UNDP Jobs - 71696- International Consultant (Evaluation Team Leader)

International Consultant (Evaluation Team Leader)

Location :

UNDP/LOTFA, Kabul, AFGHANISTAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

22-Apr-17 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

2 Months (with maximum 40 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 Global Mission Statement:

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

UNDP supports stabilization, state-building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP has played a key role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund, which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

Organizational context:

LOTFA is a Trust Fund of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) originally established in 2002 at the request of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIROA) “to support the establishment, payment, equipment and training of the police force in Afghanistan”. LOTFA has been funding on behalf of donors the salary of the Afghan National Police (ANP) since 2002 and of the uniformed prison personnel since 2008. Since 1st November 2002 to 31 December 2010 LOTFA successfully completed its five phases. In 2011 LOTFA entered phase VI, which, in accordance with the increased scope and mandate laid out in the revised project document, received financial contributions from the international community members to fund 3 consolidated pillars (Windows), covering the following prioritized components, over the period from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2014.

Pillar 1: Support to the police remunerations and police infrastructure

Payment of the police force remuneration; and unformed personal employed by the Central Prions Department (CDP) through specifically earmarked contributions;
Procurement, maintenance and operations of non-lethal police equipment and supplies; and
Construction, rehabilitation, maintenance and operation of police facilities.

Pillar 2: Consolidated capacity development and institutional reform

Capacity development and institutional reform of the Ministry of Interior Affairs (MOIA) at the policy, institution and individual Afghan National Police (ANP) level;
Linked to the CD component above, gender orientation (recruitment, training and gender mainstreaming of the police).

Pillar 3: Community Policing: Building of effective police-community partnership under police-e-mardumi project

Building of service delivery oriented police-community partnerships under police-e-mardumi project, based on democratic policing principles.

The institutional oversight mechanisms for LOTFA VI include a Steering Committee comprised of all donors, an independent Monitoring Agent and regular audits besides project and UNDP Country Office periodic monitoring. UNDP is the administrator of the fund and provides technical assistance for the implementation of activities financed under the trust fund. UNDP supported LOTFA VI towards the achievement of the following main outputs:

Output 1: Police force and uniformed personnel of central prisons paid efficiently and timely
Output 2: Police force equipped with required equipment and infrastructure for improved mobility and responsiveness, operational efficiency and morale
Output 3: Capacity of MOIA at policy, organizational and individual level improved in identified areas and administrative system strengthened.
Output 4: Gender Capacity and Equality in the police force improved.
Output 5: Police-community partnership institutionalized for improved local security, accountability and service delivery.

The LOTFA VI transitioned to LOTFA Akheri (LOTFA Phase VII) in December 2014. It was planned that Akheri would be implemented in two phases — an inception phase from January to 30 June 2015 and a second phase that would commence in July 2015 to be completed in 2017. The two-phased approach would allow for alignment with new emerging priorities from the Government of Afghanistan and MOIA in particular, finalization of the divisions of labour with key partners and completion of ongoing assessments.

In December 2014, the newly elected H.E. President Ashraf Ghani instructed UNDP to accelerate and make effective a transition of the payroll functions to the GIROA and to develop national capacity for its efficient and accountable management. H.E. President Ghani and the MOIA set out a vision for the delivery of citizen security and maintenance of the Rule of Law by the MOIA and police.

In a letter dated 24 April 2015, H.E. President Ashraf Ghani instructed his Transition Team and the MOIA to work closely with all donors, and UNDP, to design a LOTFA Transition Plan to succeed the LOTFA Phase 7 (LOTFA Akheri), which started on 1 January 2015. H.E President Ghani’s instructions were based on the need to ensure that the new LOTFA would be aligned with the new reform priorities of MOIA and thus better meet the needs of MOIA and the ANP.

From May to June 2015 a series of intensive joint consultations conducted by the MOIA, UNDP and donors resulted in the design of a revised LOTFA, consisting of two Projects. The Support to Payroll Management Project (SPM), provides exclusively for full MOIA payroll management by December 2016. The MOIA and Police Development (MPD) Project is centred on developing national capacity for self-sustained reform and improvement of the MOIA as an institution, and the police services as instruments for citizen safety and maintenance of the rule of law.

Objective of the Assignment:

As per the UNDP project management cycle, a final evaluation of the project is to be conducted at the end of each project. However, due to the short timeframes for designing the LOTFA Akheri and LOTFA Successor projects, no time was provided to conduct the evaluation. However, the current timeframe is conducive for a final evaluation of LOTFA VI as UNDP is preparing the design and development of the post-2016 LOTFA framework. The Final Evaluation of LOTFA VI will therefore be able to inform this design process. The main purpose of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness and impact of LOTFA VI against its stated objectives from 31 Jan 2011 to 31 Mar 2013 and for its extension period till 31 December 2014.

The findings and recommendations will be insightful for UNDP as it works to improve the planning, design and management of the post-2016 LOTFA framework[1] and for the international community to continue their support to LOTFA.

In the evaluation of LOTFA VI the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, impact and sustainability of UNDP’s involvement and its added value will be considered. The evaluation will examine UNDP’s technical support and oversight control mechanism and assess whether and where UNDP was successful in fulfilling this function and whether some things could have been done better and how.

[1] The government will decide in the second half of 2016 on the continuation of UNDP as trust fund manager for LOTFA. By mid-August 2016, this decision was still pending.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work and Deliverables:

The specific deliverables of this assignment are as follows:

Evaluation Scope and objectives:

The evaluation will cover all priorities of LOTFA VI and results achieved in each priority area. The evaluation team will analyze the design, implementation, outputs, outcome, impact, and sustainability dimensions of LOTFA VI, in line with the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria. In looking at the sustainability dimensions of LOTFA VI, the evaluation team should identify the gaps between the medium and long-term needs of MoIA and LOTFA VI support. The team should also review the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance and sustainability of the project.

Each of these aspects will be assessed through following evaluation questions as follows:

Effectiveness: Provide a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of implementation of LOTFA VI, with regards to the relation between the inputs, outputs, and activities, analyzing whether these are logical and commensurate with the needs and resource allocated to the project. Analyze the quality of program design. Analyze whether activities have achieved satisfactory results in relation to stated objectives short and long term. The evaluation should review all outputs of LOTFA VI and respond the below questions:

Did the ANP and GDPDC personal funded through LOTFA received their monthly remunerations in a timely and effectively manner in all 34 provinces;
How has sustained salary payment of ANP led to increased presence of ANP across the country; Is there a logical correlation between the amount of funding towards salary payment and growth of the police force over time;
Has the Electronic Payroll System (EPS) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) contributed towards accountability and transparency in police salary payment at police payroll stations (PHQs, ANCOP, ABP and CPD);
How effective was the governance arrangement of the project; To what extent has there been collaboration and communication among UNDP, donors and MOIA at the central level; How effective have the capacity development initiatives undertaken by LOTFA been; Have the initiatives been adequate and resulted in sustainable capacity in the target MoI departments at the central, provincial and regional offices;
How effective has LOTFA VI been in addressing the challenges in salary payments through different mechanisms i.e. W-EPS, Trusted agent and mobile money;
Has the capacity development support of LOTFA to the ANP led to an increased performance of police duties by the ANP;
Has contribution towards gender mainstreaming in MoI been cost effective and adequate, leading to greater gender balance and awareness; Have capacity development initiatives towards gender mainstreaming in MoI been effective and efficient; Have these initiatives led to greater recruitment and retention of female police officers; Has the female been promoted to leadership positions in MOIA; Is the gender strategy implementation plan approved and implemented in term of achieving its objectives;
Have the SIVAS-trained female police been deployed to their duty stations or have they become part of the reservist forces; How has SIVAS training contributed to the effectiveness of trained staff in terms of their performance and contribution to relevant departments in MOIA;
How effectively has LOTFA VI contributed to the establishment and functionality of the police women councils; What are their achievements so far;
How effectively has LOTFA VI contributed to the functionality of the 119 emergency call centers; What are the opinions of local community about 119 in terms of responsiveness and addressing the issues related safety and security;
How effective and efficient were the lines of reporting between UNDP and MOIA, and how clear was the division of responsibilities and accountability of various functions and activities between the government and UNDP;
How was the overall project designing process; Was it designed though a consultative process with MOIA counterparts, donors and other stakeholders;
Was the oversight role provided by the UNDP country office effective; Were there oversight control mechanisms in place and was UNDP successful in fulfilling this function.

Efficiency:

What was the quality and timeliness of the implementation of activities and the responsiveness of the project to adapt and respond to changes and challenges; What were the risks and how effective was expectation management;
What was the international partners’ role in LOTFA VI including funding, implementation of activities, communication and overall coordination;
Has LOTFA VI been delivered in an efficient manner making the best use of the resources available;
Has LOTFA VI successfully delivered on the results as identified under each of the project outputs; What were the major factors that influenced the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives;
Were the organizational structure, management, planning and implementation processes effective and efficient;
Did the programme/intervention use the resources in the most economical manner to achieve its objectives; Have the resources invested led to the achievement of the intended results; What lessons can be taken going forward on how to increase the efficiency of LOTFA;
How effective and efficient was UNDP’s support in each of the various areas where UNDP was involved (UNDP support at the central, provincial, operational and technical level).

Sustainability: The evaluation should have an in depth review of LOTFA sustainability and provide recommendations for future improvements in terms of sustainability, both financially and substantively:

What is the sustainability of the results achieved, with focus on capacities built and ability of the institutions to operate with reduced international technical assistance in the future;
To what extent have the funding requirements for the LOTFA VI been met and how have shortfalls been managed; How predictably and regularly have resources been supplied to LOTFA VI; What can be done to improve the predictability and sustainability/efficiency of fund raising;
To what extent are LOTFA VI’s capacity building initiatives/trainings sustainable in MOIA to operate with reduced international technical assistance in the future;
To what extent is the GOIRA taking measures for the fiscal sustainability of the ANP;
What is the possible scope of future support including exit strategy and recommendations on how best the project can maximize the transfer of project activities and resources to MOIA in a systemic manner; What are other resources (both human and financial) to be used to sustain the program;
To what extent has the police code of conduct training been effective and are the code of conduct training materials (i.e. booklets etc.) still being used by the police;
What is needed for the programme/intervention to be adapted/replicated further; What are people’s resources, motivation and ability to continue these activities in the future.

Impact: Take stock of overall LOTFA impact and respond to the questions below:

What are the results of intervention in terms of changes in the lives of beneficiaries against set indicators;
To what extent has LOTFA VI impacted the wider objective of re-building the ANP; In particular, what changes, both positive and negative, both intended and unintended, can be attributed to the interventions;
What is the estimated impact of the LOTFA VI funding level on the police reform and overall security in the country;
What were the intended and unintended aspects of the program related to the political, security and developmental dimensions;
What were gender mainstreaming challenges and achievements; How did MOIA, supported by UNDP, ensure that women are included in ANP at the national as well as local level;
What would be the key recommendations (at both operational and strategic level) in regards to the future of LOTFA;
What has been the impact of the chosen modality National Implementation Modality (NIM) of project implementation on MOIA Capacity building.

Relevance / National Ownership: UNDP weighs national ownership as the highest priority and it is no different in LOTFA VI. All activities were nationally led and owned for sustainable results’ delivery. Hence, the evaluation should give this aspect specific consideration and respond to the questions below:

What is the value/relevance of the intervention in relation to the national and international partners’ policies and priorities;
How effective was LOTFA VI in garnering national ownership of the activities;
What were good practices; Where was the project not able to deliver on enhancing national ownership and why;
How much support did the Government provide to LOTFA’s efforts to garner national ownership;
Provide a comprehensive analysis of the overall national ownership building efforts and identify strengths and weaknesses.

Methodology:

A team of experts will be hired to engage in a consultative process with the relevant GIROA institutions, International Community, LOTFA Steering Committee members, UNDP Country Office (CO), and to assess the challenges and processes and provide recommendations for the future. The methodology will include:

Desk study: The evaluation team should examine all relevant LOTFA VI documents (including project design, work plans, progress and final reports, assessments, board documents, monitoring reports, etc.). These documents will be provided by UNDP.
Development and finalization of methodology: The evaluation team will have a kick-off meeting with relevant counterparts and will finalize the tools for collection and analysis of data. This will be done in close consultation and discussion with UNDP CO, LOTFA project management, National Director for the project, MoIA and MoF staff and donors.
Field visits: The team should study the work of LOTFA-VI in few representative provinces. The team should also interview with the Provincial Chief of Police, interested civil society organizations, women’s groups, UN relevant agencies, and donors. Furthermore, senior management and other key focal points LOTFA, senior management and other key focal points in UNDP, key managerial and advisory staff in LOTFA support Project, and representatives of all donor partners contributing to LOTFA need to be interviewed (key informant interviews, focus group discussions, as appropriate).
Interviewing line ministries and stakeholders: The evaluator should also hold interviews with line ministries’ officials at central and sub-national level of MOIA, MOF, MOJ and IDLG. The team will also interview local communities, men and women.
Review and finalization of report: The draft of the evaluation report will be shared with all stakeholders for feedback/ comments and inputs incorporated as applicable in the final report.

Evaluation Reference Guidelines

The evaluation should use the following reference guidelines when providing answers to the evaluation questions, which could be refined in the inception report:

Expected Outputs, Deliverables; Timelines and Payment percentage:

Evaluation Product (Deliverables)

The deliverables of the evaluation are comprised of:

Evaluation Work Plan: A work plan specifying the start and end date of the evaluation to identify how and when the evaluation team is going to conduct the evaluation, 5 working days; 10%
Evaluation Inception Report: An inception report should be prepared by the evaluation team before going into the full-fledged data collection exercise. It should detail the evaluation team’s understanding of what is being evaluated and why, showing how each evaluation question will be answered by way of: proposed methods, proposed sources of data and data collection and analysis procedures. The inception report should include a proposed schedule of tasks, activities and deliverables, designating a team member with the lead responsibility for each task or product. Prior to preparing the report, a detailed report format should be submitted for UNDP’s approval. 5 working days; 15%
Presentation of preliminary findings
Draft Evaluation Report: A draft report for review and inputs of all programme partners, 10 working days, 20 %
Workshop: A half-day workshop for all relevant stakeholders at central level where the evaluation team presents and seeks consultation on its findings and recommendations, 5 working days; 15%
Submission and acceptance of Final Evaluation Report: A final report of no more than 50-60 pages plus annexes to be submitted to UNDP 15 working days; 40%

Evaluation Team Composition and Required Competencies

The evaluation team will be comprised of a team of 4 persons (one international programme consultant (team leader) with one international and two national assistants.

The team leader must have a minimum of 15-years of work experience in the following areas:

Security sector or police reform, Institutional strengthening and Capacity building of which at least five years should be experience of working for, or closely partnering with, international organizations working in a developing country context;
Experience in conducting first hand programme evaluations in the UN context utilising a variety of methodologies;
Advance degree in law, public affairs or international developments studies;
Experience in evaluation of law enforcement and capacity building projects;
Extensive experience in conflict countries, institution and state building initiatives;
Knowledge of Afghanistan country context and the state’s institutional framework;
Experience in undertaking evaluation reviews/studies and impact assessments of development projects; Knowledge of management and implementation of Trust Funds;
Ability to present information in transparent and comprehensive manner;
Written and spoken fluency in English, knowledge of local languages is an asset.

Evaluation Ethics

The evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation (UNEG 2008) and the evaluation team must take measures to ensure compliance with the evaluator code of conduct (e.g. measures to safeguard the rights and confidentiality of their sources, provisions to collect and report data, particularly permissions needed to interview or obtain information about children and young people, provisions to store and maintain security of collected information; and protocols to ensure anonymity and confidentiality). The evaluation will also be in line with the UNEG and UNDP Evaluation Norms and Standards.

Implementation Arrangements

UNDP will be responsible for overall coordination and facilitation of the evaluation team activities besides giving logistical support to the mission with support from partners. The consultants will work under the day to day guidance and support of the UNDP Rule of Law and Human Security Unit and report to the Head of Unit. UNDP will be the overall responsible for the evaluation.

Timeframe for the Evaluation Process

The estimated time for the consultant to conduct this evaluation is 20 working days over a period of two months and is scheduled to start in October 2016. A tentative time table is outlined below that could be amended in consultation with UNDP.

Desk review (2 days);
Finalization of the evaluation design and methods and preparing the detailed inception report (3 days);
In-country evaluation mission (visits to the field, interviews, questionnaires) – (20 days);
Analysis of the information collected and preparing the draft report (10 days);
Stakeholder meeting and presentation of the preliminary findings (1 day);
Incorporating comments and finalizing the evaluation report (4 days).

The consultant will be supported by a team of 2 national consultants – one international expert with 40 days of assignment in achieving the above-mentioned deliverables.

Payment Modality:

Payments under the contract shall be delivery based and be made on receipt of the specific milestone reports indicated above, and including a timesheet according to UNDP procurement formats for individual contractors. These shall be as indicated in the table above, and shall be made upon approval by the relevant MPD managers. The draft of the assessment and recommendations will be reviewed by both the MOIA concerned departments and UNDP MPD Management. Upon receipt of final comments, the consultant shall finalize the report for formal acceptance by UNDP at which point the final payment shall be released.

Duty Station:

The duty station Kabul based (40 working days) depending on the needs of the office. The consultant will be required to lead the evaluation team during the in-country mission for a period of 40 working days over a period of two months.

[1] The government will decide in the second half of 2016 on the continuation of UNDP as trust fund manager for LOTFA. By mid-August 2016, this decision was still pending.

Competencies

Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Special skills requirements

Proven knowledge of evaluation methods;
Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP.

Management and Leadership:

Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Ability to lead effectively, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Advanced university degree in relevant disciplines (e.g., international relations, peace and conflict studies, political science, social science, Law and related fields).

Years of experience:

The team leader must have a minimum of 15-years of work experience in the areas of programme management, community recovery, reconciliation, and institutional strengthening;
Experience in organizational management, structures and systems, operations, capacity development, reporting, and monitoring is desired but not essential;
Experience in working internationally at the national and sub national human security sphere;
The Team Leader must have a minimum of two years of work experience in Afghanistan with a specific focus on conflict transformation and peacebuilding processes.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in written and spoken English.

PRICE PROPOSAL AND SCHEDULE OF PAYMENTS

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

Daily Fee – The contractor shall propose a daily fee, which should be inclusive of his professional fee, local communication cost and insurance (inclusive of medical health insurance and evacuation). The number of working days for which the daily fee shall be payable under the contract is 40 working days.
The team shall propose a Living allowance at the Kabul applicable rate of USD 162 per night for their stay at the duty station. The number of nights for which the Living allowance shall be payable under the contract is 55 nights. The consultants are NOT allowed to stay in a place of their choice other than the UNDSS approved places. UNDP will provide MORSS compliant accommodation in UNOCA Complex to the consultants. The payment of accommodation shall be made directly by the consultants.
Travel & Visa – The consultants shall propose an estimated lump-sum for home-Kabul-home travel (economy most direct route) and Afghanistan visa expenses.

The total professional fee, shall be converted into a lumpsum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the abovementioned schedule of payment.

Evaluation Method and Criteria:

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

The award of the contract shall 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%

* Financial Criteria weight 30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria 70 points

Technical Proposal (30 marks)
- Technical Approach & Methodology (20 marks) – This explain the understanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The Applicant should also explain the methodologies proposed to adopt and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach;
- Work Plan (10 marks) – The Applicant should propose the main activities of the assignment, their content and duration, phasing and interrelations, milestones (including interim approvals by the Client), and delivery dates. The proposed work plan should be consistent with the technical approach and methodology, showing understanding of the TOR and ability to translate them into a feasible working plan.
Qualification and Experience (40 marks) [evaluation of CV]
- General Qualification (20 marks);
- Experience relevant to the assignment (20 marks).

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested international consultants (Procurement) must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

Duly accomplished Confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II);
Personal CV or 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.

Technical Proposal:

Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;
A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment and work plan as indicated above.