Historique

UNDP Global Mission Statement:

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with national counterparts on their own solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP Afghanistan Mission Statement:

UNDP has been working in Afghanistan since 1966 in close partnership with government, civil society and other national and international partners. UNDP focus is helping Afghanistan build and share solutions to the challenges of Environment, Livelihoods, Gender, Rule of Law, Governance and Health. UNDP advocate for change and connect the Afghan government, NGOs, civil society and other partners to the knowledge and resources they need to help the Afghan people build a better life. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

Organizational context:

Within the UNDP Afghanistan County Office, Support Afghanistan Livelihoods and Mobility (SALAM) project is housed in the Livelihoods and Resilience Programme Unit which is responsible for project design, contracting, and project initiation. The focus of UNDP work on livelihoods and resilience is on reducing poverty and creating mechanisms that help men and women in the country to cope with socioeconomic stresses resulting from the humanitarian crisis and limited human development. The Livelihoods and Resilience Unit in UNDP Country Office in Kabul works with private sector to create jobs and economic growth, and with the government, to build infrastructure, link rural areas to markets, develop new forms of employment suited to the needs of the areas and to people movements. It promotes alternative livelihoods adapted to the threats of climate change with focus on value chains, that also help reduce illicit economy.

The Support Afghanistan Livelihoods and Mobility (SALAM) in Nangarhar is a joint project of UNDP, ILO and UNHCR in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD) with the aim to support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA) in developing comprehensive, coherent and integrated national and sub-national policy and institutional approaches for enhancing livelihoods in a time of crisis and protracted conflict, and in the wake of the massive and ongoing return of Afghan people from Pakistan. SALAM brings together the Government and three UN Agencies: UNDP, UNHCR and ILO, along with the private sector and other partners, to seek durable solutions for Afghans in line with the Government’s vision and strategies for employment generation and labour migration.

With initial funding support from the Government of Finland, the programme’s main interventions promote the creation of an enabling environment for generating livelihood alternatives in Nangarhar. Customized support activities will also be provided to address the specialized needs of various groups, including IDPs, migrant returnees, young people, and women. SALAM also targets safer and more productive international labour migration for those who choose to leave Afghanistan, through initiatives that help identify regular opportunities for international migration. SALAM project is expected to deliver the following outputs:

  • Output 1: Formalized institutional structures in support of regular labour migration for Afghan women and men are established;

  • Output 2: National and international employment opportunities for women and men IDPs and returnees in Nangarhar province increased.

The geographic coverage of SALAM project is Kabul city and Jalalabad city of Nangarhar province.

In accordance with the revised project document, UNDP intends to conduct this Midterm Evaluation (MTE) of the SALAM project to provide a comprehensive independent assessment of project performance and governance arrangements and provide recommendations for the remainder of the project implementation.

SALAM Framework project was signed with an overall budget of US$ 120 M covering 5 provinces, including Nangarhar. This project remained unfunded except for the Finnish funding earmarked for Nangarhar. A “subproject” was created to reflect the specific contribution of Finland in Nangahar. The Nangarhar specific project document reflects a reduction in the scope of the SALAM Framework, including the number of provinces from 5 to one (Nangarhar), from 3 to 2 outputs, a corresponding change in the number of indicators and activities (from 46 to 12 activities and an evaluation). In accordance with these changes, the budget was reduced from US$ 120 million to US$ 5 million and the revised time frame from 2021 to 2019.

The mid-term evaluation is expected to serve as a means of validating or filling the gaps in the initial assessment of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability obtained from monitoring. The mid-term evaluation provides the opportunity to assess early signs of project success or failure and prompt necessary adjustments. Specifically, the mid-term evaluation is intended to provide a programme or project manager with a basis for identifying appropriate actions to:

  • Address particular issues or problems in project design, identify potential project design issues or problems;

  • Address particular issues or problems regarding project implementation;

  • Address particular issues or problems regarding the project management;

  • Assess progress towards the achievement of objectives and targets;

  • Identify and document initial lessons learnt from experience (including lessons that might improve design and implementation of other L&R Unit projects);

  • Identify additional risks (which are not part of the current risk log, if any) and counter-measures;

  • Make recommendations and aid decision-making regarding specific actions that might be taken to improve the project and reinforce initiatives that demonstrate the potential for success.

The evaluation will also be used to reflect on the duality of the SALAM overall Framework and the SALAM project in Nangarhar and will include advice on how to revisit the larger SALAM framework for scaling up efforts and resource mobilization.

Against this background, UNDP is hiring an independent International consultant to carry out the Midterm Evaluation of the SALAM project which will be conducted through a consultative process with UNDP, UNHCR and ILO, MoLSAMD, the project donor and beneficiaries.

Evaluation Purpose

The objectives of the Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) are to:

  • Assist the recipient Government, beneficiaries, UNDP and, as appropriate, the concerned partners and stakeholders, to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, sustainability and impact of the project;

  • Provide feedback to all parties to improve the policy, planning, appraisal and implementation and monitoring phases; and

  • Ensure accountability for results to the project’s financial backers, stakeholders and beneficiaries.

Evaluation Scope and Objectives

The Mid-term Evaluation (MTE) will assess progress towards the achievement of the project objectives and outcomes mentioned above and as specified in the SALAM Project Document, and assess early signs of project success or failure with the goal of identifying the necessary changes to be made to set the project on-track to help achieve its intended results.  The MTE will also review the project’s approach and methodology, its risks to results impact and sustainability and make recommendations on how to improve the project over the remainder of its lifetime.  

The questions regarding aspects of relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the project will cover the design, start-up, project management, and project implementation phases from January 2017 to the time of the evaluation (expected in August 2018).

MTE Approach and methodology

The MTE must provide evidence-based information that is credible, reliable and useful. The consultant will review all relevant sources of information including documents (reference the 'Documents to be consulted' section below). The consultant will also interview all relevant stakeholders including all parties who have been contracted by the project or participate in meetings and discussions with the project. The consultant is expected to follow a collaborative and participatory approach ensuring close engagement of all stakeholders (See section below: ‘Evaluation Target Groups and sources of information’).

The consultant will produce an Evaluation Inception Report based on a review of all relevant documents and initial consultations and present it to the UNDP Livelihoods and Resilience Unit, the Programme Strategy and Results Unit (PSR), UNDP Senior Management and other stakeholders to explain the objectives and methods adopted for the mid-term evaluation.

In addition to the Evaluation inception report, the consultant will produce: a) an Initial findings presentation on the final day of the in-country mission to Afghanistan, b) a Draft evaluation report, and c) a Final evaluation report based on below evaluation criteria and feedback received and including all tools and questionnaires that were used.

Evaluation Questions:

Relevance:

  • Is the project design appropriate to address the substantive problem that the project is intended to address? How useful are the project outputs to the needs of the target beneficiaries;

  • What is the value of intervention in relation to the national and international partners’ policies and priorities (including SDG, UNDAF and UNDP Corporate Strategic Plan; Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework and the National Priority Programmes, the UNHCR Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR);

  • Are the project objectives consistent with substantive needs, and realistic in consideration of technical capacity, resources and time available.

Efficiency:

  • To what extent were adequate resources secured prior to project implementation? Did the project use the resources in the most economical manner to achieve its objectives;

  • To what extent were project start-up activities completed on schedule;

  • How well is the project managed, and how could it be managed better;

  • Is there an appropriate mechanism for monitoring the progress of the project? If yes, is there adequate usage of results/data for programming and decision making;

  • What is the project status with respect to target outputs in terms of quality and timeliness;

  • What is the potential that the project will successfully achieve the desired outcomes;

  • What are the potential challenges/risks that may prevent the project from producing the intended results.

Effectiveness:

  • Are the project’s objectives and outcomes clearly articulated, feasible, realistic;

  • Are the underlying assumptions on which the project intervention has been based valid? Is there a clear and relevant Theory of Change;

  • To what extent did the project start-up activities adhere to the agreed approach and methodology;

  • If there were delays in project start-up, what were the causes of delay, and what was the effectiveness of corrective measures undertaken? Do start-up problems persist;

  • To what extent has the project implemented activities as envisaged? To what extent have those activities contributed to achieving the project objectives;

  • What factors have contributed to achieving/not achieving the intended results;

  • To what extent have the project implementation modalities been appropriate to achieve the overall objectives;

  • To what extent has the project managed to implement activities across the target project locations;

  • To what extent do external factors, such as logistical or security constraints, have impact on project implementation;

  • To what extent is the project logic, concept and approach appropriate and relevant to achieving the objectives.

Impact:

  • What is the wider perception of the project, its image, applicability and performance? Are project communications effective in positively promoting the project to a wider audience;

  • What are the results (or preliminary results) of the intervention in terms changes in the lives of beneficiaries against set indicators.

Sustainability:

  • What are the Implementing Partner’s resources, motivation and ability to continue project activities in the future;

  • Is there adequate all-party commitment to the project objectives and chosen approach;

  • To what extent is there constructive cooperation among the project partners? What are the levels of satisfaction of government counterparts, donors and beneficiaries;

  • What has been the quality of execution of the implementing partner, and if applicable where are there specific areas for improvement;

  • What is the likelihood that the project results will be sustainable in terms of systems, institutions, financing and anticipated impact;

  • What is needed for the project intervention to be adapted/replicated further.

In addition to assessing the evaluation questions above, the team should analyze any other pertinent issues that need addressing or which may or should influence future project direction and UNDP, ILO and UNHCR engagement in the country.

Conclusions and Recommendations:

  • The MTE will include a section of the report setting out the MTE’s evidence-based conclusions, in light of the findings;

  • What corrective actions are recommended for the design, start-up phase, managerial arrangements and project implementation, including sustainability, of the project? An actionable recommendation table should be put in the report’s executive summary;

  • What actions are recommended to follow up or reinforce initial benefits from the project;

  • What are the main lessons that can be drawn from the project experience that may have generic application.

Evaluation Target Groups and sources of information:

  • The consultant should strive to reach as many people as possible, ensuring diversity of various stakeholder groups, as well as to review existing reports and data for an enriched evaluation;

  • A provisional list of stakeholder groups that should be consulted during the evaluation is given below and will be updated once the consultant is on board:

    • Government of Afghanistan:MoLSAMD, and its various departments including relevant Directorates, DoLSAMD and DiREC in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Governor’s Office;

    • Beneficiaries: MoLSAMD, Trainees and Job Placement Returnees, Private Sector Employers and Employers;

    • International Organizations: UNHCR, ILO, IOM, Oxfam, World Bank;

    • Donor:Government of Finland;

    • UNDP Country Office;

    • SALAM Project Staff in Kabul and Nangarhar.

Devoirs et responsabilités

Scope of Work and Deliverables:

The following key deliverables are expected from this assignment:

Evaluation inception report

  • An inception report should be prepared by the evaluators before going into the fully-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 for each task or product. The inception report provides UNDP and the consultant evaluator with an opportunity to verify that they share the same understanding about the evaluation and clarify any misunderstanding at the outset. The Evaluation inception report should outline a clear overview of the mid-term review approach, including:

    • The purpose, objective, and scope of the review;

    • The approach should include a summary of the data collection method, and the criteria on which the methodologies were adopted;

    • A proposed work plan including a schedule of tasks, activities, and deliverables;

    • A mid-term review matrix, specifying the main review criteria and the indicators or benchmarks against which the criteria will be assessed;

    • Any limitations for the mid-term review.

Initial findings presentation

  • An initial findings presentation and report, presented on the last day of the MTE mission.

Draft evaluation report

  • Full draft report and annexes should be submitted, UNDP and key stakeholders in the evaluation will review the draft evaluation report to ensure that the evaluation meets the required quality criteria. See section below ‘Suggested Template for the Mid-Term Evaluation Report’.  

Final evaluation report

  • Revised report with audit trail detailing how all received comments have (and have not) been addressed in the final MTE report.

Expected outputs/Deliverables; Timeframe and Payment percentage:

Deliverable 1:

  • Submission and Acceptance of MTE Inception Report: MTE team clarifies objectives and methods of Midterm Review; Due 1 week (6 working days in Kabul) after signature of contract;

Deliverable 2:

  • Submission and Acceptance of Initial Findings Presentation and report: Initial Findings presented on the last day of the MTE mission; to be presented on final day of mission to Afghanistan (6 working days in Jalalabad); 40%;

Deliverable 3:

  • Submission and Acceptance of Draft Final Report: Full report with annexes; Due 1 week (7 days home based) after submission of Initial findings presentation and report; 30%;

Deliverable 4:

  • Submission and Acceptance of Final Report: Revised report with audit trail detailing how all received comments have (and have not) been addressed in the final MTE report; Expected to be completed within 1 week of receiving UNDP comments on draft; Due 3 weeks (16 days home based) after the submission of the Draft Final Report; 30%.

Payment Modality: 

Payments under the contract shall be delivery based and be made on receipt of the specific milestone reports indicated above, and including a timesheet according to UNDP procurement formats for individual contractors. Upon receipt of final comments on the last report and successful completion of all deliverables, the consultant shall submit a final report for formal acceptance by UNDP at which point the final payment shall be released.

Compétences

Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;

  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;

  • Maturity combined with tact and diplomacy;

  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;

  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Special skills requirements

  • Shows ability to communicate and to exercise advocacy skills in front of a diverse set of audience

  • Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;

  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;

  • Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;

  • Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues in a multi-cultural and multiethnic environment;

  • Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;

  • Ability to work independently with strong sense of initiative, discipline and self-motivation.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Academic Qualifications:

  • Master’s Degree in political science, sociology, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, social science, evaluation, from an accredited university.

Experience:

  • At least 10 years of working experience in evaluation and social research with at least 5 years working with developing countries and a demonstrated understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by post conflict countries;

  • Proven experience in evaluating projects/ programmes of UN or development agencies (preferably UNDP);

  • Strong analytical and research skills with sufficient understanding of quantitative/qualitative methods and data analysis;

  • Familiarity with UNEG evaluation norms and guidelines and processes required;

  • Work experience related to migration, people’s movements, displacement and mobility and local employment is an advantage;

  • Experience working in Afghanistan an advantage.

Language:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English is a requirement. Knowledge of Dari, Pashto is an advantage.

Working Arrangements:

  • The Consultant will work under the overall substantive guidance of the Head of the Livelihood and Resilience Unit with the PSRT Unit (for evaluation process and methodology).

Evaluation Competencies and Ethics:

  • The Evaluation will follow UNDP and UN Evaluation Group (UNEG) guidelines on the ethical participation of beneficiaries and children. In addition, all participants in the study will be fully informed about the nature and purpose of the evaluation and their requested involvement. Only participants who have given their written or verbal consent (documented) will be included in the evaluation. Specific mechanisms for feeding back results of the evaluation to stakeholders will be included in the elaborated methodology. All the documents, including data collection, entry and analysis tools, and all the data developed or collected for this consultancy are the intellectual property of UNDP-Afghanistan and project IP, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Martyred and Disabled (MoLSAMD). The Evaluation team members may not publish or disseminate the Evaluation Report, data collection tools, collected data or any other documents produced from this consultancy without the express permission of and acknowledgement of UNDP and MoLSAMD.

Documents to be consulted:

  • SALAM Project Document and revised Nangarhar Project document including annexes and Annual Workplans and project budget revisions, project reports including Annual Project Reports (APR), Quarterly Project Report (QPR), Back to Office reports, ad-hoc project activity progress reports, report or other documents produced by Implementing Partner, Meeting minutes including: Project Board and Technical working group meeting minutes, Terms Of Reference, including for the Technical Working Group, procurement for Job Creation, TORs for project personnel including UNDP staff and NTA modality, correspondence with the donor, any other materials that the consultant considers useful for this evidence-based review).

Sample Evaluation Matrix:

  • The evaluation matrix is a tool that the consultant evaluator will create as a map and reference in planning and conducting an evaluation. It also serves as a useful tool for summarizing and visually presenting the evaluation design and methodology for discussions with stakeholders. This will complement the Project’s M&E plan for each indicator. A sample Evaluation Matrix table will be provided.

Management of the Evaluation:

  • The consultant is responsible for ensuring that the evaluation function is fully operational and that evaluation work is conducted according to the highest professional standards.

Suggested Template for the Mid-Term Evaluation Report:

Executive summary

  • Should include Recommendation Summary Table.

Purpose of the evaluation

  • Restate the purpose of the UNDP mid-term project evaluation;

  • How this evaluation fits into project cycle and project planning/review activities.

Evaluation methodology

  • Methods used;

  • Workplan.

Background

  • Country context (policy, institutional environment with relevance to SALAM programme intervention);

  • Project rationale;

  • Project status (implementation, financial).

Evaluation:

Evaluation Questions should be answered under the headings as outlined in the TOR:

  • Relevance;

  • Efficiency;

  • Effectiveness;

  • Impact;

  • Sustainability;

  • Any other pertinent issues that need addressing or which may or should influence future project direction and UNDP engagement in the country.

Conclusions and Recommendations:

  • The MTE will include a section of the report setting out the MTE’s evidence-based conclusions, in light of the findings;

  • What corrective actions are recommended for the design, start-up phase, managerial arrangements and project implementation, including sustainability, of the project? A recommendation table should be put in the report’s executive summary;

  • What actions are recommended to follow up or reinforce initial benefits from the project;

  • What are the main lessons that can be drawn from the project experience that may have generic application.

Annexes

To include, at minimum:

  • Evaluation Follow-up Matrix (sample template provided);

  • ToR;

  • List of people interviewed/focus group discussions, etc;

  • Tools/questionnaires used;

  • References.

The whole assignment is foreseen for a period of two months with maximum of 35 working days. Homebased and Kabul (One mission to Kabul, Afghanistan for 16 calendar days).

Duty Station

  • Kabul, Afghanistan. The SALAM project works in two provinces, Kabul and Jalalabad. The consultant will be guided by the reporting requirements of this assignment. Options for site visits to Jalalabad should be provided in the Inception Report, following discussions with UNDP Afghanistan and the Project Manager. The consultant is expected to be in Afghanistan for period 16 calendar days in a single visit and remainder of the time will be home based for desk review, report writing and editing.

Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:

The contractor shall submit a price proposal as below:

The total professional fee, shall be converted into a lump sum contract and payments under the contract shall be made on submission and acceptance of deliverables under the contract in accordance with the abovementioned schedule of payment.

Proposal Evaluation Method and Criteria:

The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

  • Cumulative analysis

  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and

  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Technical Criteria weight 70%;

Financial Criteria weight 30%.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points (70% of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria 70 points

Technical Proposal (30 marks)

  • Technical Approach & Methodology (20 marks) – Explain the understanding of the objectives of the assignment, approach to the services, methodology for carrying out the activities and obtaining the expected output, and the degree of detail of such output. The Applicant should also explain the methodologies proposed to adopt and highlight the compatibility of those methodologies with the proposed approach;

  • Work Plan (10 marks) – The Applicant should propose the main activities of the assignment, their content and duration, phasing and interrelations, milestones (including interim approvals by the Client), and delivery dates. The proposed work plan should be consistent with the technical approach and methodology, showing understanding of the TOR and ability to translate them into a feasible working plan.

Qualification and Experience (40 marks) [evaluation of CV for shortlisting]:

  • General Qualification (15 marks);

  • Experience relevant to the assignment (25 marks).

Documents to be included when submitting the proposals:

Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications in one single PDF document:

  • Duly accomplished confirmation of Interest and Submission of Financial Proposal Template using the template provided by UNDP (Annex II);

  • Personal CV or P11, indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references.

Technical Proposal:

  • Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment;

  • A methodology, on how they will approach and complete the assignment and work plan as indicated above.