| Description |
INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT - TEAM LEADER AND MID-TERM REVIEW EXPERT FOR UNDP-GEP SUPPORTED GREEN BRICK PROJECT
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| Location : |
Dhaka, BANGLADESH |
| Application Deadline : |
22-Sep-13 |
| Additional Category |
Millennium Development Goals |
| Type of Contract : |
Individual Contract |
| Post Level : |
International Consultant |
Languages Required :
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English |
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) |
24-Sep-2013 |
| Expected Duration of Assignment : |
20 days over a 6-week period |
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Background
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Improving Kiln Efficiency in the Brick Making Industry – IKEBMI (also known as the GREEN Brick Project) is a GEF-funded, UNDP-supported project initiated in 2010. The main objective of the project is to remove barriers to the widespread adoption of energy efficient practices in the brick making industry of Bangladesh. Traditional brick making in Bangladesh is a highly energy intensive and carbon emitting activity and is a major source of deforestation and land degradation. Brick making operations in the country fall mostly within the informal small and medium enterprises sector and do not have financial or strong regulatory incentives to become more energy efficient. Against this backdrop, the GREEN Brick project is working to promote energy efficient and environment friendly technologies in Bangladesh’s brick making industry.
Six outcomes will contribute to this objective:
Outcome 1: Energy Efficient Kiln Technology Support Program:
Thorough understudying and appreciation of technology options and their environmental impacts by brick makers, government and other stakeholders.
Outcome 2: Energy Efficient Kiln Demonstration Program:
Establishment of a critical mass of demonstration projects that will provide detailed information of EEK operations, energy savings and environmental impacts to interested brick makers.
Outcome 3: Energy Efficient Kiln Technical and Management Capacity Building Program
Improved local vocational, technical and managerial capacity to manage and sustain operations of EEKs and EE practices in Bangladesh.
Outcome 4: Communications and Awareness Program
Enhanced awareness of the public and other stakeholders on EEKs, EE molding practices and EEK brick products.
Outcome 5: Energy Efficient Kiln Finance Support Program
Availability of financial and institutional support to encourage SME adoption of energy efficient kilns.
Outcome 6: Energy Efficient Kiln Policy Development and Institutional Support Program
Promulgation of and compliance with favorable policies and regulations that encourage adoption of EEKs and EE brick making practices and methodologies.
The GREEN Brick project seeks to engage a Team Leader and Mid-Term Review (MTR) Expert to undertake an evaluation to assess the present progress of the project based on the expected outcome and outputs.
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Duties and Responsibilities
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Objectives of this Mid-term Review
The objective of the MTR is to gain an independent analysis of the progress of the project so far. The MTR will identify potential project design problems, assess progress towards the achievement of the project objective, identify and document lessons learned (including lessons that might improve design and implementation of other UNDP-GEF projects), and make recommendations regarding specific actions that should be taken to improve the project. The MTR will assess early signs of project success or failure and identify the necessary changes to be made. The project performance will be measured based on the indicators of the project’s logical framework.
The MTR must provide evidence-based information that is credible, reliable and useful. The review team is expected to follow a participatory and consultative approach ensuring close engagement with government counterparts, in particular the GEF Operational Focal Point, UNDP Country Office, project team, UNDP GEF Technical Adviser based in the region and key stakeholders. The review team is expected to conduct field missions to Dhaka, Bangladesh, including project sites as per need. Interviews will be held with the following organizations and individuals at a minimum:
UNDP staff who have project responsibilities:
- Responsible parties (including but not limited to CEA, Xian, key experts and consultants in the subject area, PB members);
- The Chair of the Project Board;
- The PM of the GREEN Bricks project;
- Project stakeholders, to be determined at the inception meeting.
The team will review all relevant sources of information, such as the project document, project reports – including Annual APR/PIR, project budget revisions, progress reports, GEF focal area tracking tools, project files, national strategic and legal documents, and any other materials that the team considers useful for this evidence-based review.
Team Composition
The MTR mission will comprise of an international and a local consultant which together form the review team. The international consultant will perform as Team Leader (TL) and is required to have an in depth understanding of UNDP and GEF projects including evaluation experience. The International Consultant will have the overall responsibility for developing the evaluation methodology, leading the evaluation, and delivering the key deliverables expected from the evaluation, including coordinating the inputs from the national consultant. The national consultant will provide professional back up and support with local consultations, translation, and arrangement of local meetings.
Scope of the Mid-Term Review
The review team will assess the following three categories of project progress. For each category, the review team is required to rate overall progress using a six-point rating scale.
Progress towards Results:
Project design:
- Review the problem addressed by the project and the underlying assumptions. Review the effect of any incorrect assumptions made by the project. Identify new assumptions;
- Review the relevance of the project strategy and assess whether it provides the most effective route towards results;
- Review how the project addresses country priorities;
- Review the baseline data included in the project results framework and GEF Tracking tool and suggest revisions as necessary.
Progress:
- Assess the outputs and progress toward outcomes achieved so far and the contribution to attaining the overall objective of the project;
- Examine if progress so far has led to, or could in the future lead to, beneficial development effects (i.e. income generation, gender equality and women’s empowerment, improved governance etc...) that should be included in the project results framework and monitored on an annual basis;
- Examine whether progress so far has led to, or could in the future lead to, potentially adverse environmental and/or social impacts/risks that could threaten the sustainability of the project outcomes. Are these risks being managed, mitigated, minimized or offset? Suggest mitigation measures as needed;
- Review the extent to which the implementation of the project has been inclusive of relevant stakeholders and to which it has been able to create collaboration between different partners. Identify opportunities for stronger substantive partnerships.
Adaptive management:
Work Planning:
- Are work planning processes results-based? If not, suggest ways to re-orientate work planning to focus on results;
- Examine the use of the project document logical/results framework as a management tool and review any changes made to it since project start;
- Ensure any revisions meet UNDP-GEF requirements and assess the impact of the revised approach on project management.
Finance and co-finance:
- Consider the financial management of the project, with specific reference to the cost-effectiveness of interventions;
- Complete the co-financing monitoring table;
- Review the changes to fund allocations as a result of budget revisions and assess the appropriateness and relevance of such revisions.
Monitoring Systems:
- Review the monitoring tools currently being used: Do they provide the necessary information? Do they involve key partners? Do they use existing information? Are they efficient? Are they cost-effective? Are additional tools required?
- Ensure that the monitoring system, including performance indicators, meet GEF minimum requirements. Apply SMART indicators as necessary;
- Ensure broader development and gender aspects of the project are being monitored effectively. Develop SMART indicators, including disaggregated gender indicators as necessary;
- Review the mid-term GEF Tracking Tool as appropriate and comment on progress made, quality of the submission, and overall value of the GEF Tracking Tool;
- Examine the financial management of the project monitoring and evaluation budget. Are sufficient resources being allocated to M&E? Are these resources being allocated effectively?
Risk Management:
- Validate whether the risks identified in the project document, APR/PIRs and the ATLAS Risk Management Module are the most important and whether the risk ratings applied are appropriate. If not, explain why?
- How effectively is the risk management system being used as an adaptive management tool?
- Describe any additional risks identified and suggest risk ratings and possible risk management strategies to be adopted.
Reporting:
- Assess how adaptive management changes have been reported by the project management, and shared with the Project Board;
- Assess how lessons derived from the adaptive management process have been documented, shared with key partners and internalized by partners.
Management arrangements:
- Review overall effectiveness of project management as outlined in the project document. Have changes been made and are they effective? Are responsibilities and reporting lines clear? Is decision-making transparent and undertaken in a timely manner? Recommend areas for improvement;
- Review the quality of execution of the project Implementing Partners and recommend areas for improvement;
- Review the quality of support provided by UNDP and recommend areas for improvement.
Other Issues to be Considered
Considering that UNDP is concerned about poverty reduction, local governance and the promotion of gender equity through a rights-based approach, the review requires looking at these cross cutting issues.
- Describe the main lessons that have emerged in terms of;
- Strengthening country ownership;
- Strengthening stakeholder participation;
- Application of adaptive management strategies;
- Efforts to secure sustainability;
- Knowledge transfer;
- Holistic approach toward environmental management;
- Gender sensitivity of technology.
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Competencies
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- Excellent oral and written communication skills, with ability to express ideas clearly, concisely and effectively, both orally and in writing;
- Strong interpersonal skills with ability to work under pressure and to establish and maintain effective work relationships with people of different backgrounds;
- Demonstrated ability to assess complex situations, succinctly distill critical issues from a broad array of stakeholder feedback, and draw forward-looking conclusions and recommendations;
- Highly knowledgeable about monitoring and evaluation processes, and experience in evaluation of technical assistance projects with major donor agencies;
- Ability and experience to lead multi-disciplinary and national teams, and deliver quality reports within the given time;
- Familiarity with the challenges of developing countries’ mitigation activities and strategies;
- Familiarity with the Bangladesh context; and
- Excellent in human relations, coordination, planning and team work.
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Required Skills and Experience
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Academic Qualifications:
- Postgraduate university degree in Environmental Science/Management, Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Energy Management, Development Studies or relevant discipline.
Experience:
- Around 10 years of experience in the areas of environmental/natural resource management, pollution management, energy regulation/management, climate change mitigation/adaptation, clean technology adoption, sustainable development;
- Clear understanding and at least 5 years’ experience on M&E issues related environmental/natural resource management, clean technology adoption, climate change mitigation/adaptation.
- Experience in evaluating GEF-funded projects;
- Experience in working with United Nations agencies or other donor funded projects.
Language:
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
Evaluation of the Candidates:
Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:
Cumulative analysis:
The candidates will be evaluated through Cumulative Analysis method. When using the weighted scoring method, the award of the contract will be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
- Responsive/compliant/acceptable; and
- Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 points in the technical evaluation would be considered for Financial Evaluation.
Technical Evaluation Criteria (Total 70 marks)
- Educational Qualification (max 15 points);
- Year of Experience (max 15 points);
- Understanding about M&E of similar project (maximum 15 points);
- Experience evaluating GEF funded projects (maximum 5 points);
- Experience working with UN agencies and other donor funded projects (maximum 5 points);
- Proposed Methodology and approach (maximum 15 points).
Financial Evaluation (Total 30 marks)
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 received 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.
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