IC/UNDP/CCCD/005/2021-Terminal Evaluation of Capacity Development for Implementing Rio Conventions through Enhancing Incentive Mechanisms for Sustainable Watershed/Land Management-International Consultant  

The TE will assess project performance against expectations set out in the project’s Logical Framework/Results Framework (see ToR Annex A). The TE will assess results according to the criteria outlined in the Guidance for TEs of UNDP-supported GEF-financed Projects. The Findings section of the TE report will cover the topics listed below.

A full outline of the TE report’s content is provided in ToR Annex C.
The asterisk “(*)” indicates criteria for which a rating is required.
Findings
i. Project Design/Formulation
• National priorities and country driven-ness
• Theory of Change
• Gender equality and women’s empowerment
• Social and Environmental Safeguards
• Analysis of Results Framework: project logic and strategy, indicators
• Assumptions and Risks
• Lessons from other relevant projects (e.g. same focal area) incorporated into project design
• Planned stakeholder participation
• Linkages between project and other interventions within the sector
• Management arrangements

ii. Project Implementation
• Adaptive management (changes to the project design and project outputs during implementation)
• Actual stakeholder participation and partnership arrangements
• Project Finance and Co-finance
• Monitoring & Evaluation: design at entry (*), implementation (*), an overall assessment of M&E (*)
• Implementing Agency (UNDP) (*) and Executing Agency (*), overall project oversight/implementation, and execution (*)
• Risk Management, including Social and Environmental Standards
iii. Project Results
• Assess the achievement of outcomes against indicators by reporting on the level of progress for each objective and outcome indicator at the time of the TE and noting final achievements
• Relevance (*), Effectiveness (*), Efficiency (*) and overall project outcome (*)
• Sustainability: financial (*) , socio-political (*), institutional framework and governance (*), environmental (*), the overall likelihood of sustainability (*)
• Country ownership
• Gender equality and women’s empowerment
• Cross-cutting issues (poverty alleviation, improved governance, climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster prevention and recovery, human rights, capacity development, South-South cooperation, knowledge management, volunteerism, etc., as relevant)
• GEF Additionality
• Catalytic Role / Replication Effect
• Progress to impact
Main Findings, Conclusions, Recommendations, and Lessons Learned
• The TE team will include a summary of the main findings of the TE report. Findings should be presented as statements of fact that are based on analysis of the data.
• The section on conclusions will be written in light of the findings. Conclusions should be comprehensive and balanced statements that are well substantiated by evidence and logically connected to the TE findings. They should highlight the strengths, weaknesses, and results of the project, respond to key evaluation questions and provide insights into the identification of and/or solutions to important problems or issues pertinent to project beneficiaries, UNDP, and the GEF, including issues in relation to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
• Recommendations should provide concrete, practical, feasible, and targeted recommendations directed to the intended users of the evaluation about what actions to take and decisions to make. The recommendations should be specifically supported by the evidence and linked to the findings and conclusions around key questions addressed by the evaluation.
• The TE report should also include lessons that can be taken from the evaluation, including best and worst practices in addressing issues relating to relevance, performance and success that can provide knowledge gained from the particular circumstance (programmatic and evaluation methods used, partnerships, financial leveraging, etc.) that are applicable to other GEF and UNDP interventions. When possible, the TE team should include examples of good practices in project design and implementation.
• It is important for the conclusions, recommendations and lessons learned of the TE report to include results related to gender equality and empowerment of women

DUTY STATION
Travel: • International travel will not be possible for the team leader given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restriction imposed by a number of countries in the region and globally;
• In case of travel, the BSAFE course must be successfully completed prior to commencement of travel;
• Individual Consultants are responsible for ensuring they have vaccinations/inoculations when traveling to certain countries, as designated by the UN Medical Director.
• Consultants are required to comply with the UN security directives set forth under https://dss.un.org/dssweb/
• All related travel expenses will be covered and will be reimbursed as per UNDP rules and regulations upon submission of an F-10 claim form and supporting documents..

For More Information and to track the related documents, please visit the following link;https://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=74440

A team of two independent evaluators will conduct the TE – one team leader (with experience and exposure to projects and evaluations in other regions) and one team expert, usually from the country of the project. The team leader will be responsible for the overall design and writing of the TE report. The team expert will assess emerging trends with respect to regulatory frameworks, budget allocations, capacity building, develop communication with stakeholders who will be interviewed, and work with the Project Team in developing the TE work plan.

The evaluator(s) cannot have participated in the project preparation, formulation, and/or implementation (including the writing of the project document), must not have conducted this project’s Mid-Term Review, and should not have a conflict of interest with the project’s related activities.

Due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic travel restrictions, the International Consultant will work with a National Consultant and the International Consultant will operate remotely using tools to conduct virtual interviews and consultations. Please refer to Annex I for the main responsibilities/contribution of the national expert to the evaluation.
The selection of evaluators will be aimed at maximizing the overall “team” qualities in the following areas:
International Consultant

Education

• Master’s degree in environmental management, sustainable development, social sciences and or other closely related fields (20%)

Experience

• Relevant experience with results-based management evaluation methodologies; Experience applying SMART indicators and reconstructing or validating baseline scenarios; (10%)
• Experience managing geographic research (human geography, regional development and watershed management); (10%)
• Competence in adaptive management, as applied to Multi focal area of Cross-Cutting Capacity Development in 3 Rio Conventions; (10%)
• Experience in evaluating projects; (15%)
• Experience working in developing countries in Asia; (5%)
• Experience in relevant technical areas for at least 10 years; (10%)
• Demonstrated understanding of issues related to gender and Multi focal area of Cross-Cutting Capacity Development in 3 Rio Conventions, sustainable development and/or biodiversity, experience in gender responsive evaluation and analysis; (10%)
• Excellent communication skills;
• Demonstrable analytical skills;
• Project evaluation/review experience within United Nations system will be considered an asset; (10%)
• Experience with implementing evaluations remotely will be considered an asset.
  

Language
• Fluency in written and spoken English.