UNDP Jobs - 58574- Review of the Civil Service Reform Programme

Review of the Civil Service Reform Programme

Location :

Banjul, GAMBIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

13-Aug-2015

Application Deadline :

06-Aug-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

5 Weeks

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

5 Weeks

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

The Personnel management Office in collaboration with the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) seeks suitably qualified company or person (s) to conduct an analytical study of the impact of the Civil Service Reform Programme 2012-2015, which will phase out in December 2015.

The Civil Service Reform Programme 2012-2015 presents a program to implement the Civil Service Reform Strategy in the medium term aligned to the national frame work of the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE) as well as Vision 2020.

Thus, the programme goal, purposes and outputs are underpinned by the Government’s development strategy for 2012-2015, the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (PAGE). The PAGE which is a medium term plan towards the attainment of Gambia’s Vision 2020 and the Millennium Development Goals, has one of its major theme as strengthening government institutions, to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency in public service delivery and also implicitly enhancing the capacity of the civil service to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate the policies required for the successful execution of the PAGE.

The Personnel Management Office (PMO), Office of the President, which is the Operational Manager of the Civil Service Environment of the Public Service, has set itself a vision that will ensure at all times a Civil Service that is highly motivated, professional, dedicated, effective, efficient and responsive to national development goals and objectives. It is against this background of the convergence of the demands of PAGE and the vision of the PMO for the civil service that the programme goal and the underpinning purposes have been derived. The programme covers the entire civil service the Management Development Institute.

Programme goals and objectives

The Programme goal is to have a competent, professional and results oriented civil service at all times that delivers quality service to the people in a cost effective and efficient manner.

The programme purposes related to the programme goal are four, namely:

To build the capacities of Ministries and Departments to deliver on their mandates, especially with respect to PAGE and beyond;
To provide and improve remuneration and pension levels to attract and retain staff;
To inculcate and nurture a performance management culture in the civil service;
To provide systems, tools and processes for improved services delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope and Objectives of Consultancy

The objective of this study is to provide “just-in-time” input in helping Government to make policy decisions and develop a long term framework 2016-2025, for civil service reform activities that respond to actual challenges in public service delivery. Therefore, the study will assess the implementation of the Civil Service Reform Programme 2012-2015since the commencement of the implementation of its planned activities. Hence, it will analyse the activities implemented as well as their outputs alongside actual results achieved and as well, establish the impact against set goals of the Programme. It will also develop a Draft Civil Service Reform Programme which will be in two phases: Civil Service Reform Programme 2016-2020 and Civil Service Reform Programme 2017-2025 to match the current and future needs of the civil service.

More specifically, the review will:

Assess the relevance: the extent to which the activities designed and implemented were suited to set priorities of the Civil Service Reform Programme 2012-2015 in terms of the priorities and policy objectives of the civil service and wider economic and social development goals;
It should also look to what extent the objectives of the programme are still valid.

Assess effectiveness:

The extent to which the activities implemented has achieved its intended outputs and objectives;
To what extent has the Reform programme been able to deliver against its objectives?
How many and which of the intended outputs have or have not been delivered as planned? (The results and progress of the programme in terms of achieved outputs versus planned outputs or to the extent possible progress against outcomes);
What concrete success have been registered by the Civil Service Reform Programme? (output results achieved against inputs and budgets used);
How effective has the Civil Service Reform Programmebeen managed from an operational perspective?
What key challenges have hampered the delivery of intended purposes of the Prorganmme?

Assess efficiency, measurement of the outputs in relation to the inputs:

Was support (financial and technical) adequate in achieving desired objectives and intended results of the programme;
Was the management structure of the Programme appropriate for achieving desired objectives? If not, what were the key weaknesses;
Were results delivered in a reasonable proportion to the operational and other cost?
Were the funds of the reform Programme utilized as planned? If not, why;
Was there appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanism put in place to monitor progress?

Assess sustainability:

Assess the ability of supported activities and functions to continue after the programme ends:
Will the outputs delivered through the programme activities be sustained by national capacities after the end of the programme? If not, why;
Will there be adequate funding available to sustain the functionality over the short, medium and long term?

The extent to which the programme brings together relevant stakeholders to achieve set objectives:

Did partnership and resource mobilisation proceed as planned and met programme requirement as planned?
Have relationships with key partners functioned as planned? If not, why;
Assess the viability of the Civil Service Reform Programme 2012-2015 to serve as a basis for the revised reform programme for the civil service in terms of design, scope, implementation, partnerships, and management.

Main Tasks for the Consultant (s):

Review of the Civil Service Reform Programme 2012-2015 and other relevant documents to assess the extent to which the activities designed and implemented were suited to set priorities;
Conduct interviews, survey etc, to get the views of civil servants;
Assess and analyse the extent to which the IDF Civil Service Reform Project has achieved its intended outputs and objectives;
Assess and analyse the extent to which the IDF Civil Service Reform Project has help achieved the Propramme’s goal;
Identify opportunities as well as challenges in the implementation of planned activities;
Identify other countries experience relevant to the Gambian context;
Produce a review report that will comprehensively provide the progress made thus far and the lessons learnt during the implementation of the programme;
Specify amendments to existing Civil Service Reform Programme 2012-2015 which will facilitate the development of the Reform Programme for the period 2016-2025;
Provide concrete recommendations on how to strengthen the envisaged medium –term Civil Service Reform Programme that contributes to national development agenda and sustainable socio-economic development of the country;
Provide a strategic document to serve as a guide in developing a reform programme for the period 2016-2025.

Expected deliverables

The key deliverables by the consultant (s) are:

An evaluation inception report outlining:

Interpretation of the TOR;
Design of the evaluation;
Detailed work plan;
Data collection tools/instruments;
Presentation of preliminary findings and final results to key stakeholders;
High quality Report: (First draft)on the findings of the study, challenges and possible recommendations to overcome challenges, as well as a Draft Civil Service Reform Programme, to serve the period -2016-2020/2017-2025for discussion during the validation workshop;
Civil Service Reform Programme 2016-2020/2017-2025.

Method and Approach

The assignment should provide an objective and accurate review of the implementation of the Civil Service Reform Programme 2012-2015, against set objectives. Thus, the study will be wide-ranging, consultative and participatory, involving a combination of desk reviews, analyses, and interviews. While interviews are a key instrument, all analysis must be based on observed facts to ensure that the evaluation is sound and objective. Furthermore, it will also make a comparison of the Civil Service Reform Programme 2012-2015 vis-à-vis international best practices to analyse as well as provide sound and tangible recommendations. The consultant should provide an extensive discussion of the methodology he/she wishes use in the proposal.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Excellent team player with good interpersonal skills;
Ability to manage workload with minimum supervision;
Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines;
Ability to accommodate additional demands at short notice.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters degree in human resources, or related field in the social sciences.

Experience:

A minimum of 10 years of professional experience in civil service reform, preferably in developing countries related performance management, pay and pension reforms, and capacity development;
Experience working with UNDP, World Bank and other major donors on civil service reforms.

Language:

Excellent communication skills in the English language is required.