Terms of Reference (TOR)
Review/Assessment of Norad funding and NPA Technical Assistance to UXO Lao
1997-2003
24-days Mission
Purpose
This review/assessment is being carried out to assess the results of the total NORAD contribution (1997 - 2003) to the UNDP UXO Lao Trust Fund, including the in kind contribution provided through Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA) technical advisory programme in Sekong and Attapeu. The review shall focus on the two provinces Sekong and Attapu with emphasis on UXO Laos ability to run the programme independent of permanent external (international) advisors, as well as the overall efficiency of the activities carried out in these two provinces.
Scope
The scope of this assessment covers all NPA technical assistance and capacity building support to UXO Lao for the period extending from 1997 to 2003 funded under the Norad Grant (also should also include contributions from Norway to UXO Lao in 1995 and prior to NPA involvement in the sector).
Background
NPA advisors arrived in the Lao PDR in September 1997. The role of the advisors was to provide on-the-job training to and supervision of UXO LAO staff in the areas of financial administration, community awareness and EOD. This support was to be provided at the provincial level as a supplement to training provided by UXO LAO at its national training center.
NPA assigned 6 Technical Advisors (TA) to the programme: 1 community awareness advisor; 4 EOD specialist advisors; and 1 finance advisor to work in Sekong and Attapeu Provinces in the southern part of the country. Liaison between NPA and UXO LAO was facilitated by a NPA project manager based at UXO LAO HQ in Vientiane
Assistance was to be provided for three years (until end of 2000) at which time it was expected that provincial operations would run efficiently without international advisory assistance. NPA covered the cost of expatriate TA salaries and some TA support equipment including vehicles, communications equipment and computers. UXO LAO provided all other equipment. Operational responsibility for meeting clearance and community awareness targets remained with UXO LAO.
At the end of 1998 UXO LAO indicated that no further external advisor in the field of community awareness was needed and the CA TA contract was terminated. This 'available' position was from 1999 filled by a NPA Field Manager responsible for both provinces. The total number of TAs (incl. the Manager position) in the country remained 7 throughout 1999. In the fall of 1998, on request of UXO LAO, the Finance Advisor was transferred to the UXO Lao HQ leaving the total number of technical advisors in the provinces at 5 throughout 1999.
By the end of 2000 the number of advisors was reduced to 3, 1 technical advisor in each province and the finance advisor at UXO LAO HQ. In June 2001 the Field Manager position was withdrawn leaving 1 TA in each province for the rest of the year.
The initial Capacity Building program ended in 2001. As there was a need for follow-up in the provinces due to the delayed training of senior EOD technicians, and a need for NPA's participation in developing and conducting senior EOD courses at the UXO LAO training center, UXO LAO requested that NPA continue to provide the support of one EOD Technical Advisor. UXO LAO also requested that NPA extend the secondment of the Finance Advisor for one more year. Accordingly NPA maintained two TA positions in Laos for all of 2002 and until early 2003
Areas under Review
The assessors will:
Assessment of the Technical Advisors
- Make an inventory of all types of NPA technical assistance to UXO Lao for the period of 1997-2003.
- Make an assessment of the added value of the various categories of technical advisors.
- Identify constraints in case of non-achievement of the objectives as set in the job description.
- Assess the effectiveness of UXO Lao staff training/ capacity building provided by NPA advisors.
- Compile, review and assess all management tools and documents left to UXO Lao after the departure of technical advisors.
General Assessment
- Make a general assessment of the added value of Norad contribution and the NPA assistance to UXO Lao during this period.
- The assessment of NPA technical assistance will be in the context of the overall technical assistance received by UXO Lao
- Review the evolution and pertinence of NPA technical assistance during the concerned timeframe.
- Assess the extent to which UXO Lao has maintained and used the documentation produced by the technical advisors after their departure.
- Assess the impact of the Norad contribution on improving UXO Lao management efficiency (with specific reference to provincial operations in Attapeu and Sekong and looking at issues such as recruitment process and training of national TA leaders, coordination and communication between UXO Lao Vientiane and the provinces).
- Assess the perception of UXO Lao on the quality and effectiveness of NPA technical assistance to the organisation based on written documents and individual interviews.
- Assess other NPA contributions to capacity building during the period that have benefited UXO Lao
- Assessment of value added in the use of the UNDP Trust Fund as a funding mechanism.
Expected key outputs
- Estimate the extent to which NPA has contributed in the capacity building of national managerial and technical competencies.
- Capitalize past experience to reflect on the evolution and needs of the technical assistance provided.
- Assess opportunities and constraints.
- Make recommendation for future punctual assistance if needed.
- Identify the expectations of the UXO Lao HQ and provincial operations in terms of future technical assistance
- Make recommendations to NPA & UXO Lao in regard to monitoring methods of Technical Advisors
Target location
- Data collection will be undertaken from the UXO Lao Headquarters in Vientiane, the NPA representative in Vientiane, and from the two provinces in which NPA was based (Attapeu and Sekong province).
Timeframe
- The assessment will be conducted during a period of 24 working days (4 weeks), Sundays being considered as non working days.
Reporting
The assessors will debrief the UNDP and NPA Representative in Vientiane before departure from Lao.
The assessors will progressively develop their report during the time of the assessment. An extensive draft will be provided in English during a final debriefing to UXO Lao management, NPA Representative at UXO Lao Headquarters, and UNDP at the end of the mission.
The final report will be sent no later than two weeks after the final debriefing in both hard and electronic versions. The distribution list will consist of UXO Lao, NPA and UNDP. UNDP will provide a copy of the report to the donor.
The final draft report will also be submitted to the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi and the NPA Head Office for comments before publication.
Team composition:
The assessment will be conducted by a two-persons team (plus an interpreter). The Team Leader and the Co-Evaluator will work jointly to produce a document capitalising all the technical assistance provided by NPA to UXO Lao for the proposed period.
Brief description of major responsibilities and relationships:
Team Leader
The Team Leader is responsible for the overall supervision and coordination of the assessment, the selection of assessment tools, the support to the Co-Evaluator in literature review, data collection and analysis, the review of the quality of the technical assistance on a case by case basis, the comments on the transfer of technical and managerial skills, the identification of present needs and the formulation of recommendations for the future of the partnership.
The Team Leader shall have:
- At least 8 years experience in the management of mine action at high level, including socio-economic, planning, operations, mine awareness.
- A good knowledge of IMAS Standards
- Data Gathering and Auditing skills
- Ability to communicate and report in English
- Be computer literate
- Be willing to travel to the relevant provinces
- Knowledge of Lao language or the Lao/ South East Asian cultural environment an advantage
Co-Evaluator
The Co-Evaluator is responsible for literature search and desk review of the documentation, research/ design of assessment tools, logistic organization and scheduling for data search and interviews, liaison with the relevant UXO Lao departments and units, support to the Team Leader with the review and evaluation of the transfer of knowledge and the formulation of final recommendations.
The Co-Evaluator shall have:
- At least three years experience in human resources management, recruitment, training and staff appraisal
- A proven experience in conducting evaluation
- A good grasp of the evaluation methods and tools
- Data Gathering and Auditing skills
- An experience and/ or interest in Mine Action
- An ability to communicate and report in English
- An ability to communicate in Lao would be an advantage
- Be computer literate
- Be willing to travel to the relevant provinces
Reference Documentation
- NPA annual plans
- NPA quarter reports
- TA plans and reports
- UXO Lao annual reports
- UXO annual workplans
- Various UXO Lao documentation on TAs
- UNDP evaluation September 2002
- National Strategic Plan for the UXO Programme in the Lao People's Democratic Republic 2003 - 2013 'The Safe Path Forward'
