Ethiopia is implementing its Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), a successor of Plan to Accelerate Sustainable Development to End Poverty (PASDEP). At national level encouraging results have been registered in terms of accelerating growth and reducing poverty. Despite the successful national level development programs, the pace of development in most sectors is slower in the four Developing Regions (DRS) i.e. Gambella, Benishangule-Gumuz, Afar and Somali. These regions represent a sizable portion of the most underdeveloped parts of Ethiopia. Their administrations require additional support to help bring their capacities up to the standards seen in the other relatively developed regions. The regions struggle with less developed infrastructure than more central parts of the country. Conflict has affected the development of some of these regions, often fuelled by unstable politics in neighboring countries. There is also relatively poor access to social services and often poor quality in its delivery, underdeveloped agricultural and agro-pastoral activities that result in poverty as a result of low productivity and production. Consequently, the Government of Ethiopia with the support of the United Nations has developed a comprehensive Joint Program (JP) to accelerate progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Programmes (MDGs) in the four developing regions. The programme aims at addressing major issues that are constraining development in the regions through interventions focused on three thematic areas: improving local governance, basic social services and improving livelihood and agriculture. The situation analysis work on which the JP is based identified weak planning and development management capacity from regional level downwards as a major constraint to accelerated development in the DRS. The joint programme document underlines the key principles regarding the participatory nature of the way the Woreda development plans need to be compiled so the UNJP pilot can make decisions regarding UN programme investments. This process involves three distinct phases: - Identifying what are the existing woreda and regional planning documents (annual, strategic for GTP period).
- Assessing comprehensiveness and quality standards of the plans.
- Assessing priority contained in existing planning documents for livelihoods, economic growth and basic social services.
- Determining inclusion of community needs and priorities through community consultations and community based planning for livelihoods and social services provision and effective local governance.
- Strengthening woreda and regional development plans to enhance results-based and integrated planning for livelihoods enhancement ensuring integration of relevant community priorities and plans into woreda development plans.
- Drawing on reviewed woreda development plans and regional priorities to inform the selection and design of activities to be undertaken by UN agencies and other partners.
The purpose of the consultancy is to assist finalization of plans and to put in place a sustainable process for ensuring that a participatory and integrated planning approach is institutionalized: - An in-depth community consultation process at kebele level on a range of development themes leading to the development of kebele level plans.
- Use of kebele level plans to inform the development of integrated woreda development plans through dialogue between communities and government to achieve better alignment between national and regional strategies and community level needs and priorities.
- Use of integrated woreda level plans by all development partners to ensure their interventions are fully aligned with the development strategy for the woreda and the needs of its communities.
- Supporting the improvement of the enabling environment at the regional level to ensure effective implementation of woreda and community development plans within the country’s decentralization framework.
Current Status of Planning The four DRS are in the process of developing customized tools and building capacities to implement ICBPP. Each region has set up ICBPP technical committees composed from relevant sector bureaus and UN agencies. Committee members have received ToT training on ICBPP. Though they are at different levels, all regions have started community/kebele level and an 18 month woreda level planning process. Benishagul and Gambella have already finalized the community level planning process and are currently working on reviewing and consolidating woreda level plan. Afar is conducting second phase of kebele level community planning process which were not covered in the first phase planning process. Though Somali has started late, the region is currently conducting community level planning process. Once the community/kebele and woreda level planning process is finalized a regional level validation process will be undertaken where UN agencies and Government partners will develop an 18 month work plan for the joint program. In spite of the progress so far made, the quality of the community based planning needs to be strengthened. The planning process currently requires additional support to ensure prioritized set of livelihoods interventions and effective/ quality community participation at kebele level are ensured and to inform the woreda development plan review. It was also found that there exist practical and capacity challenges to ensure effective integration of bottom up community participatory planning process with the top down government planning process. |
Objectives of the Consultancy Work: The overall objective of the consultancy work is to provide support to the regional and woreda planning process out of which will emanate the following products: - Reviewed woreda plans for 2004 EFY which prioritized clear livelihoods interventions and integrate community perspectives: As many of the DRS woredas are at different stages, the focus will be on supporting regions and woredas in improving the quality, integration of top-down and bottom-up planning, integration of cross-cutting issues such as climate vulnerabilities, disaster and conflict risk management, gender, and supporting results based principle.
- Eighteen month AWPs for the UN Joint Programme.
- Recommendations on how Pillar 1 (Quality Local Governance) will be best implemented for enhanced public service delivery results. This should take into account: mandate and services provided by BoFEDs and WoFEDs as central institutions responsible for coordinating overall regional and woreda development: coordinated approach to strengthened public service delivery systems; and capacity development needs.
Approach: - It is anticipated that the team of consultants will comprise of five, working collaboratively under the lead consultant to be identified from among the five.
- The team leader will be responsible for leading and coordinating the work of the four local governance and development experts responsible for the four regions.
- The team of consultants will be accountable to the UNDP Deputy Country Director whose staff will ensure consultations with UN agencies occurs as necessary. In the field and regions the team will work with the DRS focal points DRS JP coordinators at the federal, regional level, ICBPP technical team, as appropriate where it exists, MOFA and MoFED.
- As primary objective of the consultancy work is to strengthen and enhance the quality of the ongoing planning process in the DRS, the consultants are expected to be based in each DRS regions for the duration of the consultancy period with periodic sessions in Addis Ababa, and will be coordinated by a lead consultant. The consultants will be provided with a comprehensive briefing at the commencement of the assignment.
- Throughout this process, the consultants will introduce the Results Based Management Approach in the planning and budgeting process; ensure that plans have elements of traction in resource utilization from the outset; ensure that implementation approaches are participatory and integrated and that capacity development needs are identified and addressed in the plans (regional, woreda, community).
- The consultants (team of consultants) will develop a work plan for delivering on the tasks.
The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks: The team leader will be responsible for leading the work of the four experts to ensure delivery of the following tasks: - Mapping (stocktaking) of the status and quality of the ongoing community and woreda level participatory planning process in the DRS, identifying support needs and concretizing the planning schedule.
- Participating in and supporting the strategic conversations with DRS regions and woreda leadership on planning process and approaches.
- Supporting strengthening of woreda and regional plans based on participatory planning process including integration of community priorities into woreda and regional planning processes.
- Ensuring prioritization of livelihoods dimension, integration of critical cross cutting issues in woreda and regional plans (climate vulnerabilities, disaster and conflict risk management, gender).
- Provision of advisory services as resource persons on planning issues at the woreda and regional level
- Developing appropriate processes for supporting improvement of the quality of community consultation and ownership of the revised plans.
- Identifying mechanisms for consultation and endorsement processes of the revised plans.
- Recommending mechanisms for community involvement in implementation, monitoring and oversight of the plans.
- Supporting the preparation of the 18 month AWP for the JP.
- In consultation with GoE and UN agencies, supporting prioritization of woreda initiatives for UN support under the JP and identification of elements for the 18 month AWP.
- Developing an approach for the implementation and quality local governance component of the DRS JP.
- Identifying capacity building needs of DRS in integrated planning process including strengthening of bottom-up (participatory) and top-down (government) integration.
- Making recommendations on priority deliverables under the local governance component of the DRS taking into account what needs to be in place to deliver on woreda and regional development plans at the various levels (federal, regional, woreda and community).
The team leader will ensure appropriate coordination of the work of the four consultants; provide substantive direction to ensure consistency and coherence of support provided and deliverables for all DRS regions. He/she will also be responsible for ensuring that the team is on track to meet key deadlines and milestones in the agreed work plan, liaise with UNDP and relevant partners and ensure that all concerned are regularly updated on progress through regular meetings and progress reports. Methodology: The team may employ relevant and appropriate methods to deliver of the tasks including a desk review of all DRS documents, focus group discussions, individual interviews, field visits including on job support for review of work plans. - Desk review of DRS documents including situation analysis, project document, ICBPP manuals and evaluation reports, field visit reports and other relevant documents.
- Consultation with RS partner including federal, regional and sub-national partners and stakeholders such as MoFA, MoFED, BoFEDS, DRS Coordinators, technical committee members and UN agencies participating in the JP.
- Field visits to DRS regions, woredas and kebele’s for stocktaking and providing hands on support for improved quality of woreda plans and identification of capacity gaps for support in the 18 month AWP.
- Other methodologies as appropriate.
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| Education: - PhD or Master's Degree in Governance, Decentralization, Regional Development, Regional Economic Development; Law or other related field.
Experience: - Minimum of 10 years experience relevant work experience.
Language: - Excellent working knowledge of English. Knowledge of a local language is considered an asset.
Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications: 1. Proposal: (not more than 450 words) (i) Explaining why they are the most suitable for the work (ii) Providing a brief methodology on how they will approach and conduct the work (if applicable). 2. Financial proposal indicating a monthly fee. 3. Personal CV including past experience in similar projects and at least 3 references. Individual consultants will be evaluated based on the following methodologies: 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% Financial Criteria weight; 30% Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 49 point and above would be considered for the financial evaluation | Criteria | Weight | Max. Point | | Technical (based on CV, proposal and interview) | | Minimum educational background and work experience (CV) | 10% | 10 | | Understanding of scope of work and methodology (from the proposal) | 20% | 20 | | Individual competencies (interview) | 40% | 40 | | Financial | 30% | 30 | |
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