Development of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning system (short-notice opportunity)

Transparency International is looking for a consultant or team of consultants to develop an MEL system for the new TI project Bolstering Integrity in Public Contracting: A Reinvigorated Approach and Coalition on Integrity Pacts (SII IP Project). This three-year project aims to reinvigorate the Integrity Pact as a golden standard in public procurement and expand global and national coalitions promoting its adoption in critical investments and regulation.

OBJECTIVES

Transparency International is looking for a consultant to develop an MEL framework (on the basis of the already existing log frame and project description) considering organisational MEL policies and approaches, and establish the baseline for monitoring progress and impact at national and global levels. This includes:

• The development of a detailed Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) system in close cooperation with TI-S and TI chapters in Argentina, Romania, and Spain. The MEL system shall include indicators and targets for measuring success, with detailed information including change markers, assumptions, data sources and data collection tools, means of verification, periodicity of data collection. This also includes the design of tools and templates to regularly collect and capture relevant data aligned to the goals, outcomes and outputs of the project. In addition, the MEL system should cover key milestones and processes for progress reviews and learning, including evaluations.
• The collection and analysis of the baseline at the project start to assess the status of the agreed indicators, which will be used to assess progress and set annual targets. The impact indicators will be developed on the basis of the workplan. The project’s contribution parameters will also be determined (i.e. the extent to which a change be traced back to the project, and the associated criteria for that determination). This includes assistance to TI national chapters to apply the MEL plan to their own context including establishing a baseline across the agreed change markers that will allow them effectively monitor and assess the impact of their work.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE

The indicative estimated time to complete this assignment is 12 working days. A detailed timeline will be agreed at the beginning of the assignment. All presentations and reports are to be submitted in English, in electronic form.

The expected deliverables are:

• A MEL system, incl. MEL framework with targets at national and global level based on consultation with the implementing parties,
• A reviewed baseline dataset based on consultation with the implementing parties, incl. documented qualitative data and baseline assessment at project and country-level report,
• Tools and methods to regularly collect and capture relevant data aligned to the goals, outcomes and outputs of the project
• Templates for regular reporting on progress and achievements by all project stakeholders

SELECTION CRITERIA

The consultant or team of consultants should have the following qualifications:

Core competencies

• People’s skills: be able to mediate the different expectations of the different internal stakeholders in order to produce a strong evaluation report that will genuinely serve the learning purposes set out in this Terms of Reference.
• Work style: is well planned and organised even within a fluid working environment and has a capacity for initiative with competent analytical and problem solving skills. Maintains a strong level and flow of communication with reporting stakeholders.
• Language: excellent command of English (written/ spoken) to a native speaker’s level.

Technical competencies

Applicants should have the following skills and experience:

• Substantive and demonstrable experience in conceptualising MEL systems
• Proven experience in participatory approaches to design monitoring and evaluation processes
• Expertise in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis
• Knowledge and experience of working in good-governance and public accountability related programmes, in particular in the field of social accountability and public contracting advantage)
• Experience of working with clients in civil society, particularly advocacy-oriented NGOs;
• Experience in working across cultures
• Demonstrable experience of working with value for money/ cost-benefit approaches