Background

In accordance with UNDP and GEF M&E policies and procedures, all full and medium-sized UNDP support, GEF-financed projects are required to undergo a terminal evaluation upon completion of implementation. These terms of reference (TOR) sets out the expectations for a Terminal Evaluation (TE) of the Promoting Energy Efficiency in Commercial Buildings (PEECB) in Thailand.

PROJECT SUMMARY TABLE

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective and Scope of Work

The PEECB project has for its goal the reduction in the annual growth rate of GHG emissions from the Thai commercial building sector. The project objective is the promotion and facilitation of the widespread application of building energy efficiency technologies and practices in commercial buildings in Thailand. The realization of this objective will be facilitated through the removal of barriers to the uptake of building energy efficiency technologies, systems, and practices. The project is in line with the GEF-4 Strategic Program No. 1, which is on Promoting energy-efficient buildings and appliances (CC-SP1). It is comprised of activities aimed at improving energy efficiency and promoting the widespread adoption of energy efficient building technologies and practices in the Thai commercial building sector.

The TE will be conducted according to the guidance, rules and procedures established by UNDp and GEF as reflected in the UNDP Evaluation Guidance for GEF Financed Projects.

The objective of the evaluation are to assess the achievement of project results, and to draw lessons that can both improve sustainability of benefits from this project, and aid the overall enhancement of UNDP programming.

Evaluation Approach and Method

An overall approach and method for conducting project terminal evaluations of UNDP supported GEF financed projects has developed over time. The evaluator is expected to frame the evaluation effort using the criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and impact, as defined and explained in the UNDP Guidance for Conducting Terminal Evaluations of UNDP-supported, GEF-financed Projects.    A set of questions covering each of these criteria have been drafted and are included with this TOR (Annex C). The evaluator is expected to amend, complete and submit this matrix as part of an evaluation inception report, and shall include it as an annex to the final report.

The evaluation must provide evidence-based information that is credible, reliable and useful. The evaluator is expected to follow a participatory and consultative approach ensuring close engagement with government counterparts, in particular the GEF operational focal point, UNDP Country Office, project team, UNDP GEF Technical Adviser based in the region and key stakeholders. The evaluator is expected to conduct a field mission to Thailand, including the project sites in Bangkok and a nearby province.

Interviews will be held with the following personnel and organizations and individuals at a minimum:

• Project Director

• Representatives of responsible parties
• Building practitioner professional associations
• Project partners: Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP)
• Stakeholders from both public and private sectors including building owners

• Members of Project Board
• UNDP-GER Regional Technical Advisor
• UNDP Country Office in Bangkok in-charge of this project

The evaluator will review all relevant sources of information, such as the project document, project reports – including Annual APR/PIR, project budget revisions, midterm review, progress reports, GEF focal area tracking tools, project files, national strategic and legal documents, and any other materials that the evaluator considers useful for this evidence-based assessment. A list of documents that the project team will provide to the evaluator for review is included in Annex B of this Terms of Reference. The full scope methods used in the evaluation are at the discretion of the evaluator(s), but a mixed method of document review, interviews, and direct observations should be employed, at a minimum. The TE inception report and TE report should explain all the evaluation methods used in detail.

Evaluation Criteria & Ratings

An assessment of project performance will be carried out, based against expectations set out in the Project Logical Framework/Results Framework (see  Annex A), which provides performance and impact indicators for project implementation along with their corresponding means of verification. The evaluation will at a minimum cover the criteria of: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact. Ratings must be provided on the following performance criteria. The completed table must be included in the evaluation executive summary.   The obligatory rating scales are included in  Annex D.

Project Finance / Cofinance

The Evaluation will assess the key financial aspects of the project, including the extent of co-financing planned and realized.  Project cost and funding data will be required, including annual expenditures.  Variances between planned and actual expenditures will need to be assessed and explained.  Results from recent financial audits, as available, should be taken into consideration. The evaluator(s) will receive assistance from the Country Office (CO) and Project Team to obtain financial data in order to complete the co-financing table below, which will be included in the terminal evaluation report.

Mainstreaming

UNDP supported GEF financed projects are key components in UNDP country programming, as well as regional and global programmes. The evaluation will assess the extent to which the project was successfully mainstreamed with other UNDP priorities, including poverty alleviation, improved governance, the prevention and recovery from natural disasters, and gender.

Impact

The evaluators will assess the extent to which the project is achieving impacts or progressing towards the achievement of impacts. Key findings that should be brought out in the evaluations include whether the project has demonstrated: a) verifiable improvements in ecological status, b) verifiable reductions in stress on ecological systems, and/or c) demonstrated progress towards these impact achievements.

Conclusions, Recommendations & Lessons

The evaluation report must include a chapter providing a set of conclusions, recommendations and lessons.

Implementation Arrangements

The principal responsibility for managing this evaluation resides with the UNDP CO in Thailand.  The UNDP CO will contract the evaluators and ensure the timely provision of per diems and travel arrangements within the country for the evaluation team. The Project Team will be responsible for liaising with the Evaluators team to set up stakeholder interviews, arrange field visits, coordinate with the Government etc.

Evaluator Ethics

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

For additional information on methods, see the Handbook on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluating for Development Results, Chapter 7, pg. 163

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

 The evaluation team is expected to deliver the followings:

*When submitting the final evaluation report, the evaluator is required also to provide an 'audit trail', detailing how all received comments have (and have not) been addressed in the final evaluation report. See Annex H for an audit trail template.

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will report to the assigned UNDP-GEF Regional Technical Advisor for Mitigation for Asia and the Pacific and Team Leader of the Inclusive Green Growth and Sustainable Development (IGSD) Unit of UNDP Thailand County Office.

Duration of the Assignment

The total duration of the evaluation will be 30 working days over a period from 6 February to 15 May 2018 according to the following plan:

The Tentative timeframe is as follows:

Duty Station

Home-based with one mission to visit the project sites in Bangkok, Thailand.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling 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 favouritism.

Technical Competencies:

• Analytic capacity and demonstrated ability to process, analyse and synthesise complex, technical information;
• Proven ability to support the development of high quality knowledge and training materials, and to train technical teams;
• Proven experience in the developing country context and working in different cultural settings.

Communication:

• Communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner.

Professionalism:

• Capable of working in a high pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills.

Teamwork:

• Projects a positive image and is ready to take on a wide range of tasks;
• Focuses on results for the client;
• Welcomes constructive feedback.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications:

The evaluation team will be composed of an international and a national evaluator.  The consultants shall have prior experience in evaluating similar projects.  Experience with GEF financed projects is an advantage.  The international evaluator will be designated as the team leader and will be responsible for finalizing the report.  The evaluators selected should not have participated in the project preparation and/or implementation and should not have conflict of interest with project related activities.

The team members must present the following qualifications:

National Consultant

Profile

• Post-graduate in environmental science, environmental studies, development studies, social sciences and/ or other related fields (20%)
• Minimum of 5 years of supporting project evaluation and/or implementation experience in the result-based management framework, adaptive management and UNDP or GEF Monitoring and Evaluation Policy (20%)
• Knowledge of multilateral and bilateral cooperation project development and implementation (20%)
• Familiarity with Thailand development policy framework, environmental authorities, NGOs and other actors (20%)
• Excellent in written and spoken Thai and English (20%)

Responsibilities

• Documentation review and data gathering
• Contributing to the development of the evaluation plan and methodology
• Conducting those elements of the evaluation determined jointly with the international consultant and UNDP
• Contributing to presentation of the review findings and recommendations at the wrap-up meeting
• Contributing to the drafting and finalization of the review report

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payment :

Consultant must send a financial proposal based on Lump Sum Amount. The total amount quoted shall be all-inclusive and include all costs components required to perform the deliverables identified in the TOR, including professional fee, travel costs, living allowance (if any work is to be done outside the IC´s duty station) and any other applicable cost to be incurred by the IC in completing the assignment. The contract price will be fixed output-based price regardless of extension of the herein specified duration. Payments will be done upon completion of the deliverables/outputs and as per below percentages:

In general, UNDP shall not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this TOR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed.

Travel costs shall be reimbursed at actual but not exceeding the quotation from UNDP approved travel agent.  The provided living allowance will not be exceeding UNDP DSA rates. Repatriation travel cost from home to duty station in Bangkok and return shall not be covered by UNDP.

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated.  Offers will be evaluated according to the Combined Scoring method – where the educational background and experience on similar assignments will be weighted at 70% and the price proposal will weigh as 30% of the total scoring.  The applicant receiving the Highest Combined Score that has also accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions will be awarded the contract.

Only candidates obtaining a maximum of 70% of the total technical points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Documents to be Included When Submitting the Proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications. Please group them into one (1) single PDF document as the application only allows to upload maximum one document:

1. Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. CV and a Personal History Form (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;
3. Brief description of approach to work/technical proposal of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a proposed methodology on how they will approach and complete the assignment; (max 1 page)
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price and all other travel related costs (such as flight ticket, per diem, etc), supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template attached to the Letter of Comfirmation of Interest Template.  If an applicant 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 applicant must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP.

All application materials should be submitted to UNDP by 31 December 2017.  Incomplete applications will be excluded from further consideration. The short listed candidates may be contacted and the successful candidate will be notified

Annexes:

Annex I - TOR_ Terminal Evaluation Terms of Reference (National Consultant)

                               Annex A: Project Logical Framework

                               Annex B: List of Documents to be reviewed by the Evaluators

                               Annex C: Evaluation Questions

                               Annex D: Rating Scales

                               Annex E: Evaluation Consultant Code of Conduct and Agreement Form

                               Annex F: Evaluation Report Outline

                               Annex G: Evaluation Report Clearance Form

                               Annex H: TE Report Audit Trail

Annex II- General Condition of Contract

Annex III - Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability for the Individual IC, including Financial Proposal Template

All documents can be downloaded at : http://procurement-notices-admin.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=43025