Terminal Evaluation of the Piloting Natural Resource Valuation within Environmental Impact Assessments

Background

In accordance with UNDP and GEF M&E policies and procedures, all full and medium-sized UNDP support GEF financed projects are required to undergo a terminal evaluation upon completion of implementation. These terms of reference (TOR) sets out the expectations for a Terminal Evaluation (TE) of the Piloting Natural Resource Valuation within Environmental Impact Assessments (PIMS 3619) The Final Evaluation will focus on determining progress being made towards the achievement of outcomes and will identify effectiveness, efficiency and timeliness of project implementation; highlight issues requiring decisions and actions; and present initial lessons learned about project design, implementation and management. The final evaluation will also look at impact and sustainability of results, including the contribution to capacity development and the achievement of global environmental goals.   The overall objective of the TE is to analyze the implementation of the project, review the achievements made by the project to deliver the specified objectives and outcomes. It will establish the relevance, performance and success of the project, including the sustainability of results. The evaluation will also collate and analyze specific lessons and best practices pertaining to the strategies employed, and implementation arrangements, which may be of relevance to other projects in the country and elsewhere in the world.   The evaluation will also evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of project design, implementation, monitoring and adaptive management and sustainability of project outcomes, including the project exit strategy. BACKGROUND   "This project will strengthen the implementation of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), as well as contribute to the implementation of Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) through the development and application of natural resource valuation tools. In particular, the project will work in parallel with the Environmental Action Programme (ENACT), as SEAs are undertaken on various sectoral policies, programmes and plans. The project will ‘top-up’ ENACT’s capacity development activities of training and sensitization of the value of SEAs, and enforcement and compliance of EIAs with training and sensitization on the utility of natural resource valuation as a means to meeting both national and global environmental objectives over the long-term.”   “The development of natural resource valuation tools will provide an opportunity for these to be institutionalized as part of ENACT Programme’s capacity development activities. In this way, SEAs will be greatly improved in being able to make better predictions of possible consequences of policy interventions, facilitating the development of strategies to reduce policy resistances and facilitate the consideration of environmental risks and impacts associated with the implementation of government policies. By providing a more robust and comparable valuation method for natural resources, consequences of development policies, programmes and plans will be better evaluated so as to promote biodiversity conservation; minimize, if not reduce the risks associated with land degradation; encourage climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies; and promote environmentally sound and sustainable development.” The Mid Term evaluation took place during month 39 - 40 of the  project.   The project directly supports the Jamaica 2012-2016 UNDAF Outcome 1: National, local authorities and most vulnerable communities island-wide improve natural resource management and resilience to disasters (FAO, IAEA, PAHO, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO) This outcome epitomizes effective and efficient governance of natural resources, enhanced disaster risk reduction and better preparedness and response measures, and energy security recognizing their importance for human development particularly for the poor and vulnerable. This is also aligned to Vision 2030 Jamaica Goal 3: Jamaica’s economy is prosperous; National Outcome #10: Energy Security and Efficiency and Goal 4: Jamaica has a healthy natural environment; National Outcomes #13 and 14: Sustainable Management and Use of Environmental and Natural Resources; Hazard Risk Reduction and Adaptation to Climate Change. The UNCT in cooperation with the Government and national partners will focus efforts on creating an enabling environment for better management of natural and cultural resources, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, as well as improving energy security to positively enhance the human development of vulnerable people.

Duties and Responsibilities

The evaluator will review all relevant sources of information, such as the project document, project reports – including Annual APR/PIR, project budget revisions, midterm review, progress reports, GEF focal area tracking tools, project files, national strategic and legal documents, and any other materials that the evaluator considers useful for this evidence-based assessment. A list of documents that the project team will provide to the evaluator for review is included in Annex B of this Terms of Reference.   The project evaluation is to be undertaken in accordance with UN evaluation norms and policies and should embody a strong results-based orientation. It should be made clear that the evaluation team is responsible for revising the approach as necessary and present its methodological proposal as part of the inception report. Evaluation methods should be selected for their rigor in producing empirically based evidence to address the evaluation criteria, to respond to the evaluation questions, and to meet the objectives of the evaluation.   An assessment of project performance will be carried out, based against expectations set out in the Project Logical Framework/Results Framework (see  Annex A), which provides performance and impact indicators for project implementation along with their corresponding means of verification. The evaluation will at a minimum cover the criteria of: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact.   The Evaluation will assess the key financial aspects of the project, including the extent of co-financing planned and realized. Project cost and funding data will be required, including annual expenditures. Variances between planned and actual expenditures will need to be assessed and explained. Results from recent financial audits, as available, should be taken into consideration. The evaluator(s) will receive assistance from the Country Office (CO) and Project Team to obtain financial data in order to complete the co-financing table below, which will be included in the terminal evaluation report.

Competencies

Good interpersonal skills (especially important, as the evaluator will be in constant contact with civil society and other actors and stakeholders). Excellent communication, writing and analytic skills Knowledge of UNDP and GEF

Required Skills and Experience

Education Post-graduate degree in natural resource or related environmental management field Technical knowledge in Environment or Natural Resource management Experience The consultant shall have prior experience in evaluating similar projects. Experience with GEF financed projects is an advantage  Previous experience with results-based monitoring and evaluation methodologies and experience in strategic planning will be considered an asset . Experience in the Caribbean Region Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience Language Fluency in English both written and spoken is essential

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