Background
Project Description/Background:
Bangladesh’s formal justice system remains relatively inaccessible for the vast majority of the public. Vulnerable groups, including women and children, ethnic minorities, the poor, and people with disabilities face particular difficulty in accessing timely and affordable justice. Large case backlogs, estimated at nearly 3.1 million cases, are slowly overwhelming the court administration and undermining access to justice. There is increasing acknowledgement that these are critical governance, access to justice and rule of law issues that need to be addressed.
The Justice Sector Facility (JSF) commenced in July 2012 and coming to an end in December 2016. It is implemented by the Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs with the technical and financial support of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), funded by the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom. The longer term aim of the project, is outlined in the United Nations Development Framework (UNDAF) as “strengthen the justice and human rights institutions to better serve and protect the rights of all citizens including women and vulnerable groups in Bangladesh”. The project is aligned with the UNDP’s strategic plan outcome-3: “countries have strengthened institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services”. The project’s overall objective is to improve justice sector outcomes through strengthened communication, coordination and cooperation between agencies. The expected outputs of the Facility are:
- Communication, coordination and co-operation between justice agencies enhanced in two district pilots through establishment of solutions for inter-agency case management;
- Selected agencies have improved strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, delivery of government legal aid, and prosecution of cases; and
- Strengthened cross-sectoral dialogue and sector-wide coordination mechanisms established.
The direct beneficiaries of Justice Sector Facility are the key justice sector institutions of the Government of Bangladesh, including the Law and Justice Division of Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the Office of the Attorney General, the National Legal Aid Services Organization, the Judicial Administration Training Institute, the Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission, the Law Commission and the Bar Council which are supported to strengthen capacity in several fields, including research, planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting. In addition, court users and the general public are also expected to benefit from JSF support through the work carried out in the pilot districts and the improved service delivery and quality of justice dispensation.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of Work
The evaluation team has primary responsibility for the preparation of an objective and high-quality evaluation report. The team should meet with key national and international stakeholders, including: the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Supreme Court, National Legal Aid Services Organization, Bangladesh Bar Council, Bangladesh Judicial Service Commission, Bangladesh Law commission, Judicial Administration Training Institute, Bangladesh Police, Attorney General’s Office, members of the Steering Committee, Criminal Justice Coordination Committees. The team will also meet with donor partners (DFID), development partners and other UNDP projects operating in the justice sector. The evaluation will mostly be conducted in Dhaka. A visit to pilot districts will also be included.
In addition to UNDP’s evaluation principles contained in the UNDP Handbook on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, the team should also consider the OECD DAC criteria for evaluating development assistance. The following areas and questions will need to be incorporated into the final report:
Relevance: the extent to which the aid activity is suited to the priorities and policies of the target group, recipient and donor. In evaluating the relevance of a project, it is useful to consider:
To what extent the objectives are relevant with the overall project structure.
Are the outputs and activities consistent with the overall goal and the attainment of its objectives?
Are the activities and outputs of the programme consistent with the intended impact and effects?
Efficiency: measures the outputs, qualitative and quantitative, in relation to the inputs. It is an economic terms which signifies that the aid uses the least costly resources possible in order to achieve the desired results (value for money).? When evaluating the efficiency of a project, it is useful to consider:
Were activities cost-effective?
Were objectives achieved on-time?
How well has the project translated inputs into outputs?
Effectiveness: a measure of the extent to which an aid activity attains its objectives.? In evaluating the effectiveness of the project it is useful to consider:
To what extent were the objectives achieved/are likely to be achieved?
What were the major factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives?
Has JSF successfully leveraged its partnerships with: 1) government agencies; 2) civil society and access to justice NGOs; 3) UNDP access to justice projects; 4) DFID Security and Justice Programme and 5) other development projects in the sector (USAID etc.).
Impact: The positive and negative changes produced by a development intervention (direct and indirect). When evaluating impact it is useful to consider:
What has happened as a result of the project?
What real difference has the activity made to beneficiaries?
What is the impact from a gender perspective?
How many people have been affected?
Have outputs been achieved? And if so, to what extent have Outcomes been achieved?
Sustainability: is concerned with measuring whether the benefits of an activity are likely to continue after donor funding has been withdrawn. When evaluating the sustainability of a project, it is useful to consider:
To what extent did the benefits of the project continue after funding ceased?
To what extent has the theory of change been accurate? Have other theories of change emerged?
What were the major factors which influenced the achievement or non-achievement of sustainability or non-sustainability of the project?
Should UNDP continue its work in this area?
Are risk management/mitigation processes adequate?
How should the development approach/theory of change adjust for future programming?
The evaluation will also document the innovations and lessons learned from the project. This includes analysis of what has worked and what has not as well as observations related to design as well as management and operation of the Facility.?
The evaluation is aligned with UNDP project quality standards and checklist.
Methodology:
Data collection and analysis of the evaluation will be combined in the methodologies mentioned below, however, the consultant will propose any other modern method and technique for the evaluation in the inception report.
Documents review: The evaluation team will review project documents, quarterly reports, annual reports, results reports, M&E framework, DFID’s annual review reports, different workshops and training reports, PSC and PIC meeting minutes, conference report etc.
Stakeholder interview: The evaluation team will meet with project staff and senior officials of NLASO, AG Office, JATI, and JSC, Supreme Court and other development agencies working in justice sector. The team will also meet with the Secretary and senior officials of Law and Justice Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, UNDP senior management and representative from DFID.
Observation of pilot district Intervention: The evaluation team will visit JSF pilot intervention. They will meet district judges, Chief Judicial Magistrates and other senior judges, police, prison, civil surgeons and legal aid officers to have an understanding about improved communication, coordination and cooperation (3Cs) between the justice institutions.?
Ref. DFID’s 3Es Framework and Value for Money Policy Note, 2011 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/67479/DFID-approach-value-money.pdf
Expected Outputs :
- Submission of inception report containing evaluation design, methodology, evaluation questions and tools for data collection, reporting outline and work plan.
Estimated Duration: 4days
Payment Schedule: 20% upon satisfactory receiving and acceptance of the report
Tentative date of Completion: 3rd week June, 2016
- Conduction of evaluation data collection through documents review, stakeholders interview, direct observation and field visit and
- Preparation and submission of draft evaluation report.
Estimated Duration: 16 days
Payment Schedule: 40% upon satisfactory receiving and acceptance of the report
Tentative date of Completion: 3rd week July, 2016
- Submission and acceptance of final evaluation report including executive summary (not more than 25 pages) with the comment on draft report from the stakeholders.
Estimated Duration: 5 days
Payment Schedule: 40% upon satisfactory receiving and acceptance of the report
Tentative date of Completion: 1 week of August, 2016
The consultant should produce all deliverables by the dates mentioned against each expected output. UNDP JSF will take 2-7 working days to review the draft reports and share feedback with the consultant. Notably, liquidated damages for delay caused by the consultant shall be 0.1% of the price of the contract per each working day of delay but not exceeding 10% of the total value of the contract. UNDP JSF also preserves the right to terminate the contract for serious consequences or impact of any form of delay in the completion of work e.g. deferment of the succeeding phase to the following year, cancellation of the budget for the project and other potential losses to any party involved. In this case, payment will be admissible only for the amount of deliverables accepted by JSF UNDP.
Institutional Arrangement
The Chief Technical Advisor/Project Manager of the Justice Sector Facility will be the contract administrator for the assignment and will supervise the activities of the consultant, evaluate her/his performance and approve the deliverables.
During the contract period, the consultant is expected to conduct one field visit to Bangladesh. The consultant shall meet the key stakeholders in Dhaka and JSF pilot districts. JSF UNDP will provide office space (no computer). While travelling to field within and outside Dhaka necessary vehicle support would be provided from the Project of UNDP. UNDP JSF team will assist to arrange various meetings, consultations, and interviews and ensure access to key officials as mentioned in proposed methodologies.
Notably, JSF UNDP will not provide vehicle support for pick and drop from residence to office and office to residence. Consultant has to be arranged personally by herself/himself.
Duration of the Work and Duty Station
The duration of the assignment will be 25 working days over a period of 02 months with the expected beginning on the date of 15th June 2016.
This position is both home and Dhaka, Bangladesh based. During the assignment period the consultant requires to travel to and stay in Bangladesh for at least 12 days (including travel days).
Final Products/Services
Inception report containing evaluation design, methodology, evaluation questions and tools for data collection, reporting outline and work plan.
Draft evaluation report with agreed reporting outline, soft copy.
Final revaluation report with executive summary (not more than 25 pages), soft copy.
Competencies
Competencies:
- Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values.
- Strong analytical and time management skills;
- Ability to work in a challenging and complex environment;
- Independent and flexible;
- Excellent communication skills;
- Creative and result-oriented; and
Leadership and Self-Management
- Focuses on result for the client
- Has demonstrable leadership skill;
- Demonstrates openness to change;
- Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
- Responds positively to feedback and differing points of view.
Required Skills and Experience
Educational Qualification:
- Masters’ degree in Law, Development Studies, Public Administration, International Affairs or in any other relevant field of study;
Experience
- At least 8 years of professional experience working within any of the areas of democratic governance, rule of law and access to justice at the policy level;
- At least 5 years of practical experience in designing, monitoring and evaluating any of democratic governance, rule of law and access to justice project;
- Excellent oral communication and previous experience in producing high quality project evaluation report in English is required.
Language Requirement
- Excellent proven written and spoken English
Additional qualification of the consultant:
- Prior experience working with and/or designing/evaluating a justice “sector-wide” programme is preferred;
- Previous professional experience in South Asia is an asset. Prior experience working in Bangladesh is preferred;
- Previous experience working with UNDP and knowledge of UNDP’s approach to planning, monitoring and evaluation is preferred;
- Strong Knowledge in evaluation methodology is essential.
Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer
Individuals will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:
Combined Scoring method:
When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
b) 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 in the technical evaluation would be considered for the Financial Evaluation:
Evaluation Criteria:
- Masters’ degree in Law, Development Studies, Public Administration, International Affairs or in any other relevant field of study: 15 marks
- Experience of designing, monitoring and evaluating any of democratic governance, rule of law and access to justice project:20 marks
- Experience within any of the areas of democratic governance, rule of law and access to justice at the policy level:15 marks
- Experience of evaluating UNDP’s project: 10 marks
- Experience of working in South Asia region: 5 marks
- Prior experience of working in Bangladesh: 5 Marks
Financial Evaluation (Total 30 points)
All technical qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals received points according to the following formula:
p = y (µ/z) Where:
- p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated;
- y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal;
- µ = price of the lowest priced proposal;
- z = price of the proposal being evaluated.
Documentation to be included when submitting the proposal:
- Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided in the below link:
- 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;
- Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment and 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. If an Offeror is employed by an organization/company/institution and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offeror must indicate this at this point and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.
N.B.
Applicants are reminded that the UNDP application process only allows you to upload single file so please ensure that you consolidate all of the above documentation into one (1) single PDF document for uploading at the time you submit your application