FINAL PROJECT EVALUATION CONSULTANT
Procurement Process
IC - Individual contractor
Office
Fiji - MARSHALL ISLANDS
Deadline
16-Aug-22
Published on
02-Aug-22
Reference Number
94101
Overview
According to the UNDP Evaluation Policy every project with a planned budget or actual expenditure between $3million and $5 million must plan and undertake either a midterm or final evaluation. The aim of this evaluation is to assess the results achieved by the Climate Security in the Pacific Project in the timeframe of the project from 2nd July 2020 to 31st December 2022.
The connection between climate change and human security is complex and multilayered and crosses with political, social, environmental, economic, and demographic factors.
Climate change is often mentioned as an ultimate "threat multiplier", aggravating already fragile situations and potentially contributing to further social tensions in some parts of the world.
In the Pacific, the human security risks associated with climate-related disasters are not a distant future scenario but are already a reality for the majority of Pacific people. Pacific leaders, through the 2018 Boe Declaration, have recognized climate change as the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and well-being of the Pacific.
Although climate change is cited as the most significant security threat to the South Pacific, its likely effects on security and potential conflict are yet to be widely explored by the international and regional organizations present on the ground.
These fragility and instability risks will affect men, women and youth differently, and vary across the region both according to the timeframes under consideration and depending on the country contexts. Emerging critical climate security risks that Pacific Small Island Developing States face include impacts on human mobility, including displacement; potential for social tension linked to natural resource access and use; threats to food and water security, human health and productivity; and threats to territorial integrity and maritime boundaries due to sea-level rise.
Climate-related security risks affecting the Pacific will require greater examination, monitoring and coordinated action by many stakeholders at all levels to prevent potential irreversible economic, social, cultural and environmental damage with a range of potential security implications and a direct impact on social cohesion.
A practical and tailored response is needed to the region's unique political, economic, cultural, environmental and development circumstances to avoid reaching critical thresholds for social conflict and exhausting coping capacities.
Overall vision of climate security in the Pacific, and gaps that the project hopes to fill Funded by the Peace Building Fund of the UN Secretary General, the 2-year project responds to potential security implications by providing capacity to Pacific countries, with a focus on low-lying Atoll Nations, to assess, better understand and address their critical climate security challenges. This will be achieved through the: application of tailored climate security assessment approaches; inclusive youth and gender sensitive dialogues; partnership with a range of stakeholders operating across the aspects of climate security and supporting the uptake of key findings in relevant national, regional, and international policy and resourcing strategies. These activities will add value through key regional frameworks and initiatives such as the Boe Declaration and Action Plan. The project is designed as a catalytic intervention to both strengthen the capacity for global advocacy as well as capacity to plan and respond to challenges at the community, national and regional level in Pacific Small Islands Developing States (SIDS). The project has three main outcomes that are geared towards: (i) empowering atoll states and regional actors to assess and address security threats of climate change; (ii) strengthening understanding, articulation and addressing of key climate related security risks with a focus on atoll nations and key climate security areas emerging in the region; and (iii) stronger advocacy by atoll nations and PICs in global forum for combatting climate change through greater emphasis on its impact on peace and security.
Achievements: the project has been operational since 2nd July 2020 and over the last 19 months, communities across all three atoll nations (Kiribati, Tuvalu, and Tuvalu) have participated in consultations and identification of priority community sites and pilot activities. These were made possible with the support and ownership from various lead agencies and focal points in each country – i.e. the Office of the President in Kiribati, the Climate Change Directorate in the Republic of Marshall Islands, and the Department of Climate Change in Tuvalu. Communities are becoming increasingly aware of security issues and risks of climate change on their livelihoods and overall well-being. The Republic of Marshall Islands was directly supported with COP-26 negotiations from the project. With thanks to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the project supported the establishment of the Pacific Climate Security Expert Network (PCSN), with its first dialogue in December 2021 comprising technical experts from the academia, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific (CROP) agencies, and UN agencies. The project has also engaged in strategic regional co-operation via the Parliamentary knowledge-management events both at regional and national levels. The project’s co-operation with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) is enhanced by the shared-location of our project-supported Climate Security Expert since late December 2021. Work is now in-progress for embedding the concept of climate security into national adaptation plans and priorities, as well as policies and budgeting processes. Representatives from the three atoll nations, as well as from development partners (CROP agencies), the academia, and international technical agencies are taking part in promoting the visibility of climate security issues in the Pacific via podcasts and sharing of human-interest stories. The technical work on Climate Security Risk Assessment also commenced in December 2021, which will produce a Regional Risk Assessment and country-specific profiles.
Adapting to changing priorities: Key issues have been brought to the attention of the project team for further support. These relate to preserving national ownership of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) against climate change and sea level rise and confirming maritime boundaries. A mediation training programme on Climate Security is being designed to build capacity of mediation practitioners in the Pacific on climate-sensitive mediation.
National and regional contexts: Pilot initiatives implementation are planned for June 2022, along with the completion of Risk Assessments. A Donor Roundtable is planned for mid- September 2022 where findings of the Risk Assessments will be presented along with discussions on priority actions and interventions beyond the project’s lifetime. Offer: The project team is exploring how to extend its support for the establishment of the Coalition of Low-Lying Atoll Nations on Climate Change (CANCC). As CANCC features prominently in each of the project outcomes, the project team has maximized the opportunity to discuss concrete ways for supporting CANCC’s work. This includes convening a Roundtable along the margins of the Our Oceans Conference in RMI, Tuvalu and Kiribati (13-14 April 2022), where CANCC members could discuss priorities and plans, along with the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between CANCC Parties involved. Establishment of the CANCC office in RMI and CANCC desks in Kiribati and Tuvalu are also planned for the project’s support.
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DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Scope of Work The evaluation presents an excellent opportunity to assess the achievements of this project and its overall added value to climate security in the Pacific. Further to this, the objectives of the evaluation will be to:
The evaluation will be used for learning and accountability, and to contribute to the UNDP and the UN Peace Building Fund decision-making regarding further engagement on this issue. The evaluation must apply any political sensitivity to the evaluation methods.
The Evaluation will assess the Project according to standard evaluation criteria, as elaborated below, in line with the OECD DAC Guidelines on Evaluating Climate Security Projects and United Nations Evaluations Group norms and principles.
How has the project enhanced and contributed to the development of national capacity?
The review will cover the full period the project has been operational.
The evaluation will be summative and will employ a participatory approach whereby discussions with and surveys of key stakeholders provide/ verify the substance of the findings. The evaluation will be based on gender and human rights principles and adhere to the UNEG Norms and Standards and Ethical Code of Conduct. Proposals submitted by prospective consultants should outline a strong mixed method approach to data collection and analysis, clearly noting how various forms of evidence will be employed vis-à-vis each other to triangulate gathered information.
Proposals should be clear on the specific role each of the various methodological approaches plays in helping to address each of the evaluation questions. The methodologies for data collection may include but not necessarily be limited to: Rigorous desk review of documentation supplied by Climate Security team based in Fiji covering Tuvalu including Project documents, previous evaluations, project reports, key intervention reports and policies, etc. Where possible and relevant more detailed monitoring information will be analyzed, such as community monitoring data and activity reporting.[2]
These interviews can take place on an individual basis or in groups. Especially for the project beneficiaries, focus group discussions are envisaged.
All meetings and conversations will be held only once the appropriate approvals have been obtained, for which the UNDP will take primary responsibility. If approvals cannot be obtained on time, it is possible that some of these stakeholders may not be interviewed.
The review findings will be presented to the UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji and FSM Sub Offices to collect feedback on these main findings, and serve as a validation exercise.The team leader will ensure to connect virtually with agreed timeline with key stakeholders and UNDP taking note of any differences in the time zone. National consultant will be conducting field sites validation and leading the interviews and logistics arrangement in country. The use of photographs and maps validating results in country is an added value.
Expected Outputs and Deliverables 1) Inception report with finalized and agreed terms of reference, evaluation matrix, questionnaires and agreed methodology of evaluation (3 working days after beginning of assignment/contract); 2) A comprehensive evaluation report with findings, recommendations, lessons learned. It is expected that draft report will be submitted to UNDP in two working weeks after country missions have been undertaken by national consultants in Tuvalu and the final report with all comments and recommendations incorporated submitted to UNDP for final endorsement not later that in two working weeks after receipt of consolidated formal feedback with comments to a draft from the UNDP. The draft Report and Final Reports: The Report should be logically structured, contain evidence-based findings, conclusions, lessons and recommendations, and should be free of information that is not relevant to the overall analysis. The Report should respond in detail to the key focus areas described above. Presentation: For presenting and discussing the draft final report interactively, the consultants will facilitate a concluding workshop for the Project stakeholders.
Institutional Arrangement Evaluation Team Composition
A team of four independent consultants will conduct the Final Evaluation - one team leader (with experience and exposure to projects and evaluations in other regions globally) and three national experts, from each of the three countries (Kiribati, RMI, and Tuvalu). The Team Leader will provide overall guidance of the Final Evaluation and be responsible for the overall design and writing of the Final Evaluation report, etc. The RMI national expert will liaise with local partners and stakeholders, assess emerging trends with respect to regulatory frameworks, budget allocations, capacity building, work with the Project Team in developing the Final Evaluation itinerary, etc. The consultants cannot have participated in the project preparation, formulation, and/or implementation (including the writing of the Project Document) and should not have a conflict of interest with project’s related activities. The evaluation will be fully independent and led by the Team Leader. The Team Leader will ensure inclusive process of evaluation process and work in close coordination with the national consultants for each of the countries (Kiribati, RMI, and Tuvalu) who will be providing on-site information. The Team Leader will also work closely with the Integrated and Results Management Unit, Monitoring and Evaluation Officers (at the planning the evaluation, field work and report review process), and will be supported by Climate Security project team. The national consultants who are based in each of the three countries will help facilitate contacts and set up meetings and organize and conduct field visits. The participation of the UNDP staff in the review is required, as this will provide an instant opportunity for validating the findings and will assist in internalizing the learning.
Duration of the Work Up to 40 working days within September - December 2022 (incl. 10 days for the deskwork and preparation, 20 days for in-country mission to Tuvalu, 10 days for report finalization and presentation to the Country Teams of Fiji Pacific Office.
Duty Station
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COMPETENCIES
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REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE