Background

Active Labour Market Programmes 2 project of UNDP aims to improve the labour market institutions’ capacities to design relevant policies at central level and deliver integrated services at local level. Through a comprehensive and scaled-up approach, the overall goal is to build-up on long-standing UNDP achievements in addressing Kosovo’s labour market challenges, as well as to pave the way for long-term and sustainable local mechanisms that are capable to address such challenges on their own. The project will strengthen and ensure the sustainability of the links between labour market actors-employers, job-seekers, policy makers, public employment services and vocational training and educational institutions. 

In 2015, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW), ALMP2 launched the Self Employment Programme, funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, UNDP and MLSW. The programme aims to tackle unemployment through providing grants and mentorship for the unemployed to establish their own businesses and become entrepreneurs. The programme has been implemented according to the operational guidelines(1) developed by UNDP and endorsed by MLSW, which include all the necessary information, forms and procedures used during the implementation of the programme. 

The Programme was implemented in two separate calls, one announced in 2015 in three regions, and the second announced in 2016 in one region. The Programme covered a total of 21 municipalities around Kosovo. As a result, in both cycles, there was a total of:

1. 538 business ideas submitted;
2. 219 unemployed people trained how to prepare business plans and submitted business plans to the programme;
3. 82 businesses created and awarded start-up grants;
4. Around 400,000 euros disbursed as start-up grants;
5. Around 2,500 hours of mentoring services provided to all grantees on how to make their businesses operational and viable;
6. At least 160 jobs created.

The established startups include small ventures in food processing and packaging industry, wood processing, metal processing, information and communication technology, textile, tourism, and other related industries, those sectors having been identified by the Ministry of Trade and Industry as priority and with the highest potential for economic growth.  

ALMP2 is seeking to evaluate the implementation of the Programme and the impact that the programme has had on the lives of its beneficiaries. This evaluation should be performed as per the general criteria of UNDP and the technical expertise required in this field. 

1)The Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the Self-Employment Programme in Kosovo: http://www.ks.undp.org/content/dam/kosovo/docs/almp2/SeflEmpl_Manual_Eng_web.pdf?download 

Objectives of Assignment

The purpose of this evaluation is to find out how the project has supported processes and building capacities that have, indeed, helped make a difference. The evaluation is to look at the processes of the self-employment programme (SEP), the impact, as well as the cost-benefit analysis of the programme. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under direct supervision of the ALMP2 project manager, the Sustainable Development Programme Analyst, the consultant is expected to conduct an evaluation of the implementation and the impact of the Self-Employment Programme, implemented during 2015-2016.
The evaluation aims to identify which of the specific results have been achieved and what progress was made towards achieving project outputs and to use lessons learned, conclusions and recommendations to improve the self-employment future initiatives and generate knowledge for wider use. 

Specific objectives are:

• To evaluate the relevance of the SEP for the main beneficiaries 
• To evaluate the efficiency of the SEP and to assess the appropriateness of the integrated approach of the programme
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the SEP and to identify factors contributing to effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the actions implemented
• To identify factors directly influencing the level of achievement of the desired results
• To evaluate the impact of the SEP 
• To identify areas in which the implementation mechanism could have been improved
• To identify the level of the ownership by local actors of the SEP results and provide prioritized list of recommendations for actions (with respective addressees) in case of any identified need for improvement
• To identify institutional and individual capacity development efforts’ impact on sustainability of results
• To evaluate sustainability of the programme

The evaluation should also consider the prospect for long-term sustainability of the positive changes and overall progress toward the outcome. The evaluation should particularly identify lessons learnt, conclusions and propose recommendations for improving future efforts to achieve the objectives of the self-employment programme.
The international consultant will undertake the following processes:  

1. Desk review phase and Inception report (7 working days) 

Conduct a comprehensive desk review of various sources, reports, relevant publications, research papers, etc. UNDP will provide to the consultant (electronic versions of relevant documents). The consultant will study the documents as a preparation for this assignment, based on this consultant will design the evaluation methodology, tailor the evaluation questions, and questionnaires, data collection tools and other technical materials that will be utilized throughout the evaluation. The international consultant will draft the questionnaire(s) based on the elements to be evaluated. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods are encouraged. After finalizing the evaluation methods and technical tools, the evaluation consultant will prepare a detailed inception report, prior to starting field visit. The methodology of the analysis taking should take into consideration the process evaluation, cost-benefit analysis and impact in the livelihood of the beneficiaries. This report will be reviewed and validated by UNDP.  

2. Field visit and data collection (7 working days)

In close coordination with the project staff, the International Evaluator will undertake field work in Kosovo: briefing with UNDP to clarify any outstanding issues and the methodology along which the evaluation will take place, discussions and interviews with key national and international interlocutors and stakeholders (a list of stakeholders and contact details will be provided by UNDP). Site visits will be organized to visit project locations and conduct interviews (of both individuals and groups) to develop further intelligence on SEP operations, management, decision-making and implementation arrangements and to identify the relevance of the programme. UNDP office will arrange translation and transportation services as needed. 

3. Draft report (12 working days)
Based on the desk research, data collection results and field visits, the evaluator will provide a draft evaluation report to UNDP. The draft report provides the first analysis and results of the evaluation, the initial findings and conclusions and allows for feedback and completion of any missing data by the UNDP ALMP project and Sustainable Development Programme. The report should be complete and logically organized. It should be written clearly and understandable to the intended audience. The report must include, but not necessarily be limited to, the elements outlined below:

• Title and opening pages
• Table of contents
• List of acronyms and abbreviations
• Executive summary
• Introduction
• Description of the intervention
• Evaluation scope and objectives
• Evaluation approach and methods 
• Data analysis 
• Findings and conclusions  
• Recommendations   
• Lessons learned 
• Report annexes

UNDP will provide feedback within 10 working days of the submission. 

4. Final report (4 working days)
Based on the draft report and the comments provided by UNDP, additional desk reviews if necessary, the evaluator will produce a final report. The final report provides the complete content of the report as per the main outline proposed above. Upon completion of the draft final report, UNDP will provide validation of the report.

The final report will be completed by the evaluator 10 days after UNDP provides the feedback.

The following evaluation criteria and related evaluation questions are proposed for the evaluation process; however these can be expanded and modified by the evaluator:

The evaluation criteria must be ranked as per UNDP ranking methodology (1). The evaluation questions are proposed for the evaluation process; however, these can be expanded and modified by the evaluator. The response to the above questions should be followed by specific short and long term recommendations that could be undertaken by UNDP and the stakeholders in order to improve on the implementation of the Self-Employment Programme. 

The evaluator may employ any relevant and appropriate quantitative or qualitative methods he/she deems appropriate to conduct the SEP evaluation. Methods should include: desk review of documents; interviews with stakeholders, partners, and beneficiaries; field visits; use of questionnaires or surveys, etc. However, a combination of primary and secondary, as well as qualitative and quantitative data should be used. The evaluator is expected to revise the methodological approach in consultation with key stakeholders as necessary, particularly the intended users and those affected by final evaluation results. 

The suggested methodology should be compatible with the UNDP approach to evaluations as described in the Handbook for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.  
 
Prior to the evaluator’s arrival, he/she will receive a list of documents to be consulted for his/her review. The evaluator will have latitude to design a detailed evaluation scope and methodology and will present a proposed work plan as part of the inception report to UNDP before arrival to Kosovo in order to optimize the time spent during the field mission.

The final evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the UNEG ‘Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation.’ The evalautor must address any critical issues in the design and implementation of the evaluation, including evaluation ethics and procedures to safeguard the rights and confidentiality of information providers, for example: measures to ensure compliance with legal codes governing areas such as provisions to collect and report data, particularly permissions needed to interview or obtain information about children and young people; provisions to store and maintain security of collected information; and protocols to ensure anonymity and confidentiality. 

1) 6 = Highly satisfactory: no shortcomings; 5= Satisfactory: minor shortcomings; 4 = Moderately satisfactory:  moderate shortcomings; 3 = Moderately unsatisfactory: significant shortcomings; 2 = Unsatisfactory: Major problems; 1 = Highly unsatisfactory: Severe problems.

Deliverables / Final Products Expected

1. Inception report summarizing the findings in the desk review, the methodology of evaluation and any of the technical data collection tools, and mission agenda submitted and endorsed by UNDP and MLSW. 
2. Meetings conducted and a brief summary of the field mission in Kosovo submitted.
3. The draft report submitted 
4. The final report submitted 

Expected Results:

Deliverables/Outputs:

• Desk review of all the relevant documents related to the Programme is conducted and an inception report with the designed methodology as well as the agenda for the field mission is developed.

Estimated duration to complete:

• 7 w/d

Tentative due dates: 

• 10th of August 2017

Review and Approvals required:

• Programme Analyst and ALMP2 Project Manager 

Deliverables/Outputs:

• Meetings with the relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries in Kosovo are conducted. The consultant is expected to hold a validation workshop with the relevant stakeholders to discuss the initial findings of the field mission. 

Estimated duration to complete:

• 7 w/d

Tentative due dates: 

• 28th of August – 1st of Sepember 2017

Review and Approvals required:

• Programme Analyst and ALMP2 Project Manager 

Deliverables/Outputs:

• The report with recommendations for MLSW and other involved institutions how to improve the implementation of the programme for the future is drafted.

Estimated duration to complete:

• 12 w/d

Tentative due dates: 

• 18th of September 2017

Review and Approvals required:

• Programme Analyst and ALMP2 Project Manager 

Deliverables/Outputs:

• The final report is submitted, and validated by the UNDP and MLSW team. 

Estimated duration to complete:

• 4 w/d

Tentative due dates: 

• 2nd of October 2017

Review and Approvals required:

• Programme Analyst and ALMP2 Project Manager

Scope of price proposal and schedule of payments

Remuneration - Lump Sum Amount 

The Contract is based on lump sum remuneration and shall be processed subject to deliverables as per the schedule listed below:  

• Upon submission of the inception report, the methodology and the questionnaire (deliverable 3): 20% of lump sum
• Upon submission of the draft report (deliverable 6): 60% of lump sum
• Upon submission of the final report (deliverable 7): 20% of lump sum.

Required Presentation of Offer: 

The following documents are required to be submitted:

• 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 professional references (P11 can be downloaded at UNDP web site): http://www.ks.undp.org/content/kosovo/en/home/operations/jobs/)
• Financial proposal: The consultant is expected to provide an all-inclusive lump sum for delivering the assignment.
• Technical proposal, a max. 2 page document briefly explaining the approach and method to be utilized for delivering the expected results within the indicated timeframe. Please attach a recent evaluation report.

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

• Please note that the criteria for selection of the best candidate that shall be utilized is the combined scoring method – where the technical part based on the P11 and the technical proposal will be weighted a max. of 40% (20% for the P11 and 20% for the explanation on the approach and method to be utilized for delivering the expected results), and combined with interview which will be weighted a max. of 30% and the price offer which will be weighted a max of 30%.

Application Instructions:

• Click on the "Apply now" button;
• Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation; You can type in, or paste your short Resume into the last box;
• Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. On the next page, you will be asked to upload your Resume;
• System will only allow one attachment. All docs (CV; P11; financial offer; list of similar profiles should be included as one attachment).
• Please make sure to submit all the requested documents/information; otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Committed to professionalism, impartiality, accountability and integrity;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, ethnicity, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Demonstrates substantial experience in gender equality. Actively promotes gender equality in all activities;
• Treats all people fairly without favouritism.

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to work effectively within a team;
• Ability to synthesise research and draw conclusion on the related subjects;
• Excellent writing skills in English, ability to formulate concepts and conclusions
• Demonstrates transparency, confidentiality, objectivity and provides feedback to all those who will contribute to the evaluation;  
• Ability to pay attention to details; 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing;
• Good organisational skills;
• Commitment to accomplish work; 
• Responds positively to critical feedback;
• Results and task oriented

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• University degree at the post-graduate/master level in social sciences is required with preference given to those in with a background economics or public administration;

Experience:

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in policy and programme implementation evaluation is required;
• Previous proven experience in drafting evaluation methodology for impact analysis, cost benefit analysis or process analysis is required;
• Direct grassroots experience in local development programmes is required;
• Previous experience and knowledge of the Kosovo reintegration process is an asset;

Language requirements:

• Excellent analytical and report writing skills in clear and fluent English. Knowledge of Albanian and/or Serbian is considered an asset.