1.1 Context
Strengthening key governance structures is a major issue to be addressed to ensure that the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) will achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which provide the framework of the GIRoA’s Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) as well as forming of the government’s National Priority Programmes (NPPs). Relatively the involvement and strengthening of Non-State Actors is equally important and will make a key contribution into development process in Afghanistan. At present while people in general and the poor in particular are passive recipients of development, they also lack true and substantive representation at all levels. Thus there is a great need for careful intervention with local authorities and non state actors in the Afghan context to ensure that the needs of those remaining on the sidelines of development are addressed and are brought on board this platform.
1.2 Organization
Afghanaid is an international NGO (www.afghanaid.org.uk), registered in the UK, specializing in Afghanistan since 1981. Afghanaid has been assisting and facilitating people-driven processes of emergency assistance, recovery and development to address rights, entitlements and fundamental needs of Afghans in some of the most remote areas of the country for nearly three decades. The Head Office is located in Kabul, Afghanistan. Afghanaid works in three provinces of Badakhshan in north-eastern region, Samangan in northern region and Ghor in western region. Afghanaid has 18 district offices and 3 provincial offices, which are well resourced with experienced and skilled Afghan women and men staff, with management support and technical guidance provided by a team of senior national and international specialists and managers based in Kabul and provinces. Afghanaid has over 400 staff members, 97% of them are Afghans. Afghanaid is mandated to facilitate and support Afghan women, men and children in their fight against poverty, inequality and vulnerability through a range of interventions, most supporting grass-roots and local level capacity development, facilitating local development processes, and institution building.
1.3 Project
The project titled “Non State Actors and Local Authorities in Development” is an EU funded project with a duration of 36 months and is implemented in partnership with local partner Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA) in Dawlatyar district of Ghor province and Aybak district of Samangan province. The project aims to promote and strengthen a broad-based and inclusive civil society in Afghanistan in order to enable communities to influence governance, policy formulation, strengthen civil society, and facilitate interaction between State and Non-State actors and empowering women.
The overall objective of the project is to contribute towards an inclusive and empowered Afghan Society through strengthening of non state actors and local authorities engaged in development.
More specifically this action is addressing all four specific objectives through:
a) Capacity building of civil society and local authorities in monitoring governance, development process, public goods, and making public institutions accountable.
b) Strengthen public institutions to promote inclusiveness, tolerance & peace
c) Capacity building & advocacy for women leadership
d) Facilitate and consolidation of NSA networks for coordinated efforts, and to present joint messages
Moreover, the project addresses underlining causes of multi facet poverty through the prism of governance, which is crucial to the overall framework for developmental interventions in Afghanistan and seeks the following three results:
Result 1: Enhanced institutional capacity of non-state actors (both existing and new actors) for the promotion of accountable, pro poor and transparent governance:
Result 2: Public forums and institutions bring inclusiveness, tolerance and peace in society:
Result 3: Increased capacity of NSAs and the advocacy undertaken will create an enabling environment for women to take a lead role in the local institutions and the political process
2.The Consultancy Assignment
2.1 Purpose and Scope of Mid -Term Review
Afghanaid intends to commission an individual consultant –specialized in governance and community development to conduct the midterm evaluation of its EU funded project Non State Actors and Local authorities in development.
As per agreement with European Commission and in line with Afghanaid’s own policy a mid-term external evaluation has been planned to review the project performance to improve the performance and quality of the project in the remaining period of project cycle as well as to inform future programming.
The assignment shall include:
Performance (quantitative and qualitative) against the project’s specific objectives and results approved in the project documents (primarily the proposal, LFA and work plan)Identification and analysis of what is working and what is not working and whyPropose recommendations for course correction measures. More specifically the mid- will assess/determine the following through measurable evidence (both qualitative and quantitative) and its analysis:a. The relevance, appropriateness, and technical soundness of the project to Afghan context.
b. The efficiency and effectiveness of the relationship between project costs and results and attaining its stated objectives.
c. Progress made towards the achievement of results at the output, outcome and impact level.
d. The degree to which the programme has meaningfully targeted the non state and local authorities.
e. Respect for and adherence to the guidelines and regulations of EU
f. The performance in terms of the planned interventions and their outcomes
g. The fit with the Afghanaid’s Strategic Paper
h. A well thought out project sustainability and exit strategy is in place
2.2 Methodology
Among the guiding principles of this consultancy assignment will be inclusiveness, listening and respecting views and opinions of Community Development Councils (CDCs), CLDCs, District Development Assembly (DDA), stakeholders such as Directorate of women Affairs (DoWA) and Directorate of Rural Rehabilitation and development (DRRD), project staff and Implementing partner staff (IWA) on the project’s implementation and its outputs and outcomes.
The selected consultant will be required to develop detailed methodology including methods and checklists that will be used in this assignment.
The specific methods proposed to be used in this exercise include, but are not limited to:
Review of documents and reports (proposal, LFA, budget, interim narrative and financial reports, project partnership documents) and etc.Review of other published and un-published literature.Discussions with relevant TA and other EU representativesField visits and meetings with staff and relevant stakeholdersFocus group discussion and interview with key informants.Debriefing meetings and give presentation at district level, provincial level and head quarter level with project and management staffs.The scope of assignment must also cover any additional conditions described in the grant application as well as addendums and subsequent correspondence with Afghanaid donor i.e. European Union.2.3 Deliverables
The consultant will deliver a report on midterm evaluation of Non state actors and Local Authorities in development covering the scope and the specific objectives of this study described above.
2.4 Evaluation Timeframe and Duration
The consultant will be required to complete the work over a proposed period of 15 days as outline in the below table. The resource person will include following specific activities in the assignment and will indicate in their proposal number of days they propose for each activity to be discussed and agreed with Afghanaid. The consultancy expected to start in May, 2014.
ActivityNumber of DaysReview of documents (literature and project related documents) ; development and agreement with Afghanaid on methodology, detailed planning e.g. survey, formats, meetings 2 Field visits (visiting project sites, meet with CDC, CLDC, DDA, DoWA, DRRD and other stakeholders; Meetings/ debriefings with the project teams in provincial and district offices 5 Briefing meetings in Kabul with Afghanaid, IWA and EU in Kabul 1 Draft report 2 Final report 1 Travel time (actual) – international and local 4Total 15
3.Commissioning Manager / Reporting Line
The consultants will report directly to “Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager”.
4.Consultants Expertise and Skills
Essential:
· Designing and conducting similar assignment.
· Understanding of and experience using qualitative and quantitative technical and social research methodologies
· Excellent analysis and writing skills.
· Experience of producing academic and broader communications products
· Excellent English language
· Planning and good time management
· Able to work independently with minimal supervision
Desirable:
· Previous work experience in Afghanistan, or other conflict affected countries - particularly in remote areas, living and working in a very basic environment
1.Submission of Expression of Interest (EoI)
Please send:
a) A covering letter explicitly referring to previous similar experiences, preferably in Afghanistan
b) CV
c) Detailed methodology
d) Work plan indicating dates and number of days for each task
e) Professional fee (in USD – either lump sum or daily rate)
f) Availability (date)
Your EoI must reach by COB on 7th Jun 2014, clearly marked NSA projects midterm evaluation, Samangan and Ghor, Afghanistan; mailed at:jobs@afghanaid.org.uk
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