UNDP Jobs - 23299- Mid-Term Evaluation Consultant

Mid-Term Evaluation Consultant – Piloting Natural Resource Valuation (NRV) in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) in Jamaica

Location :

Kingston, JAMAICA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

30-Jun-2011

Application Deadline :

20-May-11 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

22 days over a three month period

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

In accordance with UNDP/GEF M&E policies and procedures, all full and medium-sized projects supported by the GEF should undergo a Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE).

Mid-Term Evaluations are intended to review the project strategy, design, and implementation, and assess the performance and impacts of the project to date. The mid-term evaluation looks at early warning signs for potential issues and adherence to guidelines and is intended to track and benchmark progress towards meeting the project objectives. The MTE will make recommendations for the adaptive collaborative management of the project in such a way that performance and delivery are improved to meet project objectives, while at the same time maintaining the overall global character of the project. Adaptive collaborative management (ACM) is an approach that takes a holistic view of a project, as well as uses broad-based stakeholder participation and collaboration to identify and assess risks and management alternatives. Sound application of the ACM approach will better inform and legitimize policy and programme decisions to modify the project’s strategy, design, and activities while preserving the agreed consensus on the project goal and objectives. As a result, projects are expected to have a greater chance of achieving institutionally sustainable outcomes.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Mid Term Evaluation (MTE) is a requirement of UNDP and GEF and thus it is principally initiated by UNDP Country Office in Jamaica. It will be conducted according to guidance, rules and procedures for such evaluations established by UNDP and the Global Environment Facility.

The overall objective of the MTE is to assess the progress that the project has made to date towards meeting its agreed objectives, as stated in the project document. This includes an in-depth analysis of the project’s performance and delivery, achievements made, identify lessons learned, and make specific recommendations to address project weaknesses and threats, as well as to capitalize on relevant opportunities. Through the use of the capacity development scorecard, this evaluation will contribute to an overall assessment of the impacts that the GEF cross-cutting capacity development are making.

The main GOJ Agencies involved in this MTE are: National Environment and Planning Agency, Planning Institute of Jamaica, and the Office of the Prime Minister.

Against the framework of the agreed objectives in the project document, the MTE will provide a comprehensive and systematic account of the performance of the project by assessing its strategy, design, implementation arrangements, deliverables (activities and outputs), and likelihood that project outcomes will be sustainable.

EVALUATION DELIVERABLES:

The evaluator is expected to deliver the following products:

Oral presentation of main findings of the evaluation: This should be presented to UNDP CO before the evaluation is concluded in order to clarify key issues.

Evaluation written report: This report will be submitted to the UNDP Country Office, the UNDP-GEF regional Coordination Unit (RCU) and project team electronically within 2 weeks after the evaluation mission has been concluded. These parties will review the document and provide feedback to the evaluation team within 2 weeks after the evaluation report draft has been submitted. The evaluator will address these comments and provide a final report within a period of 1 week. The RCU and CO will sign a formal clearance form to be submitted with the final evaluation report (see Annex 5). The format of the evaluation report should be structured using the report outline provided in7.2 of detailed TOR.Detailed TOR is available at www.jm.undp.org

Competencies

A single evaluator with at least ten years of working experience, with primary expertise in natural resources management and experience in the valuation of natural resources and capacity building is required. Experience in mid-term or final evaluations of GEF and /or UNDP projects is also a requirement. The evaluator must be able to work effectively and efficiently in multi-cultural settings and be a good communicator, and able to interface with state agencies, non-governmental organisations and the international donor community. Experience in project evaluations of a multi-disciplinary nature and cross-sectoral issues is required. The evaluator will have sole responsibility for data gathering, document review, application of survey instruments, meetings with stakeholders and report preparation. The evaluator must not have any conflict of interest associated with the project, i.e., have been involved directly or indirectly in the design or implementation of the project, or having any other stake in the project at any time.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters degree or equivalent in environmental sciences, natural resource management or a related field.

Experience:

Minimum 10 years experience in natural resources management and experience in the valuation of natural resources and capacity building is required.
Demonstrated experience in mid-term or final evaluations of GEF and /or UNDP projects.
Experience in project management and proposal preparation may be an asset.

Language:

Proficiency in the English language
Excellent oral and written communication skills