Background

The Czech-UNDP Trust Fund was established in 2003 to support sharing knowledge and lessons learned from the Czech Republic. It operates in 4-year cycles, the current one being for the years 2014-2017. The Project supports the continuing triangular development cooperation in ECIS countries aimed at transfer of Czech transition-related knowledge, expertise and experience around the main 4 priority areas: environmental protection, good/local governance, economic transformation, and HIV/AIDS prevention. The Czech-UNDP Trust Fund (CTF) is strategically using UNDP’s presence in the region, as Country Offices are responsible for managing the project cycle. 

The CTF supports socio-economic development in ECIS by sharing of experience, good practices and lessons learned from the Czech transition to democracy and market economy and the EU accession process. Typically, the activities involve study tours, workshops, feasibility studies, trainings, or consultations, based on selected proposals from UNDP Country Offices. Czech-UNDP Trust Fund is also used as an “incubator” for wider Czech ODA activities or programmes; and part of the project funding allocated to capacity building of the Czech ODA professionals.

Project activities are aligned with the overall programmatic framework and planned results of UNDP’s 2014-2017 Strategic Plan. The basis for this document is the RBEC 2017-2017 Regional Programme Document (RPD), which identifies eight priority areas contributing to the Achievement of Outcome 4 Development debates and actions at all levels priorities poverty, inequality and exclusion, consistent with our engagement principles of the Strategic Plan, and is closely linked with Regional Programme Output 4.3 South-South and Triangular cooperation partnerships established and/or strengthened for development solutions including through support to new and emerging development cooperation providers.

The project will generate this output: Increased capacity of experts and public officials in ECIS countries through transfer of knowledge and experience from transition to democracy and market economy as well as EU accession process.

For associated indicators, targets and acitivites, please see Results and Resources Framework in the ProDoc (Annex 1)

Key Stakeholders:

The Ministry Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic (MFA) represents the donor. It finances all CTF activties and appoints 2 projects managers who are responsible for day-to-day management and decision making for the project, and assume overall responsibility for the project – accountability for the use of funds and meeting project objectives.

The project is directly implemented by UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (UNDP/RBEC), which is responsible for overall management, backstopping and monitoring of the project. UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) provides office space and support to two project managers appointed by the MFA.

The Project Board includes representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, UNDP/RBEC. The Project Board is chaired by the Director of the IRH, who serves as the project executive. 
UNDP Country Offices (COs) submit project proposals for selection to the CTF. COs’ staff also supervises and monitors project activities on site as CTF activities are often part of larger UNDP projects being implemented by UNDP COs.

Location:
Home based with one evaluation mission to 1 country selected from these 7: Armenia, Kosovo, Kyrgystan, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Tajikistan: (up to 4 working days).

Duties and Responsibilities

Evaluation purpose and scope:
The purpose of the evaluation is to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of project activities in relation to the stated objective, to assess the relevance of the project, including the project design, and to draw lessons that can improve sustainability of the results and draft more effective approach for the next stage of the project. The evaluation is to produce recommendations on how to improve the management of the project, its activities and impact in the future. The results of the evaluation and the report will serve as input for drafting the new Project document for the 2018-2021 cycle. 

The report will have to provide concrete evidence to support its findings and also to provide recommendations. Emphasis should be put on the current project results and the possibility of improving the sharing of Czech experience and know-how and ensuring that project activities achieve tangible and sustainable results, as well as pave the way for follow-up activities where Czech expertise would be utilized, while being financed from sources other than CTF, thus achieving long-term sustainability of project results.

Evaluation Scope:
The evaluation is supposed to evaluate the functioning of Project as a whole and focus on the achievement of project outputs and goal. The evaluation should not be an impact evaluation. There are no sufficient data to evaluate long term outcomes and impact of project activities. Thorough impact evaluation is also not necessary for the purpose of this evaluation. However, the evaluation will briefly touch upon the long-term effects of this project, based on the information gathered from consultations with various stakeholders.

However due to the extensive reach of Project activities, the evaluation will focus on ctivities implemented under the project during its current project cycle (2014-2017) in the following countries: Armenia, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Tajikistan. From these countries, the consultant, together with CTF manager, will select 2 countries for a case study and will evaluate all CTF activities in each country. Additionally, the consultant and CTF manager will together select one of these two countries for the consultant to visit on a field mission. In each of the remaining 5 countries the consultant will pick 1 Expert on Demand type activity and 2 Study visit/workshop type activities (preferably one of each type) for the purpose of the evaluation (overall 15 activities).

The evaluation will reach out to all key stakeholders, namely Czech-UNDP Trust Fund, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub, UNDP COs in the countries listed above.

While evaluating the project, the consultant is to focus on these general categories.

Project concept and design:

  • The consultant will assess the project concept and design. He/she should review the goals set by the project and the project strategy, encompassing an assessment of the appropriateness of planned activities and inputs as compared to cost-effective alternatives. The evaluator will review the work plan, budget of the project, and the results framework. He/she will assess the achievement of indicators and suggest missing or/and alternative indicators.

Implementation

  • The evaluation will assess the implementation of the project in terms of quality and timeliness of inputs and efficiency and effectiveness of activities carried out. Also, the effectiveness of management as well as the quality and timeliness of monitoring and backstopping by all parties to the project should be evaluated.

Project output and results

  • The evaluation will assess the achievement of project output and goals, and whenever possible also long term effects of the project and sustainability of project results. This should encompass an assessment of the achievement of activities and the contribution to attaining the overall objective of the project. The evaluation should also assess the extent to which the implementation of the project has been inclusive of relevant stakeholders and to which it has been able to create collaboration between different partners. The evaluation will also examine if the project has had significant unexpected effects, whether of beneficial or detrimental character.

Sustainability

  • The consultant will asses the prospects for sustainability of achieved results. Extent to which the benefits of the project will continue, within or outside the project domain, after it has come to an end. Additionally, prospects for follow up activities, involving Czech expertise, funded from sources other than CTF are to be evaluated. The consultant is to provide recommendations on how to increase the probability of such follow up activities.

Evaluation Criteria and Questions:
An assessment of programme performance shall be carried out, based against expectations set out in the Project documents and annual work plans.
The evaluation will at minimum cover the criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, impact and partnerships.
The evaluator should be guided by, but not limited to, evaluation questions listed in Attachment 3 of this Terms of reference. The evaluator is expected to refine the list and specify possible additional questions exploring the purpose, scope and methodology within the Inception Report.

Evaluation Timeframe:
The evaluation is planned for estimated 22 working days in the estimated period February 2017 – March 2017. It will include:

Activities:

  • Desk review and preparation of Inception Report (Estimated timeframe: 8 working days; Location: Home based; Deliverable: Inception Report)
  • Field mission (Estimated timeframe: 4 working days; Deliverable: Evaluation mission debriefing)
  • Skype/phone/e-mail interviews with all relevant stakeholders; Drafting of the Evaluation Report (Estimated timeframe: 8 working days; Location: Home based; Deliverable: Draft Evaluation Report)
  • Finalizing the evaluation report (Estimated timeframe: 2 working days; Location: Home based; Deliverable: Final Evaluation Report)

Management of evaluation process
The assignment will take place in consultant’s home office. The consultant is expected to conduct Skype/phone/e-mail interview with all relevant stakeholders, including relevant personnel at UNDP Country Offices. One mission to one of the following 7 countries is expected to conduct intereviews with key stakeholders: Armenia, Kosovo, Kyrgystan, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, Tajikistan. 

The principal responsibility for managing this evaluation resides with the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub. The UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub will contract the evaluator. The evaluator will be supervised by and report to the project manager of the Czech-UNDP Trust Fund.
The UNDP project manager will provide the evaluator with all documents as listed in Annex 3 of this Terms of reference and MFA and UNDP COs contacts.

Written deliverables shall be presented in English and in electronic form (in MS Word format) to the CTF project manager. The inception report and draft evaluation report will be reviewed jointly by the CTF project manager and MFA.

Deliverables
The consultant is expected to deliver the following: 

  • Inception Report - Evaluation work plan and structure, evaluation approach and methodology, issues to be examined and planned schedule of evaluation interviews. It should detail the evaluators understanding of what is being evaluated and why (deadline: within 2 weeks upon contract signature);
  • Evaluation mission debriefing - Initial findings (deadline: end of evaluation mission no longer than 4 weeks after contract signature);
  • Draft Evaluation Report - Full report with annexes including executive summary, key findings, conclusions, recommendations, good practices, lessons learned, future direction(s) and shortcomings of current practices employed in programme implementation (deadline: within 1 week after evaluation mission);
  • Final Evaluation Report - Revised report (deadline: within 1 week after receiving comments on draft evaluation report).

The key deliverable expected is a comprehensive and analytical Final Evaluation Report in English that should adhere to the UN standard format. The Final Evaluation Report will be a stand-alone document that substantiates findings, conclusions and recommendations. The report will have to provide complete and convincing evidence to support its findings.

Payment schedule
Payment will be made in two instalments: 

  • 1st instalment presenting 20% of the lump sum after submission of the Inception Report, upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on this contract obligation in a satisfactory manner;
  • 2nd instalment presenting 80% of the lump sum upon confirmation of UNDP on delivering on all contract obligations in a satisfactory manner.

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 client orientation and advisory skills,
  • Excellent communication skills and drafting/writing skills in English (Familiarity with MS Office is required), 
  • Strong organizational awareness,
  • Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure, 
  • Strong interpersonal skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced (MA) university degree (or equivalent) in the area of evaluation, social sciences, economy, development studies or other relevant field;
  • Additional education/specialized training in evaluation is an asset.

Experience:

  • At least 5 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, results based management, development cooperation, policy planning and analysis, advisory support to governments or donor agencies in the area of evaluating development cooperation or private sector engagement, or similar consultancy assignments;
  • Previous experience in working with international organizations/working with UN agencies is an asset;
  • Demonstrated experience in applying qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods, designing and leading evaluations (proven track record of at least 3 assignments in this area);
  • Demonstrated experience in writing of evaluation reports or similar documents in English (proven by 1 writing sample);
  • Knowledge of multilateral organizations and recent developments in development cooperation is an asset;
  • Familiarity with the Czech ODA system is an asset.

Languages:

  • Proficiency (verbal and written) in English.

Ethics:
Evaluation consultant will be held to the highest ethical standards and is required to sign a Code of Conduct (please refer to Annex 4) upon acceptance of the assignment. UNDP evaluations are conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the UNEG 'Ethical Guidelines for Evaluations'.

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 and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum 70% from the maximum available technical score (24.5 points) will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

The maximum number of points assigned to the financial proposal is allocated to the lowest price proposal and will equal to 15. All other price proposals will be evaluated and assigned points, as per following formula: 15 points [max points available for financial part] x [lowest of all evaluated offered prices among responsive offers] / [evaluated price].

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

  • Criterion A (Education as specified in the announcement) – max 5 points;
  • Criterion B (Language skills as specified in the announcement) – max 2.5 points;
  • Criterion C (At least 5 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, results based management, development cooperation, policy planning and analysis, advisory support to governments or donor agencies in the area of evaluating development cooperation or private sector engagement, or similar consultancy assignments + Experience in working with international organizations) - max 10 points;
  • Criterion D (Demonstrated experience in applying qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods, designing and leading evaluations) – max 10 points;
  • Criterion E (Demonstrated experience in writing of evaluation reports or similar documents in English) – max 2.5 points;
  • Criterion G (Knowledge of multilateral organizations and recent developments in development cooperation + Familiarity with the Czech ODA system) – max 5 points.

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 and a brief description on how you will approach and conduct the work. Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application. 
  • Filled and duly signed P11 form including past experience in similar projects and contact details of referees (blank form can be downloaded from http://europeandcis.undp.org/files/hrforms/P11_modified_for_SCs_and_ICs.doc ); please upload the P11 instead of your CV. 
  • Financial Proposal* in USD - specifying  total lump sum amount for the tasks specified in this announcement. The financial proposal shall include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (number of anticipated working days and any other possible costs). Mission related costs must not be included in the proposal. These costs will be paid separately as per UNDP rules and regulations.

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, translation costs if any, communications, office supplies, 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://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.

List of Annexes (https://www.dropbox.com/s/b7cxpvcs3wg74ec/CTF%20Evaluation%20ToR_Annexes.zip?dl=0)

  • Annex 1 – Project Document
  • Annex 2 – List of evaluation questions
  • Annex 3 – List of documents to be reviewed by the evaluator
  • Annex 4 – Evaluation Consultant Code of Conduct and Agreement Form
  • Annex 5 – Evaluation Report Template and Quality Standards