UNDAF END OF PROGRAMME EVALUATION

Transcription

1 Annex 3 UNDAF END OF PROGRAMME EVALUATION And COMMON COUNTRY ASSESSMENT FOR LIBERIA TERMS OF REFERENCE 1

2 1. THE CONTEXT 1.1 UN Reform The Outcome Document adopted at the 2005 World Summit in New York, global leaders called for stronger system-wide coherence across the various development-related agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations. In addition to supporting ongoing reforms aimed at building a more effective and coherent UN country presence, the Document invited the Secretary-General to strengthen the management and coordination of the UN operational activities. The UN was also asked to maximize its contribution to achieving internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and highlighted the need for proposals for more tightly managed entities in the field of development, humanitarian assistance and the environment. Consequently, the Secretary-General established a High-level Panel to explore how the UN system could work more coherently and effectively across the world in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and the environment. At country level, the report 1 of the Panel noted that: To bring about real progress towards the MDGS and other internationally agreed development goals, we believe that the UN system needs to deliver as one at the country level. To focus on outcomes and improve its effectiveness, the UN should accelerate and deepen reforms to establish unified country teams with one leader, one programme, one budgetary framework and, where appropriate, one office. To deliver as one, the United Nations Country Teams (UNCT) should also have an integrated capacity to provide a coherent approach to cross-cutting issues, including sustainable development, gender equality and human rights. The report outlined a set of recommendations based on five strategic directions: Ensure coherence and consolidation of UN activities, in line with the principle of country ownership, at all levels (country, regional, headquarters) Establish appropriate governance, managerial and funding mechanisms to empower and support consolidation, and link the performance and results of UN organizations to their funding. Overhaul business practices of the UN system to ensure a focus on outcomes, responsiveness to needs and the delivery of results as measured in advancing the MDGs. Ensure significant further opportunities for consolidation and effective delivery of One UN through an in-depth review. Undertake urgent but well-planned implementation for permanent and effective change. 1.2: Country Context In Liberia, the political and security situation remains stable. The country is preparing to hold crucial General elections in October 2017 that will elect a new President and House of Representatives. This will be in a new security environment following the successful transition of full security responsibilities to the Government of Liberia (GoL), as mandated by Security Council Resolution 2190 (2014), by 30 June 2016, and the remaining elements of the Mission s Force and Formed Police Units only authorized to support the national security agencies to protect civilians in the event of a deterioration of the security situation that could risk a strategic reversal of peace and stability in the country. The government continues to implement the three-year GoL Plan for UNMIL Transition, approved in 2015, that is aimed at strengthening 1 United Nations, Delivering as One, Report of the High-level Panel on United Nations System-wide Coherence in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and the environment, General Assembly, A/61/583, 20 November

3 the capacity of national security institutions in performing their functions following the assumption of security responsibilities. It is also undertaking a review of the 2008 National Security Strategy. The government is also establishing County Service Centers to enhance restoration of state authority and strengthen de-concentration of basic services to the counties while awaiting the implementation of the decentralization programme following the imminent passage of the Local Government Act. WHO declared Liberia Ebola free in June 2016, for the third time with the last case managed by Incident Management System, Ministry of Health. Ebola left a heavy toll: 4806 deaths, more than 4,500 orphans, while an estimated 2,500 people contracted the disease and survived. The Government is implementing a long-term health investment plan and can count on continued heightened support by international partners, including the UN System. Livelihoods and incomes destroyed by the EVD crisis seem hard to recover. Social indicators show a dramatic increase in the already high maternal mortality and increasing incidents of SGBV. Over the last ten years, Liberia made significant economic strides. Fiscal space was created by removing external debt burden of $4.9 billion through the HIPC process. Domestic revenue was increased from $80 million to a peak of $470 million in 2014, and mobilized substantial support to invest in trade facilitation infrastructure; Trade barriers were dismantled through ongoing reforms, contributing to an average annual growth rate of over 7.5% prior to the EVD Outbreak. The EVD crisis effects, commodity and economic shocks persist to date, with real GDP growth taking a plunge from 8.7% in 2013 to 0.7% in 2014 to 0.5% in This has made economic recovery more challenging. The Government of Liberia Economic Stabilization and Recovery Plan (ESRP) launched in early 2015 outlines the measures to revive the economy, improve infrastructure, expand growth and create jobs. Pledges of approximately $450M were made in the NY conference in July, however not all have been disbursed yet and the pledges for regional support have not yet produced any effects in Liberia. The UN has a large footprint in Liberia UNMIL and 18 UN agencies, Funds and Programmes including the African Development Bank. The United Nations signed the United Nations Development Assistance Framework which is implemented by UN under One Programme with Costed Action Plan. The UNDAF has 4 major Pillars aligned to the Agenda for Transformation: i) Peace, Security, Rule of Law; ii) Sustainable Economic Transformation; iii) Human Development; iv) Inclusive Governance and Public Institutions. The UN in Liberia is in the fifth year of its UNDAF implementation, with the UNDAF extended for one year until December 2018, and the UN s engagement in Liberia enters a critical phase. In view of contextual issues including the domestication of the SDGs, consequences of EVD, UNMIL transition, upcoming elections, and the review of the Agenda for Transformation, the UN needs to review its priorities for the remainder of the UNDAF in alignment to national priorities and in support to the Government of Liberia. A capacity mapping exercise has commenced to support the transition The Liberia UNDAF The Government of Liberia (GoL) in collaboration with the UN and development partners has made considerable progress in securing peace and rebuilding essential infrastructure and services that were destroyed during the 14-year conflict. To consolidate the gains, the GoL developed the National Vision 2030 whose overarching goal is to transform Liberia into a middle-income country by To achieve 3

4 this, the Agenda for Transformation that is the Government s medium-term plan will be implemented to guide development activities in Liberia. Liberia s Agenda for Transformation is organised around the following five Pillars: 1. Peace, Security and Rule of Law 2. Economic Transformation 3. Human Development 4. Governance and Public Institutions 5. Cross Cutting issues. The UNDAF is strategically focused on the UN s comparative advantage, and it considers the requirements of Delivering as One. The Strategic Framework and Results matrix is accompanied by a detailed Costed Action Plan, which together constitute the One Programme. The UNDAF describes the UN s collective response to national development priorities while the Costed Action Plan operationalized the UNDAF and defines in greater detail, management, and coordination arrangements, financial modalities, monitoring and evaluation processes and is the legal document for multi- year programming. The UNDAF is aligned with the national priorities, and provides a collective, coherent and integrated United Nations system response to Liberia s national priorities as espoused in the Agenda for Transformation and Vision 2030, and other national strategies. The UNDAF Priority areas are: 1. Pillar 1: Peace, Security and Rule of Law 2. Pillar 2: Sustainable Economic Transformation. 3. Pillar 3: Human Development 4. Pillar 4: Inclusive Governance and Public Institutions. Specific outcomes were identified for each of these Results, with a results framework that guided the implementation of the UNDAF. Gender and Human Rights were cross cutting issues to be addressed and mainstreamed throughout programming. The Costed Action Plan, which is the driver behind the Delivering as One in Liberia, and reflects the contribution of 18 UN agencies including the IMF, the World Bank IFC and the World Bank. Tied to the UNDAF is inter alia: a human Rights-based approach and other internationally agreed treaty obligations and development goals including the Millennium Development Goals, principles of the Paris Declaration and Results Based Management (RBM). Human Rights and Results Based Management, gender equality and women s empowerment, environmental sustainability and capacity development are central to the UNDAF and are mainstreamed into the UNDAF. Conflict prevention, youth empowerment, labour, employment, HIV/AIDS, child protection, and needs of disabled and disadvantaged persons have been mainstreamed across the UNDAF Pillars. The One Programme was developed with the full participation of the UN Mission in Liberia, and incorporates key focus areas related to UNMIL s mandate and core benchmarks such as security and peace consolidation, and represents a shared vision of the entire UN system s contribution to the country s development priorities. The UNDAF implementation modalities, are elaborated in the Costed Action Plan 4

5 that operationalizes Delivering as One in Liberia, and reflects the contribution of all the UN Agencies, the UNMIL, the World Bank, the Non-Resident Agencies UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation The UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation is a joint UN review, conducted in close collaboration with national partners, of the progress made on the results of the UNDAF during the Programme Cycle The objective of the evaluation is to assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the UNDAF, by reviewing the current UNDAF contributions to national priorities and results. The evaluation will assess the extent to which the UN has delivered as one in implementing the UNDAF. The evaluation will also assess the mechanisms put in place to enhance coordination and harmonization among all UN agencies. The evaluation will identify challenges, innovations, lessons learned to enable adjustments to enhance coordination, harmonization and partnership towards best results for the next programme cycle. The planned UNDAF evaluation must observe the parameters of the UNEG/DOCO guidance, whilst ensuring an inclusive approach which involves stakeholder representatives in key decision-making processes. This is critical to ensure the Evaluation is nationally owned, encompasses t areas of national interest and is applicable to the development sphere in Liberia. The purpose of the evaluation is: a) To support greater accountability of the UN to stakeholders by objectively verify results achieved within the framework of the UNDAF and assessing the effectiveness of the strategies and interventions used, the evaluation will enable the various stakeholders in the UNDAF process, including national counterparts and donors, to hold the UNCT and other parties accountable for fulfilling their roles and commitments; b) To support learning the evaluation must provide clear recommendations for strengthening programming and results at the country level, specifically informing the planning and decision-making for the next UNDAF programme cycle and for improving United Nations coordination at the country level. The UNDAF was designed in accordance with the UN programming principles: Human Rights; Gender equality, RBM; Capacity Development; Environment sustainability. Theme and Working Groups were established to ensure that these principles were integrated during implementation, and provide support to UNDAF implementation. The Evaluation will assess the, effectiveness and efficiency of the Inter- Agency Programming Team, the Operations Management Team, UNDAF Gender, Human Rights, Transition, Youth Theme Groups and the M&E Working Group, HIV/AIDS that support UNDAF implementation. For this purpose, a Consultancy Team will be recruited to conduct the UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation for the UN in Liberia. The Team will provide recommendations for the new programming cycle to ensure the achievement of the UNDAP objectives. In addition, the consultancy team will provide recommendations for the UNDAF for effective UN programming. 2. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE UNDAF END OF PROGRAMME EVALUATION 2.1: Purpose: The UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation will be completed by October 2017 to inform the Programme cycle. The Evaluation will focus on UNDAF implementation aspects with the objective of providing recommendations for improvements in the next UNDAF strategy, design and/or implementation arrangements. This will include a review of the Costed Action Plan, the Results Matrix 5

6 with the objective of providing recommendations for programming. The evaluation will be summative and will inform the UNCT on the optimum strategy for the successor UNDAF including the structure to support the achievement of its strategic priorities Specific Objectives The specific objectives of the assessment are: To assess the contribution of the UNDAF 2008 to National priorities and results To generate lessons learned and recommendations to inform the next Programme cycle To assess the effectiveness of the UN in implementing the UNDAF and responding to the DoA demands. The key criteria for assessment are: a) Relevance defined as the responsiveness of the implementation mechanisms to the needs and capabilities of the beneficiaries of the Programme (including national institutions, communities, and the related policy framework). b) Effectiveness the extent to which Programme results are being achieved c) Efficiency Is the implementation mechanism the most cost-effective way of delivering this Programme? d) Sustainability the extent to which these implementation mechanisms can be sustained over time 3. SCOPE AND FOCUS OF THE UNDAF END OF PROGRAMME EVALUATION 3.1. Scope Given the context described above, the UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation will focus on issues expressing how the UNDAF was implemented, including a review of its design and the assumptions made at the beginning of the One UN process. This Evaluation will also assess the Costed Action Plan focusing on its effectiveness as an operational strategy for the UNDAF. It will be useful to differentiate assessments associated with the design of the UNDAF from substantive aspects related to both national policies and the UN system-wide context - conflict prevention and peace building. The Evaluation will cover the period January August To achieve these objectives, it will focus on reviewing the following questions: 3.2. Relevance a). To assess the contribution of the UN system to the AFT and Vision 2030 goals through the UNDAF Outcomes, it will be necessary to find out the following: Does the set of UNDAF Results- (Peace, Security, Rule of Law; Sustainable Economic Transformation; Human Development; Inclusive Governance and Public Institutions adequately address a) the needs of the communities being targeted; b) the relevant sectoral priorities identified at a national level; and therefore, c) the objectives of the AFT and Vision 2030? Are the stated UNDAF objectives consistent with the requirements of rights-holders, in particular, the requirements of vulnerable populations? Are all the target groups appropriately covered by the stated UNDAF Results? Is there an appropriate balance between the dual need for both private sector and rural development? To what extent does the UN ensure that gender equality is enjoyed by all especially the most vulnerable women and girls? Are human rights adequately addressed throughout the UNDAF? To what extent is the UN ensuring that the most vulnerable populations know, demand and enjoy their human rights) 6

7 Has the UNDAF and Costed Action Plan been used by UN agencies and Government institutions in planning their activities, setting goals, and in cooperation? Do the UNDAF outcomes address key issues, their underlying causes, and challenges identified Was the UNDAF results matrix sufficiently flexible and relevant to respond to contemporary issues and their causes as well as challenges that arose during the UNDAF cycle? Have the UNDAF outcomes been relevant in terms of internationally agreed goals and commitments, norms and standards guiding the work of agencies of the UN system (including the Millennium Development Goals, all binding international human rights treaties and other relevant human rights standards and instruments? To what extent did the UNDAF succeed in strengthening national capacities (including national execution, institutional and human capacities), building partnerships, the realization of human rights and promoting gender equity and equality? Were human rights and gender equality delivery during the period done to the maximum extent of available resources? b) To assess to the extent possible, the impact of the UNDAF on the lives of poor, vulnerable and marginalized persons Is there any major change in people s lives as a result UNDAF implementation? Using the UNDAF indicators can these changes be attributed to or associated with UNDAF, notably in the realization of MDGs, national development goals and the national implementation of internationally agreed commitments and UN Conventions and Treaties? How have human rights and gender equality been included in work undertaken under UNDAF at minimum with a view to the following vectors: (1) human rights and gender equality mainstreaming; (2) targeted human rights and gender equality work? c). To analyze to what extent results achieved and strategies used in the frame of the UNDAF are sustainable: i) as a contribution to national development, and (ii) in terms of the added value of UNDAF to cooperation among individual UN agencies: To what degree did the UNDAF/One Programme contribute to the UN role in establishing and enhance the critical factors for progress towards national development goals in the AFT? How flexible and appropriate was the UNDAF/One Programme in adapting to the major development changes in the country? How did UNDAF address development changes? To what extent and in what way have national capacities been enhanced in government, civil society and NGOs? Have complementarities, collaboration and /or synergies fostered by UNDAF contributed to greater sustainability of results of Donors intervention in the country? To what extent has institution-building and institution-strengthening taken place in human rights and gender equality terms? d). To assesses the design and focus of the UNDAF i.e. the quality of the formulation of results at various levels (the results chain) To what extent is the current UNDAF designed as a results-oriented, coherent and focused framework? Are expected outcomes realistic given the UNDAF timeframe, resources and the planned Country Programmes, projects and programme strategies To what extent and in what ways were the risks and assumptions addressed by UNDAF design and later during the implementation of programmes and projects? 7

8 Is the distribution of roles and responsibilities among the different UNDAF partners well defined, facilitated in the achievements of results and have the arrangements largely been respected during implementation? Does the UNDAF help to achieve or contribute to the selected priorities defined by the AFT? Do the UNDAF and Country Programmes respond to the challenges of national capacity Development and do they promote ownership of programmes by national partners? To what extent have human rights principles and standards been reflected or promoted in the UNDAF? To what extent and in what ways has a human rights approach been reflected as one possible method for integrating human rights concerns into the UNDAF? How has UNDAF contributed to the development of a human rights culture in the country? To what extent and in what ways the concepts of gender equity and equality were reflected in UNDAF (in terms of specific goals and targets set, sex disaggregated data and indicators etc.) How have human rights and gender equality considerations been mainstreamed throughout UNDAF implementation? Has the design been appropriate for a sustainable mainstreaming of human rights and gender equality considerations throughout all programming? How has the work of the UN under UNDAF influenced or impacted human rights issues in the country? What gaps exist in human rights and gender equality terms? e). To assess the validity of the stated collective comparative advantage of the One Programme in Liberia To what extent and in what way have the comparative advantages of the UN organizations been utilized in the national context specifically in relation to other Development Partners active in the country (including universality, neutrality, voluntary and grant-nature of contributions, multilateralism, and the special mandates of UN agencies)? 3.3. EFFECTIVENESS To what extent has the UNDAF contributed to achieving better synergies among the programmes and UN agencies? To what extent has the Costed Action Plan contributed to the effective implementation of the UNDAF? Have the UNDAF outcomes been achieved? To what extent have effective partnerships and strategic alliances (e.g. national partners, development partners and other external support agencies?) been promoted around the UNDAF outcomes To assess the effectiveness of the UNDAF as a coordination and partnership framework under the One Programme To what extent and in what way has the UNDAF contributed to achieving better synergies among the programmes of UN agencies with an effect on the progress towards the National Development priorities? Has the UNDAF enhanced joint programming by agencies and /or resulted in specific joint programmes? Has the UN worked together in delivering UNDAF? Has working together produced better results? What proportion of UN individual work done by agencies was undertaken during this UNDAF period? Did the UNDAF promote effective partnerships and strategic alliances around the main National development goals and UNDAF outcomes areas (e.g. within Government, with national partners, International Financial Institutions and other external support agencies)? 8

9 Have agency supported programmes been mutually reinforcing in helping to achieve UNDAF outcomes? Has the effectiveness or programme support by individual agencies been enhanced because of joint programming? 3.4. EFFICIENCY a). To assess the efficiency of the UNDAF in terms of progress towards achievement of UNDAF outcomes: What progress has been made towards the realization of UNDAF outcomes as a contribution to the achievement of nationalized MDGs and in terms of indicators as reflected in the UNDAF M&E Plan (in the Costed Action Plan)? Which are the main factors that contributed positively or negatively to the progresses towards the UNDAF outcomes and National Development Goals in the AFT? To what extent and in what ways did UN support promote national execution of programmes and / or the use of national expertise and systems? Were adequate financial resources been mobilized for the One Programme (was the planned budget realized)? Is there a discernable common or collaborative funds mobilization strategy? What progress has been made towards the realization of UNDAF outcomes as a contribution to the achievement of nationalized MDGs and in terms of indicators as reflected in the UNDAF M&E Plan (in the Costed Action Plan) Have the implementation mechanisms Theme Groups, IAPT, Task Forces been effective in managing the One Programme? How were joint programmes designed, implemented and monitored? How efficiently were resources/inputs (funds, expertise, time, etc.) converted to UNDAF results at output level? Which are the main factors that contributed positively or negatively to the progresses towards the UNDAF outcomes and National Development Goals? b). To assess the efficiency of the UNDAF as a mechanism of minimizing transaction costs of UN support for the Government of Liberia, Development Partners and the UN Agencies. To what extent and in what way has the UNDAF contributed to a reduction of transaction costs for the government and for each of the UN agencies? In what ways, could transaction costs be further reduced? Were the results achieved at reasonably low/lowest possible cost? To what extent have the organizations harmonized procedures? To what extent have administrative procedures been harmonized? What benefits have resulted from harmonization including reduced transaction costs? Are there any apparent cost-minimizing strategies that should be encouraged? To what extent and in what ways did UN support promote national execution of programmes and / or the use of national expertise and technologies? 4. MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE UNDAF END OF PROGRAMME EVALUATION The UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation process will be led by the Joint DaO UNDAF Steering Committee which shall provide overall guidance and direction for the review process. The Steering Committee is cochaired by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning and the DSRSG/UN Resident Coordinator, with additional members being drawn from other Government Ministries and the UNCT and donors. The 9

10 DaO Secretariat will deal with the day-to-day review process and provide regular reports to the Steering Committee Groups and Task Forces. The IAPT will provide guidance and oversight of the review on behalf of the UNCT. The evaluation specialists from agencies should be part of this technical committee. Necessary technical expertise from UN agencies will be availed as appropriate. On the Government side, MoFDP will coordinate the participation of key ministries and other institutions in the Technical Committee. The Resident Coordinator s Office will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation maintaining a close liaison with the Technical Committee and coordination among participating agencies during the duration of the process. The cost and content of logistical support for the UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation will be appropriately shared among the UNCT. The M&E Working Group will provide technical guidance to the evaluation process. 5. METHODOLOGY The Evaluation will be carried out in accordance with UNEG Evaluation Norms and Standards of Evaluation and Ethical Standards as well as OECD/DAC evaluation principles and guidelines and fully compliant with the DAC Evaluation Quality Standards (20i6). This is a summative evaluation involving qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the UNDAF implementation and performance and to make recommendations for the next programming cycle Data Collection Data will also be collected from various information sources through a desk review that will include the comprehensive desk review and analysis of relevant documents, information, data/statistics, triangulation of different studies etc. Data will also be collected from stakeholder key informants through interviews, discussions and consultative processes. This phase will be comprised of: a) Review and analysis of relevant documents including the GoL programmatic documents & reports, the UN Liberia programmatic documents & reports, recent studies and research reports, developmental and social reports, (see list attached and relevant links) b) Critical analysis of available data with regards to the national guiding documents as well as the intended UN inputs to the GoL. The UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation will benefit from and use optimally the data collected through the UN Evaluations and Assessments including independent project evaluations. The UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation will be carried out through a wide participation of all relevant stakeholders including the UN, the GoL institutions, CSOs as well as members of donor community, private sector representatives, multilateral and bilateral donors, and beneficiaries. Field visits to selected sites; and briefing and debriefing sessions with UN and the Government officials, as well as with donors and partners are envisaged. Data collected should be disaggregated (by sex, age and location) where possible Basic Documents for Desk Review The UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation will take cognizance of the system wide evaluations, reports, agency specific evaluations, national assessments to determine the effectiveness of the Delivering as One modality to support achievement of national priorities. The UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation should also consider all the lessons learned in terms of: 10

11 a) Response to the national development objectives (programme relevance); b) Creating a common, coherent and results-oriented strategy for the UN system; and c) Facilitating joint programmes (reducing overall transactions costs) Other suggested reference documents are in Annex 5.3. Deliverables Time Frame Deliverable Task Mid October Presentation of inception report to the UNCT and Stakeholders for validation Mid -November Inception report with clear methodology and evaluation design tools Draft UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation Report developed and presented to Presentation to UNCT and stakeholders Conduct stakeholder workshop for comments and review of Draft UNDAF End of Programme Report The evaluation team will collect data using, inter alia, the proposed methodologies: desk review, observation, interviews and focus group discussions including participation of relevant stakeholders in Liberia. The evaluation team will develop a full methodology and survey instruments and an Evaluation Plan as part of Inception Report The Inception Report will be presented to UNCT and all the stakeholders for validation before commencement of the evaluation Conduct consultations on the Draft UNDAF Evaluation Report through half day workshops to validate findings, conclusions and recommendations Undertake planned field visits where required The evaluation team will write a draft UNDAF report and a proposed action plan, keeping in mind the proposed format of the report and checklist used for the assessment of evaluation report (see annexes) and distribute it to the members of the UNDAF/IAPT/M&E working group for review and comments. The Team will present the report to the stakeholders for their feedback and comments End November Presentation to UNCT and stakeholders Final UNDAF End of Programme Evaluation Report presented to all stakeholders and validated. The conclusive version will be submitted in English to the UN Country Team through the Resident Coordinator for review by the Steering Committee. It will include comments from the UNDAF Steering Committee and UNCT. It will include recommendations and a proposed Action Plan for the next programme cycle. This Report will form the basis for the start of discussions for the development of the new UNDAF (Recommended structure of the report is in the Annexes). The follow-up plan should determine a process for ensuring that lessons learned are incorporated into the next UNDAF programming cycle. 11

12 The team will facilitate UNCT one-day retreat to assess UNCT capacities and capabilities with respect to comparative advantages identified for the UN in Liberia and lessons from the evaluation of UNDAF implementation and Deliver as One performance 6. UN INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS Resident Coordinator s Office Provide the evaluation team with the required documentation necessary for the Evaluation UNCT with RC Office will conduct follow-up activities, as guided by their respective processes and mandates. Organize stakeholders meetings/workshops to validate and refine findings, conclusion and recommendations; discuss dissemination and communication strategies and plan for implementation of evaluation recommendations. Disseminate the evaluation findings and recommendations Implement a follow-up plan, focusing on the design of a new UNDAF cycle. Inter- Agency Theme/Working Groups/Task Forces The IAPT will be involved throughout the process and the Co-Chairs will be part of the technical committees Under the IAPT guidance, each Theme Group (Gender, Youth, Human Rights) will have discussions based on the UNDAF MTR analysis with the consultants focusing on the results achieved and not activities. Theme groups will provide clarifications and input as and when required by the consultancy firm UNDAF Technical Committee Supervise the overall work of the consultancy team Provide evaluation team with feedback on 1st and 2nd draft of the UNDAF End of Programme Report Review final report before submission to the Resident Coordinator s Office and ice of the UNCT and the Government of Liberia TERMS OF REFERENCE CONSULTANCY FOR A UN COMMON COUNTRY ASSESSMENT 1. Background The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF ) is the strategic programming framework for the UN system in Liberia. It describes the collective response of the UN Country Team to the priorities in the national development framework as espoused in Liberia s long-term 12

13 development Vision 2030, along with the medium-term strategy as expressed in the Agenda for Transformation (AFT). The UN in Liberia is in the fourth year of its UNDAF implementation, and the UNDAF has been extended for one year until December 2018, and the UN s engagement in Liberia enters a critical phase. In view of contextual issues including the domestication of the SDGs, consequences of recovery from EVD, responding to weak commodity prices, the ripple effects following the UNMIL phase-out, upcoming elections, and the review of the Agenda for Transformation, the UN needs to review its priorities. This will help align the UNDAF in support to the Government of Liberia. With the transition of UNMIL and a new government in early 2018, the UNCT will remain key in addressing Liberia s structural reforms, including those for which a last mile effort is needed having been pursued through the support of UNMIL but not fully realized for a variety of reasons. UNCT programming is spread across nearly every outcome area in the UNDAF and AFTII. Among other key areas that will count on UNCT s support include developing a strategy to achieve/domesticate the SDGs, and engaging the international community to mobilize resources needed for the SDGs In this regard, the UNCT has commenced the planning processes for the formulation of the next UNDAF which will be informed by a variety of internal reviews and reflections. These have included a mid-term review of the UNDAF followed by UNCT retreats to discuss the findings (August and December 2016), a UNCT/GOL retreat of December 2016, an UNDAF Steering Committee April 2017, the UNCT Capacity mapping exercise and the formulation of a Peace Building Plan. All these have identified a set of strategic priorities that will ensure that the UN continues to play its role in sustaining peace in Liberia beyond UNMIL. In addition to this, there exist a body of analytical work (research studies, assessments, etc) as well as evaluations (national/agency-led) that provides useful information about the development situation and challenges facing Liberia that would also help point to where the UN can best position itself to support national priorities to bring about transformational and sustainable development for Liberia. It is against this background, including that the UN in Liberia is seeking the services of a consultant (individual or firm) to facilitate an analytical exercise that will result in a common country analysis (CCA) that will guide the UNCT in identifying strategic priorities that would be basis for its programming in the next cycle ( ) In view of the wealth of reports and analytical body of knowledge available including data, this will be a light exercise that will be executed through consultations amongst the UNCT, the Government and partners. Once developed, the CCA will provide the basis for the strategic prioritization for the UNDAF. The identification of strategic priorities and the theory of change associated with them (including UNDAF outcomes) will be derived through a consultative process involving national stakeholders. Those selected are envisaged to generate the greatest impacts in contributing to the achievement of the SDGs, in line with national priorities and needs. The strategic prioritization will consider national priorities, and gaps in policies and legal frameworks as well as the capacities of state and non-state institutions. The UNDAF strategic priorities and outcomes will then be articulated in the UNDAF results matrix which will include indicators, baselines, targets, means of verification, a list of partners, etc, and will make the division of labour clear within the UN system by identifying roles and responsibilities. To the extent possible, indicators, targets, baselines and means of verification will be aligned with the relevant SDG indicators and targets, and will be drawn from the data used in the CCA. Both the UNDAF strategic priorities and the resultant results matrix will be based on a strong theory of change which will be crucial for shaping the strategy for change that underlies the UNDAF, and for making 13

14 explicit the focus on groups left behind or at risk of being left behind. This exercise in collective thinking helps the UN system and its partners to devise programmes best suited to achieving the desired change based on evidence and learning. It will also show how the UNDAF strategic priorities will support the achievement of national priorities and the SDGs, as well as how the outcomes collectively support the achievement of chosen priorities while mutually reinforcing each other. 2. Purpose and Objectives The objective of this exercise is a synthesis of sector analysis that will help inform areas of UN s intervention during the next UNDAF. The consultant will conduct sector analysis to determine (I) the development situation in terms in key sector outcomes disaggregated by beneficiaries, geographical coverage, or other equity dimension (ii) highlight the underlying causes and challenges (theory of change) related to the development situation and reported outcomes (a) the extent to which sector analysis meet minimum standards to sufficiently inform UN prioritization (b) to highlight possible shortfalls in sector analysis (policies, strategy formulation, planning, implementation, reporting and funding), and indicate where additional analysis may be required to inform UN intervention (c) identify key areas and opportunities where UN s intervention can add value in particular regarding UN normative agenda (policy dialogue, Rights, Gender, Sustainability, Resilience) (d) identification of national priorities for the AFT II and (e) assessment of UN s capacity and comparative advantage. Attention will be paid to disaggregation of data (by sex and other key socio-economic variables) and to any research that reflects the situation and views of people who suffer from discrimination. 3. Approach and Methodology The CCA study will be mainly a desk research of existing sector analytical reports by the government, UN and other development partners, NGOs, the private sector and even research and academic institutions, among others. The desk review may be supplemented by focused interviews and a half-day validation workshop with Government representatives, Heads of UN Agencies, and other non-government partners. The consultant will interface with the Inter-Agency Programme Team the M&E Working Group and on regularly basis with the Head of Resident Coordinator's office in executing the task as defined below. 4. CCA: Purpose, Objectives, Key Questions, Methodology Purpose a) To provide the evidence base through a detailed, integrated country analysis from which the UNDAF is developed. The CCA provides the foundation for the theory of change underpinning the UNDAF. b) To provide an assessment (a description of what is happening) and an analysis (a description of why it is happening) of the country situation. c) To provide a synopsis and narrative of both the material situation of people in Liberia and of the political, policy and legislative environment for achieving the SDGs. d) To contribute to a common understanding that can improve relationships with a variety of stakeholders and to developing common advocacy agendas. 14

15 e) To identify where the UN s support for the national implementation of the 2030 Agenda has highest potential to add value, to contribute to meaningful results. f) To facilitate an integrated approach to programming to realizing those potential benefits. g) To determine the UN s comparative advantage in Liberia on how best it is positioned to deliver on its commitments h) To provide an evidence base on how the UN can leverage its normative, policy advisory, project implementation and coordination roles effectively. i) To drive UNCT coherence by ensuring that the analysis recognizes the interdependence of UN entity mandates and the necessity for the coordinated and combined contributions of UNCT members to address the multifaceted development challenges targeted by the SDGs. Key Questions 1. What is the vision of the Government and civil society, as articulated in medium and long-term development plans and strategies, and how are commitments to the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 manifested in them? 2. What are the current macroeconomic conditions and likely scenarios going forward for economic growth, fiscal policy, trade, and foreign and domestic investment? 3. What are the demographic trends and what is the material situation of people in Liberia disaggregated along the life cycle (children, youth, women and men in the work force, older persons) and by major social fissures (urban/rural, education levels, income groups, persons with disabilities, nomadic groups, migrants, refugees)? 4. What is the capacity of public institutions to plan, implement, and evaluate policies and programs? What are the key bottlenecks and capacity constraints along the value chain from planning, implementing, and monitoring inter-sectoral, inter-ministerial, development policies? 5. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the statistical capacities of the country to create a baseline of SDG-cum-national development indicators and to monitor and report on their progressive achievement? Based on an overview of disaggregated data, how well positioned is the country to monitor SDG indicators on priority targets? 6. With respect to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda commitment to leave no-one behind, which groups are vulnerable, excluded or marginalized, whose needs and human rights are at highest risk of not being met and why? Are non-nationals, such as refugees or migrants, included? 7. What are the root origins and contemporary causes of inequalities, and the reasons why duty bearers are not living up to their obligations and rights holders lack the capacity to claim their rights? 8. How are girls and boys and men and women differentially affected by patterns of discrimination? What are the major constraints on achieving gender equality and women s empowerment? Is national data sufficiently disaggregated by sex and age for SDG indicators? 9. Which commitments to international norms and standards are being achieved and which are not? Are there areas where national priorities are inconsistent with international norms? 10. What are the root causes and potential triggers for conflict, and what potential early warning signs may there be for such triggers? 11. What is the position of the country in regional and global arenas (including trade agreements and labor mobility)? What potential for partnerships do regional groups represent, with respect to ECOWAS and south-south/triangular cooperation? 12. What are the mechanisms to share information, enhance participation and promote accountability that allow stakeholders, beneficiaries and partners to know if goals have been achieved and demand action if progress is not being made? 15

16 13. What are the potential risks in the political environment in Liberia, including issues concerning decentralization, corruption, and political institutions and processes? 14. What are the implications of Liberia s lower middle-income status for development partnerships and UN means of action? 15. Where does the UN have a comparative advantage and capacity? Methodology 1. Conduct a desk review of existing analysis from government, UN, stakeholders, international human rights mechanisms and other international organizations, and internal and external perception surveys 2. Identify gaps and decide where additional analysis is required. 3. Analyze inter-sectoral issues and sustainable development challenges: Conduct an analysis of root causes of social, economic, political and environmental problems faced by the population, and vulnerability and capacity, including of conflict (drivers/triggers) and issues to be addressed; Assess the persistence, severity and scope of problems faced by population groups that have been excluded or discriminated against, as evidenced by relevant reports or independent analyses (i.e. National Reports; reports of Treaty Bodies, UPR and the Special Procedures; national human rights commissions and regional treaty bodies); including nationals, refugees, and migrants; Assess development challenges from a human rights and gender perspective to identify the human rights gaps and the corresponding capacity gaps; Assess the potential of mounting and sustaining broad policy responses to meet these development challenges, applying a holistic perspective, rather than sectoral perspective, consistent with the Agenda 2030 approach; e.g. what combination of policy interventions and institutional capabilities are most likely to meet the needs of rural youth. Summarize policies, experience, institutional capacity related to humanitarian crisis prevention, preparedness and response capabilities, and characterize sustainable development from the perspective of resilience. Identify priorities for improving data collection and use in terms of interoperability and accessibility (e.g. open source data), further disaggregation of data, future orientation, connecting to monitoring and evaluation, and opportunities for partnerships to share and acquire data sets, especially with the World Bank and other IFIs. 5. Comparative Advantage of the UN in Liberia Purpose: The last section of the CCA will enable the UNCT to identify the individual and collective strengths that the UN brings in relation to all actors in terms of mandate to act and capacity to act. With respect to building institutional capacity and helping Government and stakeholders to increase their effectiveness. This analysis will help make a compelling case to partners to engage in and support UN actions. Scope: Covers main areas of UN means of action, assessing their relevance within a Transition and post conflict context including: 16

17 Promoting international commitments, norms and standards, including the 2030 Agenda, the Gender international commitments, and international human rights treaties; Convening power to mobilize and facilitate interaction with a range of national and international partners; Providing high-quality technical expertise in specific areas; Capacity development at all levels leading to national ownership; Objective monitoring and evaluation of the national development framework; Providing impartial and coherent policy advice, based on international experience, technical expertise and good practices; Providing a neutral space within which sensitive political issues can be addressed and resolved. As a comparative analysis, the assessment includes a scan of existing capacity of other development institutions and their programmes in Liberia and of potential complementarity, advantage, and disadvantage. Recommendations should identify strategic priorities for the UN Country Team in Liberia using the following schematic categories: 1. Top Strategic Priority 2. Potential High Priority, if the UNCT can use negotiation/ consultation to gain alignment SDGs, International Norms 3. Potential High Priority, if others cannot meet demand & UNCT can build up its capacity Major national challenges (policy, institutional) 2 UNCT Comparative Advantage 4. Lower priority, does not meet national challenge or fill national capacity gap 17

18 1 3 4 Alignment: National priorities for UN action 6. Process and Indicative Timeline 2 CCA With guidance from UNCT Liberia, the consortium of consultants or institution will be responsible for coordinating and providing the following deliverables, within the following indicative 3-month timeframe. The RCO, working with the Evaluation/CCA Management Team, will be responsible to make documents available and provide logistics support for organizing meetings, focus groups, and interviews. Timeframe Deliverable Task Mid -October to End -October Identification of data and information gaps and submission of proposal to UNCT on filling them. Conduct desk review of existing analysis, from government, UN, stakeholders, international human rights mechanisms and other international organizations, and internal and external perception surveys 2 Dates are indicative to provide estimate of time span per deliverable. The actual start, end, and intermediate deliverable dates will be specified in the contract with the consultants. 18