ETHIOPIA: REDD+ INVESTMENT PROGRAM PHASE II JMS MISSION FACILITATOR CONSULTANT

INTRODUCTION TO GGGI

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. To learn more please visit about GGGI web page. 

PROJECT BACKGROUND

REDD+ Investment Program Phase Two (RIP-II), RIP II  is a three-year program, building on good practices and lessons learned in phase I. The second phase will scale the successes of RIP-I and promote innovation and transformational practices to further accelerate action. The following actions will be instrumental for delivering results: a) scaling up good practices to maximize conservation gains at landscape level and livelihood gains for communities;  b) bringing relevant international practices and lesson learned from forestry research to inform program planning and implementation, and building the capacity of national partners to engage in development-oriented forestry action research to help bridge the forestry-development gap in forestry; c) strengthening value addition and processing of forest products.

The overall objective of RIP II is to contribute to NDC targets of emission reduction, increased forest cover, and to increased GDP. In order to achieve this overall objective, RIP II is designed to deliver the following four outcomes.

1. Outcome 1: Forest sector transformation strengthened, and private sector engagement enhanced
2. Outcome 2: Conservation of biodiversity and carbon rich natural forests scaled up
3. Outcome 3: Degraded forest landscapes restored and commercial and species diverse plantations established 
4. Outcome 4: REDD+ MRV strengthened, and Results Based Payment piloted

A total of 16 outputs and 61 activities will contribute to achieve the outcomes. Key activities include certification of forest land, establishing buffer zones around natural forests, planting diverse indigenous tree species, strengthening knowledge management systems, undertaking need-based capacity building, identifying and addressing cross sectoral gaps in policies and plans, and improving policy alignment and sectoral coordination. RIP II is also designed to help reduce poverty and support the livelihoods of communities living in and around natural forests and rehabilitated landscapes.

RIP-II Joint Monitoring and Supervision: The RIP-II key actors (Norway Embassy, MOF and EFD) have agreed to conduct a bi-annual Joint Monitoring and Supervision (JMS) of the RIP-II, which in aggregate will serve as a mid-evaluation of the program. As stated in the RIP-II document, Joint monitoring missions will be carried out twice a year, in 2^nd and 4^th quarters of each year to ensure transparent monitoring and verification of monitoring reports. This Terms of Reference aims to elaborate the objectives, scope, roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders, methods, etc., which are crucial for effective monitoring and supervision of the RIP-II implementation.

GGGI, as one of the TAPs of RIP-II, has been tasked to coordinate and facilitate the joint monitoring and supervision missions of the program including preparing mission reports as well facilitating related events to monitoring missions. Accordingly, GGGI, in close collaboration with the CRGE Facility in MOF, EFD and the Royal Norwegian Embassy Team, has prepared this Joint Monitoring and Supervision Mission Plan. Overall, a joint monitoring and supervision mission plays a crucial role in ensuring the successful implementation and achievement of outcomes in development programs by providing oversight, support, and guidance throughout the program lifecycle.

The RIP-II joint Monitoring and Supervision Terms of Reference serves as a framework that will be used for monitoring, supervision and learning throughout the life of the program. This document highlights the objectives, scope, methods, etc, of the RIP-II JMS plan.

OBJECTIVES OF THE JMS

The primary objectives of the Joint Monitoring and Supervision of RIP-II are as follows:

1. To assess the progress of implementation of the program and identify any challenges or risks;
2. To ensure adherence to program goals, timelines, and quality standards;
3. To Identify challenges and risks to program implementation;
4. To provide recommendations for corrective actions and improvements;
5. To facilitate collaboration and communication among RIP-II stakeholders;
6. To ensure accountability and transparency in program implementation.

The mission specifically has the following key purposes.

1. Assessment of Progress: The mission helps assess the progress of RIP-II against its planned objectives, milestones, and timelines. It allows both the Embassy and GOE stakeholders at federal, regional and woreda levels to understand if the program is on track or if there are any delays or deviations that need attention.
2. Quality Control: It provides an opportunity to evaluate the quality of activities, outputs, and outcomes. This includes reviewing the methodologies, procedures, and standards being followed to ensure they meet the desired quality benchmarks.
3. Problem Identification and Resolution: The mission helps identify any challenges, issues, or risks that may be hindering progress of the program. By identifying these early on, the RIP-II stakeholders at various levels can take corrective actions to mitigate risks and resolve issues promptly.
4. Capacity Building: Monitoring and supervision missions often include capacity-building activities aimed at enhancing the skills and capabilities of staff and stakeholders. This could involve training sessions, workshops, or knowledge-sharing sessions to improve implementation effectiveness. The mission therefore could be used as evidence to suggest tailored capacity building actions.
5. Stakeholder Engagement: It provides an opportunity to engage with government officials at regional, zonal and woreda levels as well as with program direct beneficiaries, kebele Administrators, community leaders, and other relevant parties. This engagement fosters collaboration, builds trust, and ensures alignment of objectives among all stakeholders.
6. Resource Management: The mission helps ensure efficient utilization of resources, including financial, human, and material resources. It allows for a review of budget allocations, expenditure patterns, and resource allocation strategies to optimize resource utilization.
7. Learning and Adaptation: The RIP-II monitoring, and supervision missions facilitate learning by capturing best practices, lessons learned, and experiences from the program implementation process. This knowledge can be used to improve future planning and implementation.
8. Compliance and Accountability: The mission assesses whether the RIP-II is being implemented in compliance with relevant regulations, policies, and contractual agreements. The mission promotes transparency and accountability in program management and resource utilization.

SCOPE OF THE JMS MISSION

The scope of work for the Joint Monitoring and Supervision of RIP-II includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Develop a detailed mission schedule, including site visits, meetings, and data collection activities.
• Facilitate meetings and consultations with project partners to review project progress, share insights, and discuss potential solutions.
• Conduct field visits to RIP-II sites to monitor progress and assess the quality of work.
• Review documents, reports, and data to evaluate performance against targets and indicators.
• Identify and analyze any issues, risks, or challenges affecting program implementation.
• Provide timely feedback and recommendations to RIP-II management for corrective actions.
• Prepare comprehensive monitoring and supervision reports documenting findings, observations, and recommendations.

In addition, the scope of RIP-II JMS mission will cover on the following key features:

1. Program Objectives and Indicators: Reviewing the program’s objectives, outcomes, and indicators to ensure clarity and alignment with the goals and expectations.
2. Program Plan and Timeline: Assessing the program plan, including timelines, milestones, and activities, to ensure they are realistic and achievable within the allocated resources and timeframes.
3. Budget and Financial Management: Reviewing the program budget, expenditure reports, and financial management practices to ensure transparency, accountability, and compliance with donor requirements and financial regulations.
4. Risk Management: Identifying potential risks and challenges that could affect program implementation and success and evaluating the effectiveness of risk mitigation strategies in place.
5. Stakeholder Engagement and Participation: Assessing stakeholder engagement strategies and mechanisms to ensure the active involvement of key stakeholders, including beneficiaries, government agencies, and local communities.
6. Quality Assurance and Monitoring: Evaluating the quality of program activities, outputs, and outcomes against pre-defined quality standards and benchmarks. This may involve reviewing monitoring and evaluation frameworks, data collection methods, and reporting mechanisms.
7. Compliance and Legal Framework: Ensuring compliance with relevant laws, regulations, policies, and contractual agreements governing the program implementation, including environmental and social safeguards, procurement procedures, and human rights standards.
8. Gender and Social Inclusion: Assessing the program’s gender responsiveness and social inclusiveness to ensure that it addresses the needs and priorities of different population groups, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities.
9. Sustainability Considerations: Reviewing plans that can promote long-term sustainability.
10. Lessons Learned and Best Practices: Identifying lessons learned, best practices, and success stories from the program implementation process to inform future programming and improve effectiveness in similar contexts.
11. Coordination and Collaboration: Assessing coordination mechanisms and collaboration among RIP-II partners, stakeholders, and other implementing agencies to enhance synergy, avoid duplication, and maximize impact.

JMS Approach and Methods  - The RIP-II joint monitoring and supervision mission employ various tools and methods to effectively assess progress, identify challenges, and support implementation. The following tools and methods will be implemented:

1. Checklists: The RIP-II mission team shall jointly prepare a checklist to systematically review activities, outputs, and compliance with established standards and procedures. These checklists can help to ensure that all relevant aspects of RIP-II implementation are adequately assessed during the joint monitoring and supervision visits.
2. Document Review: Reviewing program documents, such as RIP-II proposal, work plans, progress reports, financial statements, and procurement records, provides insight into program planning, implementation, and financial management processes. The mission team shall review these documents at various levels during the mission.
3. Site Visits: Conducting site visits allows mission members to observe RIP-II activities firsthand, interact with frontline staff and beneficiaries, and assess the physical progress and quality of work on the ground.
4. Interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): Interviews and FGDs are conducted with program stakeholders, including beneficiaries, RIP-II staff, government officials at federal, regional and woreda levels as well as with Kebele Administrators, community leaders, to gather insights, feedback, and perspectives on RIP-II implementation, challenges, and achievements.
5. Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Remote sensing technologies and GIS tools are used to analyze spatial data, map program locations, monitor changes in land use, and assess environmental impacts of program interventions. The mission team with the support of the MRV team will consult imagery products.
6. Feedback and Review Meetings: The mission team shall conduct pre or post mission feedback and review meetings at various levels to discuss findings from monitoring and supervision missions, share lessons learned, and make recommendations for improving RIP-II performance and effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE OF THE CONSULTANCY

The main objective of this consultancy is to facilitate the JMS mission, ensuring transparent monitoring and verification of the project implementation as captured in project monitoring reports. The consultant will work closely with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the CRGE Facility, EFD, and other stakeholders to coordinate and execute the JMS activities effectively.

SCOPE OF THE CONSULTANCY WORK

The consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Preparation Phase

• Review the RIP-II documents, including the program proposal, annual work plan, and budget.
• Create monitoring tools and checklists for the JMS mission.
• Coordinate with GGGI and EFD to finalize the mission schedule and logistics.

2. Field Visits

• Conduct site visits to RIP-II sites to monitor progress and assess the quality of work.
• Organize and lead key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with stakeholders, including beneficiaries, local communities, and government officials.
• Collect relevant data and information related to program progress, challenges, and achievements.
• Capture photographic evidence to support monitoring findings.

3. Reporting and Feedback

• Prepare interim mission reports highlighting key findings, observations, and recommendations.
• Share preliminary findings with program management and stakeholders for immediate action.
• Analyze collected data and prepare comprehensive mission reports.
• Incorporate feedback from mission participants and stakeholders into the final mission report.

4. Follow-Up Actions

• Develop an action plan based on the recommendations from the mission report.
• Assign responsibilities and timelines for implementing corrective measures and addressing identified issues.
• Monitor the progress of follow-up actions and provide support as needed.

5. Communication and Dissemination

• Organize workshops or meetings to disseminate findings, share lessons learned, and solicit feedback for future program planning and implementation.
• Update program documentation and reporting mechanisms based on mission findings and recommendations, if needed.
• Lead the development of a detailed joint monitoring and supervision work plan, including timelines, roles, and responsibilities.
• Organize and facilitate joint monitoring and supervision missions, ensuring the participation of relevant stakeholders.
• Conduct regular site visits to project areas to assess progress, verify data, and identify issues requiring attention.
• Compile and analyze monitoring data to track project performance against targets and objectives.
• Prepare and submit timely progress reports, highlighting key findings, challenges, and recommendations for corrective action.
• Foster collaboration and coordination among project partners to enhance accountability and transparency in project implementation.
• Represent the project in relevant meetings, workshops, and conferences related to monitoring and supervision.

KEY RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONSULTANT

The expected outputs of the Consultant/Service Provider are as follows:

• Detailed work plan and schedule for the JMS mission.
• Monitoring tools and checklists for the JMS mission.
• Interim mission reports with key findings and recommendations.
• Comprehensive final mission report, including data analysis and actionable recommendations.
• Action plan for implementing recommendations and addressing identified issues.
• Documentation of workshops or meetings conducted for dissemination of findings
• The consultancy will last for a total of 50 days including preparation of monitoring tools and checklists, mission preparation, mission execution, consultations and reporting. A detailed timeline outlining specific activities and deliverables will be developed in consultation with the selected consultant.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

The consultant's fee will be disbursed in installments linked to the successful completion of key deliverables:

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of 8 years (preferably 10) of experience in project management, monitoring and evaluation, proposal development
• Advanced degree in Economics, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Science, or related field.
• Proven experience in facilitating joint monitoring and supervision processes for forestry or conservation projects.
• Strong analytical skills and experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Strong technical knowledge of forestry and environmental issues, including monitoring and evaluation methodologies.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated leadership and coordination abilities, with a track record of delivering results in complex project environments.
• Familiarity with international standards and best practices in forestry project management and monitoring.
• Proven ability to work independently and deliver high-quality results within tight deadlines.
• Knowledge of international standards and best practices in project monitoring and evaluation.
• The consultant will report directly to the Project Manager.
• Progress reports shall be submitted on a [weekly/monthly/quarterly] basis, detailing achievements, challenges, and recommendations.
• Progress updates and interim reports shall be submitted as per the agreed-upon schedule.

REPORTING

1. Evaluation Criteria:

Upon the advertisement of the Procurement Notice, qualified Individual consultant is expected to submit both the Technical and Financial Proposals. Accordingly, the consultant will be evaluated based on Cumulative Analysis as per the following conditions:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable as per the Instruction to Bidders (ITB) of the Standard Bid Document (SBD), and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation. In this regard, the respective weight of the proposals are:

1. Technical Criteria weight is 70%
2. Financial Criteria weight is 30%

2. Ethical Considerations:

• The consultant shall adhere to ethical standards in all aspects of their work, including respect for local customs, traditions, and community rights.
• Confidentiality of sensitive information obtained during the consultancy shall be maintained at all times.