Consultancy : Oman 2017-2021 Country Programme Evaluation, MENA Regional Office

Contract

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The Country Programme Evaluation is being undertaken to allow the office to evaluate the current country programme and how UNICEF contribution in a high-income country context has fared. The evaluation seeks to understand factors that have facilitated or hindered achievement of results for children and identify key lessons and recommendations for the upcoming country programme. Furthermore, the evaluation will look into alignment of the current country programme to national priorities.

Objectives

The objective of the independent evaluation of the UNICEF country programme (2017 - 2021) is to produce an independent and useful evaluation report that provides accountability and learning.

More specifically the evaluation will:

• Assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the program and of the results achieved;
• Assess the progress that has been made towards the attainment of the results at output level as outlined in the relevant rolling work plans
• Determine the effectiveness of programme to prepare and respond to the demands of a High-Income developing country.
• Assess the effectiveness of programme strategies and partnerships.
• Review how the programme has adapted to the COVID-19 situation and provide concrete recommendations on how lessons learned can inform the new CPD.
• Determine the Country Programme effects in addressing disparities and inequities.
• Provide concrete recommendations to improve the design and relevance of the Country Programme to the UNICEF Strategic Plan, the SDGs in reference to Oman’s Vision 2040 and the medium-term fiscal plan 2020 - 2024.

Scope of Work

The Country Programme Evaluation will focus on the CP 2017 – 2021. The evaluation will draw on the CPD document, CPD Results and Resources framework, as well as the 2018 Mid-term Review.

Evaluability

The country programme includes agreements of the work programme by sector as well as strategic notes that describe the activities in more detail. The programme has undergone several deep dives as well as a midterm review that have documented much of the key issues of the country programme as well as the progress to date.

The mid-term review includes reflection on the pathways for change.

Evaluation Questions

The evaluation questions are relatively high level with potential sub-questions that should help the consultant develop the evaluation matrix included in the annex. The Consultant is expected to design the methodology and questions that are expected to effectively inform the objectives of this assignment. The questions are selected taking the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) criteria into account but not assessing connectedness or impact given the nature of the programme.

Relevance

• To what extent is the country programme supporting national priorities?
• To what extent does the country programme align with the key priorities for boys and girls in Oman?

Efficiency

• To what extent has the resource mobilization strategy resulted in the appropriate funding of the programme?
• To what extent has the programme used the most cost-efficient implementation methods?
• To what extent have the programme management arrangements been efficient?

Effectiveness

• To what extent has the country programme achieved its objectives and results or is likely to achieve them?
• How were cross-cutting issues taken into account?
• What worked well in achieving Country Programme results that should be replicated or scaled up at the design of the next country programme?
• What factors (political, sociological, economic, etc.) have affected the outcomes, either positively or negatively? How have these factors limited or facilitated progress towards the outputs?
• What are the unanticipated effects of the country programme either positively or negatively? How has COVID 19 affected the country programme?
• Has the high impact strategic approach been able to achieve results at the country level?

Sustainability

• To what extent have initiatives from the country programme resulted in Government of Oman policies and procedures supporting boys and girls?
• To what extent has government capacity building resulted in improved services for boys and girls?

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline/duration

Estimate Budget (payment %)

1. Preparatory and Inception phase

• Inception report with annexes of the evaluation matrix and data collection tools including ethical protocols for discussion at the Steering Committee
• Answers to questions from the ethical clearance process if required.
• Addresses question and responses to the issues raised by the Steering Committee and the ethical clearance process.

Inception report

10 days

15%

2. Data collection phase

• Data collection from all identified target population (online FGDs, interviews)
• Process and analyze collected data, and draft the report on the results of the Evaluation
• Preparation and delivery of emerging findings

Presentation of preliminary findings and recommendations to the key stakeholders

15

20%

3. Drafting, validation and completion phase

• Data analysis and drafting, taking into account the feedback received during the preliminary findings phase.
• Responding to all comments received in the comments’ matrix
• Draft Evaluation Report for commenting.

1. Responses to all comments received in the comments’ matrix
2. Finalization of the report.

Final evaluation report meeting UNICEF quality standards; including an executive summary

10

65%

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• A minimum of 10 evaluations conducted of which at least three as team leader or lead consultant.

• Proven track record in evaluating similar national programmes of UN or UNICEF;

• Strong analytical skills, as well as ability to process qualitative and quantitative data.

• In-depth understanding of issues in child rights, equity and gender sensitive analysis;

• Understanding of programming modalities in high-income countries.

• Preferably can speak and understand Arabic

Minimum Qualifications required: Masters , Enter Disciplines: Evaluation, economics, development studies, social sciences or equivalent.