Several FCDC member counties have drafted monitoring and evaluation policies and frameworks that are likely aligned with national M&E policy with provisions to take environmental and socioeconomic and political crises and recurrent disasters into account.
The task will help in identifying policy related legal or regulatory frameworks to be supported with reliable data and tools and influenced to provide enabling governance environment for policy implementation.
The initial assessment will identify entry points for influencing and mainstreaming policy implementation in county governance and decision-making systems (strategies, programs, and related processes).
USAID Kuza has already done some assessment on status of M&E policies and frameworks across the counties. However, some time has elapsed and also some county responses were incomplete at the time.
Consequently, USAID Kuza will hold a co-creation meeting with the selected consultant to further explain the objectives of this assignment as well as share any relevant assessment reports that were previously done by the program.
Still, the program expects the selected consultant to illustrate the current state of each county in regard to progress made on M&E policies at the county level since the last assessment.
The specific objectives of the exercise are to:
However, economic activities within the crises prone areas are centered on the use of livestock resources with raw milk, hides, skin, and meat being the main products.
Most of the land in crises prone areas is community owned, thereby contributing to the challenge for land management, which remains a major sustainable development issue in FCDC counties. Sustainable management of land use could lead to leverage of improvement in livelihoods substantive benefits to communities.
To this end, monitoring and evaluation framework which guides policy, project and grogram measurement and management, cognizant of Medium-Term Plan III, County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs), National and County Indicators and reporting requirements is needed.
Plan of Work
As part of the county monitoring and evaluation policy and framework processes inception report, the consultant or applicant should provide a detailed national M&E policy understanding, draft M&E policies and frameworks position, the NIMES and the CIMES background, mode of consultancy work, methodology, important information sources to be used, and institutions and organizations to be consulted in undertaking the task.
Also, the applicant to indicate the precise expected achievements, results or deliverables and means for verification for each stage. Although experience demonstrates that working with government institutions nearly always follows their financial and policy cycles, the applicant should still indicate reasonable timelines for each of the policy and framework processes and deliverables while at the same time conceivably adjusting expected achievements and deliverables based on actual timelines and duration of results or lack of it.
The applicant should therefore develop an indicative work plan and activity schedule that maps out the expected deliverables onto timelines.
Qualifications of the Consultant
At least 5 years work experience in monitoring and evaluation strategy formulation with proven exposure to capacity development or disaster risk management frameworks.
Educated to post graduate degree level in social sciences, planning, monitoring and evaluation, population studies, environmental or natural resources management, or related field.
Sound knowledge and wide experience in the development and use of participatory approaches in monitoring and evaluation, public policy formulation, governance, and investments.
Knowledge of and experience in the developing counties such as Kenya or east Africa generally or some other crises prone counties such as Somalia for at least five (5) years.
Knowledge and experience of the National M&E policies as well as NIMES and CIMES guidelines and standards, and/or its associated legislative or regulatory frameworks is an asset.
Experience in developing partnership models and capacity development strategies utilizing field work and research work to policy, project, program, or action plan needs or related issues.
Familiarity with public sector procedures and experience in learning-by-doing approaches in working with public sector technocrats preferably within a devolved system of governance.
Initiate the consultation and co-operation with other related agencies and other USAID partners and activities to provide support for realization of relevant aspects of the assignment
A demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse teams in a multi-cultural and dynamic settings especially with most-at-risk populations such as women, youth, or marginalized groups.
Experience in the usage of computers and Microsoft Office Packages (such as MS Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
Good report writing, validation and dissemination skill at a high level.
Experience in researching and conducting interviews with key informants.
Sound judgment, strategic thinking, and the ability to manage competing priorities.
Assessment Plan and Deliverables
Generate comprehensive and concise county stakeholder consultation plan(s) for the tasks including for desk review and fieldwork and follow ups with FCDC and counties.
Design, develop and complete a draft policy and framework assessment inception report with expected timelines in a maximum 15-page word document for review and approval.
Work with all USAID activities (AA3, Mercy Corps and CRS), USAID Kuza, FCDC, national institutions, and county governments to identify relevant stakeholders and participants.
Developing county policy and framework assessment and data collection tools, guides, and fieldwork schedule for pretesting and actual data collection for review and approval.
Completing the actual county consultations and policy and framework assessment processes and reporting in a maximum of 10 days across five counties and 5 days for travel and logistics.
Make recommendations for completion of county M&E policies and framework to guide engagement with counties and stakeholders in policy approval and implementation.
Incorporating assessment findings and experiences to complete county policy and framework reports as well as responding to feedback and comments from USAID Kuza and county staffs.
Support ACDI/VOCA engagement with selected counties on pushing their M&E policies to the next level including public debates and approval in county assemblies and executives.
Provision of Facilities
Most of the work is office based in the consultant’s or firm’s offices and potential fieldwork in target counties.
Additionally, the consultant or firm shall ensure that there is sufficient administrative, secretarial, and policy provision to enable experts to fulfil all their responsibilities under this assignment.
Conditions
Some amount of travel is expected under this assignment. The consultant and team of experts could be facilitated to visits counties and sub counties while following security and safety guidelines that are put in place by relevant government departments and agencies.
The candidate(s) or firms that are selected will be governed by and subject to ACDI/VOCA and USAID Kuza’s General Terms and Conditions for individuals or firms engaged through contracts.
Risks
Although North Eastern, Upper Eastern, North Rift and Coastal regions are high risk areas and at times peace precarious situations, ACDI/VOCA has adequate safeguards or security policies in place although the the consultant will still be expected to take personal precaution.
Also, the consultant will be expected to follow any security updates that could come from the government from time to time. Besides, the assignment will take place during Covid-19 hence the need to follow health guidelines.
How to Apply
The prospective consultants should submit brief but detailed technical and financial/budget proposals describing how they will approach the county policy consultation and approval exercise including a proposal detailing deliverables and timelines as well as CV(s) and three references to ACDI/VOCA by March 17, 2021.
Send proposals to:
lmsprocurement@kenyalms.org with the words Consultancy to Support County Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Policy as the subject of your email.
