Integrated Programme for Women in Politics and in Decision Making (IPWPDM)

CONSULTANCY ASSIGNMENT

Terms of Reference

Development of Monitoring and Evaluation Plans for IPWPDM, the IPWDPM Component on Suco Elections under PERWL II-UNDEF and Implementation of the National Women’s Congress (NWC) Platform of Action

I. Introduction

The Integrated Programme for Women in Politics and Decision Making (IPWPDM) is a 7-year programme designed to enhance and support women’s participation in politics and in decision making at the national, municipal (see footnote) and village levels. The programme has two key components, one that primarily focuses its support to women leaders at the national level and the second component is about enhancing rural women’s leadership and participation in nation building in Timor-Leste. The second component supports women leaders at the village and hamlet levels including the municipality, which is expected to take place in 2009.  Both key programme components of IPWPDM has two phases, the pre-election and post-election phases with the aim of providing support to women’s needs before, during and after the elections. The programme enables crucial assistance to women to be effective leaders across the time span of their mandates as legislators, municipal officials and village or suco council representatives.

Its key objectives are to:

1. Promote women as viable and responsible candidates during elections who are responsive to the needs of the electorate, and are informed participants in all aspects of the electoral process;
2. Promote women’s participation through transformative leadership in politics and the communities to establish and strengthen an agreed agenda on women’s empowerment and respond to the needs of their constituencies in all aspects of the electoral process by linking the local and national;
3. Ensure effective contribution and participation of women elected officials in decision making with adequate support from non-elected candidates including media’s enhanced understanding of gender equality and positive reporting of women in politics and decision making;
4. Enhance understanding, contribution of and benefits for elected women officials, of gender mainstreaming and the transformation agenda in the nation building process; and
5. Enhance the knowledge and skills of elected women and men representatives at the municipal assembly and suco council to participate fully in local governance by promoting gender responsive development through gender responsive local development plans in order to realize the transformation agenda.

Integral to the IPWPDM programme is its effective monitoring, evaluation and learning component. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are envisaged as fundamental elements in the overall programme management. The programme needs to have a comprehensive M&E plan that will be drawn up by the Programme Management Team (PMT) along with implementing partners to ensure participation, ownership and continued synergies in all of the phases and activities of the programme. The M&E plan that will be formulated has to be guided by the human rights-based approach (HRBA) and results-based management (RBM) principles and practices in support to the UN programming processes. In order to maximize the benefits of proper M&E, projects and activities must be carefully planned and deliberately implemented to be able to use the most appropriate methods and to guarantee that relevant data are collected. On the basis of the programme’s Strategic Results Framework (SRF), a systematic, continuous and periodic monitoring of programme activities will ensure that actual implementation of commitments by all participating partners are upheld and carried out as planned, and facilitate appropriate interventions whenever improvements or strengthening are required towards the achievement of the IPWPDM goals and objectives. In addition, medium-term and end-of-programme or final completion evaluation will also be designed and implemented.

The IPWPDM monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan is expected to identify verifiable indicators vis-à-vis the programme goals and objectives and its expected outcomes and outputs with the corresponding M&E methodologies, sources and tools, persons or groups responsible, required time frame, etc. On the basis of the IPWPDM M&E plan that will be developed, the PMT and programme partners and relevant stakeholders will be guided accordingly in the collection of baseline data required, preparation of reports and documentation, and in ensuring that mechanisms in tracking implementation and completion of activities are in place and adopted. Moreover, it is aimed to facilitate a systematic presentation of the programme’s status through the findings from M&E activities to the IPWPDM Programme Steering Committee (PSC) as basis for decision making to be able to provide policy coordination support, and substantive direction and guidance to programme implementation including a specific component of IPWPDM in support to the elections and functioning of the suco representatives, particularly the women elected representatives under phase II of the Programme for Enhancing Rural Women’s Leadership and Participation in Nation Building in Timor-Leste (PERWL II).

Moreover, it is important to note that the IPWPDM programme has provided support to the implementation of the Third National Women’s Congress (NWC) held last 10-12 September 2008 and a very significant output is the women’s Platform of Action (POA) covering the period 2008-2012. In cognizance of the importance of having an established monitoring and evaluation mechanism for the implementation of the NWC POA, it was viewed essential for this consultancy assignment to likewise support the M&E requirements of the NWC M&E team, partners and the Secretariat of Rede Feto. Thus, the need for this consultancy support in the development of the Programme M&E Plan for IPWPDM, its programme component assisted by the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) for locally-elected representatives, and for the implementation of the NWC POA 2008-2012.

II. Purpose of the Engagement

This engagement involves a two-week consultancy assignment to provide technical assistance and facilitate the design and implementation of a workshop with the IPWPDM PMT and programme partners in developing the programme’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan that is complete with verifiable indicators vis-à-vis the programme goals and objectives and its expected outcomes and outputs, with proposed M&E methodologies, sources and tools, persons or groups responsible, required time frame, including the baselines required, etc. The joint workshop for the IPWPDM programme team and partners will commence with a review of the basic monitoring and evaluation concepts and its importance anchored from the HRBA and RBM principles and practices in support to the UN programming processes.

The assignment will likewise include similar technical support to a specific component of IPWPDM in support to the elections and functioning of the suco representatives, particularly the women elected representatives under phase II of the Programme for Enhancing Rural Women’s Leadership and Participation in Nation Building in Timor-Leste (PERWL II) funded by UNDEF and to the NWC M&E team and Rede Feto Secretariat for the implementation of the NWC POA 2008-2012.

III. Expected Outputs

1. A revised proposal and work plan for the consultancy assignment by incorporating comments and additional inputs provided by the UNIFEM programme team;
2. Workshop programmes that will be developed and facilitation of three workshops; i) for the IPWPDM PMT and partners; ii) the project management team and partners of an IPWPDM component funded by UNDEF on the suco elections; and iii) the NWC M&E team and Rede Feto Secretariat for the implementation of the NWC POA -  to meet the stated outcome during the period of the consultancy assignment;
3. A report on the workshops conducted with the IPWPDM PMT, the UNDEF project management team and its partners, and the NWC M&E team and Rede Feto Secretariat to include insights and recommendations on the follow-up sessions needed to ensure continued capacity building of concerned staff members and programme partners;
4. Three monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plans complete with verifiable indicators vis-à-vis the programme goals and objectives and its expected outcomes and outputs with the corresponding M&E methodologies, sources and tools, persons or groups responsible, required time frame, including the baselines required, etc. – one for the IPWPDM programme, another for the UNDEF-assisted component of IPWPDM and the other for the NWC POA;
5. Increased/enhanced knowledge and skills of UNIFEM programme staff and partners on the basic concepts of programme/project monitoring and evaluation based on HRBA and RBM principles and practices as well as its importance toward effective implementation; and
6. A project completion report with both narrative and financial accounts of project implementation based on UNIFEM’s required format.

IV. Expected Activities

1. In consultation with UNIFEM, review and finalize the proposal and work plan for the consultancy assignment;
2. Review project documents and related materials;
3. Prepare a draft workshop programme;
4. Interview and consult with UNIFEM staff members/PMT, programme partners including those who participated during the last NWC on the following: i) finalization of the workshop designs and programme including an outline of the M&E capacity building inputs for the PMT and partners; and ii)  development of three M&E plans for the IPWPDM programme, its component funded by UNDEF and for the implementation of the NWC POA;
5. Draft M&E plans for the IPWPDM programme, for one of the IPWPDM components on the suco elections and another for the implementation of the NWC POA;
6. Facilitate 3 workshops on the development of the M&E plans for the IPWPDM programme, for one of its programme component funded by UNDEF on the suco elections, and for the implementation of the NWC POA;
7. Finalize the M&E plans for the IPWPDM programme, its component on the suco elections funded by UNDEF and for the implementation of the NWC POA by incorporating all issues and comments derived from the workshops; and
8. Prepare a project completion report of project implementation and submit to UNIFEM on agreed date.

V. Duration of Assignment

The consultancy assignment has to be carried out in 2 weeks, in November 2008 including submission of the completion project report.

VI. Reporting

In addition to the key output of two M&E Plans as well as the report on workshop results, at the end of the assignment, the consultant will deliver a consultancy completion report in accordance to guidelines provided by UNIFEM.

VII.  Qualifications of Consultant

The general expertise required for this consultancy assignment includes: 1) experience in working on women and politics; 2) familiarity with the socio-political conditions or situation in Timor-Leste and in particular of Timorese women in this field; 2) in-depth knowledge in working on gender and development; 3) extensive experience on capacity building and training; and 4) experience in monitoring and evaluation anchored on a human rights based approach and results-based management principles and practices.

More specific requirements from the consultant are outlined below:

1. Substantive experience (minimum of 5 years preferably 7 years) in carrying out monitoring and evaluation with development programmes/projects in Asia;
2. Must have been involved in monitoring and evaluation of programmes/projects including those with international agencies, preferably within the UN;
3. Must have had experience in working with women, gender and other-related issues and concerns, training management or facilitation skills and community development; and
4. Minimum of a Master’s Degree in Development and related studies.
5. Fluency in written and spoken Tetum and English essential with Bahasa Indonesia and Portuguese desirable.

The deadline of submission of interest with attached proposal is by close of business on 12 November 2008.

Please submit application and proposal to:

           The Programme Manager
            IPWPDM, UNIFEM
            UN House, Caicoli St., Dili
            Timor-Leste
            Tel. No. 670 3313294 or 670 7291070
            Email: isabel.belo@unifem.org or
                        ana-paula.sequeira@unifem.org

Footnote:

Following the approval of the proposed Decentralization Law in the last quarter of 2008, the Fourth Constitutional Government of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (RDTL) plans to proceed with the implementation of a pilot administrative geographical division of districts into municipalities in 2009 and 2010.