Historique

United Nations’ broader peacebuilding objectives in countries at risk of relapsing into conflict. It is intended to be a catalytic fund, driven by existing planning, coordination and monitoring mechanisms to support the peacebuilding strategies of in-country UN-Government leadership. The Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) is responsible for the overall management of the PBF; UNDP’s Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF)  is the Fund’s Administrative Agent. At the country level, management of the Fund is delegated to a Joint Steering Committee (JSC), co-chaired by the national Government and the United Nations with a broader membership representing national and international stakeholders.  

Liberia has been receiving Peacebuilding Funds since it was declared eligible in 2007. An initial allocation of $15 million was granted in early 2008, based on a Peacebuilding Priority Plan (PPP) that identified three priority areas: fostering national reconciliation and conflict managment; 2) critical interventions to promote peace, and 3) resolve conflict and strengthen state capacity for peace consolidation.

In September 2010, Liberia was also placed on the agenda of the UN’s Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), in response to the Government’s request. In October of 2010, the PBC and the Government of Liberia adopted a Statement of Mutual Commitment (SMC) which outlined Security, Rule of Law, and Reconciliation as the priority areas.  Since then, a further $20 million was granted in June 2011 to fund a new Liberia Priority Plan in a second PRF, and in late 2013 a third Priority Plan was approved, granting US$ 15 million. 

To help support the implementation of the Priority Plan and the oversight function of the Joint Steering Committee, the Liberian Peacebuilding Office (PBO), based at the Liberian Ministry of Internal Affairs, was established in January 2009 as the PBF Secretariat in Liberia and as the Government’s main office to coordinate all peacebuilding initiatives, supporting key national peacebuilding and reconciliation activities. As such, the PBO has maintained a dual responsibility - and “reporting” line - from its very inception: (i) as PBF Secretariat reporting mainly to the JSC and acting as the main focal point for PBF related matters; and ii) as the main coordinator of key peacebuilding initiatives in the country, reporting to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other instances of the Liberian Government.

As the PBF has entered into its third tranche of support, it is timely to evaluate the evolving roles and structures of the PBO to ensure the optimal mechanism for supporting the implementation of the third PPP.
 
Objectives

The evaluation’s objective will be to examine, as systematically and objectively as possible, the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency , connectedness  and sustainability of the PBO’s support on peacebuilding.  Its main purpose will be to help the PBO and PBSO define the best structure and range of support activities to undertake during the implementation of the current tranche of PBF support.  The evaluation will generate recommendations identifying concrete actions to undertake toward this end.

In order to look both backward and forward, the evaluation will need to assess the evolution of PBO’s systems and roles to date as a means of tracking progress.    The evaluation will therefore take both a summative and a formative approach, in that it will look at results achieved or not achieved thus far (summative) in order to shape the direction of the PBO’s  role and structure in the future (formative).  The evaluation will thus serve two purposes.  On one hand, independent evaluation that candidly examines the PBO’s performance of its multiple roles to date is a vital part of ensuring accountability—e.g., to the Joint Steering Committee and to the Peacebuilding Support Office for results achieved, to donors for showing value for their investments in this secretariat function, and to UN and non-UN partners, including populations affected by conflict.  On the other hand, learning from this information on past experience is necessary if the PBO is to improve its practice and policies in future. Moreover, results of this evaluation can be expected to provide the foundation for broader learning on good practices for supporting nationally-led peacebuilding efforts within the framework of the PBF. While both summative and formative purposes will be important in this exercise, ultimately it is the latter that will receive somewhat greater weight. 

Given this dual focus on accountability and learning, the intended users of this evaluation are manifold.  The main client will be the Co-Chairs of the Joint Steering Committee in Monrovia. Other key stakeholders include government Ministries directly involved in peacebuilding, the Peacebuilding Fund, UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes and other resident UN entities in Liberia.

Devoirs et responsabilités

The evaluation is intended to provide an understanding of the role the PBO has played since its establishment through to the present, with an emphasis on examining what kinds of activities it has performed/implemented and how effectively/efficiently, with an aim toward determining the optimal configuration and accountabilities moving forward. In doing so, the evaluation should also relate these activities to the PBO’s organizational structure, making clear how well situated the PBO has been to perform its required tasks based on its reporting lines, staffing, and multiple accountabilities to various offices.
 
The following set of evaluation questions, framed along the OECD/DAC criteria, will guide the evaluation in pursuit of its stated objectives and purposes:

Relevance/Appropriateness
  • How “fit-for-purpose” is PBO’s organizational structure for achieving its main objectives of peacebuilding coordination, support to the JSC, reporting on Priority Plan results, Monitoring and Evaluation, and delivery of targeted peacebuilding projects?
  • How appropriate for the context is the range of substantive areas in which the PBO is engaged (i.e. justice and security, reconciliation, conflict prevention and resolution, etc.).  If the substantive areas are deemed appropriate for the context, how appropriate are they for the PBO to undertake?
Effectiveness/Impact
  • How effective has the PBO been in implementing the range of substantive areas in which the PBO is engaged (i.e. justice and security, reconciliation, conflict prevention and resolution, etc.).
  • What have been the PBO’s greatest accomplishments/contributions and value-added to supporting peacebuilding in Liberia? In the event of a redefinition of its mandate, which are the functions it is best placed to retain and which could better be performed by others (particularly relevant for questions of justice and security)? 
  • How effective has the PBO been in implementing the range of support functions in which the PBO is engaged (i.e.  monitoring & evaluation, reporting, coordination and support for JSC, etc.).
Efficiency
  • How efficient has the PBO been in implementing the range of substantive areas in which the PBO is engaged (i.e. justice and security, reconciliation, conflict prevention and resolution, etc.).
  • How efficient has the PBO been in implementing the range of support functions in which the PBO is engaged (i.e.  monitoring & evaluation, reporting, coordination and support for JSC, etc.).
  • To what extent, if any, have delays in developing and implementing the Priority Plan been attributable to actions or inactions by the PBO?
  • Are the human resources assigned to the PBO a sufficient and efficient use of resources given the PBO’s accountabilities?
  • Do other actors exist that are better placed to assume functions currently invested in the PBO?

Connectedness/Coordination/Coherence 

  • How clearly and uniformly understood throughout the PBO are the reporting lines to the various offices to which it is accountable?  How complementary, reinforcing or conflicting are these reporting lines?
  • How well has PBO managed its relationships across its various areas of responsibility (with Government, the JSC, UN partners, civil society, PBF, PBC, MPTFO, etc.)?
  • How effective has PBO’s communication and coordination function been among and between the various actors with which it must interact?
Sustainability
  • What is the optimal level of sustainability of the PBO given the existence of the PMU (in terms of the range of functions it is mandated to perform, staffing needs, and structural position of the office within a set of institutions)?  What changes might have to be made to realise this level?
Deliverables

All of the above questions will be explored with a view to uncovering the explanatory factors (internal and external factors) that have helped or hindered PBO’s peacebuilding support efforts .  Answers to the “why” question underlying each of the items above will help elucidate the key enabling factors that need to be continued or replicated – and constraining factors that need to be addressed.  These will form the basis the recommendations that emerge from the evaluation.
The evaluation will produce the following major outputs, all of which will be grounded in UNEG Norms and Standards and good evaluation practice, to be disseminated to the appropriate audiences:
  • An Inception Report (maximum 15 pages), informed by an initial desk-based scoping exercise, that outlines the selected evaluator’s understanding of the evaluation and expectations, along with a concrete action plan for undertaking the evaluation.  It will spell out the specific methods and data sources from which it will garner evidence to answer each evaluation question; provide a thorough internal and external stakeholder analysis and sampling strategies; propose modifications, if any, to the evaluation questions.  The Inception Report will be reviewed by the Evaluation Manager and the Reference Group for feedback before finalization;
  • A Draft Report (maximum 40 pages) generating key findings and recommendations for concrete action, underpinned by clear evidence (for review by the Evaluation Manager and Reference Group), and an Executive Summary of no more than 3 pages that weaves together the evaluation findings and recommendations into a crisp, clear, compelling storyline;
  • A Validation Exercise with Reference Group members and key PBF staff;
  • A Final Report  that incorporates final comments from the M&E Unit and Reference Group; and
  • A short synopsis of the final report, intended for wider external circulation that may include a PBF community of practice as well as donors and the PBF Advisory Group.

Compétences

  • Familiarity with UN coordination mechanisms;
  • Excellent reading and writing skills in English, particularly the ability to rapidly, clearly and succinctly convey critical comments on key project outputs;
  • Ability to communicate effectively  in order to communicate complex, technical information to technical and general audiences;
  • Ability and availability to promptly review and comment on key project outputs;
  • Ability to work independently and take initiative;
  • skill in facilitating meetings effectively and efficiently.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:

  • An advanced university degree (Masters required, Ph.D. preferred) in social sciences, ideally in peace/conflict studies, or other area relevant to the assignment.

Experience:

  • At least 7 years’ relevant experience in Monitoring and Evaluation of development projects & programmes, including experience with the following:
  • The logical framework approach and other strategic planning approaches experience;
  • Knowledge of various M&E methods and approaches (including quantitative, qualitative and participatory);
  • Solid understanding of mainstreaming of equity issues for gender and youth into M&E frameworks;
  • Knowledge of Liberia peace implementation would be a particular advantage;
  • Demonstrated track record for working well in a complex environment;
  • Good knowledge and understanding of UNDP or major donor policies and practice on M&E.

Language:

  • Fluency (written and oral) in English required.

Criteria for evaluation:

  • Relevance of Education/ Degree - 15 points;
  • Years & Relevance of Experience - 50 points;
  • Regional Experience/knowledge of Liberia peace implementation - 15 points;
  • Adequacy of Competencies & skills for the Assignment - 20 points.  

NB:

  • Only shortlisted candidates will be forwarded the UNDP Procurement Notice.