Background

The objective of the project is the sustainable land and forest management in the Greater Caucasus Landscape secures the flow of multiple ecosystem services, including carbon storage and sequestration and water provisioning services, while ensuring ecosystem resilience to climate change. The project will engineer a paradigm shift from the current unsustainable practices to sustainable land and forest management practice. The project will address barriers to sustainable pasture and forest management. In doing so it will support measures to mitigate CC such as managing natural forests to emphasize natural regeneration through improved grazing and wood collecting in forests. It will avoid GHG emissions caused by degradation, increase sequestration through enhanced biomass and improve the productivity of forests and pasturelands. This would result in short and long-term global benefits.

The project has 3 outcomes:

Outcome 1: Enabling policy and institutional environment for integrating SLM and SFM principles within the State programs and rayon level land use and forest management frameworks

Outcome 2: Demonstrated forest recovery and reduction of degradation from grazing and browsing pressures by livestock.

Outcome 3. Objectives and methods to enhance carbon storage potential of forests and pastures integrated in forestry and pasture land-use planning and decision-making.

Duties and Responsibilities

Terminal evaluation 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 objectives of the evaluation are to assess the achievement of project results, and to draw lessons that can both improve the sustainability of benefits from this project, and aid in 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 have 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 (fill in 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 (Ismayilli and Shamakhi regions of Azerbaijan), including the following project sites (Burovdal village, summer and winter pastures in the selected pilot regions and Gabala region). Interviews will be held with the following organizations and individuals at a minimum: Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Ministry of Education, Local Executive Authorities of the selected pilot regions, GIZ IBIS programme, FAO, Center for economic Reforms and Communication, Local foresters and farmers.

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.

Evaluation Criteria and 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.

Annex A: Project Logical Framework

Annex D: Rating Scales

Project Finance:

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.

Evaluation timeframe:

Note: For the detailed information please see attached draft Terms of Reference. This ToR together with the Procurement Notice and Personal History Form (p11) will be sent to the shortlisted candidates.

Competencies

• Displaying cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills; Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills;
• Outstanding time-management, organizational and inter-personal skills;
• Sharing knowledge and experience, communicating ideas and managing information flow;
• Strong team building skills, team management;
• Respond positively to feedback and differing points of view;
• Planning, organizing and multi-tasking;
• Analytical thinking;
• Strong drafting, presentation, management and reporting skills;
• Strong computer skills;
• Excellent written communication and coordination skills.

Required Skills and Experience

The consultants shall have prior experience in evaluating similar projects. Experience with GEF financed projects is an advantage. 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.

Education:

• Advance degree (at least master) in environmental science, engineering, natural resources management, development studies, social sciences, economic sicences and/or other related fields

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience
• At least 3 years previous experience with results-based monitoring and evaluation methodologies;
• Knowledge of UNDP and GEF
• Previous working experience in CIS countires is an asset

Language:

• Fluency in written and oral communication in English
• Knowledge of Russian language is an asset

Tehcnical points:

• Advance degree (at least master) in environmental science, engineering, natural resources management, development studies, social sciences, economic sicences and/or other related fields - 20 points
• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience - 30 points
• At least 3 years previous experience with result-based monitoring and evaluation methodologies - 20 points
• Approach to the work - 30 points

The minimum threshold for technical components is 70%