Background

UNDP and ILO jointly implement a sub-regional project titled Promoting Inclusive Labour Market Solutions in the Western Balkans, with an objective to assist public employment services (PES) and centres for social work (CSW) in their efforts to build more inclusive labour markets. For this purpose, the project supports mandated institutions in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia. The project is co-funded by Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and aim to introduce new and improve existing models, practices and systems for provision of holistic support to people at risk of exclusion from PES-CSW services; better outreach to job seekers and inactive population; more effective information dissemination of labour market information, training and employment opportunities.

Tackling specific labour market barriers of unemployed youth and other vulnerable groups who are unlikely to be reached by standard active labour market policies is central to this project, which is expected to be achieved through three interlinked outputs:

• Labour market governance: Public employment and social service agencies capacitated to provide user-centred approaches, with a focus on vulnerable and hard-to-employ groups;
• Innovation for fostering inclusive labour markets: Innovative programmes developed and promoted to tackle the employment of vulnerable groups and foster inclusive labour markets;
• Knowledge systematization for effective policy making: Convergence towards EU and global good practice enhanced through peer learning and support.

UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub for Europe and the CIS (IRH), ILO Decent Work Team (http://www.ilo.org/budapest/what-we-do/projects/WCMS_522937/lang--en/index.htm)  and Country Office for Central and Eastern Europe, and UNDP local offices in the Western Balkans have been undertaking designated sets of activities as per the regional project document between May 2016 and June 2018. (http://www.rs.undp.org/content/serbia/en/home/ourwork/povertyreduction/social-inclusion/promoting-inclusive-labour-market-solutions-in-the-western-balka.html).

Purpose

A final external project evaluation is envisaged to be commissioned at the end of the project in accordance with UNDP’s and ILO’s evaluation policies and ADA’s guidelines for project evaluations. 

(UNDP: http://web.undp.org/evaluation/guidance.shtml#outcome ; ILO: http://www.ilo.org/eval/Evaluationguidance/WCMS_168289/lang--en/index.htm ; ADA: http://www.entwicklung.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Dokumente/Evaluierung/Evaluierungs_Leitfaeden/EN_Leitfaden_Evaluierung.pdf) 

This evaluation serves for learning and accountability purposes; however, it concerns four specific areas (ADA, 2009):

• Reflecting on experience: documenting achievements and shortcomings inform current and future projects regarding theoretical as well as operational avenues for improvement.
• Transparency: providing evidences regarding the extent to which the results achieved justify the resources spent taking into consideration the project’s predetermined goals and priorities.
• Deepening understanding: providing empirical evidence that provides input into both implementer’s, recipient’s and donor’s considerations about development cooperation including its assumptions, strategies, and limits. 
• Improved communication: showcasing project-specific data and benchmarks that informs and improves the communication between the implementing agency, recipient and donor.

Rationale 

The evaluation shall take OECD DAC evaluation criteria (http://www.entwicklung.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Dokumente/Evaluierung/Evaluierungs_Leitfaeden/EN_Leitfaden_Evaluierung.pdf) into consideration as shown below.

• Relevance - How important is the relevance or significance of the intervention regarding local and national requirements and priorities?
• Effectiveness - Have the objectives of the development interventions been achieved? How big is the effectiveness or impact of the project compared to the objectives planned (Comparison: result – planned)?
• Efficiency - Have the objectives been achieved economically by the development intervention? How big is the efficiency or utilization ratio of the resources used (Comparison: resources applied – results)?
• Impact - (limited coverage) Does the development intervention contribute to reaching higher level development objectives? What is the immediate impact of the intervention in proportion to the overall situation of the target group or those effected?
• Sustainability - (limited coverage) Are the positive effects or impacts sustainable? How is the sustainability or permanence of the intervention and its effects to be assessed?

There will be 5 major pillars that the evaluation should be built upon:

• The initial design and coherence of the project implementation including the log frame matrix. The compliance of theory of change and its assumptions to real project application.
• The extent to which the project has achieved its objectives including the improvement of beneficiary institutions and lives of designated project beneficiaries.
• Reflecting on results, each of which tied to its respective output, and their compliance with strategic priorities as explicitly outlined (Annex 1), i.e., were the outputs achieved?  What progress towards the outcomes has been made?
• The specified strengths and weaknesses in terms of planning, management, implementation and monitoring.
• The extent to which gender aspect was taken into account.

Location:

Home-based, with travel to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo [as per UNSC resolution 1244 (1999)]; 2 days per country/territory

Duties and Responsibilities

Subject and Focus

A final-stage evaluation has been envisaged for the sub-regional employment project titled Promoting inclusive labour market solutions in the Western Balkans. The scope of evaluation covers the Project’s Logframe Matrix which comprises 3 outputs and 13 associated output indicators each having baseline values (to the extent available) and targets (Annex 4). The consultant, who will be provided with the Project’s Logframe Matrix, will conduct data collection in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia (2 days per country /territory) between March 25 – April 25, 2018. The geographical selection was made according to the Project’s areas of intervention where designated project activities took place. The Consultant is expected to explore evidences in these localities to assess and where possible validate project achievements – as the Project Team has monitored Project’s output indicator targets from the outset. A non-exclusive list of all stakeholders interacted within the scope of the said project will be provided for the Consultant’s reference to be used while s/he prepares the interviewee list. 

Description of Responsibilities

The evaluation will consist of several phases as listed below;

• Contract and Kick-off meeting: Inception documents, including available data, are provided to the evaluator. Virtual meeting with IRH and ILO Decent Work Team and Country Office for Central and Eastern Europe will be followed by virtual meetings with UNDP’s and ILO’s national focal points.
• Desk Study: The evaluator studies all project documents (i.e. regional project document, project deliverables, progress reports); comprehends the intervention logic and theory of change and its assumptions. Existing data needs to be analyzed and interpreted. 
• Inception-Phase: In the inception report the evaluator will describe the design of the evaluation and will elaborate on how data will be obtained and analyzed. The use of a data collection planning worksheet or a similar tool is required. First interviews take place.
• Data triangulation and quality control are very important and need to be discussed in the inception report.
• The field trip will only take place upon official approval of the inception report.
• Field-phase: Evidences need to be collected, analysed and interpreted. It is expected that the evaluation will include primary qualitative data and secondary quantitative data (through desk research or stakeholder consultation). All data shall be disaggregated by sex. Collection of evidences primarily seeks to assess and where possible validate project achievements in particular through qualitative changes.
• Final Draft Report: Submission and presentation of final draft report, inclusion of comments from partners and contractor. The final report should provide overall and country specific recommendations for future work.
• Final Report: Submission of final report, see reporting requirements under point 9).

It is expected that data and information will be obtained through different methods such as analysis of documents, structured interviews, semi-structured interviews face-to face or online, group discussions. Subsequent to data collection and analysis, the consultant shall prepare the Results-Assessment Form (Annex 1) which will be the introductory section of the Final Draft Evaluation Report. In addition, to ensure full utilization of and compliance with OECD-DAC criteria, the evaluator is expected to use a set of questions assessing the project results from five different angles: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability (Annex 2). The evaluation does not envisage a thorough impact assessment; therefore, any exploration of impact should focus on immediate impacts instead of large-scale transformational impacts. Likewise, questions pertaining to sustainability should take into consideration the scope and resources invested by the said project. The future-looking evaluation shall primarily seek to inform a possible future phase of interventions concerning inclusive labour markets in the Western Balkans. Besides the set of questions listed under OECD DAC criteria’s five components (Annex 2), the evaluator will add other sections to elaborate on the evaluation analysis as articulated and agreed in the inception report. At the end of the final report, the evaluator is expected to present concrete recommendations which are addressed to specific stakeholders including the donor and implementing agencies. The final evaluation report will be reviewed and approved against a set of criteria which seeks to ensure premium quality for the evaluation deliverables (Annex 3). The Guidelines for Project and Programme Evaluations developed by the Austrian Development Agency need to be considered throughout the entire evaluation process. (http://www.entwicklung.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Dokumente/Evaluierung/Evaluierungs_Leitfaeden/EN_Leitfaden_Evaluierung.pdf) 

List of Deliverables:

Inception report (i.e. methodology, information collection roadmap, list of institutions/persons to be contacted)
Estimated number of days: 3 day
Target Due Date: 29 March 2018
Review and Approvals Required: Deliverable 1. UNDP IRH Regional Project Manager, UNDP National Project Coordinators, ILO Regional Manager, ILO National coordinators.

Draft evaluation report (about 20 pages without annexes) including a draft executive summary and the results-assessment form (Annex 1)
Estimated number of days: 12 days 
Target Due Date: 16 April 2018
Review and Approvals Required: Deliverable 2.1. UNDP IRH Regional Project Manager, UNDP National Project Coordinators, ILO Regional Manager, ILO National coordinators; and ADA (for review)

Final evaluation report (25-30 pages without annexes), the final executive summary and the results-assessment form
Estimated number of days: 5 days
Target Due Date: 24 April 2018
Review and Approvals Required: Deliverable 2.2. UNDP IRH Regional Project Manager, UNDP National Project Coordinators, ILO Regional Manager, ILO National coordinators; and ADA (for approval).

Deliverables:

• Deliverable 1: Inception report outlining the design of the evaluation including the preferred data collection and data analysis methods.
• Deliverable 2: Submission of the Final Evaluation report (25-30 pages without annexes), the final executive summary and the results-assessment form.

Payment Schedule: 

• Installment 1: 20% upon confirmation by the Certifying Officer of satisfactory delivery of Deliverable 1
• Installment 2: 80% upon confirmation by the Certifying Officer of satisfactory delivery of Deliverable 2

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling 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;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Functional Competencies:

• Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills, ability to work in team and multi-cultural environments;
• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities;
• Ability to engage in group-work including public officials and end beneficiaries;
• Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback;
• Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Proven knowledge of evaluation techniques.
• Ability to complete tasks in a timely fashion.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: 

• Minimum Master’s Degree in Social, Economic, or Administrative Sciences.

Experience: 

• At least 3 years of working experience in projects related to labour markets, employment, social inclusion, public sector reform;
• Demonstrated experience in monitoring, reporting, evaluation and assuming active roles using relevant methodologies; 
• Proven experience as lead consultant in at least two project evaluations of similar size and scope.
• Demonstrated field experience in data collection in qualitative research; 
• Proven track record in preparing and using interview guides, interview reports, synthesizing reports based on fieldwork;
• Experience with the development area in Western Balkans

Language skills:

• Fluency in English is required.

Evaluation of Applicants

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal.

The award of the contract should 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 (P11 desk reviews and interviews) and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only those candidates who will obtain min. 70% of points will be invited for the next stage of the technical evaluation and financial proposal evaluation.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 35 points:

• Criteria A (experience in conducting evaluations in line with OECD standards) max points: 10
• Criteria B (experience in development contexts in Western Balkans) max points: 5 
• Criteria C (relevance of education) max points: 5
• Criteria D (methodology – technical knowledge, approach, strategy to cooperate with local resources) max points: 5
• Criteria E (Interview –technical knowledge, familiarity with the region and motivation and communication skills) max points: 10

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 15 points.

Application procedures
Qualified candidates are requested to apply online via this website. The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position
• Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
• Filled P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from http://www.eurasia.undp.org/content/dam/rbec/docs/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc ); please upload the P11 instead of your CV. 
• Brief methodology on how you will approach and conduct the work including your strategy to make use of local resources (max. 1000 words)
• Financial Proposal* - specifying a) total lump sum US$ amount for the tasks specified in this announcement and b) mission related costs (including i) travel costs and ii) per diem for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia (2 days per country /territory). 
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials

*Please note that the financial proposal is all-inclusive and shall take into account various expenses incurred by the consultant/contractor during the contract period (e.g. fee, health insurance, vaccination, personal security needs and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services...). All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. 

Payments will be made only upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on the contract obligations in a satisfactory manner. 

Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when travelling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director. Consultants are also required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under dss.un.org
General Terms and conditions as well as other related documents can be found under: http://on.undp.org/t7fJs.

Qualified women and members of minorities are encouraged to apply.
Due to large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process.

Annexes: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mbamj4yi37rjgbz/Annexes.zip?dl=0