Local evaluation consultant (Budget and Financial Management) for lessons learned report development for USAID DOBRE Program/Консультант з бюджетування та фінансового управління, вивчення отриманого досвіду, в програму USAID DOBRE
ЗАВЕРШЕНО
Global Communities is seeking qualified short-term consultant for USAID-funded Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency Program (DOBRE):
POSITION: Local evaluation consultant (Budget and Financial Management) for lessons learned report development
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 7 months
PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Kyiv, Communities located in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, and Zaporizhia Oblasts
LOE (Level of Effort) DAYS: 58 days
OBJECTIVE:
The USAID Program, “Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency” (DOBRE), is a six-year program, implemented by Global Communities and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). DOBRE is working to help consolidated communities (CCs) in Ukraine to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities that decentralization brings, by improving their local governance and increasing the engagement of their citizens in policy- and decision-making. Areas of support include strategic planning; financial management; public service delivery; local economic development; and gender- and youth-responsive policies. DOBRE is also working to foster linkages and cooperation across CCs. Partners with Global Communities in the DOBRE Program Consortium include the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center (UCMC); SocialBoost; the Foundation in Support of Local Democracy (FSLD/FRDL), the Malopolska School of Public Administration at the Krakow University of Economics (MSAP/UEK), Poland; and the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
The USAID DOBRE Program is working closely with 100 CCs in 10 Oblasts of Ukraine: Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Mykolayiv, Ternopil, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES / SPECIFIC TASKS:
Based on the results of its work, DOBRE plans to publish a series of studies on the results, lessons learned, and recommendations on the implementation of key instruments and practices. Instruments and mechanisms implementation in the field of financial management in communities will be one of the main areas of research.
Purpose of the assignment:
To capture findings and insights from the DOBRE program experience related to both (1) the implementation of instruments and mechanisms in DOBRE activities in the field of financial management and the actual impact, effectiveness of those tools; and (2) the potential to increase financial efficiency and local capacity by improving the budget management, budget planning, asset management, public procurement, implementation of internal control. These findings can inform the further implementation of decentralization reform in Ukraine as well as other programs and initiatives.
Goals:
- Capture main processes/results/approaches that were critical for achieving results;
- Provide recommendations to reform stakeholders to inform the implementation of a similar program or to achieve similar goals;
- Promote the positive results of DOBRE and GC for use in business development.
Objectives and scope of the study
The objectives of the study are:
- To understand to what extent DOBRE achieved its successes on instruments and mechanisms in DOBRE activities in the field of financial management in communities;
- To learn about some of the effective ways in which DOBRE achieved those results.
Key questions:
- Which instruments and mechanisms in the field of financial management introduced by the project were most effective, and why?
- What additional program activities conducted by DOBRE in the field of financial management were most effective and why?
- What do project participants say were their motivations for improving financial management?
- What relevant illustrative examples can be used by other communities?
- What are some of the “successes,” and lessons learned achieved by DOBRE?
Methodology
The proposed methods of data collection and analysis should include:
- Desk review and analysis of the project reports, monitoring data, work plans and success stories;
- Key informant interviews by telephone (skype, zoom, etc.) or face to face[1], with beneficiaries and stakeholders among public officials, service users and non-governmental organizations.
The key areas of research: changing the organization of the budget process, changing the internal control system, implementation of medium-term planning, increasing the revenues of budgets, organization of public procurement and its compliance with current legislation; changes in the organization of the communal property management and the effect for the communities, incl. in monetary terms.
We will use a case-based approach to illustrate changes and successful results, including in detailed descriptions of what were specific ways for achieving the successful results and important context details, as well as the potential of, and actual impact at the local level. This ‘how we learned to do it’ focus in presenting program results will be helpful for future scaling up of the project experience in Ukraine. The assignment will entail qualitative data analysis to uncover the themes relevant to the research questions.
Key audiences for the report will be:
- GC headquarters
- USAID
- Other donors working in Ukraine on decentralization
- Implementers of local government programs
- Experts and academicians
- Government of Ukraine
- Associations of local governments and government representatives in Ukraine
Work plan, deliverables & timeline
The following steps are foreseen with required deliverables and proposed timelines
Specific tasks within the consultancy assignment:
- Desk review of background documents (familiarization with the program, its objectives, beneficiaries, partners, project documents on instruments and mechanisms in the field of financial management, project monitoring data and progress reports). Information and necessary documents will be provided by the technical experts of the Kyiv office of Global Communities. Drawing up an information note with a list of all instruments and mechanisms used during the DOBRE program.
Estimated LOE for Task 1 – 6 working days
- Develop an Inception Report detailing the strategies to collect and analyze data. The inception report must include data collection tools (questionnaires, outline for focus group discussion, interview questions etc.) Questionnaires should be designed for three categories of interviewees: for CC management, program experts and consultants and program partners. The report should also include reference to any relevant Ukraine laws or norms regulating research involving human subjects and how the measures being applied in this assignment to comply accordingly.
Estimated LOE for Task 2 – 6 working days
- Key informant interviews by telephone (by skype, zoom, etc.) or in-person, in-person focus groups with beneficiaries and stakeholders among public officials, service users, non-governmental organizations, program partners and experts. Keep a log of interviews, a database with details for each contact, time of scheduled interview, emails sent. Keep a transcript of each interview that has a matching identifier with the database.
- In-depth interviews and consultations with key implementers of the program (in the area of financial management assessment, asset management, procurement, budget planning, internal control, implementing budget simulator) to understand the project implementation process and quality, as well as identify best practices, barriers, potential and actual impact, and challenges in promoting selected іnstruments and mechanisms . At least 1 interview with key consultants in each area.
- In-depth interviews and consultations with CC management, financial department, deputies who oversee asset management and tender committees to understand the program implementation process and quality, as well as identify best practices, barriers and challenges in promoting selected іnstruments and mechanisms. The consultant will collect information to assess knowledge, behaviors and skills of the target groups. At least 1 interview are planned for each group in 10 CCs. Selected communities are expected to be from different oblasts and different in size.
- In-depth interviews and consultations with Ministries, association of amalgamated territorial communities (on instruments and mechanisms in DOBRE activities in the field of financial and asset management in communities) to understand the project implementation process and quality, as well as identify best practices, barriers, potential and actual impact, and challenges in promoting selected іnstruments and mechanisms. At least 3 interviews.
Estimated LOE for Task 3 – 21 working days
- Preparation of the draft report.
The draft report, except for the general part, should include the following part:
- Lessons Learned and Success Stories
The report will include discussion of lessons learned, including new knowledge gained from the particular circumstances (intervention, context outcomes). Particular attention will be paid to the success stories of the use of financial and asset management tools in communities, as well as the opportunities for their dissemination outside the project. It is planned that at least 10 success story will be identified.
- Findings and Conclusions
This section will present findings based on the analysis and conclusions drawn from the findings. In particular,
Conclusions: This section will be comprehensive and balanced and highlight the strengths, weaknesses and outcomes of the intervention. The conclusion section will be substantiated by the evidence and logically connected to the findings.
Recommendations: The report will seek to provide very practical, feasible recommendations. The recommendations will be specifically supported by the evidence and linked to the findings and conclusions around key questions addressed by the report. This recommendation can be used to have better achieved the project’s goals in the future or in future programming, or in similar projects. In addition, attention should be paid to the additional program activities conducted by DOBRE that were most effective and key reasons for it.
Estimated LOE for Task 4 – 20 working days
- Preparation of the final report. The first draft will be reviewed by the management of the DOBRE and program experts. The consultant will finalize all recommendations and make the necessary changes to the document and the final report will be refined to reflect the recommendations made.
Estimated LOE for Task 5 – 5 working days
COORDINATION AND SUPERVISION:
To ensure the fulfillment of the above tasks, the Consultant will:
- Liaise and ensure constant communication/coordination with DOBRE project team and consultants/experts regarding all aspects of the assignment to ensure coordinated inputs into the result-oriented training and coaching of the representatives of CC;
- Submit all the deliverables for review, comments and approval to DOBRE project team as requested;
- Hold consultations and briefings with DOBRE project team as requested.
THE SELECTION PROCESS:
Global Communities will select consultants based on meeting the following criteria:
- At least a Master’s degree (sociology, public policy, economics, and other related areas);
- At least five years of experience working on international donor programs for local government, experience with local finance is welcomed;
- Experience of work at the local government level;
- At least 2 years’ experience as an evaluator, designing and conducting assessments and baseline surveys including qualitative data collection;
- Excellent knowledge and understanding of research methodologies and processes;
- Experience in gathering and systematizing qualitative data;
- Experience and knowledge of local government management and decentralization reform;
- Previous experience (or ability to demonstrate the capacity) of working with the CCs, facilitating public meetings in the community;
- Ability to work in a team according to established terms, good skills of time distribution;
- Creativity, initiative, focus on results, and responsibility.
To apply please send your CV as well as cover letter with summary of your experience as described above to [email protected] indicating “Local evaluation consultant (Budget and Financial Management) for lessons learned” in the subject line by December 17 , 2021.
Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone inquiries will be accepted.
[1] Depending on the COVID-19 restrictions
