section 5 and 6 in the narrative and the defined indicators in RRF that incorporates all aspects that need to be included (as defined in 9 below);
Provide a suggested layout, i.e. table of contents, for a M&E Strategy and Plan that sets out HOW best to jointly (government and UN) monitor the RRF based on realities of Turkmenistan;
Develop the M&E Strategy and Plan based on the preferred layout and option (agreed by the UN and TKM (see item above)) for a monitoring system.

The Strategy and Plan will include the following:

The process of monitoring, and how progress data will be collected and analyzed, the methodologies (tools) involved and how this monitoring information/analysis will be used;
Estimates of the human, financial and material resource requirements for implementation in the M&E strategy and Plan;
A mechanism that facilitates the flow of monitoring information to decision makers without compromising on quality of data and data collection processes;
Broad recommendations on how existing UN and national monitoring and evaluation capacities could be strengthened to operationalize the M&E Strategy, accepting that an evaluation of government monitoring system is not part of this TOR;
Updated TOR for the Results Groups (RGs) to include clear roles and responsibilities for PFD monitoring, evaluation and reporting;
Recommendations to strengthen capacities of the RGs to effectively perform their functions;
Templates for the RGs’ annual reports.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

Review relevant documents to be provided by RCO and UN Agencies, including: 2010-2015 UNDAF Evaluation, the 2016-2020 PFD and RRF, Agency CPDs, TORs for NSCC and Result Groups; with a particular focus on certain sections of documents as outlined in Scope of Works (within 10 working days of in country mission) - 10 in country mission days ;
Meet with UN HoA to discuss how and to what extent UN agencies can support respective ministry to strengthen their monitoring system to accommodate relevant PFD indicators (within 10 working days of an in-country mission) -10 in-country mission days;
Make a presentation to the UNCT on best practices and KEY aspects to be considered in developing M&E Strategy and Plan with elaboration of possible risks (within 10 working days of an in-country mission)- 10 in-country mission days;
Give feedback on whether data collection and monitoring should be done by relevant ministries within their existing monitoring system or a new system should be developed for PFD and implications of establishing a new system (within 10 working days of an in-country mission)-10 in-country mission days;
Provide options for a monitoring system within the structure proposed in Section 5 and 6 in the narrative and the defined indicators in RRF that incorporates all aspects that need to be included, as defined in 9 below (within 10 working days of an in-country mission)-10 in-country mission days;
Provide a suggested layout, i.e. table of contents, for a M&E Strategy and Plan that sets out HOW best to jointly (government and UN) monitor the RRF based on realities of Turkmenistan (within 10 working days of an in-country mission)-10 in-country mission days;
Provide a draft M&E Strategy and Plan based on the preferred layout and option (agreed by the UN and TKM (see item above) for a monitoring system (within 10 days of receiving UN feedback on the draft)-5 home-based days.

The strategy and plan will include the following:

The process of monitoring, and how progress data will be collected and analyzed, the methodologies (tools) involved and how this monitoring information/analysis will be used;
Estimates of the human, financial and material resource requirements for implementation in the M&E strategy and Plan;
A mechanism that facilitates the flow of monitoring information to decision makers without compromising on quality of data and data collection processes;
Broad recommendations on how existing UN and national monitoring and evaluation capacities could be strengthened to operationalize the M&E Strategy, accepting that an evaluation of government monitoring system is not part of this TOR;
Updated TOR for the Results Groups (RGs) to include clear roles and responsibilities for PFD monitoring, evaluation and reporting;
Recommendations to strengthen capacities of the RGs to effectively perform their functions;
Templates for the RGs’ annual reports;
Address comments of UN Agencies and submit the final draft M&E Strategy and Plan for the 2016-2020 PFD;

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant is expected to work on output basis in coordination with the UN Coordination Analyst under the overall guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator. She/he shall update the UNCT on the progress of implementation of the assignment. All organizational support and necessary meetings for the expert will be facilitated by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office.

Duration of the Work

The duration of the assignment is expected to be a maximum of 25 working days over 10 weeks month starting from 1 May 2015 to 1th July 2015. The expert will have home-based work with 1 in-country mission of 10 working days.

Payment Conditions

This is a lump sum contract that should include costs of consultancy and other costs required to produce the above deliverables. The final schedule will be agreed upon in the beginning of the consultancy.

Payment will be done in two installments based on the quality and timeliness of presented outputs after acceptance of them by the UN Country Team:

Upon submission of the first draft of the M&E Strategy for the 2016-2020 PFD (40% of total fee);
Upon submission of the finalized version the M&E Strategy, Plan and Calendar for 2016-2020 PFD and recommendations for the UNCT (60% of total fee).

All costs related to the assignment will be covered through a special fund based on the agreement reached within the UNCT.

Competencies

Shares knowledge and experience and provides helpful feedback and advice;
Ability to identify beneficiaries’ needs, and to match them with appropriate solutions;
Excellent communication and interview skills;
Excellent analytical and report writing skills;
Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view;
Ability to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints;
Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback;

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree in international development, development economics, public administration, or related fields;

Experience:

At least 7 years of professional experience in international development work including on M&E issues;
Substantive knowledge of United Nations Country Programming processes and frameworks, including UNDAF guidelines;
Understanding and familiarity with Central Asia and the Turkmenistan country context will be an asset;

Language:

Excellent English writing and editing skills;
Knowledge of Russian language will be an asset.

Evaluation Criteria

The consultant will be evaluated against a combination of technical and financial criteria. Maximum score is 100.

Out of the maximum score, the score for technical criteria equals 70% - maximum 70 points, and for financial criteria 30% - maximum 30 points.
The technical evaluation (70%, or max 70 points) will take into account the following as per the scoring provided:

University degree – 10 points;
Years of professional experience – 25 points;
Understanding of regional/ country context – 10 points;
Language skills – 10 points;
Detailed methodology to carry out the assignment – 15 points.

Financial proposal – 30% of total evaluation – max 30 points.

Only the highest ranked candidates found qualified for the job will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Recommended Presentation of Offer
All applicants shall submit:

Cover letter explaining why they are the most suitable candidate for the assignment;
Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from

http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc; please upload the P11 instead of your CV.

A detailed methodology indicating phases, tasks, methods, techniques, time, resources, accessibility and tools to be applied for successful completion of the assignment. Submission of 1-2 samples of previous products would be desirable;

Financial proposals for implementation of the assignment

All applicants shall submit a detailed, carefully considered and justified financial statement based on a lump sum, specifying (1) a daily fee for the tasks and an estimated duration as specified in this announcement and (2) any other possible costs (including vaccinations, travel to and from the mission, dwelling, etc.).

Additional requirements for recommended Individual Contractor

If the successful candidate is more than 62 years of age, he/she shall be required to undergo a full medical examination.