Afghanistan: Short Term Assignment for M&E Systems Review (20 days)

The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is a non-denominational international development agency established in 1967 by His Highness the Aga Khan. Its mission is to develop and promote creative solutions to problems that impede social development, primarily in Asia and East Africa. Created as a private, non-profit foundation under Swiss law, it has branches and independent affiliates in 19 countries.

AKF seeks to provide sustainable solutions to long-term problems of poverty, hunger , illiteracy, and ill health. In Afghanistan, AKF works with rural communities in mountainous, remote or resource poor areas to improve quality of life in the areas of natural resource management, market development, governance, education and health.

The Aga Khan Foundation, Afghanistan (AKF (Afg)) is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), a group of international, private, non-denominational development agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in some of the poorest parts of the developing world. The Network’s organisations have individual mandates that range from the fields of health and education to architecture, rural development and promotion of private-sector enterprise and institutions that seek to empower communities and individuals, usually in disadvantaged circumstances, to improve living conditions and opportunities.

1. Project Background:

M&E Systems Overview

AKF Afghanistan implements a large scale, multi-donor and multi-sector program in the regions in which it operates this includes a project funded by KfW on improving stability in Northern Afghanistan (SPNA). These elements – including a complex operating environment – make effective monitoring and evaluation both essential and particularly challenging.

Currently responsibility for Monitoring and Evaluation at AKF is split between programme implementation sectors and the Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) unit (previously the Evaluation Research and Learning Unit 2014). The three sectors (Health, Education and Rural Development, which includes natural resource management, human and institutional development, market development and infrastructure) each collect project based monitoring data at the district office level. The data is then consolidated at the provincial and Kabul offices in sector specific data bases using Access software. In Kabul, the MERL unit is primarily responsible for conducting internal research and evaluation studies including baselines and end line studies as well as capturing data on high level indicators. It also supports sectors at a technical level on monitoring and periodic action research studies. Both health and education sectors also have MER sub units that report directly to sector leads.

In terms of human resources the sectors have approximately thirty staff members responsible at different levels for monitoring and the MERL unit has approximately twenty five staff members (nine in the Kabul office and three to four staff in each region). The M&E system has evolved somewhat organically since 2002 with Education and Health developing their systems separately to rural development and both having dedicated sector-focused MER managers.

As a result the MERL unit tends to direct most of its efforts to the rural development programme, with needs-based support to the other sectors. Leadership of the MERL function has been somewhat uneven over the years, with some gaps in leadership and shifts in focus. This had added to the challenges of developing and integrating systems, as well as the capacity development and retention of staff.

Rationale

AKF Afghanistan is planning to restructure its MERL teams across sectors and regions in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of this critical function and M&E for the SPNA project. At the same time, AKF Afghanistan is looking towards full localization of its staff with the possibility of retaining some international staff in advisory and support roles. In this context, the planned consultancy will focus on developing detailed recommendations for how AKF Afghanistan’s existing MERL systems and staff can be restructured to more effectively meet organizational needs.

2. Objective:

The overarching goal of the consultancy is to provide detailed recommendations on how AKF Afghanistan’s MERL systems can be strengthened to improve the delivery of relevant and timely information about programmatic progress and performance. This in turn will help to improve accountability and evidence-based decision making for senior management, sector and regional teams as well as programme beneficiaries;

3. Main Duties and Responsibilities

To achieve this goal, the consultancy will need to:

o Provide a detailed overview of how the MERL system currently functions across sectors, regions and at Kabul level;

o Identify key functions and information needs that the M&E system has to meet;

o Propose comprehensive set of recommendations covering structure, systems and processes that would enable AKF Afghanistan’s system to better meet these needs

Scope & Approach

The consultant will engage with AKF’s MERL Working Group (consisting of sector and regional representation) drawing on an appreciative inquiry approach, using methods such as workshops, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. The consultant will present the assessment methodology to the Working Group for input prior to initiating the assessment process. In addition, the consultant will review and make recommendations based on the following products/tools:

· YPO (yearly plan of operations for MERL and Sectors)

· Project logframes

· Research Report Repository

· GIS data repository

· Review of the indicator bank by sector

· Sector databases (regional and Kabul level)

· Previous ERLU strategy

· Sector specific strategies (RD, Education, Health)

· HR capacity self assessment tool for M&E staff (2014)

· Staff Job descriptions (MERL and sector M&E staff)

4. Deliverables

· Descriptive overview of the M&E system functioning with strengths and challenges

· Actionable recommendations to strengthen the system and improve its integration into organizational learning and programme development process (including recommendations on structure/ staffing)

Schedule

20 day consultancy starting Jan 15th

Includes:

· 5 days document review

· 10 days field work (workshop with WG to discuss methodology followed by field visits)

· Presentation of initial Findings to AKF staff prior to departure

· Draft report (anticipated by Feb 10th)

· Final Report (anticipated by Feb 20^th)

5. Qualifications and Experience Required:

At minimum the consultant(s) must possess the following in order to be selected for the test:

· 7-10 yrs experience in M&E systems development in large scale multi donor and multi-sectoral programmes

· Excellent analytical and writing skills

· Understanding of different donor M&E requirements

· Experience in working in post-conflict scenarios like Afghanistan

· Experience of developing a wide range of data collection and analysis too

6. Terms and Conditions

The full assignment cost will be paid upon successful signing of the contract, submission of quality translated documents and an invoice addressed to AKF Human Resource Department.

If the MERL Unit is not satisfied with the quality of the first translations, the MERL Unit reserves the right to terminate the contract immediately.