UNDP Jobs - 80521- One International and one National Consultant to c

One International and one National Consultant to conduct Final Evaluation of the “Support to Agriculture and Rural Development” SARD Programme in ATU Gagauzia and Taraclia district

Location :

Chisinau with travels, mainly to ATU Gagauzia and Taraclia district, MOLDOVA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

17-Sep-2018

Application Deadline :

01-Sep-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

up to 30 working days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The “Support to Agriculture and Rural Development” SARD Programme is a three-year initiative funded by the European Union, implemented by the UNDP. The main objective of the project is to foster confidence building in the Republic of Moldova by targeting regions and territorial administrative units with special status. People from ATU Gagauzia, Taraclia district and neighboring communities will benefit from improved development opportunities in their localities, grasping the benefits of the National Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy.

SARD contributes to enhancing the competitiveness of the agro-food sector in the target regions, promotion of local entrepreneurship, creation of jobs and raising income; as well as increasing capacities of local communities to identify development ideas, develop and fundraise resources as well as implement development projects. The project is connecting region’s authorities and structures to the national ones, facilitating dialogue and inclusion in development of national strategies, as well as connecting neighboring villages through inter municipal cooperation and implementation of the LEADER/CLLD approach.

The programme has the following components:

Component 1: Enhanced Dialogue and Community Empowerment;

Component 2: Local entrepreneurship and SMEs development;

Component 3: Small-Scale Infrastructure Refurbishment and Promotion of Inter-Municipal Cooperation.

Duties and Responsibilities

As the project ends December 2018, the purpose of this evaluation is to learn from the experience of the Support to Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) Programme with a forward-looking approach. The Evaluation is expected to clarify underlying factors affecting the situation, highlight unintended consequences (positive and negative) and better design future EU and UN-supported projects and interventions. The UNDP Country Office plans to make use of the exercise as a learning opportunity not only for the offices but also for key partners and stakeholders, as inclusively and as practically possible.

The purpose of the Evaluation is twofold:

Review the progress made by the Support to Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) Programme in fulfilling its agreed outcome and outputs through the planned activities. Assess how successful confidence building approach was applied and the efficiency and effectiveness with which resources have been used to generate results and achieve project objectives with special emphasis on impact and sustainability.
Develop recommendations for future relevant project interventions beyond 2018, which UNDP Moldova can offer as support to agriculture and rural development both in regions with special status and in Republic of Moldova.

EVALUATION SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES

The overall objectives of the evaluation are the following:

Provide an objective assessment of the progress towards the achievement of the project objectives and outcomes as specified in the Project Document and the impact produced so far under the area of intervention.
Generate lessons from experiences in the project respective interventions to inform current and future programming at the country level,
Provide clear and forward-looking recommendations to suggest effective and realistic strategies by UNDP and partners.

UNDP will make use of the exercise as a learning opportunity for its country office and key partners and stakeholders, as inclusively and practically possible. The findings and recommendations generated by the evaluation should inform the implementation and targeting of activities of future relevant project initiatives.

The scope of the evaluation should incorporate the following categories of analysis:

Relevance: the degree to which the purpose of the Support to Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) Programme remains valid and pertinent.
Efficiency: the productivity of the implementation process - how good and how cost efficient the process of transforming inputs into outputs and outcomes was.
Effectiveness: a measure of the extent to which the Support to Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) Programme has contributed to achieve its results through an effective use of their resources.
Capacity development: as a key to development effectiveness, the achievement of the SDGs and sustainable local development.
Sustainability – to what extent are the SARD Programme results sustainable, i.e. rights-holders are empowered to claim their rights, taking into consideration the existing capacity, structures and political context in the country.

For detailed information, please refer to Annex 1 – Terms of Reference.

Competencies

Experience in conducting evaluation of projects in the socio-economic field - at least 5 projects;

Experience with development approaches in context of Eastern Partnership or EU Neighborhood countries;
Experience within the country, including Gagauzia and Taraclia district will be a strong advantage;
Previous work experience in related areas with UNDP or other development organization, preferably in the region
Excellent spoken and writing skills in English. Knowledge of Romanian or Russian is an advantage.

Required Skills and Experience

Master’s degree or equivalent in Management, Development Studies, International Affairs and/or other relevant fields;

At least 8 years of work experience in South Eastern European countries in the areas relevant to the assignment (agriculture and rural development, regional and local development, participatory planning for sustainable development, including participatory monitoring and evaluation);