Pakistan: External Final Project Evaluation - SPRING ASIA( INTERNATIONAL MONITOR)

Terms of Reference for External Final Project Evaluation

Organization profile

World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) is an environmental non-profit organization, formed in 1970 with the aim to conserve nature and ecological process by preserving genetic, species and eco system diversity: promoting actions to reduce pollution and the wasteful exploitation and consumption of natural resources and energy. The organization is committed to the conservation of the country’s rich biological diversity. WWF-Pakistan has a presence in all provinces across the country to carryout conservation work to minimize environmental issues of the country. WWF-Pakistan is part of the global WWF Network, one of the world’s largest and most experienced independent conservation organizations.

Project Description

Sustainable Cotton Production in Pakistan’s Cotton Ginning SMEs (SPRING) is a four year project funded by the European Union (EU) under SWITCH-Asia. The project was started in January 2012 and will be ending in December 2015. WWF-Pakistan has a lead role in the execution of the project while WWF-UK and Pakistan Cotton Ginning Association (PCGA) are project partners. The project is being implemented in three regions: Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan (RYK) in Punjab Province and Sukkur in Sindh Province of Pakistan.

Through SWITCH-Asia, WWF-Pakistan aims to expand its efforts by targeting cotton ginning small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan to ensure the development of a sustainable cotton supply chain from the farm to final product. The project focuses on demonstrating the importance of sustainable cotton production, linkage development of ginners to both Better Cotton (BC) farmers and procurers and developing and encouraging adoption of more efficient and sustainable ginning practices.

The overall objective of the project is “By 2040, sustainable production and consumption in the cotton market worldwide predominates as best practice, resulting in increased environmental sustainability and poverty reduction”.

The specific objective of the project is “By 2015, at least 500 cotton gin SMEs in Pakistan recognize the benefits of sustainable cotton production and consumption and 40% of these commit to more sustainable production practices, in line with agreed better ginning practice guidelines, and supported by the procurement practices of European retailers.

To achieve the specific objective, the project focuses on the following Expected Results (ERs):

ER1 – More Sustainable Cotton Production: By 2015, 30 gins are using more sustainable cotton ginning practices and increasing the supply of Better Cotton to European markets

ER 2 – Enabling Policy Environment: By 2013, Better Ginning Practices (BGPs) guidelines have been developed, in collaboration with representatives from the ginning industry and government, and have been endorsed by PCGA

ER 3 – Capacity Building and Outreach: By 2015, 200 gins have the capacity to adopt more sustainable ginning processes in line with the Better Ginning Practice guidelines, and key supporting institutions are able to support them, and other SMEs, to adopt more sustainable cotton production practices beyond the life of the project

ER 4 –Replication: By 2015, Better Ginning Practice guidelines promoted to a further 300 PCGA members and shared with other cotton producing countries

ER 5 – Market Demand: By 2015, five EU retailers are demanding and procuring Better Cotton and gins in Pakistan are linked up with these through the supply chain

Objectives of the Evaluation

WWF-Pakistan is seeking for an International Consultant (individual/firm) for external final evaluation of its SPRING Project. The project is funded by European Union under SWITCH-Asia Programme. The external final evaluation of the project has the following objectives

I. To independently verify project’s achievements as reported through progress reports and defined in the project’s log frame and consolidated work plan;

II. To assess the extent to which the project performed, this includes evaluating its relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact.

Evaluation questions

The evaluator(s) should respond to the questions below.

Relevance

• How well the project was designed in terms of its relevance towards achieving the set objectives?


• To what extent did the project target and reach potential cotton ginning SMEs?


• How did the project respond to the needs of target SMEs, including how these needs were identified and addressed?


• What criteria were used for the selection of SMEs for the project?

Effectiveness

• To what extents are the results that are reported a fair and accurate record of achievement?


• To what extent has the project delivered results regarding the adoption of Better Ginning Practices (BGPs) by ER1 SMEs, enabling policy environment, capacity building and outreach, replication and market demand?


• To assess the outcomes of training workshops conducted under the project


• What were the key drivers and barriers affecting the delivery of results for the project?


• To what extents the project’s partnerships were effective for the execution of the project?

Efficiency

• To what extent did WWF-Pakistan deliver results on time and on budget against agreed plans?


• To what extent did the project understand cost drivers and manage these in relation to performance requirements?


• To what extent has the project used learning to improve delivery?

Sustainability

• To what extent has the project engaged relevant stakeholders in the implementation of the project?


• Was any mechanism developed and implemented by the project which ensures that the benefits delivered by the project are sustained after project completion?

Impact

• To what extent and how has the project built the capacity of SMEs and supporting institutions in implementation of BGPs?


• To assess social, economic, environmental, technical and policy level impacts of the project.

Required Qualification and Experience

The evaluator will be selected on the basis of the following criteria.

• An evaluation specialist with ten to fifteen years of experience in programme/project evaluation in an international development context.


• Experience of results-based monitoring and evaluation.


• Ability to design and plan the evaluation approaches including quantitative and qualitative research methods.


• Relevant subject matter knowledge and experience of agriculture, environment, enterprise development and water sector projects.


• Consideration of the extent to which the evaluator or evaluation team has appropriate knowledge/experience of working in Pakistan. This includes language proficiency to conduct the evaluation required or that resources be made available (e.g. translator etc) to enable the evaluation to proceed smoothly.

Deliverables

The final external evaluation report (draft and final version) should be no longer than 40 pages (excluding potential annexes).

The external final evaluation report needs to be a substantial document that

(a) Answer all the elements of the Terms of Reference (ToRs)

(b) Provides findings and conclusions that are based on robust and transparent evidence;

(c) Where necessary supplements WWF-Pakistan’s own data with independent research

The evaluation report should include the following contents

Executive Summary

Introduction

• Purpose of the evaluation


• Organization context


• Logic and assumptions of the evaluation


• Overview of project activities

Evaluation Methodology

• Evaluation plan


• Strengths and weaknesses of selected design and research methods


• Summary of problems and issues encountered

Findings

• Overall progress of the project


• Assessment of accuracy of reported results


• Relevance


• Effectiveness


• Efficiency


• Sustainability


• Impact

Conclusions

• Summary of achievements against evaluation questions


• Overall impact and business case of project interventions

Lessons learnt (where relevant)

• Project level – management, design, implementation


• Policy level


• Sector level

Recommendations

Annexes (such as)

• Independent final evaluation terms of reference


• Evaluation research schedule


• Evaluation framework


• Data collection tools


• List of people consulted


• List of supporting documentary information


• Details of the evaluation team


• WWF-Pakistan management response to report findings and recommendations

Time-Frame:

The total duration for the submission of final draft of the evaluation report will be four weeks(one week for planning and preparation, one week for field visits/meetings and two weeks for preparation of draft and final report).

Proposal Requirements

I. Individual CV

II. Organization profile ( in case of a firm)

III. Technical proposal (methodology to deliver consultancy)

IV. Financial proposal

V. Work plan