Background

UNDP has been investing considerable effort over the past decades to strengthen results-based management, programme performance, learning from evaluation, and results reporting. Monitoring and evaluation capacities at country office level have been consistently increasing since the 2011 revision of UNDP evaluation policy. The quality of decentralized evaluations has also been steadily increasing since 2011. Despite these notable improvements, UNDP recognizes the need to further strengthen the decentralized evaluation function and improve quality of decentralized evaluations. The independent review of UNDP evaluation policy completed in 2014, suggested, among other important recommendations, to “…introduce and enforce effective quality assurance systems for decentralised evaluation”. UNDP has designed a Strategy for improving the quality of decentralized evaluation which includes an implementation plan with concrete actions aimed at ensuring independence, impartiality, and quality of decentralized evaluations. The Strategy will encompass change management processes that will establish robust institutional framework for efficient conduct of evaluation function in UNDP.

The proposed consultancy will support the Strategy implementation by developing quality assurance and support system for the decentralized evaluation function. The evaluation quality assurance and support system represent one of the building blocks for implementation of UNDP strategy for improving the quality of decentralized evaluation. The system will aim at safeguarding key evaluation principles of independence, credibility and utility of evaluations. This system will be used a main guidance for all decentralized evaluations undertaken by UNDP and its consultants.

Duties and Responsibilities

This consultancy is being commissioned by the Development Impact Group (DIG), and is intending to support implementation of the UNDP strategy for improving quality of decentralized evaluations. Under the overall supervision of the Development Impact Group Chief, the consultant will undertake a research of existing evaluation quality assurance systems and propose a system to be applied by UNDP.

The key tasks to be performed by the consultant are listed below:

  • Conduct desk review of existing evaluation quality assurance systems developed and used in the UN system and other development agencies;
  • Develop recommendations for the evaluation quality assurance system to be used by UNDP;
  • Interview relevant UNDP staff at HQ, regional and country office level to identify possible areas for improvement and solicit feedback on the proposed recommendations for the UNDP evaluation quality assurance system;
  • Based on the analysis and feedback received, develop a fully costed concept of the quality assurance model for decentralized evaluation function in UNDP with detailed description of each element/component;
  • Support initial roll-out of the system by providing concrete recommendations for integration of the relevant processes into the UNDP procedures and guidance, and advising Regional Hubs and country office practitioners on model implementation.

Methodology

Scope 

The evaluation quality assurance system to be developed through this assignment, is intended to address the issues of quality, impartially and utility of decentralized evaluations. In this regard, the consultant will review – conduct a desk study – of similar systems used by the United Nations and other development organizations in order to develop recommended options to be used by UNDP. The consultant will seek to obtain data from a range of sources, including desk review and analysis of documents, assessments and evaluations and interviews with relevant personnel in UNDP. The consultancy will also look at lessons learned from the previous assessments – including 2014 independent Evaluation Policy Review, 2014 “Analysis of the evaluation function in the United Nations system” by Joint Inspection Unit, and any other assessment that may provide a perspective on factors that affect quality and utility of decentralized evaluation function in UNDP and across the UN system. The findings should be used to develop recommended options for the UNDP evaluation quality assurance system.

Based on the analysis and findings, the consultant will develop recommended options for the UNDP evaluation quality assurance system. The elements of the proposed options will be discussed with selected staff of UNDP – RBM/M&E advisors and/or specialists in regional centers and country offices, management and staff of the Development Group of the BPPS and evaluation focal points in the Regional Bureaux of UNDP.

Inception:  The consultant will be required to develop and submit an inception report within the first two weeks of the assignment. The inception report should contain a detailed description of the proposed assignment methodology and approach and a clear work plan for completion of the assignment.

Management arrangements, deliverables and timeline:

Management arrangements 

The consultant will work under the supervision of the Development Impact Group Chief, in close collaboration with other members of the DIG team, the staff of the UNDP Independent Evaluation Office and other consultants recruited for the related assignments.

Duty station for this assignment is New York – USA and it is a home-based work.  It will include a combination of face-to-face meetings, desk review and analytical work. The consultant will be required to be present at the UNDP offices in New York during the regular office working hours if he/she is called upon for discussions related to the assessment. 

The consultant will be provided with the preliminary list of internal and external sources of information relevant to the assignment, which will be updated by the consultant as part of the inception report submission.

Deliverables:

The consultant will produce a set of reports as follows:

An inception report with the following elements:

  • Description of the assignment methodology and approach;
  • Clear work plan for completion of the review;
  • List of internal and external sources of information relevant to the assignment;
  • List of people to be interviewed.

A draft report:

  • The draft report with the detailed description of proposed evaluation quality assurance system and practical,  cost-effective options to be considered by UNDP management for application;
  • De-briefing workshop/meeting to present the proposed model and options to UNDP staff and management.

Final report

The final report should include:

  • A summary of conclusions from of the discussions held with UNDP staff and management on the proposed options for the evaluation quality assurance system;
  • Fully-costed work plan for the implementation of the evaluation quality assurance system with indicative timelines for implementation.

Timeline

The consultancy will commence on December 10, 2015 and will be completed no later than May 15, 2016 in accordance with the following indicative timeline:

Indicative timeline:

  • 10-20 December 2015       (9 working days) - Briefings with Development Impact Group; meetings with relevant stakeholders; agreement on activities & timeframes, development of review methodology; preparation and submission of the inception report.
  • 27 December 2015 – 18 January 2016 (20 working days) - Research and analysis of quality assurance systems; elaboration of the model and preparation of options and recommendations;
  • 19 -22 January 2016 – 4 working days Presentation of initial findings and discussions on the options for the new system.
  • 25 January - 12 February 2016  (15 working days) - Elaboration of the draft concept paper for the quality assurance model with detailed description of each component;
  • 19-26 February 2016 (1 working day for face-to-face meetings) - Presentation of the draft concept paper for the evaluation quality assurance model to the UNDP team and feedback;
  • 29 February – 11 March 2016 – Revision of draft concept paper for the evaluation quality assurance model and submission of final concept paper;
  • 4  - 29 April 2016 (20 working days) - Support model roll-out and implementation, and submission  of final report.

Key deliverables

  •  By 21st December 2016 - Inception report containing: Approach; Key review questions and qualitative analysis methodology; Preliminary analytical framework to be used Work plan and timeframe for completion;
  • By 21st January 2016 - Outline of the draft report and draft concept of the proposed evaluation quality assurance model, including options and recommendations;
  • By 15th February 2016 - Draft concept of the model to be submitted;
  • By 15th March 2016 - Final concept paper for the evaluation quality assurance model to be submitted;
  • By 6th May 2016 - Detailed report describing the model, the level of integration in UNDP procedures, roll-out activities and overall progress of implementation to be submitted.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

  • Excellent methods for content analysis of large bodies of qualitative information;
  • Demonstrates outstanding skills in research and analysis methods;
  • Demonstrates excellent ability to prioritize and focus research questions to produce relevant and useful recommendations;
  • Fully acquainted with results-based management orientation and practices in the UN system;
  • Focuses on client results and impacts;
  • Manages conflict and stress;
  • Produces timely, quality outputs;
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly to summarize complex findings and convey complex achievements in clear results language;
  • Strong skills in data presentation.

Corporate Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP, and partner organizations;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Excellent understanding of international development issues and knowledge of the UN system.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s Degree or equivalent in areas related to Social Sciences, Economics, International Development or related field;
  • Practical training in survey and research analysis, evaluation system design and management is desirable.

Professional Experience:

  • A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional work experience, in areas such as design, management and/or conduct of development evaluations; evaluation system reviews; design and development of evaluation policies, strategies and systems, or other relevant areas;
  • Strong monitoring and evaluation background and sound methodological skills and knowledge of evaluation methods and techniques;
  • Previous experience of working with the UN system or other multilateral development organization is a plus;
  • Experience working collaboratively in small teams with tight deadlines.

Languages:

  • Fluent English. Knowledge of other UN official languages is desirable.

Terms of payment:

The fee is payable upon satisfactory completion and acceptance of the deliverables.

Important note:

Please kindly make sure that you have provided all the requested materials. UNDP reserves the right to disqualify any incomplete submission.

Application procedure:

The application is a two-step process. Failing to comply with the submission process may result in disqualifying the applications:

 Step 1: Submission of Technical Proposals:

Interested individual consultants must include the following documents when submitting the applications in UNDP Job Shop (Please note that only 1 (one) file can be uploaded therefore please include all documents in one file):

  • Technical Proposal (maximum 5 pages): a brief description and justification of the methodological approach proposed to conduct the analytical tasks required for this assignment; demonstrating the applicant’s qualifications and experience will enable him/her to successfully deliver against the requirements of this assignment within the required timeframe; and an indicative work plan including timings.
  • CV or Personal History Form (P11), indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three (3) professional references (the template can be downloaded from this link: http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc .

Step 2: Submission of Financial Proposals:

Applicants are instructed to submit their financial proposals in US Dollars for this consultancy to bpps.procurement@undp.org, using the financial proposal template available here: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_file.cfm?doc_id=45780. The proposals should be sent via email with the following subject heading: “Financial Proposal for Analysis of Performance Factors for the Mid-Term Review of the Strategic Plan, 2014-2017” by the deadline for this vacancy. Proposals to be received after the deadline may be rejected. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal should be all-inclusive and include a detailed breakdown. The term ‘all-inclusive’ implies that all costs (professional fees, assignment- and mission- related travel expenses, communications, utilities, consumables, insurance, etc.) that could possibly be incurred by the Contractor are already factored into the financial proposal. The cost of the assignment shall be linked to the deliverables specified above and reflected in the Section B. of the Financial Proposal template.

Criteria for selection:

Only those candidates who meet the minimum level of education and relevant years of experience requirements will be considered for the technical evaluation. The technical evaluation will include a desk review and may also include interviews with shortlisted candidates.

Combined scoring method – where the qualifications and methodology will be weighted a max of 70%, and combined with the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%.

 Method: cumulative analysis method will be used to evaluate proposals.

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Responsive / compliant / acceptable; and
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

 Technical criteria weight: 70 (70% of total obtainable scores).

Financial criteria weight: 30 (30% of total obtainable scores)

 Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 (70%) points on technical part will be considered for the financial evaluation.

 Criteria and scores for technical evaluation (total 70):

  •  Criteria 1: Suitability of proposed methodological approach [20 pts];
  • Criteria 2:  Suitability of proposed work plan and input days to deliver required deliverables according to requested timeline [10 pts].
  • Criteria 3: Extent of relevant previous experience in design and management of development evaluations; design and development of evaluation policies, strategies and systems [30 pts];
  • Criteria 4: Previous experience of working with the UN system or other multilateral development organization [5 pts];
  • Criteria 5: Relevance of academic qualifications [5 pts].

 Criteria for financial evaluation (30 points maximum):

 The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal:

 p = y (µ/z), where

p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated:y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal.
µ=price of the lowest priced proposal.
z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

The award of contract will be made to the individual consultant who receives the highest combined score out of the weighted technical and financial criteria as specified above.

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS_ INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT (IC) http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/documents/procurement/documents/IC%20-%20General%20Conditions.pdf 

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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.