Introduction and Background
The SADC Parliamentary Forum (PF) recognises that the full and meaningful political participation of women, who constitute more than half of the populations of SADC countries, implies an important democratic advancement for the SADC Region. This was reflected in the 2006 - 2010 Strategic Plan, in which the SADC PF identified the increased advocacy for gender equality and women’s empowerment as essential to achieving sound democratic governance in the SADC Region. The Standing Committee on the Regional Women's Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC) as an established organ of the SADC PF provides an institutional framework to follow up on the political commitments for the participation and representation of women at the national and regional levels. The RWPC interventions complement what is happening nationally, building upon the lessons learnt from the best practices in the region which show that without changes in electoral systems and processes, there can be no rapid increase in women’s representation in elected office.
The Gender Mainstreaming and Political Participation of Women Programme received its core funding from the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA) for the period from February 2007 to 31 July 2011. In addition, funds were also received from UNDEF and UNIFEM/ UNWOMAN during this period. The overall goal was to support, promote and contribute to improved parliamentary advocacy on gender equality and women’s political representation and participation in the SADC Region.
The specific objectives were to:
1. Facilitate accountability for commitments on gender by expanding opportunities for parliamentarians and parliaments to ensure parliamentary work and decisions are infused with gender equality perspectives;
2. Strengthen the capacity of the SADC Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC), women’s inter-parties parliamentary caucuses and political parties in SADC parliaments to advocate and influence electoral reforms from a gender perspective;
3. Provide tools, mechanisms, approaches and “good practices” to integrate the gender perspective and facilitate the political participation and representation of women;
4. Institutionalize the assessments and pronouncements on electoral processes (pre-election, voting phase and post election phase) from a gender perspective.
Activities undertaken:
• Regional Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (RWPC) advocacy missions to countries with less than 30% participation and representation of women in parliaments;
• Additional empowerment strategies trainings and capacity building seminars;
• Establishment of women’s interparty parliamentary caucuses;
• Research studies
Evaluation objectives and criteria
The objective of the evaluation is to undertake an in-depth analysis of the Gender Programme in order to generate comprehensive and specific evaluation feedback on the implementation of the Programme. The evaluation report must fully and thoroughly:
1. Assess the effectiveness of the Programme
The extent to which the Programme’s stated objectives are achieved. The effectiveness of the Programme should be assessed in accordance with the activities, outputs and outcomes.
2. Assess the sustainability of the Programme
The extent to which benefits from the Programme will continue or are likely to continue (i.e. follow up projects, visible and permanent results).
3. Assess the relevance of the Programme
The degree to which the Programme was justified and appropriate in relation to the need and situation on the national and regional level.
4. Assess the efficiency of the Programme
The analysis and the evaluation of the overall Programme performance, the outputs in relation to the inputs, the financial management, the implementing timetable.
5. Assess the impact the Programme
The impact achieved and is likely to achieve in the future, measuring both the positive and negative, foreseen and unforeseen changes to and effects on society caused by the Programme as well as the Programme catalytic effects.
The evaluation report should also clearly:
• Analyze the challenges to the Programme’s success and the lessons learned from managing them
• Highlight the lessons learnt from the Programme on the results achieved, the process followed and strategy applied and provide specific recommendations
• Analyze the overall impact of the Programme in targeting women parliamentarians and women political aspirants
• Highlight good practices, success stories, anecdotes
Specific Evaluation Activities of Consultant
The Consultant will be required to undertake the following specific activities:
1. Conduct a participatory evaluation that will involve Programme implementers and target beneficiaries, and which will provide useful feedback on the Programme implementation and objectives, successes and failures. The Programme evaluation will be results-based.
2. Conduct a desk review of recent activities, outputs and outcomes of the Gender Programme, against Programme commitments and priorities. This should include a description of resources (human and financial) committed to the Programme in that period.
3. To submit a final evaluation report that clearly identifies the activities, outputs and outcomes achieved during the life of the Programme, as well as the overall impact of the Programme, lessons learned and recommendations that can inform future Programme design.
Qualifications of Consultant
• Extensive experience in Programme evaluation, and monitoring and evaluation;
• Experience in Programme planning and implementation;
• Substantial experience in the field of women’s political participation and leadership and good knowledge of gender dimensions of electoral processes;
• Expertise in the area of gender mainstreaming;
• Experience with Parliaments will be an added advantage.
Methodology
This is envisioned as a participatory and developmental evaluation and therefore constant liaison and dialogue is anticipated between the consultant and the Forum. The Forum will be responsible for providing relevant documents and administrative arrangements for the fieldwork, and will engage with the team in the process of preparing the work plan and schedule for the implementation of the fieldwork. However, it is the responsibility of the consultant to prepare the schedule for the fieldwork, including the categories of persons, organisations and institutions that shall be respondents in this evaluation.
Accommodation, transport and perdiems will be covered by the Forum at UN rates.
Period of Assignment
The period of the assignment shall be 22 working days from the date of commencement and shall represent the total duration of the consultant’s work in terms of TOR, including the date of submission of the final report.
Guidelines
The evaluation will take place over a period of 22 days, during which time will be used as follows:
Activity Days
Desk study and interviews of Forum staff in Windhoek (preliminary write up) 5
Fieldwork to 3 countries including Namibia,
plus telephone interviews with respondents
from another 4 countries 12
Draft report write up and presentation 4
Final report write up and presentation 3
Time Frame
The identification and engagement of the team, as well as the work plan and schedule preparation shall take place in May 2011. The work is to commence on 6 June 2011 and the final report submitted no later than 11 July 2011.
Report
The final report shall contain the findings and recommendations, a clear description of the methodology used and an annex of the persons and organisations consulted. The report shall also include a table of contents, acronyms, executive summary, introduction, conclusion, and references.
Consultancy Fees
The consultancy fees payable is US$9,900 (Nine thousand nine hundred United States dollars). This is based on a rate of US$ 450 per day. Upon the satisfactory submission of a first draft report the consultant will be paid 50% (fifty percent) of the consultancy fees and the other 50% (fifty percent) upon submission of an approved final report.
Terms and Conditions
The Forum reserves the right to return a report that is not satisfactorily completed for further review and compilation, and subsequent thereto either pay pro rate, withhold payment or pay in full if work is completed, not satisfactorily completed, or completed as the case may be.
Application
Please send your CV and work plan on how you will execute the assignment to ymungandi@sadcpf.org, mkhoblall@sadcpf.org, and bsekgoma@sadcpf.org ; by 31st May 2011.
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE EXTERNAL EVALUATION OF THE SADC PF GENDER PROGRAMME
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