Antecedentes

The Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) with support from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing the project "Enhancing adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices in Uganda’s farming systems” specifically focussing on five districts, namely Bugiri, Busia, Budaka, Namutumba and Buyende.

This project is part of Uganda Government’s Strategic Investment Framework (SIF) on Sustainable Land Management (SLM). The SLM SIF is within the framework of the Agricultural Sector Development Strategy and Investment Plan (DSIP). The SIF identified CSA practices such as Conservation Agriculture (CA) as relevant and underscored the need to address climate adaptation and mitigation measures in the agricultural sector to improve food security and minimize land degradation. Implementation arrangements also seek to contribute to objectives of the climate change National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA), which are within the Agriculture Sector Development Strategy and Investment Plan (DSIP).  The project intends to use lessons learnt to inform policy and strengthen decentralized governance mechanisms and institutions and practices that empower local governments and CSOs in CSA and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Whereas Uganda’s population largely depend on natural resource based sectors like agriculture, forestry and fisheries, climate change and the strain on natural resources, due to population growth and environmental degradation, are intensifying poverty and vulnerability of many people in the country.  With a big number of Ugandans still depending on agriculture for livelihood, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is crucial for reducing widespread poverty and livelihood improvement; more especially to the poorest and vulnerable sections of society whose livelihoods depend on natural resource ecosystems.

This project thus focuses on enhancing productivity of land through sustainable land management of soil and water resources, particularly integrating CSA as a climate change adaptation strategy to build climate change resilient societies. The intention is to scale up CSA practices in the 5 districts, putting in place measures/ systems to improve input supply, develop produce markets for economic sustainability for CSA enterprises; and supporting research activities to generate baselines, monitoring and evaluation guidelines and national recommendations on CSA technologies and practices.

The project document (PRODOC) covering the period 2014-2015 was signed by Government, UNDP and COMESA in 2014, following pilot implementation of activities by MAAIF; and full project implementation began in July 2014.   The project is scheduled to end on 31 December 2015.

The overall goal of the project is to promote sustainable land management practices and improve agricultural productivity. The CSA  is expected to propel land users to attain higher levels of production, efficiency in use of agricultural resources and profitability from their land while improving soil health and contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation. From a broad perspective, the project will contribute to development of a national CSA strategy as contribution to the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) agenda, to the current Uganda National Development Plan (NDP) and the DSIP.

This project has only been running for a year and so no Mid-Term Review was carried out. The UNDP in partnership with MAAIF is therefore, seeking the services of a Consultant whose assignment will be to assess progress of project activities basing on the baseline situation that existed with regard to the agricultural practice in the focus districts and document success stories/lessons from implementation of this Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) project in the five districts of Bugiri, Busia, Budaka, Namutumba and Buyende in Uganda.  The consultant will undertake field work in the five districts and document what worked and what didn’t by assessing the supported farmer groups and schools. The project initially supported six farmer groups and five schools per focus district, and later implemented a grant scheme which supported over 15 grantees in the five districts as well as various capacity building activities.

Deberes y responsabilidades

The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) policy at the project level in UNDP has four key objectives namely:- i) to monitor and evaluate results and impacts; ii) to provide a basis for decision making on necessary amendments and improvements; iii) to promote accountability for resource use; and iv) to document, provide feedback on, and disseminate lessons learned. A mix of tools is used to ensure effective project M&E. These might be applied continuously throughout the lifetime of the project, e.g. periodic monitoring of indicators, or as specific time-bound exercises such as mid-term reviews, audit reports and independent evaluations but also apply to the Terminal Evaluations. 
TE is beneficial for project performance assessment as it provides an independent in-depth review of project outcomes and impact. TEs are intended to identify unforeseen project design problems and implementation challenges, assess progress towards the achievement of objectives, identify and document lessons learned (including lessons that might improve design and implementation of other UNDP projects), and to make recommendations regarding specific actions that might be taken if a follow up project is to be designed.
The proposed TE will cover the project period up to the end.  The TE will be conducted according to the guidance, rules and procedures established by UNDP in the UNDP Evaluation guidelines.

Overall Objective of the Terminal Evaluation

The main objective is to:  assess the extent of achievement of the intended results defined in the PRODOC, and identify opportunities, challenges and lessons learnt during implementation, and determine relevance of a next phase of programming.

The specific objectives of the TE are to:

• Assess extent to which project has addressed set objectives and improved livelihoods;
• Identify the changes caused by the project in terms of impact to target beneficiaries.

Scope of work and Deliverables

The Lead Consultant/Team Leader will have overall responsibility for the work and operations of the evaluation team, including the coordination of inputs from the national consultant. The lead consultant is responsible and overall accountable for the production of the agreed products.

S/He will deliver on the following:

• Identify strengths and weaknesses in the Programme design and implementation, in particular implementation arrangements and its impacts on efficiency and effectiveness of converting resources (money, time) into results and impacts;
• Ascertain achievements and impacts to date; to what extent the Programme  has moved towards achievement of the objectives and outputs under the three outcomes in the results framework, and as necessary comment on the fourth outcome on project management,  and the need for continued focus (in particular achieving sustainable land management and improvement in livelihoods);
• Assess  likelihood of  sustainability of results and determine the key elements of the exit strategy that would increase the likelihood of sustaining critical results;
• Examine the significance of un-expected effects, whether beneficial or detrimental in character
• Assess to what extent the Project  has contributed to building capacity at national, district and community levels to formulate, implement and monitor actions/activities for sustainable land management
• Identify and highlight lessons learnt and best practices in relation to achievement of the project outcomes and outputs.
• Assess how the CSA programme has adapted to emerging issues and trends such as climate change and energy needs, etc.

Evaluation questions are suggested in Annex A and Annex B.

In addition to the above the Lead Consultant will:

• Review documentation to be provided by the project (implementation/evaluation reports) (list in Annex C);
• Conduct fieldwork together with the national consultant and interview stakeholders, national and local Government officials, and communities to generate authentic information and opinions;
• Compile the information and report;
• Responsible for presentation of key findings highlighting achievements, constraints, and make practical recommendations to decision makers and stakeholders;
• Finalize the Terminal Evaluation Report using the format in Annex G.

Products Expected from the TE:

• An Inception Report (within 3 working days of signing the contract), this should provide details of the methodological approach to be used by the consultants to undertake the study;
• A Draft evaluation report of approximately 40 pages, excluding annexes, according to the attached detailed breakdown. The report will be in English and will be prepared and submitted in MS Word, with tables in Excel where necessary;
• A PowerPoint presentation (10 – 15 slides) covering the key points of the Terminal Evaluation with the main findings and recommendations also provided;
• A Final TE Report submitted within a week of receiving written comments on the drafts from UNDP and partners.

N.B.

The evaluator must provide evidence based information that is credib;e, reliable and useful.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:

• Desk review of documents and preparation of inception Report, 3 days;
• Presentation of Inception Report 1 day;
• Fieldwork (at both national level and in the districts, 6 days;
• Presentation of field work findings to Key stakeholders including UNDP, Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development and MAAIF, and, the District Local Governments of Kamuli and Nakasongola, 1 day;
• Prepare and submit Draft Report to UNDP for review by COMESA, MAAIF and SLM Project Coordination Unit, 3 days;
• Preparation and submission of Final Terminal Evaluation Report, 5 days.

N.B.

If there are any significant discrepancies between the impressions and findings of the evaluation team and stakeholders these should be explained in an Annex attached to the final report.

Working Arrangement

Institutional Arrangement

With overall reporting to the UNDP Country Director, the Consultant will work on day to day basis with SLM Project Manager and the Project Coordinator MAAIF, and shall be supervised by the Team Leader, Energy and Environment Unit. The consultant will include travel costs and per diems within the country in their financial proposals. The Project Implementing partner, MAAIF, will be responsible for liaising with the Evaluation team to set up stakeholder interviews, arrange field visits and coordinate with Government. The planning and the administrative arrangements for the TE will be done in collaboration with the UNDP Head Quarters and COMESA. UNDP will support organization of stakeholder workshop to review and Validate the repor.

The Consultant will liaise, interact, and collaborate/meet with officials from District Local Governments of Bugiri, Busia, Namutumba, Budaka and Buyende as well as relevant Central Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

UNDP will support the Consultant in the following areas:

• Access to required information (copy of project document, Annual Work plans, Progress reports and other project related reports);
•  Access to UNDP Office and its infrastructure (e.g conference room and internet while at UNDP);
• Support and assistance to gain access to relevant stakeholders for consultations;
• Transport for visits both within Kampala and in the field (for official purposes only);
• UNDP Kampala and the Project Office will coordinate the Evaluation and keep abreast of the mission’s activities during the Consultant’s  stay.

Reporting Arrangements

The Lead Consultant will report to MAAIF on all technical obligations and to UNDP on all contractual obligations.

Duration of the Work

The assignment will be executed in a period of 19 working days from October 30, 2015 to November 20, 2015. The Consultant is expected to adhere to the specific dates.

Competencias

Functional Competencies:

Professionalism:

• Ability to act professionally and flexibly to engage with government officials, donor representatives, and local communities;
• Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
• Mature judgment and initiative;
• Ability to present complex issues in a simple and clear manner;
• Ability to work under pressure;
• Good communication and organizational skills;
• Positive, constructive attitude towards work;
• Excellent analytical skills.

Corporate Competencies:

• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

• PhD or MSc degree in natural resources management, Agriculture, climate change adaptation/ mitigation, socio-economic development or related fields.

Experience:

• At least 10 years experience in natural resources management, Agriculture, climate change adaptation/ mitigation, socio-economic development or related fields.
• At least 7 years expereince working with Climate Smart Agriculture and development;
• Familiarity with sustainable land management related projects in Uganda and particularly the cattle corridor Region, either through managing or evaluating donor-funded projects;
• Substantive knowledge of participatory M&E processes is essential, and experience with CBOs/community development processes; design, implementation and/or management of community and local level sustainable livelihoods initiatives and country experience in Uganda are advantages;
• A good wealth of experience in the evaluation of technical assistance projects, if possible with UNDP or other UN development agencies and major donors, is required;
• A demonstrated understanding of UNDP principles and expected impacts in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development is essential;
• Familiarity and  knowledge of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and knowledge of integrated approaches to drylands development and  capacity development for management of land degradation would be an asset;
• Demonstrated ability to assess complex situations in order to analyse critical issues succinctly and clearly and draw forward-looking conclusions;
• Experience in leading small multi-disciplinary, multi-national teams to deliver quality products in high stress, short deadline situations.

Language:

• Excellent English writing and communication skills.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

Payment to the Consultant will be made in two instalments upon satisfactory completion of the following deliverables;

• 30% of the contract amount upon submission of an acceptable inception report;
• 70% of the contract amount upon submission, presentation and approval of FINAL Evaluation report.

Evaluation Method and Criteria

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. Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation; Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation

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 (desk reviews based on CV) and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only the highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.
Evaluation of Proposals (Method and Criteria)

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis methodology.

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. 70%-30%.

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 – Maximum 1000 points

• Expertise of the Individual – 300 Points.

 Description of approach/methodology to assignment – 700 Points.

Application Requirements:

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

• CV In English;
• Technical and Financial Proposal*- (using the standard template)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials;
• Please note that UNDP jobsite system allows only one uploading of application document, so please make sure that you merge all your documents into one single file.

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 and any other relevant expenses related to the performance of services.
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://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=24861.
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.

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

• Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability 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.

Financial proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided (Annex II)

Annexes (to be downloaded from UNDP Uganda Website, procurement notices section: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=24861): Reference No. 24593 Interested applicants should send an email to:  justine.naiga-bagonza@undp.org  and copy diana.nabbanja@undp.org   for a detailed copy of the Terms of Reference.

• Annex I - Individual Contractor General Terms and Conditions.
• Annex II –  Finacial proposal from.