Background

The Government of Albania implemented a reform for reorganization of local governments in the territory consolidating 373 units into 61. The aim of the territorial and administrative reform was to transform the quality of local governance, enabling local public institutions to operate with greater human and financial resources in larger territories that allow for efficiency and economies of scale. The undertaking of the territorial reform was intended as a basis for further administrative and fiscal decentralization and the modernization of public administration in general.

The wider framework for the above reform also evolved and encouraged such changes. In February 2014, a new Law on Civil Service became effective. As per the Law, the scope of the civil service broadened to include several categories of employment at local government level, bringing the number of employees enjoying civil servant status to about 20,000 (local governments accounting for about 5,000) starting from April 2014.

In June 2014, Albania was granted the EU candidate status, an important landmark towards EU membership, although advancing along the membership process remains conditional on further results to “intensify anti-corruption efforts and implement its anti-corruption strategy and action plan […] reform of the public administration and the judiciary, the fight against organized crime and corruption, the protection of human rights and anti-discrimination policies including in the area of minorities and their equal treatment”. 

The law “On the territorial and administrative division of the local government units in the Republic of Albania”, adopted by the Albanian Parliament in July 2014 and effective in December 2014, paved the way for the organization of local elections of June 2015 on the basis of a new organizational structure of 61 local governments. Since June 2015, the local government in Albania operates through 61 municipalities, which have assumed the responsibilities and challenges of managing local public matters.

In April 2015, the Public Administration Reform Strategy 2015-2020 and the Strategy for Anti-Corruption 2015-2020 were adopted. The PAR Strategy identifies several key challenges in reforming the public administration, which relate to sustainability and de-politicization, effective control mechanisms, strict implementation of the Civil Service Law and transparent recruitment procedures, enhancement of the quality of services delivered to citizens, use of information technology in service delivery, and fight against corruption. Of relevance, the Strategy calls for capacity building through in-depth and continuous training of civil servants of local public administrations, especially in improving managerial and leadership skills, establishment of performance management and monitoring systems for local governments, and the adoption of ICT technology for delivering administrative services at the local level also through the introduction of the concept of “one-stop-shops”.

Albania’s Anticorruption Strategy 2015-2020 gives special considerations for the implementation of the Strategy at the local level with an emphasis on increasing the adoption of systems that discourage corrupt practices and promote transparence (easing service provision procedures and establishment of one-stop-shop facilities, publishing of financial data, improved financial management and reporting and establishment of service delivery and monitoring mechanisms)

A new Crosscutting Strategy on Decentralization and Local Governance 2015-2020 was adopted in July 2015, and represents the government's vision for strengthening local governance and local democracy through (i) improving the overall efficiency of local government structures, (ii) strengthen local fiscal capacities, (iii) fostering sustainable local development, and (iv) deepening good governance and local democracy through participation, civic engagement and the creation of community structures for dialogue and consultation in decision-making.

A new Law on the Organization and Functioning of Local Government (Organic Law), was adopted in December 2015, as part of the Decentralization Strategy Action Plan. The Organic Law provides the new framework for local government operations, in line with the government strategic vision for furthering decentralization and within the new context of the post administrative and territorial reform. The Law introduces several novelties regarding the definition of local government functions, decentralization of new competencies to the local level, the roles and competencies of the elected and executive levels in the new municipal structures, new requirements on service provision and the necessity to apply service standards.

Within the above framework, since June 2015, the local government institution is composed of 61 municipalities and 373 administrative units, with an average of 46,000 inhabitants for municipality. Along this period, each municipality has engaged in reorganization and consolidation of its structures and staff, including for absorption of the new transferred competencies/functions.

STAR2 was launched in July 2016, with a projected life until end 2019, with a total budget of $8,168,668. The project is developed as a collaborative effort of international partners - EU, Italy/Italian Cooperation, Sweden/Sida, Switzerland/SDC, US/USAID and UNDP - under national leadership, to provide coherent support to the implementation of the reforms at the local level and thus assist in the further consolidation of the local governance system. Through STAR2, UNDP offers project management and implementation and help manage donor contributions for joint action within the various relevant reforms’ framework.

The project is designed to provide assistance at two levels: at the local level for systematic and inclusive capacity building for all local government administrations, and for organization of public service delivery systems for a more integrated, innovative, transparent, and accountable ways to the benefit of men, women and marginalized; and, operational and organizational support Ministry of Interior and Agency Support Local Government (ASLG) to enable leadership and coordination of this assistance.

Through a national coverage, STAR2 project provides support to all 61 LGUs and engage in activities along the following three main components:

(1)         Strengthening institutional and administrative capacities of LGUs

 (2)        Improving local service delivery efficiency, quality, coverage, accessibility and inclusiveness

 (3)        Increasing good governance through citizen-oriented governance and participatory decision-making.

Duties and Responsibilities

The object of this evaluation is to analyse STAR 2 project process of implementation, the impact and changes that have occurred within beneficiaries and systems, identify problems and constraints that have been encountered, identify important lessons to be learned, and make recommendations for the implementation of future projects.  The evaluation aims at the followings:

1. Measure to what extend the STAR 2 project has implemented the activities, delivered outputs and attained outcomes and specifically achieved development results;
2. Generate substantive evidence-based knowledge, by identifying best practices and lessons learned and make recommendations for improved future assistance in the relevant area.

More specifically the evaluation will:

1. Review the project ’s design and internal coherence (needs and problems it sought to solve); 
2. Analyse and evaluate the sustainability of project interventions; 
3. Provide feedback on the soundness (defined as relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability) and impact of project results;
4. Based on the analysis and evaluation conducted over the experience of STAR 2, extract lessons learned and provide recommendations for follow-up.  

The conclusions and recommendations generated by this evaluation will be addressed to UNDP, the Project Steering Committee, ASLG, and other partners involved in the project implementation.

Evaluation methodology

The evaluation shall be based on the standard evaluation criteria including relevance, level of achievement of project objectives, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability as well as results-based management approach. More concretely:

• Relevance: The evaluator will assess the degree to which the project takes into account the local context and development problems. The evaluation will review the extent to which the objectives of the project are consistent with beneficiary requirements and needs and assess whether the approach was coherent with the Country's policies. The evaluation will also review the extent to which the project design was logical and coherent, and it will assess the link between activities and expected results, and between results and objectives to be achieved.

• Effectiveness: The evaluation will assess the extent to which the project's objectives have been achieved, compared to the overall project purpose. In evaluating effectiveness, it is useful to consider: I) if the planning activities are coherent with the overall objectives and project purpose; 2) the analysis of principal factors influencing the achievement or non-achievement of the objectives.

• Efficiency:  To which extent is the intervention efficient in terms of resources and input committed when delivering outputs and immediate results?

• Impact: The evaluation will assess the main impact effectively achieved by the STAR Project in the context of reference.

• Sustainability: The evaluation 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.

The evaluation shall be conducted by a team composed of a Senior evaluator, tasked to lead the evaluation process and an Evaluator, supporting Senior evaluator during the assignment implementation. The evaluators will use methodologies and techniques as determined by the specific needs for information, the availability of resources and priorities of stakeholders. In all the cases, the evaluators are expected to analyze all relevant information sources, such as annual reports, project documents and files, country development documents, and any other documents that may provide evidence on which to form opinions. The evaluators are expected to use interviews as a means to collect relevant data for the evaluation.

The methodology and techniques to be used in the evaluation should be described in detail in the inception report and the final evaluation report, and should contain, at a minimum, information on the instruments used of data collection and analysis, whether these be documents, interviews, field visits, questionnaires or participatory techniques.

It is expected that the evaluators will conduct consultations and meetings with project partners and representatives of sister like projects (DLDP, Strong Municipalities, etc) as well as other actors involved in the sector.

Outputs and deliverables

Working under the supervision of the Project Implementing Advisor (focal point) and the UNDP Cluster Manager, the evaluators shall produce the following deliverables through the course of the as­signment:

• Work plan – within 2 days of the start of the assignment.  The evaluators will submit the wok plan which will include a detailed approach and methodology and schedule.  In par­ticular, the work plan will require a clear approach to data collection and work organization to examine the project in its full scope.
• Presentation of findings – within 18 days of the start of the assignment a presentation of findings and preliminary recommendation to key stakeholders will be carried out. The purpose is to provide opportunity for initial validation and support further elaboration of the evaluators’ findings and recommendations. 
• Final evaluation report – within 4 days of receiving the consolidated comments from stakeholders, the evaluators shall submit a final document that addresses relevant comments and provides comprehensive reporting on all elements of the assignment. This report will be submitted to the evaluation focal point for clearance.

Evaluation Report Outline

As a minimum, the Evaluation Report (draft or final) shall include the following components (the exact structure of the report may be influenced by the project components and compo­nents of the Evaluation TOR):

1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction
3. Project outline
4. Methodology
5. Analysis
6. Findings
7. Best Practices and Lessons Learned
8. Recommendations
9. Relevant Annexes, for example:
   • List of people interviewed
   • List of acronyms
   • Evaluation work plan and TOR
   • List of key reference documents

Implementation Arrangements

The evaluator will work under the supervision of the UNDP Programme Officer and STAR 2 Project Implementing Advisor and the Senior evaluator which will provide guidance in the development of the work plan and ensure the monitoring of satisfactory completion of eval­uation deliverables. UNDP may provide office space and access to standard office services as needed.

In consultation with the Senior evaluator and as requested, UNDP/STAR 2 personnel will make available all relevant documentation and provide contact information to key project partners and stakeholders, and facilitate contact where needed.

Competencies

Core Values

• Demonstrating/safeguarding UN core values on accountability, integrity, transparency, mutual respect, professionalism, and results orientation
• Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results
• Displays cultural, gender, nationality, religion and age sensitivity and adaptability

 Core competencies

• Facilitates and encourages open communication in the team, communicating effectively
• Able to identify priorities and plan/organize efficiently in line with agreed approach/framework
• Demonstrates self-initiative and responsibility in carrying out tasks
• Demonstrates the ability to act as a team player and facilitate team work in a multicultural environment
• Shows readiness to self-development, sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others

Functional Competencies:

• Demonstrated experience in programme design, monitoring and evaluation;
• Knowledge, experience and understanding of the Local Governance and Territorial Reform in Albania;
• Familiarity with local governance developments in Albania and related local government project evaluation experience is highly preferable;
• Proven record in analytical thinking and concise writing and reporting in English language;
• Demonstrated ability to write comprehensive reports;
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking;
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Albanian;
• Ability to work in a team;

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications:

• University Degree in Economics, Public Administration, Political or a Development related field;
• At least 5 years of experience in program design, monitoring and evaluation;
• Experience in conducting evaluations from a governance based perspective and thematic/sector evaluations.
• Familiarity with local governance developments in Albanian and related local government project evaluation experience is highly preferable.
• Excellent knowledge of both written and spoken English

Evaluation of Applicants

Individual consultants will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications and financial proposal.

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

a) responsive/compliant/acceptable, and

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

Only the highest ranked candidates who would be found qualified for the job will be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation – max. 70 points:

1. Compliant education background (10 points);
2. Demonstrated experience in programme design, monitoring and evaluation (30 points);
3. Proven ability and experience in governance and development issues; (30 points).

Financial Criteria - 30% of total evaluation – max. 30 points

Application procedures

Interested applicants are advised to carefully study all sections of this ToRs and ensure that they meet the general requirements as well as specific qualifications described. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials

The application should contain:

• Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the advertised position . Please paste the letter into the "Resume and Motivation" section of the electronic application.
• Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability-please fill in the attached form...  www.un.org.al/sites/default/files/IC_Offerors%20Letter%20to%20UNDP%20Confirming%20Interest%20and%20Availability.docx
• Latest personal CV, including past experience from similar projects or completed and signed UN Personal History Form (P11) for Service Contracts (SC) and Individual Contracts (IC) – Blank form Download here.
• Financial Proposal in ALL - specifying a total lump sum in Albanian Lek
  http://www.un.org.al/doc/Financial%20Offer%20template.doc 
  (The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable -qualitative and quantitative- deliverables . 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).- Please note that with regard to travel component you may provide an average estimated travel cost for one circuit with and without accommodation.
• Copy of Diplomas and copy of Passport. 

PLEASE NOTE THAT INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR FURTHER EVALUATION 

How to Submit the Application:

To submit your application online, please follow the steps below:

• Merge your CV or P11, Financial Proposal Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability and cover letter into a single file. The system does not allow for more than one attachment to be uploaded;
• Click on the Job Title (job vacancy announcement);
• Click “Apply Now” button, fill in necessary information on the first page, and then click “Submit Application;”
• Upload your application/single file as indicated above with the merged documents (underlined above);
• You will receive an automatic response to your email confirming receipt of your application by the system.

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.

Due to a large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidates about the outcome or status of the selection process