Consultant for Decentralization and Local Governance Project , Angola

In every country, the decentralization process is rarely uniform, Angola is no exception. However the trend of decentralization in Angola, already accepted in the constitutional laws of 1975 and 1992, which provides administrative decentralization, but the armed conflict that devastated the country prevented the country the implementation of this national program. In 1999 Decree-Law 17/99 was approved, which allowed the country to take significant steps in order to deconcentrate State Administration, giving greater role to provinces, municipalities and communes. The aim was to create a more cohesive management that would be closer to local issues. In 2001 the Strategic Plan for Deconcentration and Decentralization was approved, which established a gradual process towards Deconcentration and Decentralization in Angola. In 2010 the approval of Law decrees 02/07 and 17/10 on the role, structure and operation of the local authorities further enhanced the framework for decentralization in Angola. Additional legislation such as the Presidential Decree 30/10 on local financial regime and the launch of the Integrated Municipal Programme for Rural Development and Poverty Reduction in early 2011 with aim of fast tracking service delivery at local level were the most recent and significant developments in this area. Following the adoption of the new Constitution in 2010, articles on devolution as a form of and decentralization were introduced with the aim of electing local governments. More recently, the Angolan Council of the Republic (Advisory Board for the President), of December 2011 meeting recommended holding local elections in 2014. This step is very encouraging and is seen as an opportunity to consolidate democracy and possibly speed up decentralization process in Angola. UNDP Angola sees this as a window of opportunity to engage Angolan authorities and influence positively governance issues in the country. UNDP SUPPORT TO DECENTRALIZATION IN ANGOLA UNDP has been supporting the Government of Angola (GoA) in the area of Decentralization and Local Governance, since 2006. The overall objective of the UNDP DLG program in Angola is to strengthen democratic processes, both at national and sub-national levels, and promote democratic governance as a basic requirement for peace, security and sustainable development. This support to the Government of Angola took the form of a pilot scheme in four municipalities across four provinces: Sanza Pombo (Uige), Calandula (Malanje) Camacupa (Bie) and Kilamba-Kiaxi (Luanda) from 2006 to mid 2008. This was followed up with a second phase of support which ran from 2008 to the end of 2011, focusing on supporting the development of participatory planning and budgeting methodologies and building capacities and responsibilities at municipal level. This phase has seen the geographic focus increase from four to 18 municipalities and from four to five provinces. At the central level, the ministries of, Planning, Finance and Women Affairs came on board to joint the Ministry of Territorial Administration as partners in the project. The key achievement of this support was the drafting of the Local Administration Law 17/10 of 29 July 2010 about national organs of local administration and their roles, including the formalization of the Municipal Councils of Dialogue (Conselhos de Auscultação e Concertação Social) CACS, which formalize the engagement between local authorities and NGOs and local communities on local governance issues, including planning and budget. The adoption of more participatory planning and budgeting approaches in some of the municipalities is also a success. Other activities of the second phase included sensitization and dissemination of financial information and on empowering the communities in the 18 municipalities for greater participation in public service delivery and local development for poverty reduction.

Duties and Responsibilities

The aim of this assignment is to assess/evaluate the implementation of the UNDP Decentralization and Local Governance Project (DLG) phase II from 2008 to the end of 2011 in Angola. The assessment will be carried-out through desk review, field visits and interviews with the key stakeholders. The activities described in this TOR will be carried out in close collaboration with UNDP staff, and the Government, through the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Casa Civil, Provincial and Municipal authorities. The duty station of the consultant will be the UNDP Angola office. This assignment requires substantial travel to selected sites in the provinces to be identified. The overall objective of this evaluation is to review the performance (measure achievements, outcomes and impacts) of phase II of the DLG project in order to: Identify lessons learned during phase II and challenges in moving forward: Support management and partners to identify and learn about: Successes to date; Challenges that need to be addressed, and to provide the parties an independent assessment on the state of the program, its relevance in the scenario of political and social changes in Angola, and; If the project is likely to achieve its development and immediate objectives, and how it can be effectively positioned to achieve maximum impact in the new political environment in Angola. Identify innovative programming opportunities: Provide stakeholders with recommendations that identify: Innovative programming opportunities in the new Angolan context; Identify and synergies with other actors that will enhance our work and impact, and Point out measures and actions to resolve any outstanding issues such as risks and to improve project performance Examine the conduciveness of current political environment for expansion of DLG to other areas: To examine the extent to which the political environment in Angola continues to be favourable to replication of the Lessons being learned from the implementation of the project at medium or long term; Identify output strategies to sustain the achievements so far. This assessment of phase II (2008-2010) of DLG will examine the choice of response areas, intervention strategies, based on UNDP mandate, comparative advantage and more specifically: Assess the adequacy of the phase II of the project and the choice of response areas, areas of intervention of UNDP, based on its mandate and comparative advantages; Assess the validity of the assumptions and premises that were the basis for the design and implementation of Phase II of the DLG Project to determine their accuracy and relevance. The enabling environment for the project will also be evaluated to determine the ownership of the project and support by its promoters and beneficiaries. Using all available documents. Assess consistency: the extent to which the policies of different actors of the project were complementary or contradictory. Assess the progress towards the achievement of results and achievements declared on phase II of the project taking into account cross-cutting issues like human rights, capacity building, institutional strengthening and innovation or added value to national development, and make appropriate recommendations about the relevance of the achievements. Assess coordination and operational aspects in order to improve level of coordination. The assessment should analyze both the level of engagement of each UN agency in coordination mechanisms and processes, but also examine the extent to which partners were encouraged to get involved with such coordination mechanisms. Assess the impact of the activities carried out under the DLG Project, particularly with regard to developing national capacities and technical assistance provided. Evaluate the extent to which the phase II of DLG Project has contributed to achieving the objectives of the UNDAF and general support to the operations of the UN system in Angola; Evaluate the extent to which the activities of Phase II of the DLG Project took into account the specific context and the interrelationships between social and development issues, and what was the connection with the Medium Term Government Programme and to what extent the results were reflected in government reports. Evaluate the implementation of the project components and activities in order to make a balance with the following elements: The quantity and quality of outputs; Compare these with what was planned; Verifiction of likelihood of achieving the goals before the end of the project; The potential to reach these goals in a continuity process through a new phase. Document the best practices and lessons learned in the implementation of Phase II of the project, including but not limited to, the different methods of implementation, application of resources, plus monitoring and evaluation of progress. Document and evaluate the changes in the landscape and context of national development in the areas of decentralization and local development and its implications for the continued relevance and sustainability of the project; Assess the adequacy of the implementation models, including but not limited to, organizational structure, administrative support and coordination mechanism used by UNDP to support Phase II of the project for the expected effective and efficient results of the objectives and expected results. Document the challenges encountered and indicate what needs to be done, how and by whom in order to cause the project to respond quickly and be more aligned with national development priorities and at the same time, making a greater contribution and while ensuring the sustainability of the project. Assess the meaning and impact of internal and external factors that have facilitated or impeded the implementation of Phase II of the project, including management / operational issues and implementation frameworks, government policies, implementing partners and the allocation of resources. Make recommendations and concrete suggestions for a new phase of the Decentralization and Local Governance Project under the UNDAF / CPD 2012-2015.

Competencies

The international consultant should have conceptual knowledge, practical, solid, and understanding as well as international experience with issues relating to decentralization, public sector reform and local government, particularly in the field of participatory planning, public financial management, organizational development and community participation including cross-cutting issues.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: A degree in public administration, development planning, development studies, economics, politics, social sciences or other relevant fields; Experience: At least 10 years of professional experience in developing countries (sub-Saharan Africa), such as technical adviser or expert in the field of decentralization, public sector reform and local governance; Solid understanding and experience with approaches to decentralized planning and community participation; Experience in the assessment of donor-funded technical assistance projects and training; Solid understanding of cross-cutting issues and their integration in the development process; Experience working in multi-cultural environments and with senior government officials and representatives of civil society organizations; Ability to prepare reports and present information and numbers in a clear, concise and unambiguous term; Language: Fluency in English including technical vocabulary and good communication skills written and oral. Fluency in Portuguese is essential (however, if necessary a translator (English / Portuguese) will be available). DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS. Interested international consultant must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications: Technical proposal: (i) Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work (ii) Provide a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work (if applicable) Financial proposal Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references LUMP SUM CONTRACTS The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount, and payment terms around specific and measurable (qualitative and quantitative) deliverables (i.e. whether payments fall in installments or upon completion of the entire contract). Payments are based upon output, i.e. upon delivery of the services specified in the TOR. In order to assist the requesting unit in the comparison of financial proposals, the financial proposal will include a breakdown of this lump sum amount (including travel, per diems, and number of anticipated working days). All envisaged travel costs must be included in the financial proposal. This includes all travel to join duty station/repatriation travel. In general, UNDP should not accept travel costs exceeding those of an economy class ticket. Should the IC wish to travel on a higher class he/she should do so using their own resources. In the case of unforeseeable travel, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expenses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and Individual Consultant, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. EVALUATION CRITERIA Initially, individual consultants will be short-listed based on the following minimum qualification criteria: University / Master degree in public administration, development planning, development studies, economics, politics, social sciences or other relevant fields; At least 10 years of professional experience in developing countries (sub-Saharan Africa), such as technical adviser or expert in the field of decentralization, public sector reform and local governance; The short-listed individual consultants will be further evaluated based on the following methodology: CUMULATIVE ANALYSIS The award of the contract shall be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as: Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. Technical Criteria weight – 70% (100 pts); Financial Criteria weight – 30% (100 pts). Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 80 points would be considered for the Financial Evaluation. TECHNICAL EVALUATION – CRITERIA AND MAXIMUM OBTAINABLE POINTS: Qualification – 30 points Experience – 40 points Secondary area of expertise (Public policies; Economy; Local economical development; Public service delivery) – 10 points Knowledge (Human resources; Tributary legislation; Environment; Public management) – 5 points Corporate competencies (Analytical ability; Logical ability; Critical ability; Able to work under pressure in any adverse environment; Capacity to dialogue with different sectors; Good communication skills; Determination and focus on goals and results; Good management skills; Sensitive to African and Angolan context; Ability of facilitation) – 15 points. Maximum Total Technical Scoring - 100 points FINANCIAL EVALUATION Evaluation of submitted financial offers will be done based on the following formula: S = Fmin / F * 100 S – score received on financial evaluation; Fmin – the lowest financial offer out of all the submitted offers qualified over the technical evaluation round; F – financial offer under consideration.

Consultant for Decentralization and Local Governance Project