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Mid-term evaluation of the project: Integration of Ecosystem Management Principles and Practices into Land and Water Management of Laborec-Uh Region (Eastern Slovakian Lowlands);
The Project Document was signed between the Ministry of the Environment of Slovak Republic and UNDP/GEF Regional Center for Europe and CIS on 2nd May 2007. The project is planned for 5 years (from May 2007 to May 2012).
Objective
The project will contribute to mainstreaming integrated ecosystem management principles and practices into the land and water management and agricultural sectors of new EU members and accession states within the context of the EU Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 and Danube River Protection Convention.
By the end of the project, an innovative stakeholder partnership (i.e. Leader Local Action Group) will be in place in the project area that can continue to implement a self-sustaining water and land management programme resulting in environmentally sound agricultural practices, alternative non-farm livelihoods, and further expanding the extent of (semi-) natural floodplain habitats that support a representative range of species. In addition, the project will set up the mechanisms, especially the Local Action Group and preparation of the Ramsar site management plan, by which the existing conflicts could be resolved by the parties concerned.
The project will generate the following four main outcomes:
- Stakeholders will adopt a long-term strategy for ecosystem-based water and agricultural management practices;
- Stakeholder capacity, policies, and motivation to implement Integrated Ecosystem Management (IEM) will be strengthened and operational;
- Stakeholders will pilot ecosystem-oriented biodiversity conservation practices;
- Replication of best practices and lessons learned from the experience of implementation of IEM in the pilot area in other regions of the Eastern Lowlands, as well as other new EU members and accession states in the Danube River basin.
A fifth outcome will be the successful support, monitoring and evaluation of project implementation itself.
Associated with these outcomes there are a number of Outputs (please see Annex 1 for the Revised Logical Framework of the project).
Project area
The project will be undertaken in a lowland area of some 29,539 ha located within the Latorica River Basin in the Eastern Slovakian Lowlands (see Annex 1, Map 1) which lie wholly inside the Danube River catchment. The Uh and the Laborec Rivers (to the west and south respectively) border the project area itself (Annex 1, Map 2). To the north and up-hill, the project area is bordered by the Zemplinska Sirava Reservoir and on the east by a large drainage canal decanting into the Uh River. The project area is more or less bisected by the Cierna Voda River, a tributary of the Laborec (entering close to the confluence with the Uh) whose catchment is largely within the project area.
Objectives of the Mid Term Evaluation and Evaluation Audience
This evaluation is to be undertaken taking into consideration the GEF Monitoring and Evaluation policy (http://thegef.org/MonitoringandEvaluation/MEPoliciesProcedures/mepoliciesprocedures.html)
and the UNDP/GEF Monitoring and Evaluation Policy (http://www.undp.org/gef/05/monitoring/policies.html).
This Mid Term Evaluation is initiated by the UNDP Regional Center for Europe and CIS (Bratislava) as the GEF Implementation Agency for this project and it aims to provide managers (at the Ministry of the Environment, UNDP/GEF and project levels) with strategy and policy options for more effectively and efficiently achieving the project’s expected results and for replicating the results. It also provides the basis for learning and accountability for managers and stakeholders.
The objective of this Mid Term Evaluation is to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of project activities in relation to the stated objective so far, and to produce possible recommendations on how to improve the management of the project until its completion in May 2012.
The report will play a critical role in the future implementation of the project by providing advice on:
- how to strengthen the adaptative management and monitoring function of the project;
- how to ensure accountability for the achievement of the GEF objective;
- how to enhance organizational and development learning;
- how to enable informed decision – making.
The report will have to provide to the GEF Secretariat complete and convincing evidence to support its findings/ratings. The consultant should prepare specific ratings on seven aspects of the project, as described in the 'Reporting' section of this Terms of Reference. Particular emphasis should be put on the current project results and the possibility of achieving all objectives in the established timeframe, taking into consideration the speed, at which the project is proceeding.
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Duties and Responsibilities
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METHODOLOGY OR EVALUATION APPROACH
The key product expected from this mid-term evaluation is a comprehensive analytical report in English.
An outline of an evaluation approach is provided below, however it should be made clear that the evaluation team is responsible for revising the approach as necessary. Any changes should be in-line with international criteria and professional norms and standards (as adopted by the UN Evaluation Group ). They must be also cleared by UNDP before being applied by the evaluation team.
The evaluation must provide evidence-based information that is credible, reliable and useful. It must be easily understood by project partners and applicable to the remaining period of project duration.
The evaluation should provide as much gender disaggregated data as possible.
The evaluation will take place mainly in the field. The evaluator is expected to follow a participatory and consultative approach ensuring close engagement with the government counterparts, the National Project Manager, Steering Committee, project team, and key stakeholders.
The evaluator is expected to consult all relevant sources of information, such as the project document, project reports – incl. Annual Reports, project budget revision, progress reports, Mid-Term Evaluation Report, project files, national strategic and legal documents, and any other material that s/he may consider useful for evidence based assessment. The list of documentation to be reviewed is included in Annex 5 of this Terms of Reference
The evaluator is expected to use interviews as a means of collecting data on the relevance, performance and success of the project. Interviews will be held with the following organizations and individuals at minimum: UNDP Regional Centre Bratislava - Country Support Team, UNDP/GEF RTA from Bratislava, Ministry of Environment of the SR - Project Director; Steering Committee members; State Nature Conservancy; Ministry of Agriculture; Project Team
S/He is also expected to visit the project sites.
The methodology to be used by the evaluation team should be presented in the report in detail. It shall include information on:
- Documentation reviewed
- Interviews
- Field visits;
- Questionnaires;
- Participatory techniques and other approaches for the gathering and analysis of data.
Although the Evaluator should feel free to discuss with the authorities concerned, all matters relevant to its assignment, it is not authorized to make any commitment or statement on behalf of UNDP or GEF or the project management.
The Evaluator should reflect sound accounting procedures and be prudent in using the resources of the evaluation.
EVALUATION TEAM – QUALITIES AND REQUIREMENTS
A team of independent experts will conduct the evaluation. The evaluators selected should not have participated in the project preparation and/or implementation and should not have conflict of interest with project related activities.
The evaluation team will be composed of one Team Leader and two Technical Consultants. The consultants shall have prior experience in evaluating similar projects. Former cooperation with GEF is an advantage.
The Team Leader will perform the following tasks:
- Lead and manage the evaluation mission;
- Design the detailed evaluation scope and methodology (including the methods for data collection and analysis);
- Decide the division of labor within the evaluation team;
- Conduct an analysis of the outcome, outputs and partnership strategy (as per the scope of the evaluation described above);
- Draft related parts of the evaluation report; and
- Finalize the whole evaluation report.
The Technical Consultant(s) will provide input in reviewing all project documentation and will provide the International Consultant with a compilation of information prior to the evaluation mission.
Specifically, the technical consultant(s) will perform tasks with a focus on:
- Review documents;
- Prepare a list of the outputs achieved under project;
- Organize the mission programme and provide translation/interpretation when necessary;
- Participate in the design of the evaluation methodology;
- Conduct an analysis of the outcome, outputs and partnership strategy (as per the scope of the evaluation described above);
- Draft related parts of the evaluation report;
- Assist Team leader in finalizing document through incorporating suggestions received on draft related to his/her assigned sections.
One Technical Consultant (1) will focus on issues related to management and sustainable use of wetlands in temperate ecosystems, the second Technical Consultant (2) will focus on issues related to integrated land use and sustainable socioeconomic development.
The Technical Consultant 1 is required, who will cover the issues related to management and sustainable use of wetlands in temperate ecosystems.
"Full terms of Reference with annexes can be downloaded at http://dl.undp.sk/ToR_TechConsultant_Wetlands "
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Competencies
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The evaluation will be undertaken in-line with GEF principles :
- Independence
- Impartiality
- Transparency
- Disclosure
- Ethical
- Partnership
- Competencies and Capacities
- Credibility
- Utility
The evaluators must be independent from both the policy-making process and the delivery and management of assistance. Therefore applications will not be considered from evaluators who have had any direct involvement with the design or implementation of the project. This may apply equally to evaluators who are associated with organizations, universities or entities that are, or have been, involved in the biodiversity conservation policy-making process and/or delivery of the project. This applies equally to firms submitting proposals as it does to individual evaluators.
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Required Skills and Experience
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Required qualification for Technical Consultant 1:
- University degree in environment or environmental management;
- Recognized expertise in the management and sustainable use of wetlands in temperate ecosystems;
- Familiarity with policies and management structures in Slovakia and EU in the area of protected areas, water and land management;
- Work experience in relevant areas for at least 5 years;
- Project evaluation experience;
- Recent experience with result-based management evaluation methodologies will be an asset;
- Experience with multilateral or bilateral supported development projects;
- English communication skills;
- Fluency in Slovak.
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