UNDP Jobs - 81598- International Consultant to Conduct Mid-term Revie

International Consultant to Conduct Mid-term Review of UNDP’s global project “Anti-Corruption for Peaceful and Inclusive Societies” (ACPIS)

Location :

Home based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Nov-2018

Application Deadline :

23-Oct-18 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

40 Days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

40 Days

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

Despite the significant progress that has been made in fighting the global scourge of corruption in recent years, corruption continues to harm national development processes and undermine democracy and the rule of law, contributing to the culture of impunity and violence. Recognizing the detrimental impact of corruption on sustainable development, nearly all countries have ratified or acceded to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). With 186 states parties as of 26 June 2018, UNCAC has been influential in enabling states parties to adopt national legal instruments to combat corruption, including anti-corruption laws and strategies, and the establishment of anti-corruption institutions.

The multi-year support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia to UNDP’s anti-corruption work has been very important to promote transparency, accountability and integrity agenda at the global, regional and country levels. In 2012-2016 DFAT Australia supported UNDP’s Global Anti-corruption Initiative (GAIN) to implement anti-corruption initiatives in close collaboration with UNODC and a joint UNDP-UNODC anti-corruption project for the Pacific. The top 5 achievements of Australia’s support to UNDP’s work for 2012-2016 are as follows: 1) Anti-corruption is now considered an integral part of national development plans and strategies; 2) The participation of civil society and other major actors in the implementation of UNCAC has been enhanced; 3) The role of Anti-Corruption Agencies as an important entry point to initiate anti-corruption reforms has been strengthened; 4) Gender and youth empowerment was promoted as part of anti-corruption strategies; and 5) The use of ICTs and new technologies has facilitated people’s ability to hold authorities to account in the fight against corruption.

Successful implementation of Phase 1 resulted in renewed DFAT-UNDP-UNODC partnership for 2016-2020 with UNDP’s new Anti-Corruption for Peaceful and Inclusive Societies (ACPIS) global project with a total budget of AUD 6,550,665. The project aims to integrate anti-corruption solutions in service delivery such as health, education, water, construction, etc., strengthen institutional capacity of integrity institutions to prevent corruption, promote knowledge and advocacy to support anti-corruption efforts.

More specifically, The ACPIS project aims to contribute to strengthening the national capacities and integrate anti-corruption measures into national development processes and to enhance integrity in service delivery. The project contributes to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular Goal 16 (Targets 16.5 and 16.6) on “Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies” and the links between these targets and other SDGs.

The overall expected outcome of the APIS project is:

“Anti-corruption institutions, systems and mechanisms are better integrated to support partner countries to prevent and tackle corruption.”

With the related objectives and outputs as follows:

Objective 1: Integrate anti-corruption solutions in service delivery sectors, in partnership with youth, women and private sector.

Output 1.1: Anti-Corruption solutions integrated in service delivery systems (such as in health, education, water and infrastructure, justice and security) to mitigate corruption risks.
Output 1.2: Social accountability mechanisms to monitor services and provide oversight promoted and strengthened (such as civic engagement, engagement and participation of youth and grassroots women, private sector participation).

Objective 2: Strengthen state/institutional capacity to implement UNCAC, in particular with regard to the prevention of corruption.

Output 2.1: UNCAC and anti-corruption integrated in national development processes, including the mainstreaming of SDGs at national and sub-national levels, to prevent and tackle corruption.
Output 2.2: Measures to prevent corruption are put in place by anti-corruption institutions.

Objective 3: Promote knowledge and advocacy to support anti-corruptions efforts, including a better understanding of the link between violent extremism and corruption.

Output 3.1: Advocacy is promoted at national and sub-national levels to reinforce anti-corruption efforts.
Output 3.2: Knowledge on anti-corruption id produced and shared globally, including south-south and triangular cooperation.

Purpose of Review

Against this background, during the mid-point of ACPIS’s implementation an independent mid-term review is envisioned to be undertaken as per the project document. The goal of the mid-term review is to assess the overall progress of the ACPIS project and inform the project management, project implementation team and its partners on how to improve ACPIS performance (in terms of its activities, process and results) going forward. Thus, the review shall document intermediate results, lessons learned and provide recommendations for strengthening the projects overall performance.

More specifically, the objectives of this mid-term review are three-fold:

To document progress and results against the theory of change and results framework (impact, outcomes and outputs) and assess whether the activities and outputs delivered to date have been effectively implemented and how such have, or are likely to, contribute to outcomes and impact;
To review the design and effectiveness of the project, e.g. whether activities, outputs, outcomes, objectives and performance indicators are sufficiently aligned to enable an assessment of project effectiveness;
To review the modality, in terms of current project structure of processes between the implementing partners, as well as the implementation of each country supported project and the project’s existing capacity according to DFAT’s Quality in Implementation (QAI) criteria and expectations.
To review what worked and what did not and document good practices and lessons learned.
To provide recommendations on how ACPIS could strengthen its results by better aligning its priorities and strengthening partnership as envisioned by both UNDP and DFAT.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key Evaluation Questions

The review will take into account criteria such as relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, monitoring and evaluation, sustainability, gender equality, and impact to review the mid-term results and progress of the project.

Relevance: The mid-term review will assess the degree to which the project takes into account the local context and development problems. It will also review the extent to which the project design is logical and coherent, and it will assess the link between activities and expected results, and between results and objectives to be achieved.
Effectiveness: The mid-term review will assess the extent to which the Project's objectives have been achieved to date, compared to the overall project purpose. In evaluating effectiveness it is useful to consider: I) if the planning activities were consistent with the overall objectives and project purpose; 2) the analysis of principal factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives.
Efficiency: Using a range of cost analysis approaches, from the elaborate cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis, to cost-efficiency analysis, to a quick cost comparison, the evaluation will assess how well did the project produce the products and services it committed itself to deliver; how do costs affect the sustainability of the results;
Impact: The mid-term review will assess any credible evidence and the main impact effectively achieved by the Project in the context of reference.
Sustainability: The mid-term review will assess the project capacity to produce and to reproduce benefits over time. In evaluating the project sustainability it is useful to consider to what extent intervention benefits will continue even after the project is concluded and the principal factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the project sustainability.
Monitoring & Evaluation: The mid-term review will assess the robustness of the M & E system and whether it is generating credible information that is being used for management decision making, learning and accountability. Moreover, it should asses how M & E can be further strengthened in the current project and possible future anti-corruption related projects.
Gender equality: The midterm review will assess to what extent the project is making a difference to gender equality and empowering women and girls, as well as promoting women’s participation throughout project activities and how gender equality can be further included in the project design and implementation.

Moreover, the review will try to answer the following questions:

Outcomes and impact:

What are the key mid-term results and significant progress achieved against the results and resource framework of the project?
How relevant is the project to the target groups’ and beneficiaries’ needs and priorities? (Gender dimension to be taken into account);
What are the findings, conclusions and recommendations to ensure that the project will achieve its goal and objectives upon its completion and what practical steps should be undertaken to ensure its sustainability? Is the project delivery according to the QAI criteria of DFAT?
Project’s contribution to UNDP’s Strategic Plan (2018-2021) and overall global anti-corruption discourse. What are the recommendations to improve the delivery and results of this project to contribute to implementation of UNDP’s Strategic Plan (e.g., improving policy and programme delivery architecture and processes, resource mobilization, strengthening synergies with UNDP’s governance priorities, etc.)?
What are the lessons learnned and areas for improving results, impact, approaches and processes, particularly addressing the integration of anti-corruption in 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda?

Project Design

How clear is the intervention logic (i.e. the theory of change) and how effective is the logical and results framework?
How effective are the current indicators for the purpose of tracking impact and output results?
What are the emerging anti-corruption needs and priorities of partner countries, and is the project in a position to effectively help address such priorities?

Modality, Partnerships and Cooperation

How effective are the organizational structures and operations, as well as policy mandates, between the implementing partners? E.g. the global anti-corruption team in Singapore, regional hubs, country offices and other UN agencies (i.e. UNODC)?
To what extent have partnerships been established/supported with governments and non-state actors?
To what extent has there been coordination amongst relevant UNDP teams, offices and hubs and between UNDP, UNODC and other development initiatives?
What are the advantages and disadvantages to the current approach?
What are UNDP’s strengths and comparative advantages vis-à-vis UNODC and other partners?

Methodology:

Based on UNDP’s polices and guidelines on M&E and the standard global practices on reviewing projects/programmes, the independent consultant will discuss and design the methodology to conduct the mid-term review with support from the ACPIS team. The review process will entail a combination of desk review of all relevant project documents and knowledge products; interviews (Via Skype or phone) with UNDP key staff, senior management, regional focal points on anti-corruption, selected Country Offices, partner organizations, civil society organizations or beneficiaries of country level projects; and a quick online survey to review UNDP’s policy and programme support through this project around the world.

Deliverables and reporting:

The consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables:

Mid-term inception report—an inception report should be prepared by the consultant before going into the full-fledged data collection exercise. It should detail the evaluators’ understanding of what is being evaluated and why, showing how each evaluation question will be answered by way of: proposed methods, proposed sources of data and data collection procedures. The inception report should include a proposed schedule of tasks, activities and deliverables. (submission by 8 November 2018);
First draft evaluation report which should be reviewed and approved by ACPIS team members and interviewed staff. (submission by 15 December 2018);
Final evaluation report, incorporating all the comments and inputs made to the previous drafts. (submission by 31 January 2018).

The consultant will work closely with the ACPIS programme team and under direct supervision of the Global Anti-Corruption Programme Advisor and in close coordination with the ACPIS programme manager. The ACPIS team will provide all the necessary documents and facilitate the work of the consultant.

Time frame:

The consultancy will start on 1 November 2018 and the final product should be 31 January 2019.

Payments:

The consultant(s) will be paid in three tranches upon submission of the agreed deliverables

Upon submission and approval of the inception report (20% of the agreed fee);
Upon satisfactory submission and approval of first draft (30% of the agreed fee);
Upon satisfactory submission and approval of the final draft. (50% of the agreed fee).

Terms and Conditions:

Details about terms and conditions for this consultancy can be found:

Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability at: http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/Letter%20of%20Interest%20_Annex%201.docx?download
The Financial Proposal Template at: http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/Financial%20Proposal%20Template.doc?download
The General Terms & Conditions for Individual contract is available at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/General%20Conditions%20of%20Contract%20for%20IC.pdf?download
The General Terms & Conditions for Reimbursement Loan Agreement is available at:http://www.my.undp.org/content/dam/malaysia/docs/Procurement/Reimbursable%20Loan%20Agreement%20_%20Terms%20&%20Conditions.pdf?download

Competencies

Functional competencies:

Excellent analytical skills;
Ability to work independently;
Ability to perform tasks in a timely manner and produce quality final product;
Strong interpersonal, communication and diplomacy skills;
Openness to change and ability to receive and integrate feedback.

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Master’s degree in public administration, law, political science, finance, economics, international relations, development studies, or related field.

Experience:

At least 10 years of working experience in monitoring and evaluation and (in addition) policy support, programme management or design of governance and anti-corruption programmes/projects;
A prior record of producing research studies (preferably in governance and anti-corruption);
A prior record of conducting mid-term or final evaluations related to governance and preferably anti-corruption.

Language Requirements:

Strong writing skills in English.

Interested institutions/individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications to MYC18024@undp.org;

Proposal

Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work;
Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work
Annex at least one sample of previous work on mid-term review or evaluation.
Financial proposal
The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days).
Travel: All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to conduct interviews, if applicable. In general, UNDP should 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.
Personal CV of individual(s) including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.