Background

Please provide Offeror’s Letter and proposal together with your CV in one single file while submitting application. And please note that the system will not accept the uploading of more than one document so please merge or scan all your documents into one prior to uploading., below is the download link of Offeror's Letter.

Applications submitted without Offeror's Letter will be considered fail in evaluation.

Offeror's letter download link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1d_6HC6eDsaLeLmGmYL32vZ6Vl67Dufeg

The United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the People’s Republic of China (UNDAF) was developed for the period 2016 – 2020 and it is aligned with the Government’s 13th Five-Year Plan for 2016-2020. The UNDAF has three priority areas: Poverty Reduction and Equitable Development; Improved and Sustainable Environment; and Enhanced Global Engagement. 

The first two priority areas, Poverty Reduction and Equitable Development and Improved and Sustainable Environment focus on the domestic reform agenda. The third priority area, Enhanced Global Engagement, is outward looking and focuses on supporting China in ensuring that China’s global and regional engagements through among others South-South Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative are aligned with the SDGs.

Within the three priority areas the, the UN agencies has committed to contribute the achievement of the following results: 1) more people, particularly the vulnerable and disadvantaged, enjoy improved living conditions and increased opportunities for economic social and cultural development 2) more people enjoy a cleaner, healthier and safer environment as a result of improved environmental protection and sustainable green growth and 3) the effectiveness of China’s engagement in international cooperation is enhanced for the mutual benefit of China and the world. The outcomes are to be achieved both through implementation of individual agency programs developed with national counterparts, and through joint initiatives developed by multiple agencies.

In 2018, the UNCT conducted a comprehensive mid-term review of the current UNDAF, which included an ambitious consultation process and data collection effort. Since the finalization of the mid-term review, individual UN agencies have conducted end of program evaluations.

As the current UN programming cycle is nearing its end. The UN in China is looking for a consultant to conduct a summary evaluation of the UNDAF, drawing upon the work already done for the mid-term review and the individual agencies program evaluations.

Duties and Responsibilities

PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES & scope

The summary evaluation aims to draw upon the program review and evaluation work already conducted throughout the programing cycle to inform government partners and the UN System, including resident and non-resident agencies, civil society, on the progress of work of the UN in China since the start of implementation of the UNDAF. Furthermore, it aims to inform the discussion on the role of the UN in China going forward and the thinking about the next phase of cooperation in terms of substance and modality. The review serves two main purposes:

I) Support accountability of the UN System for working effectively and in alignment with UN programming principles to contribute to agreed results in the UNDAF 2016-2020. The review will assess progress towards results within the framework of the UNDAF and assess how effectively the Government of China, other partners and the UN System have worked towards these results. The outcomes of already conducted stakeholders consultations with government and other UN partners will inform the assessment of the extent to which the UN has responded to national priorities in a coherent and synergetic manner under the UNDAF.

II) Optimize learning from the experience of implementing the current UNDAF, which will inform the design of the next cooperation framework and serve as a basis for a broader discussion on the role of the UN in China beyond 2020.  

The objectives of the review are as follows:

1. To assess the contribution made by the UN System, in line with the UNDAF goal and objectives;
2. To take stock of the activities conducted by the UN System in support of the UNDAF outcomes;  
3. To assess how effectively the UN System has implemented the three priority areas of the UNDAF; 
4. To assess how the management, coordination and delivery mechanisms implemented by the UNCT in cooperation with the GoC and other partners have supported the implementation of the UNDAF;
5. To inform the design of the next cooperation framework and serve as a basis for further discussion on the role of the UN in China beyond 2020.

The summary evaluation will cover the three UNDAF outcomes, the UNDAF programming principles (ensuring national ownership and development of national capacity, a human rights-based approach, gender equality, environmental sustainability, transparency and accountability) and the overall strategic direction and focus outlined in the UNDAF. The time period covered by the summary evaluation will be January 2016 to present. The summary evaluation will be based on the data collection effort already conducted for the mid-term review and the findings of individual agencies evaluations.

REVIEW QUESTIONS:

Following the OECD-DAC criteria for evaluating development assistance, the summary evaluation will assess the following questions[1]:

Relevance:

• To which extent are the UNDAF priorities and outcomes consistent with country needs, national priorities, the country’s international and regional commitments?
• Have Government priorities shifted during the review period and the extent to which the UNCT has been able to adapt to changing circumstances in the country?  

Effectiveness:

• To what extent has the UNCT contributed to, or is likely to contribute to, the outcomes defined in the UNDAF?
• Which are the main factors that contributed positively or negatively to the progresses towards the UNDAF outcomes and China’s national development goals?

Efficiency: 

• How has the UNCT ways of working affected progress on results and the implementation of UNDAF programming strategies and UN programming principles?

In this context, the review should in particular look into the following:

• To what extent do the Theme Groups contribute to identification and utilization of synergies among contributing programmes?

Sustainability: To what extent have programmes and initiatives linked with the UNDAF outcomes been scaled up and/or institutionalized.

Impact: The extent to which the UNDAF has targeted the poorest and marginalized people and has led to the reduction of inequalities.

METHODOLOGY

The summary evaluation should be conducted as per the China UNDAF Monitoring & Evaluation Framework (2016-2020). For each outcome area, a results report consisting of three main components should be developed:

• Component 1: An analysis assessing national progress towards the indicators established in the UNDAF Monitoring & Evaluation Framework (see Annex 1).
• Component 2: A descriptive assessment of the UN System’s contribution to progress in the outcome area.
• Component 3: actionable recommendations that the UNCT can take to enhance and improve the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact of the UNDAF.

The proposed Framework of national level indicators in Tier One and expected UN contributions in Tier Two will serve as basis for the preparation of the reviews and UNDAF Progress Reports that will be discussed jointly between the UN System and the Government of China. Once the consultant has been selected, an inception report and plan for the consultancy with concrete tasks along with timeline should be developed.

Data collection – the summary evaluation should draw upon the outcomes of the consultations and the data collection efforts conducted for the mid-term review. It should further be based on a desk review of recently conducted individual agency program evaluations. In addition, the country team has undertaken a Gender Scorecard exercise, which evaluates the extent to which the current UNDAF mainstreams gender through the outcomes. The Gender Scorecard findings will be another significant input for the UNDAF evaluation.

Validation - All findings should be supported with evidence. Triangulation will be used to enhance validity of data and substantiate findings.  

Processes:

The review will be conducted in three phases:

Phase I Preparation

Phase II Conducting the Review

Phase III Follow Up

Timeframe:

The consultant should complete the work within three months after the signing of the contract. The following activities should commence within 1 weeks of signing the contract. The Consultant is expected to draw up a detailed work plan with deadlines.

MANGEMENT STRUCTURE

The UNDAF Summary Evaluation will be conducted under the overall guidance and oversight of the UNDAF Program Group, which will include a designated official from each of the resident UN agencies. The consultant will report to the Head of the Resident Coordinator’s Office. The Resident Coordinator’s Office will make available junior staff to support data collection and review of material. 

REVIEW ETHICS

The review will be conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the ‘UNEG Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation’. Critical issues that consultant must safeguard include the rights and confidentiality of information provided in the design and implementation of the review.

At every stage of the review process, the following principles should be observed:

• Independence - the consultant should be independent from the operational management and decision-making functions of the UNCT;
• Impartiality – the review information should be free of political or other bias and deliberate distortions;
• Timeliness - reviews must be designed and completed in a timely fashion;
• Purpose - the scope, design and plan of the review should generate relevant products that meet the needs of intended users;
• Transparency - meaningful consultation with stakeholders should be undertaken to ensure the credibility and utility of the review;
• Competencies - reviews should be conducted by well-qualified expert/consultant.
• Ethics - consultant must have professional integrity and respect the rights of institutions and individuals to provide information in confidence and to verify statements attributed to them. Reviews must be sensitive to the beliefs and customs of local social and cultural environments and must be conducted legally and with due regard to the welfare of those involved in the review, as well as those affected by its findings;
• Quality - All reviews should meet the standards outlined in the Standards for Evaluation in the United Nations System. The key questions and areas for review should be clear, coherent and realistic. The review plan should be practical and cost effective. To ensure that the information generated is accurate and reliable, review design, data collection and analysis should reflect professional standards, with due regard for any special circumstances or limitations reflecting the context of the review. Review findings and recommendations should be presented in a manner that will be readily understood by target audiences and have regard for cost-effectiveness in implementing the recommendations proposed.

Supervision and Performance Evaluation of the CONSULTANT

The RCO in consultation with the UNCT will lead the selection of the Consultant. The Consultant will be under direct supervision of the Head of RCO. He/She will regularly communicate with the Head of RCO on the progress of the work. 

Competencies

REQUIRED Competencies

The incumbent will have to demonstrate competencies of working as a team member and team leader.

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrate good knowledge of the United Nations System mandate and the political, cultural and economic contexts of the region and the country;
• Demonstrative ability to assess the application of the five UN Programming Principles: human rights; gender equality; environmental sustainability; RBM; capacity development;
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Plans, prioritizes, and delivers talks on time;
• Participates effectively in a team-based, information-sharing environment, collaborates and cooperates with others;
• Strong coordination, negotiation, networking, lobbying and advocacy skills;

Functional Competencies:

• In-depth knowledge of the work of the UN in China;
• Demonstrate strong analytical and strategic thinking skills with ability to conceptualize, articulate, write and debate about relevant issues;
• Demonstrate strong track-record of conducting evaluations/reviews of the effectiveness of development cooperation. This includes knowledge of the UN Norms and Standards for Evaluation and OECD-DAC Evaluation Criteria
• Knowledge of current trends in international development, especially in the Asia-Pacific Region and China;
• Knowledge of South-South and triangular cooperation;
• Conceptualizes and analyses problems to identify key issues, underlying problems, and how they relate;
• Ability to identify beneficiaries’ needs, and to match them with appropriate solutions;
• Ability to build and sustain effective dialogue with main constituents, communicate effectively and sensitively across different constituencies;
• Ability to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints.

Required Skills and Experience

Required Skills & Experiences

Academic:

• Master’s degree in International Development, Economics, Public Administration, Development Program & Evaluation or any related social science discipline.

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of technical expertise in the field of international development, development programming, implementation and evaluation;
• Minimum 5 years of proven experience in conducting reviews at programme and/or outcome levels with international organizations;
• Minimum 5 years of experience in implementing a range of qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques and methods in programme reviews.

Language:

• Excellent proven written and spoken English and presentation skills;
• Excellent communication and interview skills; interpersonal and teamwork skills;
• Excellent report writing skills.

EVALUATION/SELECTION OF THE CONDIDATE

Lump sum contracts:

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).

Proposal of Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies:
The award of the contract will be made to the Individual Consultant who has obtained the highest Combined Score and has accepted UNDP’s General Terms and Conditions.  Only those applications which are responsive and compliant will be evaluated. The offers will be evaluated using the “Combined Scoring method” where:

Technical Evaluation: (Total obtainable score – 70)

Individual applicant will be evaluated based on a cumulative analysis taking into consideration the combination of the applicants’ qualifications, (phone interview) interview results and financial proposal.

Shortlisting - Individual applicant will be shortlisted based on the following criteria:

• Master’s degree in International Development, Economics, Public Administration, Development Programme & Evaluation or any related social science discipline;
• Minimum 10 years of technical expertise in the field of international development, development programming, implementation and review;
• Minimum 5 years of proven experience in conducting reviews at programme and/or outcome levels with international organizations.

The shortlisted candidates will be evaluated based on the following criteria and informal interview. Technical Criteria - 70% of total evaluation:

• Technical evaluation - 70% (includes 20% of Job Related Technical Expertise; 25% of Relevant working experience; 25% of Methodology & Approach to Assignment)

Financial Evaluation: (Total obtainable score – 30):

All technically qualified proposals will be scored out 30 based on the formula provided below. The maximum points (30) will be assigned to the lowest financial proposal. All other proposals receive points according to the following
formula:            p = y (µ/z)

Where:

• p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated;
• y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal;
• µ = price of the lowest priced proposal;
• z = price of the proposal being evaluated.

Final Selection:

The final selection will be completed through the cumulative calculation of obtained points from Technical and Financial Evaluation. The highest cumulative scorer will be awarded the contract.

UNDP applies a fair and transparent selection process that will take into account the competencies/skills of the applicants as well as their financial proposals. Qualified women and members of social minorities are encouraged to apply.