Terms of Reference for Evaluation Consultant

1. BACKGROUND:

In collaboration with the Government of Maldives, UNODC has been implementing a drug demand reduction project in the Maldives, MDVK30 titled, "Strengthening the National Response to Combat Drug Abuse in the Maldives" from January 2010 - February 2013. The project aims to strengthen the national response in drug use prevention and treatment and to minimize the risk of drug use related HIV in Maldives. This is the only fully fledged comprehensive drug demand reduction project attempting to tackle the drug problem in the Maldives.

Project Objectives: The overall aim is to provide technical assistance to strengthen the national response to drug demand reduction through prevention and treatment, including technical capacity building and systems strengthening.

The project provides support for strengthening the technical capacity for the coordination and management of drug prevention, treatment and care programmes in the country. Assistance is provided to strengthen the current legal system as it relates to drug users, particularly in context of the new Drug Law following its enactment in 2012. The project also assists in reducing the demand for illicit drugs through drug and HIV prevention, treatment and care for drug users. Civil society is supported to provide access to aftercare and support services for recovering drug users, their partners and families affected by drug use so as to decrease their risks and vulnerability to substance abuse and HIV.

2. CONTEXT:

In order to carry out an end of project final evaluation, UNODC seeks to engage an independent, external Evaluator. This external evaluation initiated by UNODC is an end of project (final) evaluation as per the project document, which was planned and budgeted for at the project design phase. The purpose of this evaluation is to measure achievements of project objectives, outcomes and impact. The overall expectation of the evaluation is to draw lessons from project implementation that form the basis for instituting improvements to the existing and future project planning, design and management. It will also help UNODC and other stakeholders to take stock of the project, learn from its implementation process and results, and identify gaps and also assess whether the benefits of the project and its interventions are sustainable to continue after its termination.

Educational Qualifications and Experience :

  • At least 5-7 years of professional experience in programme and project evaluation (designing, conducting and leading evaluations; applying qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods)
  • A relevant advanced University degree (Masters or above)
  • Must possess knowledge of the subject matter, including drug use prevention, treatment and care, demand reduction and related health interventions
  • Must demonstrate excellent oral and communication and report writing skills in English
  • A good understanding of the local context of Maldives and of South Asia will be an added advantage.
  • Relevant experience with the UN will be considered as an asset

Duties and Responsibilities:

The evaluation should take into account the following criteria of: Relevance, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Sustainability and Impact when evaluating the project.

Based on the above, the duties and responsibilities of the Evaluator are:

  1. Carry out a thorough desk review of documents pertaining to the project;
  2. Develop a suitable evaluation methodology and share these with the project team at UNODC for their review and comments;
  3. Meet, consult and interview staff from the UNODC Regional Office for South Asia, based in Maldives and Delhi, relevant stakeholders including government and NGO project partners in the field, and key beneficiaries of the project;
  4. Draft the evaluation report, and present preliminary evaluation findings, and share both with the UNODC team, government counterparts and others as required.
  5. Finalise the report based on feedback from UNODC and other stakeholders. This report will also be shared with the Independent Evaluation Unit at UNODC, Vienna.

3. TIMELINE:

The assignment will be for a period of 12 days including desk review, report writing, meeting and interviewing key stakeholders and beneficiaries. The assignment is scheduled to start as soon as possible and not later than 1 st April 2013 and will include travel to select project locations within Maldives. The consultant will be hired through an individual contract modality, governed by UNDP guidelines. The consultancy fee will be commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the consultant. Travel costs will be factored into the assignment accordingly.

Those interested are requested to mail their Resume and Letter of Interest to shahula.ahmed@unodc.org , suruchi.pant@unodc.org with a copy to rabeeu.ahmed@unodc.org , latest by 15 March 2013 .