November 12, 2020 News

Call for Tenders for External Project Evaluation

Type of assignment; Final external evaluation of a development project “Improving resource efficiency and cleaner production in the Mongolian construction sector” (contract No. DCI-ASIE/2015/368-446) implemented by Caritas Czech Republic in Mongolia between 2016 and 2020. Expected duration of assignment; One and half month (preparatory work, 15 days of field data collection in Mongolia /in Ulaanbaatar/, report drafting).

Purpose of the evaluation; Final project evaluation is requested by the main donor of the project (European Commission).

Project information

Project title; “Improving resource efficiency and cleaner production in the Mongolian construction sector”

 Lead Implementing Organization; Caritas Czech Republic (hereafter: CCR)

 Implementing partners; Mongolian National Recycling Association (MNRA), Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST), Technical University of Delft (TUD)

 Donors; European Union, Czech Development Agency

Project budget; 1,366,891.83 EUR

Project Period; March 2016 - November 2020 (56 months)

Project Background; CCR, together with its partners, seeks to improve the resource efficiency and sustainable production in the Mongolian construction sector. Stakeholders and SMEs in the construction sector, should therefore be more educated in the sustainable CDW management practice and CDW-based product and should be ready for the further commercial production. Thus, there have been several trainings and seminars for the SMEs, state institutions, NGOs and other stakeholders to increase their knowledge in the sustainable CDW management practice and CDW-based product. There have been curriculum and training materials developed for CDW management to train students and SMEs. Also, the project has developed current legal environment regarding the CDW management in Mongolia and has raised awareness among stakeholders to ensure sustainability of the project results.

The overall objective of the proposed Action is to contribute to poverty reduction and mitigation of climate change in Mongolia.

The specific objective is to promote sustainable production and consumption in the construction sector, through supporting SMEs to switch to more resource-efficient practices.

Target groups

(i) Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the construction industry:

• Construction (and demolition) SMEs and construction material producer SMEs using waste as a production input

(ii) The Mongolian state institutions

(iii) Urban residents in Mongolia (iv) Mongolian University of Science and Technology

Expected Results

• Key stakeholders in construction sector are prepared to adopt sustainable CDW management practices
• A CDW-based product has been tested, verified in terms of economic feasibility, approved and prepared for commercial production
• Awareness of the advantages of CDW-based products has been raised among SMEs and state administration bodies
• The legal framework is more conducive to sustainable CDW management

Organizational Context

Caritas Czech Republic (CCR) is a non-governmental organization working in the field of development and humanitarian assistance in developing countries of Asia, Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe. CCR has been working in Mongolia since 2006. It has dedicated its work particularly to agriculture, education, health care, social work, restoring livelihoods, humanitarian assistance, prevention of risks of natural disasters and environmental protection. 

Assignment Information

Description of deliverables; Selected supplier will conduct external final evaluation of the given project and based on the findings will draft evaluation report in English. The evaluation report shall have between 35 and 50 standard pages (1 800 characters / page). Its structure shall be as follows:

• Summary
• Context
• Methodology applied
• Findings (as per the structure below)
• Conclusion and recommendations
• Annexes (lists of interviewees and informants, questionnaires, photos etc.)

The evaluation shall focus mainly on the topics and questions below (the list is not exhaustive)

Project relevance

• Relevance of the project objectives and expected results to the needs of the country, target groups and beneficiaries
• Relevance of the project objectives and expected results to the expectations of the main stakeholders
• Complementarity of the project to other actions in the field of sustainable consumption and production in Mongolia
• Ability of the project management to adjust the project to changing context in the given sector

Progress made towards the achievement of results

• Fulfilment of the project objectives and results against project timeframe
• Reasons for delay in achieving project objectives and results (if applicable)

Project impact on target groups and final beneficiaries

• Impact of the project on target groups, beneficiaries, local partners and other local stakeholders
• Impact of the project on the construction sector in general
• Contribution of the project to achievement of relevant national development strategies
• Changes in policy environment attributable to the project

Efficiency 

• Efficiency of the financial resources needed to achieve the existing outputs / results
• Efficiency of the human resources needed to achieve the existing outputs / results

Sustainability and replication prospects

• Prospects for profitability of production of the construction and demolition waste product developed by the project
• Prospects for future application and dissemination of the construction techniques introduced by the project

Project management and organization

• Appropriateness of the division of roles between CCR and other project partners (MNRA, TUD, MUST)
• Effectivity of the communication between CCR, project partners and other stakeholders
• Level of local stakeholders´ (including beneficiaries, government and the local partners) participation in project implementation
• Visibility of the project and its funding (does it meet respective donors´ requirements, is it sufficient or not)
• Arrangement and transparency of project documents (documents proving implementation of activities, achievement of results and objectives, financial documents) keeping
• Effectiveness of CCR internal project monitoring mechanisms (monitoring of partners´ performance, project events, measurement of impact of the trainings etc.)

Requirements

Necessary:

• At least 5 years of experience in evaluating development projects (verifiable list of evaluations conducted in the past required);
• Excellent written and spoken English and the ability to edit texts;
• Demonstrated excellent analytical skills (evidence required);
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and comfortable working across cultures;
• Demonstrated understanding of development sector in the field of agriculture and environment (verifiable information on relevant experience required).

Recommended:

• Expertise in the construction sector
• Experience in working in Mongolia
• Evaluator shall be based in Mongolia or CCR will create a team of local and international professionals due to the current restrictions adopted by the Government of Mongolia as the response to the COVID-19 crisis

Selection of supplier and selection criteria

The evaluator will be selected on the basis of offers containing:

• evaluation plan
• description of experience and expertise
• contract signed on behalf of the applicant

The plan has to contain:

• Description of relevant expertise and experience (copies of documents proving the expertise and experience shall be attached);
• Description of the methodology to be applied;
• Timeframe;
• Budget of the evaluation and total price of the offer (the price cannot exceed the price stated below);
• Proposed structure of the evaluation report.

The evaluation plan will become an annex to the contract that will be concluded between CCR and the evaluator selected.

The description of experience and expertise has to include:

• contacts to persons / institutions that can provide reference, and / or
• copies of official documents proving the experience and expertise stated

The selection criteria will be as follows:

• Offered price (50%)
• Proven expertise and experience (25%)
• Quality of the proposed methodology (25%)

Terms of assignment

Selected evaluator will be subcontracted by CCR to produce the deliverables specified above. The contract to be concluded between CCR and the selected evaluator constitutes Annex 1 to this call for tenders.

The evaluation report has to be submitted by 31^th of December 2020 (TBC).

Maximum price to be paid for the delivery is 5 000 EUR.

The price agreed on will cover evaluator´s remuneration, all costs incurred by the evaluator related to the assignment and all taxes and fees required by law. The price will be final and cannot be increased under any circumstances.

CCR will provide transportation in Mongolia. CCR will provide the evaluator with all information and documents it has at its disposal needed to conduct the evaluation.

How to apply

Interested candidates should send their offers in English to the following address ccr.mongolia.office@caritas.cz by 18^th of November, 2020. For more information on the project, please see CCR website: https://mongolia.charita.cz/. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we encourage experts who are currently based in Mongolia to apply. 

Incomplete offers and offers received after the deadline will not be considered.