Development of a Resource Pack for Joint Evaluations for the United Nations Evaluation Group
UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (OCHA)
New York, 07 November 2012
Consultancy - Development of a Resource Pack for Joint Evaluations for the United Nations Evaluation Group
Closing date : 21 November 2012
Number of consultants : One Mid-Level Consultant
Approximate duration assignment for the Team Leader : 43 days (over a period of 4 months)
Tentative contract starting date : 30 November 2012
I. Introduction
On behalf of the Task Force on Joint Evaluations of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG), OCHA is looking for an experienced consultant to develop a UNEG Resource Pack for Joint Evaluations. The contract will be managed by OCHA Evaluation and Guidance Section. The exercise will be conducted under the oversight of an inter-agency management group.
II. Background
UNEG is a professional network that brings together the units responsible for evaluation in the UN system including the specialized agencies, funds, programmes and affiliated organisations. UNEG currently has 43 such members and 3 observers. UNEG established a Task Force on Joint Evaluations in 2010. The main objective of this task force is to develop guidance for all members of UNEG in order to facilitate the design and conduct of Joint Evaluation exercises.
The UNEG Task Force on Joint Evaluations (UNEG/TFJE) refers to the following definition of JEs “a joint evaluative effort by more than one entity of a topic of mutual interest, or of a programme co-financed/implemented, with a degree of ‘jointness’, varying from cooperation in the evaluation process, pooling of resources to combined reporting.” UNEG intends to develop guidance for JEs in the UN system in order to improve understanding of issues relating to JEs in order to facilitate their management and maximise their use among UNEG members.
The UNEG/TFJE ran a survey among UNEG members in December 2011. The survey showed that over 40% of UNEG members (20 out of 46 members) are involved in JEs efforts, with varying degree of engagement. Respondents acknowledged the value and importance of JEs in advancing system-wide learning and improvements. There is agreement that JEs can provide various benefits to participating agencies, such as mutual capacity development, harmonisation, greater potential for evaluation use, and alignment. They also agree that JEs processes tend to be more rigorous and transparent than single-agency evaluation. Equally, there was concurrence on the level of efforts required to manage such type of joint exercises as they involve major coordination and communication endeavours.
The survey also indicated that challenges such as the type of governance and management structure/system of JEs may undermine the effectiveness of the evaluation process, especially when there are too many parties involved or layers in the governance and management structure. Different administrative and financial rules within UN organisations can also negatively affect JE processes. The lack of formal mechanisms for follow up makes the utility of JEs, and hence resources required, questionable. The aim of JEs may also be undermined by the attitude of some donors, who are primarily concerned with the result from their own investments/funds.
UNEG members also identified a number of areas for guidance development that could help overcome some of the major challenges. Potential areas for guidance development include governance and management systems, definitions and typologies, follow-up mechanisms, best practices in managing and conducting JEs, and methodology for conducting JEs.
The UNEG/TFJE is co-chaired by OCHA and UNICEF and includes members from 10 other agencies. The proposal for the development of UNEG guidance / resource pack on JEs was approved at UNEG’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Rome in April 2012.
III. Purpose and Objectives of the Consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a resource pack for undertaking JE exercises by UNEG members.
The broader objectives of this work are to:
1) Facilitate the planning, conduct and follow up of JEs.
2) Maximise benefits and advantages of conducting JEs.
3) Enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of such exercises.
4) Contribute to mutual learning and capacity development within UNEG members.
The specific objectives of the work are to:
1) Undertake a mapping of existing guidance on JEs and documents among UNEG agencies.
2) Develop a UNEG resource pack on JEs that will include a guidance note and a toolkit (collection of documents, including examples of good practices and UNEG specific guidance on planning, managing and utilizing JEs). The guidance note will facilitate the planning, conduct and follow of JEs.
3) Support piloting and dissemination of the resource pack and guidance among UNEG members.
IV. Scope
The resource pack will be developed for UNEG members. As such it will consider policies and practices of evaluation functions of UNEG members, including resources use and mobilization, administrative rules, etc. It will also outline models/approaches for different types of JEs, such as humanitarian, development and normative evaluations, with associated resource requirements, management and governance structures.
In consultation with the UNEG/TFJEs, and based on existing work, interviews and the consultant’s own analysis, the JEs resource pack should be based on a review of existing JEs reference material and tools. It should not duplicate reference and guidance material that is already available but instead be a synthesis on what is out there. It should contain an analysis of different approaches, along with descriptions of the costs and benefits of these approaches. The tool kit should also contain reference documents such as Terms of Reference for common mechanisms used in JEs, management and governance arrangements, stakeholder engagement and management response/follow up action planning.
V. Management Group
A Management Group composed by UNEG/TFJE members will assume the day-to-day responsibility for managing the exercise. OCHA’s Evaluation and Guidance Section (OCHA/EGS) will manage the contract of the external consultant. OCHA/EGS will assign a manager to oversee the conduct of the exercise and serve as a central person connecting other key players. The Management Group will have the following responsibilities:
1) Select the consultant;
2) provide guidance and institutional support to the external consultant, especially on issues of methodology;
3) facilitate the consultants access to key stakeholders and specific information, including existing JEs reference material or expertise needed to perform the assessment;
4) ensure that all stakeholders are kept informed;
5) recommend the approval of the final product;
6) help to coordinate and design workshop; and,
7) facilitate and monitor subsequent follow up.
VI. Reference Group
UNEG/TFJEs will serve as Reference Group for the exercise. This group will work closely with the Management Group to guide the process in particular with regard to the methodology, focus and quality assurance of the guidance / resource pack. It is envisaged that the Reference Group will review the inception report, drafts of each deliverables and hold 4-5 review meetings or workshops during the course of this assignment.
VII. Deliverables
The consultant will deliver the following outputs:
1) Inception report in order to define the exact scope and approach of the work and issues involved.
2) UNEG Resource Pack on JEs is composed of the following:
a. Toolkit, which includes examples of good practices, methods and description of available resources, and
b. UNEG guidance note on planning, managing and utilizing JEs.
3) Brief report on the development of the tool kit (5 pages).
4) PowerPoint Presentation introducing the UNEG Resource Pack on JEs including methodology, purpose and description of the Resource Pack.
VIII. Duration and Tentative Workplan:
The external consultant will be contracted for a period of approximately 43 days from 25 November 2012 – 15 March 2013 to undertake the desk review, interviews with key stakeholders, and prepare the Guidance / UNEG Resource Pack on JEs. The consultant will be paid against the satisfactory delivery of the aforementioned outputs (para. VI).
Activity / Days / Timing:
Briefing by the Management Group and and OCHA Focal point on expectations, deliverables and scope / 2 / 30 November 25
Inception Report the inception report will define the exact scope and approach of the work and issues involved / 3 / 07 Dec 2012
Literature review : Review UN and non-UN joint evaluation material. Submission of interview protocol to UNEG Joint Evaluation Sub Group / 8 / 08 Dec.-16 Dec. 2012
Key Informant Interviews and research.Informants will include UNEG members, evaluation managers from member states, NGOs and others, / 10 / December 2012
Consultation Workshop Workshop will be held in New York with UNEG members. Allocated time includes preparation and reporting / 2 / December 2012 (tbd)
Preparation of tool kit materials / The toolkit is composed of an analytical review and a collection of relevant reference documents. Consultant will present proposed list of contents of tool kit to UNEG Joint Evaluation Sub Group by January 15 (teleconference). / 12 / January 2013
First draft of tool kit / Presentation to UNEG Joint Evaluation Task Force. / 1 / February 2013
Review of draft tool kit Tool kit is reviewed by the UNEG Joint Evaluation Task Force / n/a / Mid February 2013
Submission of final tool kit / Including presentation and other deliverables / 5 / March 2013
Total work days 43
IX. Pilot and Dissemination
The tool kit will be presented at the UNEG AGM in April 2013 by the chairs of the Joint Evaluation Task Force. Following the UNEG AGM, the task force will work closely with UNEG and other partners to pilot it for a number JEs. Feedback from the pilots will help make any adjustments/changes to the resource pack that may be required. After this pilot phase, the guidance and resource pack will be disseminated widely among UNEG members.
X. Requirements for the Consultants
• Experience in conducting evaluations of development and humanitarian programmes and the capacity to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders.
• Previous experience in conducting joint evaluations/complex multi-stakeholder evaluations; experience in inter-agency joint evaluations, multi-donor evaluation or UNDAF evaluations is an asset.
• Previous experience in developing evaluation-related guidance. .
• Advanced evaluation expertise and experience in a wide range of evaluation approaches including utilization-focused, gender and human rights responsive and mixed methods.
• Strong experience and knowledge in human rights issues, the human rights based approach to programming, human rights analysis and related mandates within the UN system.
• Extensive experience with both theoretical approaches and practical applications of join evaluations – preferably with UN agencies.
• Knowledge of the UN system, UN reform processes and UN programming at the country level, particularly of joint programming policies and processes.
• Previous work in or knowledge of the UN, NGO and/or donor institutions.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesize and present findings, draw practical conclusions and articulate complex concepts in a clear and concise manner.
• Expertise in gender equality and women’s empowerment, mainstreaming, gender analysis and the related mandates within the UN system.
• Excellent analytical, facilitation and communications skills; ability to negotiate with a wide range of stakeholders.
How to apply:
Interested and qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV and UN Personal History (P-11) form to ochaesu@un.org with subject line “UNEG Joint Evaluation Resource Pack” by 21 November 2012.
Please indicate your availability and daily rate to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily rate will not be considered. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.
New York, 07 November 2012
Consultancy - Development of a Resource Pack for Joint Evaluations for the United Nations Evaluation Group
Closing date : 21 November 2012
Number of consultants : One Mid-Level Consultant
Approximate duration assignment for the Team Leader : 43 days (over a period of 4 months)
Tentative contract starting date : 30 November 2012
I. Introduction
On behalf of the Task Force on Joint Evaluations of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG), OCHA is looking for an experienced consultant to develop a UNEG Resource Pack for Joint Evaluations. The contract will be managed by OCHA Evaluation and Guidance Section. The exercise will be conducted under the oversight of an inter-agency management group.
II. Background
UNEG is a professional network that brings together the units responsible for evaluation in the UN system including the specialized agencies, funds, programmes and affiliated organisations. UNEG currently has 43 such members and 3 observers. UNEG established a Task Force on Joint Evaluations in 2010. The main objective of this task force is to develop guidance for all members of UNEG in order to facilitate the design and conduct of Joint Evaluation exercises.
The UNEG Task Force on Joint Evaluations (UNEG/TFJE) refers to the following definition of JEs “a joint evaluative effort by more than one entity of a topic of mutual interest, or of a programme co-financed/implemented, with a degree of ‘jointness’, varying from cooperation in the evaluation process, pooling of resources to combined reporting.” UNEG intends to develop guidance for JEs in the UN system in order to improve understanding of issues relating to JEs in order to facilitate their management and maximise their use among UNEG members.
The UNEG/TFJE ran a survey among UNEG members in December 2011. The survey showed that over 40% of UNEG members (20 out of 46 members) are involved in JEs efforts, with varying degree of engagement. Respondents acknowledged the value and importance of JEs in advancing system-wide learning and improvements. There is agreement that JEs can provide various benefits to participating agencies, such as mutual capacity development, harmonisation, greater potential for evaluation use, and alignment. They also agree that JEs processes tend to be more rigorous and transparent than single-agency evaluation. Equally, there was concurrence on the level of efforts required to manage such type of joint exercises as they involve major coordination and communication endeavours.
The survey also indicated that challenges such as the type of governance and management structure/system of JEs may undermine the effectiveness of the evaluation process, especially when there are too many parties involved or layers in the governance and management structure. Different administrative and financial rules within UN organisations can also negatively affect JE processes. The lack of formal mechanisms for follow up makes the utility of JEs, and hence resources required, questionable. The aim of JEs may also be undermined by the attitude of some donors, who are primarily concerned with the result from their own investments/funds.
UNEG members also identified a number of areas for guidance development that could help overcome some of the major challenges. Potential areas for guidance development include governance and management systems, definitions and typologies, follow-up mechanisms, best practices in managing and conducting JEs, and methodology for conducting JEs.
The UNEG/TFJE is co-chaired by OCHA and UNICEF and includes members from 10 other agencies. The proposal for the development of UNEG guidance / resource pack on JEs was approved at UNEG’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Rome in April 2012.
III. Purpose and Objectives of the Consultancy
The purpose of this consultancy is to develop a resource pack for undertaking JE exercises by UNEG members.
The broader objectives of this work are to:
1) Facilitate the planning, conduct and follow up of JEs.
2) Maximise benefits and advantages of conducting JEs.
3) Enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of such exercises.
4) Contribute to mutual learning and capacity development within UNEG members.
The specific objectives of the work are to:
1) Undertake a mapping of existing guidance on JEs and documents among UNEG agencies.
2) Develop a UNEG resource pack on JEs that will include a guidance note and a toolkit (collection of documents, including examples of good practices and UNEG specific guidance on planning, managing and utilizing JEs). The guidance note will facilitate the planning, conduct and follow of JEs.
3) Support piloting and dissemination of the resource pack and guidance among UNEG members.
IV. Scope
The resource pack will be developed for UNEG members. As such it will consider policies and practices of evaluation functions of UNEG members, including resources use and mobilization, administrative rules, etc. It will also outline models/approaches for different types of JEs, such as humanitarian, development and normative evaluations, with associated resource requirements, management and governance structures.
In consultation with the UNEG/TFJEs, and based on existing work, interviews and the consultant’s own analysis, the JEs resource pack should be based on a review of existing JEs reference material and tools. It should not duplicate reference and guidance material that is already available but instead be a synthesis on what is out there. It should contain an analysis of different approaches, along with descriptions of the costs and benefits of these approaches. The tool kit should also contain reference documents such as Terms of Reference for common mechanisms used in JEs, management and governance arrangements, stakeholder engagement and management response/follow up action planning.
V. Management Group
A Management Group composed by UNEG/TFJE members will assume the day-to-day responsibility for managing the exercise. OCHA’s Evaluation and Guidance Section (OCHA/EGS) will manage the contract of the external consultant. OCHA/EGS will assign a manager to oversee the conduct of the exercise and serve as a central person connecting other key players. The Management Group will have the following responsibilities:
1) Select the consultant;
2) provide guidance and institutional support to the external consultant, especially on issues of methodology;
3) facilitate the consultants access to key stakeholders and specific information, including existing JEs reference material or expertise needed to perform the assessment;
4) ensure that all stakeholders are kept informed;
5) recommend the approval of the final product;
6) help to coordinate and design workshop; and,
7) facilitate and monitor subsequent follow up.
VI. Reference Group
UNEG/TFJEs will serve as Reference Group for the exercise. This group will work closely with the Management Group to guide the process in particular with regard to the methodology, focus and quality assurance of the guidance / resource pack. It is envisaged that the Reference Group will review the inception report, drafts of each deliverables and hold 4-5 review meetings or workshops during the course of this assignment.
VII. Deliverables
The consultant will deliver the following outputs:
1) Inception report in order to define the exact scope and approach of the work and issues involved.
2) UNEG Resource Pack on JEs is composed of the following:
a. Toolkit, which includes examples of good practices, methods and description of available resources, and
b. UNEG guidance note on planning, managing and utilizing JEs.
3) Brief report on the development of the tool kit (5 pages).
4) PowerPoint Presentation introducing the UNEG Resource Pack on JEs including methodology, purpose and description of the Resource Pack.
VIII. Duration and Tentative Workplan:
The external consultant will be contracted for a period of approximately 43 days from 25 November 2012 – 15 March 2013 to undertake the desk review, interviews with key stakeholders, and prepare the Guidance / UNEG Resource Pack on JEs. The consultant will be paid against the satisfactory delivery of the aforementioned outputs (para. VI).
Activity / Days / Timing:
Briefing by the Management Group and and OCHA Focal point on expectations, deliverables and scope / 2 / 30 November 25
Inception Report the inception report will define the exact scope and approach of the work and issues involved / 3 / 07 Dec 2012
Literature review : Review UN and non-UN joint evaluation material. Submission of interview protocol to UNEG Joint Evaluation Sub Group / 8 / 08 Dec.-16 Dec. 2012
Key Informant Interviews and research.Informants will include UNEG members, evaluation managers from member states, NGOs and others, / 10 / December 2012
Consultation Workshop Workshop will be held in New York with UNEG members. Allocated time includes preparation and reporting / 2 / December 2012 (tbd)
Preparation of tool kit materials / The toolkit is composed of an analytical review and a collection of relevant reference documents. Consultant will present proposed list of contents of tool kit to UNEG Joint Evaluation Sub Group by January 15 (teleconference). / 12 / January 2013
First draft of tool kit / Presentation to UNEG Joint Evaluation Task Force. / 1 / February 2013
Review of draft tool kit Tool kit is reviewed by the UNEG Joint Evaluation Task Force / n/a / Mid February 2013
Submission of final tool kit / Including presentation and other deliverables / 5 / March 2013
Total work days 43
IX. Pilot and Dissemination
The tool kit will be presented at the UNEG AGM in April 2013 by the chairs of the Joint Evaluation Task Force. Following the UNEG AGM, the task force will work closely with UNEG and other partners to pilot it for a number JEs. Feedback from the pilots will help make any adjustments/changes to the resource pack that may be required. After this pilot phase, the guidance and resource pack will be disseminated widely among UNEG members.
X. Requirements for the Consultants
• Experience in conducting evaluations of development and humanitarian programmes and the capacity to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders.
• Previous experience in conducting joint evaluations/complex multi-stakeholder evaluations; experience in inter-agency joint evaluations, multi-donor evaluation or UNDAF evaluations is an asset.
• Previous experience in developing evaluation-related guidance. .
• Advanced evaluation expertise and experience in a wide range of evaluation approaches including utilization-focused, gender and human rights responsive and mixed methods.
• Strong experience and knowledge in human rights issues, the human rights based approach to programming, human rights analysis and related mandates within the UN system.
• Extensive experience with both theoretical approaches and practical applications of join evaluations – preferably with UN agencies.
• Knowledge of the UN system, UN reform processes and UN programming at the country level, particularly of joint programming policies and processes.
• Previous work in or knowledge of the UN, NGO and/or donor institutions.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesize and present findings, draw practical conclusions and articulate complex concepts in a clear and concise manner.
• Expertise in gender equality and women’s empowerment, mainstreaming, gender analysis and the related mandates within the UN system.
• Excellent analytical, facilitation and communications skills; ability to negotiate with a wide range of stakeholders.
How to apply:
Interested and qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV and UN Personal History (P-11) form to ochaesu@un.org with subject line “UNEG Joint Evaluation Resource Pack” by 21 November 2012.
Please indicate your availability and daily rate to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily rate will not be considered. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.
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