Consultant for mid-term evaluation

Vacancy Code: 2010/ICA/LT/61590/MTE

UNDP/GEF Project on Partnership Interventions for the Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for Lake Tanganyika

Background

Lake Tanganyika is a globally important hotspot of freshwater biodiversity, which contains almost 17% of the world’s available surface freshwater, and serves as an irreplaceable source of clean water, transportation and economic opportunities for an estimated 10 million people in its riparian countries.

The United Nations Development Programme/Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF) Project on Partnership Interventions for the Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for Lake Tanganyika aims to address major environmental challenges in the lake basin including pollution, sedimentation, habitat destruction, overexploitation of natural resources, and the effects of global climate change. The project is implemented in close collaboration with the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA), the governments of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Zambia, as well as with a wide range of national and international partners and stakeholders.

The LTA coordinates an African Development Bank / Nordic Development fund supported Project to Support the Lake Tanganyika Integrated Regional Development Programme (PRODAP), which runs in parallel with the UNDP/GEF Project. The PRODAP focuses on addressing topics of unsustainable fisheries and pollution as well as on overall development activities. Together, these two projects comprise the Lake Tanganyika Regional Integrated Management and Development Programme (LTRIMDP).

To address major trans-boundary issues for sustainable management of the natural resources in the Lake Tanganyika basin1, the following interventions were developed within the framework of the LTRIMDP:

- Support to the Lake Tanganyika Authority (LTA) and its Secretariat to coordinate and monitor sustainable management of the lake. (UNDP/GEF Project)
- Pollution control through wastewater management in Bujumbura (Burundi) and Kigoma (Tanzania). (UNDP/GEF Project and PRODAP)
- Sedimentation control through catchment management interventions in the regions of Uvira (DRC), Kigoma and Rukwa (Tanzania), and Mpulungu and Kaputa (Zambia). (UNDP/GEF Project and PRODAP)
- Introduction of sustainable and responsible fishery co-management regimes. (PRODAP)
- Institutional support to policy process, implementation of the Convention on Sustainable Management of Lake Tanganyika, and the establishment and implementation of environmental monitoring programmes. (UNDP/GEF Project)

Preparation of the LTRIMDP began in 1992 with the FAO/FINNIDA funded Research for the Management of the Fisheries on Lake Tanganyika Research (LTR), during which a Framework Fisheries Management Plan (FFMP) was developed for the lake. In 1995, the Project on Pollution Control and Other Measures to Protect Biodiversity (LTBP) in Lake Tanganyika started, following the signing of the Project Document by the governments of the riparian countries, the funding agency UNDP/GEF (PDF-A) and the executing agency United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). The LTBP implemented a series of Special Studies as well as several management planning meetings involving national and regional stakeholders. The results of the LTBP fed into the development of a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) and a Strategic Action Programme (SAP), which was adopted by the four governments in 2000.

From 2000 until 2003, the GEF (PDF B) funded Lake Tanganyika Management Planning Project (LTMPP) resulted in the elaboration of regional and national project proposals for the implementation of the SAP as well as the finalization of the Convention on Sustainable Management of Lake Tanganyika. Ratification took place by the governments of Burundi, DRC, Tanzania and Zambia in November 2008. The Convention provides for the LTA management structure to coordinate activities focusing on the conservation of biological diversity and sustainable management of the natural resources in the Lake Tanganyika basin, and forms the basis for implementation of the projects under the LTRIMDP.
The PRODAP and UNDP/GEF Project both started in 2008, with the establishment of the LTA Secretariat headquarters office in Bujumbura, Burundi. As described in the UNDP/GEF Project Document, the long-term objective of the overall LTRIMDP is improvement of the living conditions of the riparian populations through the implementation of the SAP, the FFMP and the Convention, together with ongoing and future efforts of riparian countries to bring about an integrated sustainable management and protection of Lake Tanganyika.

The UNDP/GEF components of the programme are designed to achieve the following outcomes:

Immediate Objective: To implement the prioritised activities of the Strategic Action Programme so as to achieve sustainable management of the environmental resources of Lake Tanganyika.
Outcome 1: Regional and national institutions have internalized the implementation of the SAP and FFMP and provide institutional support for the cooperative management of Lake Tanganyika under the ratified Convention (regional component).
Outcome 2. The quality of the water of Lake Tanganyika is improved at two identified pollution hotspots through wastewater treatment (Tanzania and Burundi components)
Outcome 3: Sediment discharge reduced from demonstration catchment management sites; providing significant livelihood benefits to local people, and seeking long-term adaptation measures to changing climatic regimes (Tanzania, Zambia, DRC components)
Outcome 4: Regional monitoring and management systems contribute to the long-term sustainable management of Lake Tanganyika (regional component).

The project includes a regional component, Burundi and DRC components, which are executed under the responsibility of UNOPS. Furthermore, it includes a Tanzanian and Zambian components that are executed under the responsibility of the national governments (National Execution, NEX).

Project execution for the Regional, Burundi and DRC components of the UNDP/GEF Project is the responsibility of UNOPS (through its International Waters Cluster), in accordance with UNDP and UNOPS operational and financial guidelines and procedures. UNOPS is accountable to UNDP for the delivery of agreed outputs as per agreed project work plans, for financial management, and for ensuring cost-effectiveness.

At policy and strategic level the project is guided by the LTA Management Committee, which functions as the Project Steering Committee (PSC). The PSC meets annually to monitor progress in project implementation, provide strategic and policy guidance, and review and approve work plans and budgets. The Committee retains the right to amend its membership as it deems necessary.

The Project Coordination Unit (PCU), headed by a Regional Project Coordinator, is responsible for day-to-day management of the implementation of the regional components. The PCU forms an integrated part of the LTA Secretariat, which is located in Bujumbura, Burundi. Project coordination and management structures of the PCU are in accordance with the rules and procedures of UNDP as executed through the UNOPS. The UNDP Regional Office in Pretoria is the lead office for overall project implementation. At the national level, project implementation is conducted by Project Management Units (PMU’s). In Burundi, the PMU falls under the responsibility of the PCU. The PMU in DRC falls under responsibility of the PCU through the WWF which has been subcontracted as implementing agency. In Tanzania, the Vice President’s Office (VPO) and UNDP Country Office are responsible for the functioning of the PMU. The PMU in Zambia falls under the responsibility of the
Ministry for Tourism, Environment & Natural Resources as well as the UNDP Country Office.

Mid-Term Evaluation Objectives

The purpose of the Mid-Term Evaluation (MTE) is to examine the performance of the project since the beginning of its implementation and to make recommendations on how to improve the management of the project until its completion. MTE will also provide stakeholders with the independent views on the project’s implementation progress. Following approaches adopted by GEF for the assessment of International Waters (IW) projects as well as UNDP guidelines for Monitoring & Evaluation, the MTE will include evaluation of:

- Progress made in the implementation of the project, measured against planned outcomes as described in the
- Project Document.
- Adequacy, efficiency, and effectiveness of project implementation.
- Rational budget allocation in order to achieve the outcomes.
- Progress made towards meeting the project objectives (i.e. initial and potential impacts of the project outputs and outcomes).

The MTE is intended to identify weaknesses and strengths of the project design, and to develop recommendations for any necessary changes in the overall design and orientation of the project. The evaluation is expected to address underlying causes of any targets that are not being adequately achieved. It will assess the achievement of indicators, review progress against work plans and budget. Consequently, the MTE mission will also be expected to make detailed recommendations on the work plan for the remaining project period as well as on the project duration. This will provide an opportunity to assess signs of project success or failure and prompt necessary adjustments. Furthermore, the MTE mission will identify lessons learnt and best practices that could be applied to future and on-going projects.

Scope of the Mid-Term Evaluation

The scope of the MTE will cover all the activities that are undertaken in the Lake Tanganyika basin in the framework of the project. As the project consists of the integral part of the Lake Tanganyika Regional Integrated Management and Development Programme (LTRIMDP), it is important that the MTE will also evaluate the project’s contribution to the Programme and make recommendations to improve the Programmatic approach, which can be considered by the LTA.

An evaluator with a combination of regional knowledge, evaluation experience, and in-depth knowledge of GEF IW projects will compare planned outcomes to actual outcomes and assess the actual results to determine their contribution to the attainment of the objectives of the UNDP/GEF Project on Lake Tanganyika.

The evaluation will extract lessons learned, diagnose and analyse issues and formulate a concrete and viable set of recommendations. It will evaluate the efficiency of project management, including the delivery of outputs and activities in terms of quality, quantity, timeliness and cost efficiency. The evaluation will also determine the likely outcomes and impact of the project in relation to its specified goals and objectives.

The evaluation will comprise the following:
(i) Assessment of whether or not the design and structure of the project are clear, logical and commensurate with the time and resources available.
(ii) Summary evaluation of the project and all its major components undertaken to date, including assessment of progress toward achievement of the overall objectives.
(iii) Evaluation of performance in relation to indicators, assumptions and risks specified in the logical framework matrix and the Project Document.
(iv) Assessment of the scope, quality and significance of outputs and outcomes produced to date in relation to expected results.
(v) Assessment of the functionality of the institutional structure established.
(vi) Assessment of stakeholders / partners contributions and implications on project implementation.
(vii) Assessment of the role and effectiveness of the Project Steering Committee (PSC).
(viii) Identification and, to the extent possible, quantification of any additional outputs beyond those specified in the Project Document.
(ix) Identification of any programmatic and financial variance and/or adjustments made during the first 2.5 years of the project and an assessment of their conformity with decisions of the PSC and their appropriateness in terms of the overall objectives.
(x) Identification and to the extent possible quantification of the co-financing commitments realized (those committed at the beginning of the project as long as those emerged during the project implementation).
(xi) Evaluation of project coordination, management and administration provided by the PCU.

This evaluation should include specific reference to:
- Organizational/institutional arrangements for collaboration among the various agencies and institutions involved in project arrangements and execution.
- Effectiveness of the mechanisms currently employed by the PCU in monitoring project execution process on a day-to-day basis.
- Administrative, operational and/or technical problems and constraints that influenced the effective implementation of the project and present recommendations for any necessary operational changes.
- Financial management, including the balance between expenditures on administrative and overhead charges in relation to those on the achievement of substantive outputs.
= Progress towards project outcomes
- Adaptive Management aspects including work planning, reporting and risk management.
(xii) Evaluation of the effectiveness of UNDP and UNOPS in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities in terms of their respective implementing and executing capacities in project implementation.
(xiii) Prognosis of the degree to which the overall objectives and expected outputs of the project are likely to be met.
(xiv) Assessment of the M&E approach adopted by the project.
(xv) Progress towards sustainability and replication of project activities.
(xvi) Lessons learned and best practices during project implementation, which would benefit the GEF IW portfolio.
(xvii) Recommendations regarding any necessary corrections and adjustments to the overall workplan and timetable for purposes of enhancing the achievement of objectives and outcomes.
The evaluation will rate the success of the project on a scale from Highly Successful (HS), Satisfactory (S), Marginally Satisfactory (MS), Marginally Unsatisfactory (MU), Unsatisfactory (U), Highly Unsatisfactory (HU). The following items should be considered for rating purposes:
Achievement of objectives and planned results Attainment of outputs and activities Cost-effectiveness Impact Sustainability Stakeholders participation Country ownership Implementation approach Financial planning Replicability Monitoring and evaluation
Each of the items should be rated separately with comments and then an overall rating given. The following rating system is to be applied, according to the UNDP Evaluation Rating guidelines:
1= Highly Satisfactory = HS; 2= Satisfactory = S; 3= Marginally Satisfactory = MS; 4= Marginally Unsatisfactory = MU; 5= Unsatisfactory = U; 6= Highly Unsatisfactory = HU
Furthermore, the project will be rated in terms of its EFFICIENCY and RELEVANCE, as required by the GEF Monitoring and Evaluation Policy.

Tasks

The MTE will be conducted in a participatory manner to assess project implementation and impacts. Working in collaboration with representatives of the PCU, PMU’s, UNDP Country Offices and Regional Coordination Unit, and other relevant partners, the consultant will be expected to conduct the following tasks:

- Desk review of project document, workplans, outputs, monitoring reports (e.g. Inception Reports, minutes of Steering Committee meetings, other relevant meetings, Project Implementation Reports (PIRs/APRs), quarterly progress reports, and other internal documents including consultant and financial reports).
- Review of specific products including content of the project web site, datasets, management and action plans, publications and other materials and reports.
- Interviews with the Regional Project Coordinator and other project staff in the PCU.
- Interviews with the National Project Managers and other project staff of the PMU’s. Interview with the Lake Tanganyika Authority Directors.
- Interviews with representatives of partner organisations involved in project implementation (ICRAF, IUCN, WWF).
- Interviews with relevant stakeholders, including UNDP personnel, Partners supporting the LTRIMDP implementation including AfDB (Senior Fisheries Officer and NCU Staff), FAO, Nordic Fund, and NGOs.
- Interviews with representatives of direct beneficiaries in the riparian countries
- Presentation of a draft and final report.

The PCU will provide the consultant with sufficient support to obtain the necessary and requested documentations as well as logistical assistance to conduct the evaluation mission.

Timeframe and Deliverables

The expected output from this evaluation is a full evaluation report3 that would include:

- An executive summary, including findings and recommendations.
- Detailed evaluation report covering items as listed above, with special attention to lessons learned and recommendations.
- Table of planned vs. actual project financial disbursements, and planned co-financing vs. actual co-financing.
- Annexes, including TORs, itineraries, list of persons Interviewed, summary of field visits, list of documents reviewed, questionnaire used, identification of co-financing and leveraged resources, etc.

The consultant would be expected to begin the desk review of project and other relevant documents prior to field visits and interviews with stakeholders and partners in the region. Detailed mission schedules will be drafted with logistical assistance by the PCU and inputs from the consultant once the candidate is selected. The field mission is expected to be completed between February and March 2011. The consultant is expected to visit all riparian states.

The draft report will need to be submitted to the UNDP Regional Office and PCU by 15 April 2011, and be finalised before 31 May 2011.

Required Selection Criteria

Education/Experience/Language/Competencies

- Advanced university degree in natural sciences.
- At least 15 years of relevant working experience in areas related to sustainable environmental natural resource management. - Substantive experience in reviewing and evaluating projects similar to that described herein, preferably those involving UNDP/GEF or other United Nations agencies and/or major donors.
- Demonstrated ability to assess complex situations in order to concisely and clearly distil critical issues and draw well-supported conclusions.
- An ability to assess policy and governance framework as well as institutional capacity.
- Understanding of governance, political, economic and institutional issues associated with transboundary water issues in the African region.
- Familiarity with GEF International Waters portfolio.
- Previous experience working in the Lake Tanganyika region would be advantageous.
- Excellent English communication skills and fluency in French.