International Consultant for Final Project Evaluation

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Background

NOTE: Signed Offeror’s Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and availability - https://www.ba.undp.org/content/dam/bosnia_and_herzegovina/docs/Operations/Jobs/Offerors%20Letter%20to%20UNDP%20Confirming%20Interest%20and%20Availability.docx - Letter to UNDP Confirming Interest and Availability.docx - to be sent to e-mail ba.shared.hr@undp.org with Subject: Job ID 102607.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a state with a decentralized political and administrative structure. It comprises of two entities: Republika Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Brcko District. Decision making involves the Council of Ministers, two entities (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska) and Brcko District. Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is sub-divided into 10 Cantons, while Republika Srpska has a centralized structure. The entities have a very high degree of autonomy, with their president, parliament, government, and courts. The entities have jurisdiction in the areas of environment, water management, agriculture, forestry, energy, civil administration, health, education, police department, physical planning. Authority at the state level covers foreign policy, defense, border monitoring, foreign trade, fiscal and monetary politics.

As a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Bosnia and Herzegovina has undertaken important steps towards understanding and addressing climate change issues. It is increasingly recognized not only by the Government and scientific community, but also by its citizens that climate change is an issue of key strategic importance. Bosnia and Herzegovina has put great emphasis on climate change as one of the most significant development challenges facing the country. The importance of adaptation was clearly reflected in its Second National Communications and Climate Change Adaptation and Low Emission Development Strategy (CCA LEDs), adopted in 2013, which has been currently updated. In 2017, Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), as part of the negotiations leading to the historic Paris Agreement, which it signed in April 2016. The NDC has been enhanced, adopted by Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities and submitted to UNFCCC in Apr 2021.

Authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina and key domestic stakeholders realize the increasing threat posed to them and the development of the country by climate change and the need of adapting to it in order to avoid or minimise negative consequences. The government is motivated to support and implement the national adaptation planning (NAP) process as adaptation issues are becoming very important for the country’s further development.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina UNFCCC and GCF focal point, Ministry of Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of Republika Srpska, officially launched the NAP process in 2016. The NAP process began with a national consultation that engaged sector ministries and local government units via associations of cities and municipalities in both entities (Republika Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina).

In 2017, Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted its Third National Communication (TNC) to the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. The TNC provides further update and strengthens information regarding national circumstances, vulnerabilities to climate change, steps taken to adapt to climate change and information on public awareness, education, training, systematic research and observation and technology transfer. Fourth National Communication and Third Biennial Update Report under the UNFCCC has been currently produced and adoption is expected in 2022.

Climate Change Adaptation and Low Emission Development Strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina is of key importance to the NAP process. The Strategy was adopted by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers on October 8, 2013, and utilized the then available observed and projected climate change impacts on key sectors in the country including agriculture, water, hydropower, human health, forestry, biodiversity/ sensitive ecosystems and tourism. The strategy is based on four specific outcomes covering climate change risks, vulnerabilities and opportunities supporting evidence-based policy development, effective institutional and regulatory framework, mainstreaming CCA approaches into decision making, and effective resourcing with timely and effective implementation. However, its implementation has slowed mainly due to lack of knowledge and institutional capacity to project, attract finances and undertake adaptation measures. The Strategy is revised and is expected to be officially adopted in 2021.

About the Project

Project title

Advance the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process for medium-term investment planning in climate sensitive sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Atlas ID

001000066

Corporate outcome and output

UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021, Outcome 2; Output 2.3.1

Country

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Date Project document signed

8th August, 2018

Project End date

4th April, 2022

Project budget

2,278,920 USD

Project expenditure at the time of evaluation

1,673,552.71 USD

Funding source

Green Climate Fund

Implementing party

UNDP

The Project “Advance the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process for medium-term investment planning in climate sensitive sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina” is supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and implemented by UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The overall Project’s objective is to support the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance the national adaptation planning process. It works to enable the governments integrate climate change related risks, strategies and opportunities into ongoing development planning and budgeting processes. The Project advances adaptation planning in Bosnia and Herzegovina with a focus on most vulnerable sectors such as water management, agriculture, forestry, human health, biodiversity etc., upgrading the knowledge base for adaptation, prioritizing adaptation interventions for the medium term, building institutional capacities for integrating climate change adaptation and demonstrating innovative ways of financing adaptation at the sub-national/local government level.

The main barriers to change in the area of climate change adaptation addressed by the Project include:

a) Limited institutional capacities and weak vertical and horizontal coordination for adaptation planning and implementation caused by complex administrative structure and top-down approach, limited stakeholders’ participation in Bosnia and Herzegovina strategic planning for adaptation, inadequate level of technical knowledge on climate change adaptation of staff in sectoral ministries, limited training on climate change issues and low capacity to monitor, forecast, archive, analyse, communicate, and use climate risks and impacts for sectors.

b) Limited climate Information to support integration of climate change into planning and budgeting due to limited existence of scientific data and information on climate impacts and vulnerability assessments, limited knowledge of current climate variability, and a lack of systematic information on environmental protection.

c) Alternative sources of finance, including innovative funds are not optimized as neither climate change adaptation, nor DRR activities are included in budgeting on any level (municipal, cantonal, entity) and effective finance plan for securing adequate funds from a range of sources for adaptation does not exist.

The Project has worked to overcome these barriers by:

a) Improving national coordination mechanisms for multi-sectoral planning and implementation at the national and sub-national levels. Capitalizing on lessons and knowledge gained from successful cross-entity and local development planning and management methodology such as that of the Integrated Local Development Planning Project (ILDP) implemented by UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this Project supports strengthening of coordination between: i) different levels of government within the country; ii) technical experts; iii) private sector; iv) local communities v) civil society and vi) academia. The Project improves coordination to increase efficiency, ensure vertical connectivity, avoid redundancy and allow Bosnia and Herzegovina to leverage capacity that is present or being supported by other initiatives.

b) Enhancing in-country knowledge and technical capacity to a) appropriately apply policy guidance on climate change adaptation planning, and b) use existing climate assessments and analyses to inform medium- to long term adaptation budgeting and planning. The Project supports the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina by i) drawing on lessons from a successful Energy Management Information System (EMIS) developing a management information system with database open to all stakeholders across different levels of government on the NAP process, on-going institutional and technical capacity building, etc., ii) identifying institutional and technical capacity gaps in utilization of climate information, data collection and analysis, and iii) building capacity of relevant staff to generate and analyse climate and socio-economic data and to select most efficient adaptation solutions.

c) Establishing a financing framework for climate change adaptation action in Bosnia and Herzegovina from the bottom-up. The Project supports development of a financing framework at the municipal level, including identification of possible innovative financing solutions for climate change adaptation action. The Project also seeks to i) conduct studies to inform future investments in adaptation across sectors in selected municipalities; ii) identify policy options for scaling up adaptation, including by engaging and incentivizing the private sector in adaptation, in addition to its corporate social responsibility; iii) develop municipal assistance tools for adaptation planning and financing, and iv) provide training of staff to apply the tools in the design of ‘bankable’ adaptation interventions. By undertaking these interventions, appropriate financing for climate change adaptation action is expected to be met for medium- to long-term planning.

The Outcomes of the Project are:

• Outcome 1. Effective national adaptation coordination system established to drive the NAP process
• Outcome 2. Capacity for climate vulnerability assessments, development of socio-economic scenarios strengthened, and adaptation options prioritized for 2 key sectors
• Outcome 3. Innovative financing strategy for adaptation investments developed and tested in 4-5 selected municipalities

The Outputs of the Project are:

• Output 1.1 National institutional arrangements to coordinate adaptation processes are in place
• Output 1.2 Mechanisms for regularly reviewing and updating NAP are in place
• Output 1.3 Communication and outreach for NAP process enhanced
• Output 2.1 System to gather, organize and update relevant data and information on adaptation established or strengthened
• Output 2.2 Capacity gaps and needs for design and implementation of adaptation strengthened
• Output 2.3 Available information on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation investments increased or shared in at least 2 priority sectors
• Output 3.1 Studies to inform future investments in adaptation across sectors conducted and financing strategy developed
• Output 3.2 Policy options for scaling up financing adaptation analyzed and recommended
• Output 3.3 Practical methodology for CCA planning and access to finance introduced in selected municipalities

Detailed outline of the Project Result Framework is available in Annex 1 (RV Annex 1 NAP- RRF NAP 05.docx).

Partnerships:

The Project is implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of Republika Srpska as the Bosnia and Herzegovina UNFCCC and GCF focal point and the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state level ministry in charge of coordination of CCA activities throughout the country.

In addition to institutions which are part of the Project Board, the Project also closely works with technical institutes which provide input to the Project implementation (hydro-meteorological institutes, statistics institutes, water agencies, agricultural institutes) and local governments (City of Zenica, Municipality of Laktasi, City of Trebinje and Municipality of Sanski Most) together with associations of cities and municipalities, Republika Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Environmental Protection Funds, the civil society and others. The coordination among these institutions and government agencies is ensured through the inter-agency working group. UNDP’s Global Support Programme on NAPs, in partnership with UNEP, are also involved by providing technical inputs as needed.

Overview of key stakeholders and partners and their roles in evaluation is provided in Annex 2 (RV Annex 2 NAP- List of Stakeholders.docx).

Target groups and beneficiaries:

In addition to the GCF focal point – the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of Republika Srpska, which is the key institutional beneficiary, the Project also works with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Agriculture, Water-Management and Forestry of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Resources of Republika Srpska and Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Project’s direct and indirect beneficiaries are also the Hydro-meteorological institutes of Republika Srpska and Hydro-meteorological institutes of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Water Agency of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Water Agency of Republika Srpska, and local governments (City of Zenica, Municipality of Laktasi, City of Trebinje and Municipality of Sanski Most) Environmental Protection Funds of Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Main achievements:

From the beginning of its implementation the Project has made significant steps towards improvement of the NAP process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including:

• National institutional mechanisms to coordinate NAP process are well established, and the vulnerability analysis of the most vulnerable sectors and four selected municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s completed.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for horizontal and vertical institutional cooperation on climate data exchange among the most vulnerable sectors have been developed as well as an M&E framework.
• A Communication Strategy has also been developed and awareness raised through promotional activities (including a Photo Essay on adaptation activities and potential for actions in cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/green-climate-fund_urban-life-reconsidered-by-undp-climate-on-activity-6747402098083803136-eNZB), which was also shared by GCF).
• The Project supported adjustments to the regulatory framework necessary for successful implementation of climate change adaptation activities in the country and for meeting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s obligations to the EU and UNFCCC. This included amendments to the Law on Environment and development of strategic documents related to flood management to achieve alignment with the EU Approximation.
• A study on climate change impacts on the hydro-energy sector in Trebisnjica River Basin was completed and presented to stakeholders, while a study on climate change impacts on the hydro-energy sector in Vrbas River Basin is underway.
• The first draft of National Adaptation Plan document with prioritized adaptation measures in most vulnerable sectors has been developed.
• Trainings to build capacities of government staff for assessment, prioritization and implementation of climate change adaptation actions as well as for development of reporting, monitoring and review mechanisms are also underway.
• Finance mechanisms, tools, and new finance approaches for adaptation finance have been developed in two municipalities (Laktasi and Zenica) to enhance adaptation investments, and under development in two additional municipalities (Sanski Most, Trebinje).

Covid 19 context:

Starting from March 2020, the Projects’ implementation was negatively affected by the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 imposed lockdown resulted in temporary halt of the activities in the field, which caused delays in timely completion of some of the activities. The Project has readjusted its activities to the new mode of work and importantly, supported the partners in addressing recovery from and resilience to pandemic.

Due to outbreak of Covid pandemic, and to mitigate the consequential delays suffered, all GCF Projects were granted 6 months Covid extension. In addition to Covid extension, the NAP Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina sought and received another six months no cost extension from the GCF, therefore, the Project’s end date is 4th April, 2022.

Project alignment and relevance:

The Project at design was linked to UNDAF for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2015-2020, Outcome 5: By 2019, legal and strategic frameworks enhanced and operationalized to ensure sustainable management of natural, cultural and energy resources. Currently, the Project is linked to the UN Coordination Framework for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2021-2025, Outcome 1. By 2025, people benefit from resilient, inclusive and sustainable growth ensured by the convergence of economic development, and management of environment and cultural resources. The Project contributes to the UNDP Strategic Plan 2017-2021, Output: 2.3.1 Data and risk-informed development policies, plans, systems and financing incorporate integrated solutions to reduce disaster risks, enable climate change adaptation and mitigation, and prevent crisis. The Project also contributes to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

I.Evaluation purpose, objectives and scope

a) Purpose

The purpose of this Final Project Evaluation (the Evaluation) is to provide an impartial review of the Project Advance the National Adaptation Plan process for medium-term investment planning in climate sensitive sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina****, in terms of its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, sustainability, overall performance, implementation and results. The information, findings, lessons learned and recommendations generated by the evaluation will be used by the Project Board, UNDP, Green Climate Fund and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen and inform the remaining Project implementation and inform future programming.

b) Objective

The Evaluation objective is to examine the overall performance of the Project, if its inputs and activities led to expected outputs and outcomes, and if and how the delivered outputs contributed to improved integration of climate change adaptation in the existing national strategies and performance of institutional beneficiaries, enabling change in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In a substantive analysis of the effectiveness of the Project approach and feedback from beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders, the evaluation should assess cause and effect relations within the Project, identifying the extent to which the observed changes can be attributed to the Project.

In addition, this Evaluation aims to provide forward-looking recommendations to the Green Climate Fund and UNDP on the sustainability of the Project results and the Project’s scaling up potentials.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Evaluation will assess the extent to which the planned Project outcomes and outputs have been achieved since the beginning of the Project on 5th April, 2018 and likelihood for their full achievement by the end of the Project on 4th April, 2022 (based on the Project Document and its results framework). The Evaluation will investigate the overall Project performance and results of the Project, capturing the changes triggered by the Project in the area of Climate Change Adaptation in the country.

To the extent possible, the Evaluation will also consider the results of the Project’s contribution to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considering the new Green Climate Fund’s Evaluation Policy, the Evaluation will specifically assess the following aspects:

• (i) Relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of the Project;
• (ii) Coherence in climate finance delivery with other multilateral entities;
• (iii) Gender equality;
• (iv) Country ownership of the Project;
• (v) Innovativeness in result areas – the extent to which intervention may lead to paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways;
• (vi) Replication and scalability – the extent to which the Project activities can be scaled up;
• (vii) Unexpected results, both positive and negative.

The Evaluation will look into the Project’s processes, strategic partnerships and linkages in the specific country’s context that proved critical in producing the intended outputs and the factors that facilitated and/or hindered the progress in achieving the outputs, both in terms of the external environment and risks, crisis caused by the pandemic, as well as internal, including weaknesses in programme design, management and implementation, human resource skills, and resources.

I.Evaluation criteria and key questions

The Evaluation of the Project Advance the National Adaptation Plan process for medium-term investment planning in climate sensitive sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina will address the following questions, so as to determine the Project’s relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability, including lessons learned and forward-looking recommendations:

Relevance and coherence

• Were the Project objectives relevant to the needs and priorities of the country, having in mind political, social, legal and institutional context of the country?
• To what extent was the theory of change presented in the outcome model a relevant and appropriate vision on which to base the initiatives?
• Where the Project’s objectives and implementation strategies consistent with global, regional and country’s environmental policies and strategies, considering Green Climate Fund and UN/UNDP Strategic Frameworks, EU accession agenda and Agenda 2030?
• Based on an analysis of Project stakeholders, the evaluation should assess the relevance of the Project intervention to key stakeholder groups.
• To what extent are human gender equality and social inclusion mainstreamed within the Project? Has this mainstreaming been relevant to the needs of socially excluded groups and both women and men?
• Were adequate steps taken by the Project to adjust its implementation strategy to the new circumstances and needs imposed by COVID-19 pandemic relevant?
• To what extent has the Project been successful in ensuring complementarity, harmonisation and coordination with other relevant interventions of the governments in BiH and other donors, avoiding duplication of efforts and adding value?

Effectiveness

• To what extent have the intended results been achieved? What are the main Project accomplishments? Overview of the Project progress against the result framework indicators is to be provided in an Annex of the Evaluation Report.
• Briefly explain the reasons behind the success (or failure) of the Project in producing its different outputs and meeting expected quality standards? Were key stakeholders appropriately involved in producing the programmed outputs?
• To what extent and how effectively have the Project specific approach and actions contributed to its outputs and outcomes? If so, why? If not, why not?
• What has been the contribution of partners and other organizations to the outcome, and how effective have the programme partnerships been in contributing to achieving the outcome?
• To what extent has the Project contributed to (i) Country having operational roadmaps and institutions to advance medium to long-term adaptation planning processes in the context of their national development strategies and budgets (ii) Developing and enabling access for Bosnia and Herzegovina institutions to tools and approaches to support key steps of the National Adaptation Plan (iii) Exchange of lessons and knowledge through institutional cooperation to enhance capacities to formulate and advance the National Adaptation Plan process.
• Has the NAP programme been effective in helping improve climate change adaptation planning in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

Efficiency

• Have resources (financial, human, technical) been allocated strategically and economically to achieve the Project results? Were the Project activities implemented as scheduled and with the planned financial resources? Is the relationship between Project inputs and results achieved appropriate and justifiable?
• To what extent have the target groups and other stakeholders taken an active role in implementing the Project? What modes of participation have taken place? How efficient have partner institutions been in supporting the Project’s implementation?
• Has the communication and outreach of the Project been satisfactory?
• Did the Project have a sound M&E plan to monitor results and track progress towards achieving Project objectives?

Impact

• What is the Project impact in qualitative as well as quantitative terms from a broader development and system building perspective? What would the development have been like without the Project interventions in the area of concern?
• What are the positive or negative, intended or unintended, changes brought about by the Project’s interventions?
• What real differences have the Project interventions made to the beneficiaries? How many people have been affected? Have women and men equally benefited from the Project?
• To what extent are key stakeholders/final beneficiaries satisfied with the implementation and results of the Project, specifically in terms of the partnership support and what are specific remaining issues in the area of concern?
• To what extent has the Project elevated cooperation between relevant institutions?
• How have cross-cutting issues, such as gender equality and reaching the most vulnerable, been effectively taken up?
• What is the mid-term and long-term Project influence on climate change adaptation in the country resulting from the NAP policy frameworks?

Sustainability

• To what extent are the achieved outcomes and outputs sustainable? How could Project’s results be further sustainably projected and expanded, having in mind the remaining needs? And by which institutions?
• Are there any social or political factors that may influence positively or negatively the sustenance of Project results and progress towards impacts? Is the level of ownership by the main stakeholders sufficient to allow for the Project results to be sustained?
• Are there sufficient government and other key stakeholder awareness, interests, commitment and incentives to utilize the tools, approaches and roadmaps in the development of NAPs?
• What are the innovations/ best practices that need to be further build upon?
• Did the intervention activities aim to promote (and did they promote) positive sustainable changes in attitudes, behaviours and power relations between the different stakeholders? To what extent has the integration of human rights and gender led to an increase in the likelihood of sustainability of Project results?
• What mechanisms have been set in place by NAP to support the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to sustain improvements made through these interventions?

Catalytic role of the Project

• The catalytic role of the Green Climate Fund interventions is embodied in their approach of supporting the creation of an enabling environment and of investing in pilot activities which are innovative and showing how new approaches can work. UNDP also aim to support activities that upscale new approaches to a national, regional or global level, with a view to achieve sustainable global environmental benefits. The evaluation will assess the catalytic role played by this Project, namely to what extent the Project has:
• (a) catalysed behavioural changes in terms of use and application, by the relevant stakeholders, of capacities developed;
• (b) contributed to institutional changes, for instance institutional uptake of Project demonstrated technologies, practices or management approaches;
• (c) contributed to policy changes (on paper and in implementation of policy);
• (d) contributed to sustained follow-on financing (catalytic financing) from Governments, private sector, donors etc.;
• (e) created opportunities for particular individuals or institutions (“champions”) to catalyze change (without which the Project would not have achieved all of its results).

Future-looking concept and recommendations

• What are after-Project possible priority interventions and general recommendations, which could further ensure sustainability of Project’s achievements and contribute to accelerated development in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly in the context of Agenda 2030?
• What could be possible after-Project priority interventions and general recommendations for the Green Climate Fund and UNDP related to policy influencing, which could further ensure sustainability and scaling up of Project’s achievements?

The evaluation needs to assess the degree to which the Project’s supported or promoted gender equality, a rights-based approach, and human development. In this regard, United Nations Evaluation Group’s guidance on Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality in Evaluation should be consulted.

II.Methodology

Based on the UNDP Evaluation Guidelines, UNEG Norms and Stand for Evaluations and Evaluation Policy for the Green Climate Fund, in consultations with UNDP Country Office, the Evaluation will be participatory, involving relevant stakeholders.

The Evaluation will be conducted by the International Evaluation Consultant (the Evaluator) who will propose an adjusted evaluative methodology that may be needed to implement the evaluation effectively in the COVID – 19 pandemics circumstances, applying safety guidance and remote data collecting methods such as extended desk reviews, virtual stakeholder meetings and interviews by Evaluators[1]. A detailed plan for the Evaluation process will be proposed by the Evaluator and agreed as a part of the Evaluation Inception Report.

The proposed methodology should employ relevant quantitative, qualitative or combined methods to conduct the Evaluation, with focus on gender sensitive data collection and analytical methods and tools applicable in the concrete case. The Evaluator is expected to combine the standard and other evaluation tools and techniques to ensure maximum reliability of data and validity of the evaluation findings.

Limitations to the chosen approach/methodology and methods shall be made explicit by the Evaluator and the consequences of these limitations discussed in the proposed methodology. The Evaluator shall, to the extent possible, present mitigation measures to address these limitations.

The Evaluator is expected to carry out the evaluation process with careful consideration of these Terms of References. In cases where sensitive or confidential issues are to be addressed in the evaluation, the Evaluator should ensure an evaluation design that do not put informants and stakeholders at risk during the data collection phase or the dissemination phase.

Standard UNDP evaluation methodology would suggest the following data collecting methods:

• Desk review: The Evaluator will conduct a detailed review of the Project materials and deliverables including but not limited to the Project Document and Addendums, theory of change and results framework, monitoring and Project quality assurance reports, annual workplans, consolidated progress reports etc. An extensive list of documents for desk review is provided in Annex 3 (RV Annex 3 NAP - List of documents for review.docx).
• Key informant interviews: Using virtual technological solutions, the Evaluator will remotely interview representatives of UNDP, GCF focal point -Ministry of Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of Republika Srpska; Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Agriculture, Water-Management and Forestry of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Resources of Republika Srpska and Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Government agencies (Hydro Meteo Institutes of the Republika Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Environmental Funds of Republika Srpska and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, local level authorities (Sanski most, Zenica, Laktasi, Trebinje), etc. Detailed list of main stakeholders that may be considered for meetings is provided in Annex 2.
• Other methodologies, as appropriate, such as case studies, statistical analysis, social network analysis, etc. online interviews, mobile questionnaires, online surveys, and collaboration platforms (slack or yammer) are recommended to be used to gather data. Stakeholders that are dealing with existing emergencies should be given advance notice.
• Field visits/selected spot checks to collect relevant evidence on the Project’s results will be conducted exceptionally, depending on the epidemiological situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic and in compliance with all epidemiological measures effective in the country.

As an integral part of the evaluation report and specifically under the impact criteria, the Evaluator will review the Project’ effects and impact on the target groups. In this context and using the online tools, the consultancy is expected to gain insights from both the partners and the beneficiaries.

The expected duration of the assignment is up to 24 work days in the period November 2021-January 2022.

III.Evaluation tasks / deliverables

Following the initial briefing and a detailed desk review, the Evaluator will be responsible for delivering the following products and tasks:

• Inception Report (10-15 pages) will be presented before the evaluation starts, showing how each evaluation question will be answered by proposing methods, sources of data and data collection procedures. The Inception Report should elaborate an evaluation matrix (provided in Annex 4 Annex 4 - Evaluation Matrix Template.docx) for the Project and propose a schedule of tasks, activities and evaluation deliverables. The Evaluation Inception Report should follow the structure proposed in the UNDP Evaluation Guidelines, p. 27

• Evaluation and data collection: Upon the approval of the Inception Report and the evaluation work plan by the UNDP, the Evaluator is expected to carry out the Evaluation. D****ata collecting methodology presented in the Evaluation Inception Report should limit the exposure of any consultant, Project team member, beneficiary or stakeholder to the pandemic, therefore, strongly recommended is use of remote and virtual methodologies. Field visits and physical spot checks can be undertaken exceptionally, depending on the epidemiological situation and in compliance with epidemiological measures effective in the country.

• Draft Evaluation Report: Based on the findings generated through desk review and data collection process, the Evaluator will prepare and submit the Draft Evaluation Report to the UNDP team and key stakeholders for review. Following the implementation arrangements of the Project, the Evaluation findings, lessons learned and specific recommendations for the Project will be separately presented in distinct sections of the Evaluation Report. Structure of the Report is outlined in Annex 5 (Annex 5 - Report structure.docx).

• Evaluation review process (and eventual dispute settlement): Comments, questions, suggestions and requests for clarification on the evaluation draft will be submitted to the Evaluator and addressed in the agreed timeframe. The Evaluator should reply to the comments through the evaluation audit trail document[2]. If there is disagreement in findings, these should be documented through the evaluation audit trail, while effort should be made to come to an agreement.

• Evaluation debriefing: will be held with UNDP, institutions’ representatives and other key stakeholders to present main findings and recommendations in an online form (i.e. Skype/Zoom/Microsoft Teams briefing). In addition, short briefings on immediate findings with UNDP senior management will be considered after completion of the initial assessment.

• UNDP Evaluation Guidelines Note: As of 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic as the new coronavirus rapidly spread to all regions of the world. If it is not possible to travel to or within the country for the evaluation then the evaluation team should develop a methodology that takes this into account, conduct of the evaluation virtually and remotely, including the use of remote interview methods and extended desk reviews, data analysis, surveys and evaluation questionnaires. This should be detailed in the Inception report and agreed with the Evaluation Manager.

  If all or part of the evaluation is to be carried out virtually then consideration should be taken for stakeholder availability, ability or willingness to be interviewed remotely. In addition, their accessibility to the internet/ computer may be an issue as many government and national counterparts may be working from home. These limitations must be reflected in the evaluation report.

  *If a data collection/field mission is not possible then remote interviews may be undertaken through telephone or online (skype, zoom etc.). International consultants can work remotely with national Evaluator support in the field if it is safe for them to operate and travel**. No stakeholders, consultants or UNDP staff should be put in harm and the safety is the key priority.***

  Evaluation Report (maximum 40 pages of the main body) should be logically structured (structure of the Evaluation Report is outlined in Annex 5 (Annex 5 - Report structure.docx) of the Terms of Reference), contain data and evidence-based findings, conclusions, lessons learnt and recommendations, and be presented in a way that makes the information accessible and comprehensible. Finally, based on the evaluation findings and in a distinct report section, the Evaluator will provide a forward-looking actionable recommendations for the Project, outlining key strategic priorities to be addressed after completion of the Project in terms of policy dialogue and policy influencing by UNDP and the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina and follow-up activities by the governments and public institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

IV.Evaluation timeframe

Deliverable

Anticipated timing

Number of days

Responsible party

Desk review and Inception Report

25 Nov, 2021

5

Evaluator

Field data collection/[3]

05 Dec, 2021

7

Evaluator

Evaluation debriefing/presentation

15 Dec, 2021

1

Evaluator

Draft Evaluation Report

20 Dec, 2021

5

Evaluator

Report review

22 Dec, 2021

0

Evaluation Reference Group[4]

Final Report

10 Jan, 2022

6

Evaluator

In line with the UNDP’s financial regulations, when determined by the Country Office and/or the consultant that a deliverable or service cannot be satisfactorily completed due to the impact of COVID-19 and limitations to the evaluation, that deliverable or service will not be paid. Due to the current COVID-19 situation and its implications, a partial payment may be considered if the consultant invested time towards the deliverable but was unable to complete to circumstances beyond his/her control.

V.Evaluation team composition and required competencies

The evaluation will be conducted by the International Evaluation Consultant who will design and implement the evaluation process in line with these Terms of References.

The Evaluator is expected to provide an independent and substantiated review of the Project achievements; capture underperformance; assess partnership strategy; capture feedback from beneficiaries of assistance provided by the Project, produce the Evaluation Report in light of development results; and provide strategic forward-looking recommendations, outlining pathways for the period beyond this Project phase.

[1] UNDP Evaluation Guidelines: Evaluation During COVID-19.

[2] Template available at http://web.undp.org/evaluation/guideline/documents/PDF/UNDP_Evaluation_Guidelines.pdf, p. 25

[3] Depending on covid restrictions

[4] UNDP Evaluation Manager, UNDP EE Sector Leader, UNDP Project manager

Competencies

Core values:

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modelling UN values and ethical standards;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Core competencies:

• Demonstrates professional competence to meet responsibilities and post requirements and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results;
• Results-Orientation: Plans and produces quality results to meet established goals, generates innovative, practical solutions to challenging situations;
• Communication: Excellent communication skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts and recommendations, both orally and in writing, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences;
• Team work: Ability to interact, establish and maintain effective working relations with a culturally diverse team;
• Client orientation: Ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with national partners and stakeholders and pro-activeness in identifying of beneficiaries and partners’ needs and matching them to appropriate solutions.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications/Education:

• Minimum Master’s degree in natural resource management/ environmental management/ business/ public administration other related disciplines;

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of relevant professional experience.
• Knowledge of UNDP and GCF/GCF monitoring and evaluation policies and guidelines,
• Experience working in or closely with UN agencies, especially UNDP is preferred;
• Sound knowledge of results-based management systems, and monitoring and evaluation methodologies;
• Understanding of issues related to climate change adaptation

Languages Requirements:

• Fluency in English language; knowledge of local languages of BIH will be taken as asset.

Other:

• A deep understanding of the development context in BIH and preferably understanding of climate change/natural resource management issues within the BIH context;
• Understanding and knowledge of the political and administrative context in Bosnia and Herzegovina is an asset.

Evaluation ethics:

This evaluation will be conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the UNEG ‘Ethical Guidelines for Evaluation’. The Evaluator shall safeguard the rights and confidentiality of information providers, interviewees and stakeholders through measures to ensure compliance with legal and other relevant codes governing collection of data and reporting on data. The Evaluator must also ensure security of collected information before and after the evaluation and protocols to ensure anonymity and confidentiality of sources of information where that is expected. The information knowledge and data gathered in the evaluation

process must also be solely used for the evaluation and not for other uses with the express authorization of UNDP and partners. The Evaluator must be free from any conflict of interest related to this evaluation.[1]

I.Implementation arrangements and reporting relations

The Evaluator will report to the Evaluation Manager appointed by UNDP, who will oversee and support the overall evaluation process. In addition, an evaluation reference group will be formed to provide critical and objective inputs throughout the evaluation process to strengthen the quality of the evaluation. The Country Office Senior Management will take responsibility for the approval of the evaluation report. UNDP will support the implementation of remote/ virtual meetings. An updated stakeholder list with contact details (phone and email) will be provided by the Country Office to the evaluation team.

II.TOR annexes:

Annex 1. Project Logical Framework and Theory of Change RV Annex 1 NAP- RRF NAP 05.docx

Annex 2. List of the main stakeholders and their roles in evaluation RV Annex 2 NAP- List of Stakeholders.docx

Annex 3. List of documents to be considered for the evaluation desk review RV Annex 3 NAP - List of documents for review.docx

Annex 4. Required Evaluation Matrix Template Annex 4 - Evaluation Matrix Template.docx

Annex 5. Standard outline for an evaluation report Annex 5 - Report structure.docx

Annex 6. Code of Conduct (Annex 6 - Code of conduct.docx)

Annex 7. Link to UNDP Evaluation Guidelines and Evaluation Quality Assessment Process (http://web.undp.org/evaluation/guidance.shtml#handbook)

[1] UNDP Evaluation Guidelines, Box 7. Sources of conflict of interest in evaluation

Longlisting/Shortlisting Criteria

Qualifications as stated in the ToR

Criteria:

Points

Relevant Education

Max 25 points (20 points for MSc/MA

+ up to 5 points for PhD)

Relevant professional experience

max 70 points

Knowledge of English

max 5 points - will be assessed as: 5 points for fluency and the points decrease as per the level mentioned in the CV: good - 4 points; fair/upper intermediate – 3 points; intermediate - 2 points; beginner - 1 point.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points would be considered for the Technical Evaluation

Technical Evaluation Criteria

Criteria:

Points

Rating based on Qualifications

20%

Sound knowledge of results-based management systems, and gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation methodologies; Excellent knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodologies; sound judgment and ability to objectively evaluate Projects in terms of processes, as well as results achieved (evidenced through previously conducted evaluations and references). Sound knowledge of results-based management systems, and gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluation methodologies; General understanding and knowledge of the political and administrative context in BiH.

20%

Methodology outlining the specific design and methods for the evaluation; Consultant’s approach, proposed detailed methods and tools, scope and evaluation criteria and questions; The methodology should apply a mixed-method approach collecting both quantitative and qualitative data to validate and triangulate data; The methodology should include the filled in evaluation matrix (Annex 4);

30%

Interview

30%

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation

Evaluation

Individual will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

Cumulative analysis

When using this weighted scoring method, the award of the contract should be made to the candidate 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.

• * Technical Criteria weight-70%
• * Financial Criteria weight- 30%

Interested candidated must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• Personal CV/P11, including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references.
• Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work
• Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work;

Please scan all above mentioned documents and upload as one attachment only online through this website.

Note:

• For an assignment requiring travel, consultants of 65 years or more require full medical examination and statement of fitness to work to engage in the consultancy.
• Due to large number of potential applicants, only competitively selected candidates will be contacted for remaining steps of the service procurement process.

Apply now

Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: jobs.undp.org